Neural networks for nuclear spectroscopy
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States); and others
In this paper two applications of artificial neural networks (ANNs) in nuclear spectroscopy analysis are discussed. In the first application, an ANN assigns quality coefficients to alpha particle energy spectra. These spectra are used to detect plutonium contamination in the work environment. The quality coefficients represent the levels of spectral degradation caused by miscalibration and foreign matter affecting the instruments. A set of spectra was labeled with quality coefficients by an expert and used to train the ANN expert system. Our investigation shows that the expert knowledge of spectral quality can be transferred to an ANN system. The second application combines a portable gamma-ray spectrometer with an ANN. In this system the ANN is used to automatically identify, radioactive isotopes in real-time from their gamma-ray spectra. Two neural network paradigms are examined: the linear perception and the optimal linear associative memory (OLAM). A comparison of the two paradigms shows that OLAM is superior to linear perception for this application. Both networks have a linear response and are useful in determining the composition of an unknown sample when the spectrum of the unknown is a linear superposition of known spectra. One feature of this technique is that it uses the whole spectrum in the identification process instead of only the individual photo-peaks. For this reason, it is potentially more useful for processing data from lower resolution gamma-ray spectrometers. This approach has been tested with data generated by Monte Carlo simulations and with field data from sodium iodide and Germanium detectors. With the ANN approach, the intense computation takes place during the training process. Once the network is trained, normal operation consists of propagating the data through the network, which results in rapid identification of samples. This approach is useful in situations that require fast response where precise quantification is less important.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 377048
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA--26375; CONF-9503142--; ON: DE96009360
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Gamma spectral analysis via neural networks
Alpha spectral analysis via artificial neural networks