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Title: Digital Pulse-Shape Discrimination Applied to an Ultra-Low-Background Gas-Proportional Counting System: First Results

Abstract

Abstract A new ultra-low-background proportional counter (ULBPC) design was recently developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). This design, along with an ultra-low-background counting system (ULBCS) which provides passive and active shielding with radon exclusion, has been developed to complement a new shallow underground laboratory (~30 meters water-equivalent) constructed at PNNL. After these steps to mitigate dominant backgrounds (cosmic rays, external gamma-rays, radioactivity in materials), remaining background events do not exclusively arise from ionization of the proportional counter gas. Digital pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) is thus employed to further improve measurement sensitivity. In this work, a template shape is generated for each individual sample measurement of interest, a "self-calibrating" template. Differences in event topology can also cause differences in pulse shape. In this work, the temporal region analyzed for each event is refined to maximize background discrimination while avoiding unwanted sensitivity to event topology. This digital PSD method is applied to sample and background data, and initial measurement results from a biofuel methane sample are presented in the context of low-background measurements currently being developed.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1076668
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-86923
NN2001000
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 296(2):823-827
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 296(2):823-827
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
signal processing, pulse-shape discrimination, proportional counter, tritium, carbon-14, biofuel, low

Citation Formats

Aalseth, Craig E., Day, Anthony R., Fuller, Erin S., Hoppe, Eric W., Keillor, Martin E., Mace, Emily K., Myers, A. W., Overman, Cory T., Panisko, Mark E., Seifert, Allen, Warren, Glen A., and Williams, Richard M. Digital Pulse-Shape Discrimination Applied to an Ultra-Low-Background Gas-Proportional Counting System: First Results. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1007/s10967-012-2052-z.
Aalseth, Craig E., Day, Anthony R., Fuller, Erin S., Hoppe, Eric W., Keillor, Martin E., Mace, Emily K., Myers, A. W., Overman, Cory T., Panisko, Mark E., Seifert, Allen, Warren, Glen A., & Williams, Richard M. Digital Pulse-Shape Discrimination Applied to an Ultra-Low-Background Gas-Proportional Counting System: First Results. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-2052-z
Aalseth, Craig E., Day, Anthony R., Fuller, Erin S., Hoppe, Eric W., Keillor, Martin E., Mace, Emily K., Myers, A. W., Overman, Cory T., Panisko, Mark E., Seifert, Allen, Warren, Glen A., and Williams, Richard M. 2013. "Digital Pulse-Shape Discrimination Applied to an Ultra-Low-Background Gas-Proportional Counting System: First Results". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-2052-z.
@article{osti_1076668,
title = {Digital Pulse-Shape Discrimination Applied to an Ultra-Low-Background Gas-Proportional Counting System: First Results},
author = {Aalseth, Craig E. and Day, Anthony R. and Fuller, Erin S. and Hoppe, Eric W. and Keillor, Martin E. and Mace, Emily K. and Myers, A. W. and Overman, Cory T. and Panisko, Mark E. and Seifert, Allen and Warren, Glen A. and Williams, Richard M.},
abstractNote = {Abstract A new ultra-low-background proportional counter (ULBPC) design was recently developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). This design, along with an ultra-low-background counting system (ULBCS) which provides passive and active shielding with radon exclusion, has been developed to complement a new shallow underground laboratory (~30 meters water-equivalent) constructed at PNNL. After these steps to mitigate dominant backgrounds (cosmic rays, external gamma-rays, radioactivity in materials), remaining background events do not exclusively arise from ionization of the proportional counter gas. Digital pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) is thus employed to further improve measurement sensitivity. In this work, a template shape is generated for each individual sample measurement of interest, a "self-calibrating" template. Differences in event topology can also cause differences in pulse shape. In this work, the temporal region analyzed for each event is refined to maximize background discrimination while avoiding unwanted sensitivity to event topology. This digital PSD method is applied to sample and background data, and initial measurement results from a biofuel methane sample are presented in the context of low-background measurements currently being developed.},
doi = {10.1007/s10967-012-2052-z},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1076668}, journal = {Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 296(2):823-827},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}