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Title: Gamma-ray momentum reconstruction from Compton electron trajectories by filtered back-projection

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4898087· OSTI ID:22310717
;  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California Berkeley, 4155 Etcheverry Hall, MC 1730, Berkeley, California 94720-1730 (United States)
  2. Applied Nuclear Physics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Gamma-ray imaging utilizing Compton scattering has traditionally relied on measuring coincident gamma-ray interactions to map directional information of the source distribution. This coincidence requirement makes it an inherently inefficient process. We present an approach to gamma-ray reconstruction from Compton scattering that requires only a single electron tracking detector, thus removing the coincidence requirement. From the Compton scattered electron momentum distribution, our algorithm analytically computes the incident photon's correlated direction and energy distributions. Because this method maps the source energy and location, it is useful in applications, where prior information about the source distribution is unknown. We demonstrate this method with electron tracks measured in a scientific Si charge coupled device. While this method was demonstrated with electron tracks in a Si-based detector, it is applicable to any detector that can measure electron direction and energy, or equivalently the electron momentum. For example, it can increase the sensitivity to obtain energy and direction in gas-based systems that suffer from limited efficiency.

OSTI ID:
22310717
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 18; Other Information: (c) 2014 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English