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Title: Characterization of a Commercial Silicon Beta Cell

Abstract

Silicon detectors are of interest for the verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) due to their enhanced energy resolution compared to plastic scintillators beta cells. Previous work developing a figure-of-merit (FOM) for comparison of beta cells suggests that the minimum detectable activity (MDA) could be reduced by a factor of two to three with the use of silicon detectors. Silicon beta cells have been developed by CEA (France) and Lares Ltd. (Russia), with the PIPSBox developed by CEA being commercially available from Canberra for approximately $35k, but there is still uncertainty about the reproducibility of the capabilities in the field. PNNL is developing a high-resolution beta-gamma detector system in the shallow underground laboratory, which will utilize and characterize the operation of the PIPSBox detector. Throughout this report, we examine the capabilities of the PIPSBox as developed by CEA. The lessons learned through the testing and use of the PIPSBox will allow PNNL to strategically develop a silicon detector optimized to better suit the communities needs in the future.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1258729
Report Number(s):
PNNL-25297
DN2003000; TRN: US1601518
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; SI SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; ENERGY RESOLUTION; CEA; CTBT; OPERATION; PERFORMANCE; TESTING; VERIFICATION

Citation Formats

Foxe, Michael P., Hayes, James C., Mayer, Michael F., McIntyre, Justin I., Sivels, Ciara B., and Suarez, Rey. Characterization of a Commercial Silicon Beta Cell. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.2172/1258729.
Foxe, Michael P., Hayes, James C., Mayer, Michael F., McIntyre, Justin I., Sivels, Ciara B., & Suarez, Rey. Characterization of a Commercial Silicon Beta Cell. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1258729
Foxe, Michael P., Hayes, James C., Mayer, Michael F., McIntyre, Justin I., Sivels, Ciara B., and Suarez, Rey. 2016. "Characterization of a Commercial Silicon Beta Cell". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1258729. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1258729.
@article{osti_1258729,
title = {Characterization of a Commercial Silicon Beta Cell},
author = {Foxe, Michael P. and Hayes, James C. and Mayer, Michael F. and McIntyre, Justin I. and Sivels, Ciara B. and Suarez, Rey},
abstractNote = {Silicon detectors are of interest for the verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) due to their enhanced energy resolution compared to plastic scintillators beta cells. Previous work developing a figure-of-merit (FOM) for comparison of beta cells suggests that the minimum detectable activity (MDA) could be reduced by a factor of two to three with the use of silicon detectors. Silicon beta cells have been developed by CEA (France) and Lares Ltd. (Russia), with the PIPSBox developed by CEA being commercially available from Canberra for approximately $35k, but there is still uncertainty about the reproducibility of the capabilities in the field. PNNL is developing a high-resolution beta-gamma detector system in the shallow underground laboratory, which will utilize and characterize the operation of the PIPSBox detector. Throughout this report, we examine the capabilities of the PIPSBox as developed by CEA. The lessons learned through the testing and use of the PIPSBox will allow PNNL to strategically develop a silicon detector optimized to better suit the communities needs in the future.},
doi = {10.2172/1258729},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1258729}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu Mar 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}