An algorithm for charge-integration, pulse-shape discrimination and estimation of neutron/photon misclassification in organic scintillators

Polack, J. K.; Flaska, M.; Enqvist, A.; Sosa, C. S.; Lawrence, C. C.; Pozzi, S. A.

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2015.05.048

Title: An algorithm for charge-integration, pulse-shape discrimination and estimation of neutron/photon misclassification in organic scintillators

Abstract

Organic scintillators are frequently used for measurements that require sensitivity to both photons and fast neutrons because of their pulse shape discrimination capabilities. In these measurement scenarios, particle identification is commonly handled using the charge-integration pulse shape discrimination method. This method works particularly well for high-energy depositions, but is prone to misclassification for relatively low-energy depositions. A novel algorithm has been developed for automatically performing charge-integration pulse shape discrimination in a consistent and repeatable manner. The algorithm is able to estimate the photon and neutron misclassification corresponding to the calculated discrimination parameters, and is capable of doing so using only the information measured by a single organic scintillator. This paper describes the algorithm and assesses its performance by comparing algorithm-estimated misclassification to values computed via a more traditional time-of-flight estimation. A single data set was processed using four different low-energy thresholds: 40, 60, 90, and 120 keVee. Overall, the results compared well between the two methods; in most cases, the algorithm-estimated values fell within the uncertainties of the TOF-estimated values.

Authors:

Polack, J. K. ^[1]; Flaska, M. ^[1]; Enqvist, A. ^[2]; Sosa, C. S. ^[1]; Lawrence, C. C. ^[1]; Pozzi, S. A. ^[1]

Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

Publication Date:: Fri May 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1365792

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1247236

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0002534; 173669

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 795; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; Organic scintillators; Pulse shape discrimination; Neutron and photon misclassification; Time of flight

Citation Formats


                    Polack, J. K., Flaska, M., Enqvist, A., Sosa, C. S., Lawrence, C. C., and Pozzi, S. A. An algorithm for charge-integration, pulse-shape discrimination and estimation of neutron/photon misclassification in organic scintillators.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.nima.2015.05.048.

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                    Polack, J. K., Flaska, M., Enqvist, A., Sosa, C. S., Lawrence, C. C., & Pozzi, S. A. An algorithm for charge-integration, pulse-shape discrimination and estimation of neutron/photon misclassification in organic scintillators.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.05.048

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                    Polack, J. K., Flaska, M., Enqvist, A., Sosa, C. S., Lawrence, C. C., and Pozzi, S. A. Fri .  
"An algorithm for charge-integration, pulse-shape discrimination and estimation of neutron/photon misclassification in organic scintillators".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.05.048.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1365792.

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@article{osti_1365792,

  title        = {An algorithm for charge-integration, pulse-shape discrimination and estimation of neutron/photon misclassification in organic scintillators},

  author       = {Polack, J. K. and Flaska, M. and Enqvist, A. and Sosa, C. S. and Lawrence, C. C. and Pozzi, S. A.},

  abstractNote = {Organic scintillators are frequently used for measurements that require sensitivity to both photons and fast neutrons because of their pulse shape discrimination capabilities. In these measurement scenarios, particle identification is commonly handled using the charge-integration pulse shape discrimination method. This method works particularly well for high-energy depositions, but is prone to misclassification for relatively low-energy depositions. A novel algorithm has been developed for automatically performing charge-integration pulse shape discrimination in a consistent and repeatable manner. The algorithm is able to estimate the photon and neutron misclassification corresponding to the calculated discrimination parameters, and is capable of doing so using only the information measured by a single organic scintillator. This paper describes the algorithm and assesses its performance by comparing algorithm-estimated misclassification to values computed via a more traditional time-of-flight estimation. A single data set was processed using four different low-energy thresholds: 40, 60, 90, and 120 keVee. Overall, the results compared well between the two methods; in most cases, the algorithm-estimated values fell within the uncertainties of the TOF-estimated values.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.nima.2015.05.048},

  journal      = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 795,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri May 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Fri May 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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journal, July 1968

Miller, T. G.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods, Vol. 63, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1016/0029-554X(68)90314-5

A comparison of scintillator solvents for pulse shape discrimination
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Neutron and photon spectrometry with liquid scintillation detectors in mixed fields
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Klein, Horst; Neumann, Sonja
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Dual-particle imaging system based on simultaneous detection of photon and neutron collision events
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Poitrasson-Rivière, Alexis; Hamel, Michael C.; Polack, J. Kyle
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 760
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Sabbah, B.; Suhami, A.
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A versatile pulse shape discriminator for charged particle separation and its application to fast neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy
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Tests on a digital neutron-gamma pulse shape discriminator with NE213
journal, September 1981

Bell, Zane W.
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A comparison of four different digital algorithms for pulse-shape discrimination in fast scintillators
journal, June 2011

Gamage, K. A. A.; Joyce, M. J.; Hawkes, N. P.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 642, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2011.03.065

Pulse shape discrimination in the plastic scintillator EJ-299-33
journal, September 2013

Pozzi, S. A.; Bourne, M. M.; Clarke, S. D.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 723
DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2013.04.085

Plutonium metal vs. oxide determination with the pulse-shape-discrimination-capable plastic scintillator EJ-299-33
journal, December 2014

Pozzi, S. A.; Bourne, M. M.; Dolan, J. L.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 767
DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2014.08.002

Identification of shielded neutron sources with the liquid scintillator BC-501A using a digital pulse shape discrimination method
journal, July 2007

Flaska, M.; Pozzi, S. A.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 577, Issue 3
DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.141

Neutron light output response and resolution functions in EJ-309 liquid scintillation detectors
journal, July 2013

Enqvist, Andreas; Lawrence, Christopher C.; Wieger, Brian M.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 715
DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2013.03.032

Works referencing / citing this record:

High resolution measurement of tagged two-neutron energy and angle correlations in ${}^{252}{Cf}$ (sf)
journal, July 2019

Schuster, P. F.; Marcath, M. J.; Marin, S.
Physical Review C, Vol. 100, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1103/physrevc.100.014605

Optimal design of waveform digitisers for both energy resolution and pulse shape discrimination
journal, April 2018

Cang, Jirong; Xue, Tao; Zeng, Ming
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 888
DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2018.01.064

High resolution measurement of tagged two-neutron energy and angle correlations in ${}^{252}{Cf}$ (sf)
journal, July 2019

Schuster, P. F.; Marcath, M. J.; Marin, S.
Physical Review C, Vol. 100, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1103/physrevc.100.014605

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Title: An algorithm for charge-integration, pulse-shape discrimination and estimation of neutron/photon misclassification in organic scintillators

Abstract

Citation Formats

Measurement of pulse shape discrimination parameters for several scintillators journal, July 1968

A comparison of scintillator solvents for pulse shape discrimination journal, November 1970

Pulse shape discrimination in inorganic and organic scintillators, II journal, February 1972

Neutron and photon spectrometry with liquid scintillation detectors in mixed fields journal, January 2002

Dual-particle imaging system based on simultaneous detection of photon and neutron collision events journal, October 2014

An accurate pulse-shape discriminator for a wide range of energies journal, January 1968

A versatile pulse shape discriminator for charged particle separation and its application to fast neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy journal, November 1978

Tests on a digital neutron-gamma pulse shape discriminator with NE213 journal, September 1981

A comparison of four different digital algorithms for pulse-shape discrimination in fast scintillators journal, June 2011

Pulse shape discrimination in the plastic scintillator EJ-299-33 journal, September 2013

Plutonium metal vs. oxide determination with the pulse-shape-discrimination-capable plastic scintillator EJ-299-33 journal, December 2014

Identification of shielded neutron sources with the liquid scintillator BC-501A using a digital pulse shape discrimination method journal, July 2007

Neutron light output response and resolution functions in EJ-309 liquid scintillation detectors journal, July 2013

High resolution measurement of tagged two-neutron energy and angle correlations in Cf 252 (sf) journal, July 2019

Optimal design of waveform digitisers for both energy resolution and pulse shape discrimination journal, April 2018

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Measurement of pulse shape discrimination parameters for several scintillators
journal, July 1968

A comparison of scintillator solvents for pulse shape discrimination
journal, November 1970

Pulse shape discrimination in inorganic and organic scintillators, II
journal, February 1972

Neutron and photon spectrometry with liquid scintillation detectors in mixed fields
journal, January 2002

Dual-particle imaging system based on simultaneous detection of photon and neutron collision events
journal, October 2014

An accurate pulse-shape discriminator for a wide range of energies
journal, January 1968

A versatile pulse shape discriminator for charged particle separation and its application to fast neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy
journal, November 1978

Tests on a digital neutron-gamma pulse shape discriminator with NE213
journal, September 1981

A comparison of four different digital algorithms for pulse-shape discrimination in fast scintillators
journal, June 2011

Pulse shape discrimination in the plastic scintillator EJ-299-33
journal, September 2013

Plutonium metal vs. oxide determination with the pulse-shape-discrimination-capable plastic scintillator EJ-299-33
journal, December 2014

Identification of shielded neutron sources with the liquid scintillator BC-501A using a digital pulse shape discrimination method
journal, July 2007

Neutron light output response and resolution functions in EJ-309 liquid scintillation detectors
journal, July 2013

High resolution measurement of tagged two-neutron energy and angle correlations in ${}^{252}{Cf}$ (sf)
journal, July 2019

Optimal design of waveform digitisers for both energy resolution and pulse shape discrimination
journal, April 2018

High resolution measurement of tagged two-neutron energy and angle correlations in ${}^{252}{Cf}$ (sf)
journal, July 2019