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Title: Digital pulse processing for NaI(Tl) detectors

Abstract

We apply two different post-processing techniques to digital pulses induced by photons in a NaI(Tl) detector and compare the obtained energy resolution to the standard analog approach. Our digital acquisition approach is performed using a single-stage acquisition with a fast digitizer. Both the post-processing techniques we propose rely on signal integration. In the first, the pulse integral is calculated by directly numerically integrating the pulse digital samples, while in the second the pulse integral is estimated by a model-based fitting of the pulse. Our study used a 7.62 cm×7.62 cm cylindrical NaI(Tl) detector that gave a 7.60% energy resolution (at 662 keV), using the standard analog acquisition approach, based on a pulse shaping amplifier. The new direct numerical integration yielded a 6.52% energy resolution. The fitting approach yielded a 6.55% energy resolution, and, although computationally heavier than numerical integration, is preferable when only the early samples of the pulse are available. We also evaluated the timing performance of a fast–slow detection system, encompassing an EJ-309 and a NaI(Tl) scintillator. Here, we use two techniques to determine the pulse start time: constant fraction discrimination (CFD) and adaptive noise threshold timing (ANT), for both the analog and digital acquisition approach. With themore » analog acquisition approach, we found a system time resolution of 5.8 ns and 7.3 ns, using the constant fraction discrimination and adaptive noise threshold timing, respectively. With the digital acquisition approach, a time resolution of 1.2 ns was achieved using the ANT method and 3.3 ns using CFD at 50% of the maximum, to select the pulse start time. Finally, the proposed direct digital readout and post-processing techniques can improve the application of NaI(Tl) detectors, traditionally considered ‘slow’, for fast counting and correlation measurements, while maintaining a good measurement of the energy resolution.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (NA-22); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1365802
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1397504
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0002534
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: 806; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; NaI(Tl) detector; Digital acquisition; Data processing; Energy resolution; Time resolution

Citation Formats

Di Fulvio, A., Shin, T. H., Hamel, M. C., and Pozzi, S. A. Digital pulse processing for NaI(Tl) detectors. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.080.
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Di Fulvio, A., Shin, T. H., Hamel, M. C., & Pozzi, S. A. Digital pulse processing for NaI(Tl) detectors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.080
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Di Fulvio, A., Shin, T. H., Hamel, M. C., and Pozzi, S. A. Fri . "Digital pulse processing for NaI(Tl) detectors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.080. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1365802.
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@article{osti_1365802,
title = {Digital pulse processing for NaI(Tl) detectors},
author = {Di Fulvio, A. and Shin, T. H. and Hamel, M. C. and Pozzi, S. A.},
abstractNote = {We apply two different post-processing techniques to digital pulses induced by photons in a NaI(Tl) detector and compare the obtained energy resolution to the standard analog approach. Our digital acquisition approach is performed using a single-stage acquisition with a fast digitizer. Both the post-processing techniques we propose rely on signal integration. In the first, the pulse integral is calculated by directly numerically integrating the pulse digital samples, while in the second the pulse integral is estimated by a model-based fitting of the pulse. Our study used a 7.62 cm×7.62 cm cylindrical NaI(Tl) detector that gave a 7.60% energy resolution (at 662 keV), using the standard analog acquisition approach, based on a pulse shaping amplifier. The new direct numerical integration yielded a 6.52% energy resolution. The fitting approach yielded a 6.55% energy resolution, and, although computationally heavier than numerical integration, is preferable when only the early samples of the pulse are available. We also evaluated the timing performance of a fast–slow detection system, encompassing an EJ-309 and a NaI(Tl) scintillator. Here, we use two techniques to determine the pulse start time: constant fraction discrimination (CFD) and adaptive noise threshold timing (ANT), for both the analog and digital acquisition approach. With the analog acquisition approach, we found a system time resolution of 5.8 ns and 7.3 ns, using the constant fraction discrimination and adaptive noise threshold timing, respectively. With the digital acquisition approach, a time resolution of 1.2 ns was achieved using the ANT method and 3.3 ns using CFD at 50% of the maximum, to select the pulse start time. Finally, the proposed direct digital readout and post-processing techniques can improve the application of NaI(Tl) detectors, traditionally considered ‘slow’, for fast counting and correlation measurements, while maintaining a good measurement of the energy resolution.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.080},
journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
number = C,
volume = 806,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Fri Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.080
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Applications in energy spectrum measurement based on pulse fitting
    journal, March 2019

    • Liang, Yong-Fei; Yang, Chao-Wen; Xu, Jia-Yun
    • Radiation Detection Technology and Methods, Vol. 3, Issue 3
    • DOI: 10.1007/s41605-019-0096-0
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