Unattended Sensor System With CLYC Detectors

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2016.2553108· OSTI ID:1330298

Myjak, Mitchell J.; Becker, Eric M.; Gilbert, Andrew J.; Hoff, Jonathan E.; Knudson, Christa K.; Landgren, Peter C.; Lee, Samantha F.; McDonald, Benjamin S.; Pfund, David M.; Redding, Rebecca L.; Smart, John E.; Taubman, Matthew S.; Torres-Torres, Carlos R.; Wiseman, Clinton G.

We have developed a next-generation unattended sensor for detecting anomalous radiation sources. The system combines several technologies to reduce size and weight, increase battery lifetime, and improve decision-making capabilities. Sixteen Cs2LiYCl6:Ce (CLYC) scintillators allow for gamma-ray spectroscopy and neutron detection in the same volume. Low-power electronics for readout, high voltage bias, and digital processing reduce the total operating power to 1.3 W. Computationally efficient analysis algorithms perform spectral anomaly detection and isotope identification. When an alarm occurs, the system transmits alarm information over a cellular modem. In this paper, we describe the overall design of the unattended sensor, present characterization results, and compare the performance to stock NaI:Tl and 3He detectors.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1330298
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-115157; NN2001000
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 63, Issue 3; ISSN 0018-9499
• Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Unattended sensor
CLYC
radiation detection
low-power electronics