This study addresses the need for advanced nuclear waste management strategies, particularly the efficient handling of low-level radioactive waste. Traditional radiation measurement methods pose risks due to the necessity of close proximity to radioactive samples and/or high exposure times. A Compton scattering-based system as an alternative to traditional methods is proposed. The camera employs a 5mm thick CdTe sensor paired with a 55μm Timepix3 detector. The Timepix3's data-driven output allows high photon flux analysis, recording energy and time-of-arrival, vital for accurate source localization and spectrum reconstruction. The comprehensive characterization of this setup, including energy calibration, spatial resolution, and performance in radiation source detection and localization, is presented, alongside challenges and solutions during development. This innovation promises to enhance low-level radioactive waste management safety and efficiency by reducing measurement and personnel exposure time, marking a significant advancement for the nuclear industry and related fields.
In this study, we introduce a novel spectroscopic CT scanning method using a 12x1 Timepix3 detector array with 1mm CdTe sensors in data-driven readout mode. It enables full-spectrum data acquisition and processing on standard laboratory computers, addressing challenges of varying absorption and data volume issues. Our approach involves an initial preclustering step, reducing data size with an efficient algorithm. We then employ dynamic pixel masking to limit photon collection, optimizing signal-to-noise ratios and reducing data load. This strategy enables comprehensive CT scans on standard computers, advancing spectroscopic CT imaging.
This work investigates the capabilities of a state-of-the-art photon counting CdZnTe Timepix3 detector by combining sub-pixel resolution and energy weighted imaging to resolve and identify metallic particles (< 35 µm) in contaminated pharmaceutical hard capsules. While previous pixelated photon counting semiconductor detectors such as the Timepix or Medipix3 allowed single event analysis only for low photon fluxes that are rather unsuitable for imaging purposes, the new Timepix3 detector allows for the analysis of single events even at high X-ray fluxes due to its data driven data output. The challenges of the project like sufficient charge collection and processing of larger data sets for sub-pixel imaging, the influence of charge sharing and X-ray fluorescence on the spatial and energy resolution as well as 3 different approaches of the energy weighted identification of the metallic powders will be discussed.
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