Superconducting gamma and fast-neutron spectrometers with high energy resolution

Patent · Tue Nov 04 00:00:00 EST 2008

OSTI ID:986189

Friedrich, Stephan ^[1]; Niedermayr, Thomas R ^[2]; Labov, Simon E ^[3]

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1. San Jose, CA
2. Oakland, CA
3. Berkeley, CA

Superconducting Gamma-ray and fast-neutron spectrometers with very high energy resolution operated at very low temperatures are provided. The sensor consists of a bulk absorber and a superconducting thermometer weakly coupled to a cold reservoir, and determines the energy of the incident particle from the rise in temperature upon absorption. A superconducting film operated at the transition between its superconducting and its normal state is used as the thermometer, and sensor operation at reservoir temperatures around 0.1 K reduces thermal fluctuations and thus enables very high energy resolution. Depending on the choice of absorber material, the spectrometer can be configured either as a Gamma-spectrometer or as a fast-neutron spectrometer.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (Livermore, CA)
• Patent Number(s): 7,446,314
• Application Number: 11/240,675; TRN: US201017%%29
• OSTI ID: 986189
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ENERGY ABSORPTION
GAMMA DETECTION
NEUTRON DETECTION
FAST NEUTRONS
ENERGY RESOLUTION
SPECTROMETERS
SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS
THERMOMETERS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K