Ionizing Radiation Detection and Nuclear Instrumentation

Teacher(s)

Cortina Gil Eduardo;

Language

English

Prerequisites

No prerequisites for students who have obtained a Bachelor's degree in physics and who therefore already have knowledge of the energy loss of particles in matter and a basic knowledge of semiconductor physics and PN junction.

Main themes

- Study of basic techniques used in physical measurements : temperature, pressure, force, ...
- Study of the detection of ionizing radiations.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	a.     Contribution of the teaching unit to the learning outcomes of the programme (PHYS2MA) AA1: 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 AA2: 2.2, 2.3, 2.5 AA5: 5.1 AA6: 6.1, 6.4, AA7: 7.1, 7.3 AA8: 8.1,8 .2 b.    Specific learning outcomes of the teaching unit At the end of this teaching unit, the student will be able to: 1. define the characteristics of the fundamental sensors used in physics, 2. Identify and explain the physical processes related to these sensors. 3. select the appropriate reading system for elementary sensors. 4. define the characteristics of a radiation detector and describe its mode of operation: 5. identify and explain the physical processes associated with these detectors. 6. use, in an operational manner, the different types of detectors / sensors described during the teaching unit.

Content

1. Introduction: (Special relativity, Atomic and Nuclear Physics, Statistics),
2. Radiation sources (including basics on accelerators and production of radioisotopes),
3. Radiation-matter interaction,
4. General characteristics of detectors,
5. Gas detectors,
6. Scintillation detectors. Gamma spectroscopy,
7. Semiconductor detectors,
8. Neutron detectors,
9. Nuclear Electronics
10. Accelerators and Artificial Radioactivity

Laboratoires (a selection from the following list; not exhaustive):
1. Geiger-Mueller: Counting statistics.
2. Introduction to simulation codes SRIM and VGATE.
3. Cyclotron: Bragg peak measurement.
4. NaI, HPGe, CdZnTe: Gamma spectrometry.
5. Surface Barrier detector: Alpha spectroscopy.
6. Neutron detection.
7. Scintillation: SiPMs, PMTs, coincidence techniques.
8. Proportional counter: X-ray fluorescence.
9. Angular Correlations with HPGe and/or NaI detectors.
10. Muon detection: muon lifetime and angular distribution

Teaching methods

This training has two activities:
1. Theory course and exercise sessions
- Lecture in auditorium
- Problem solving in auditorium
2. Mandatory practical work consisting of laboratories.
- Initial laboratory projects
- Assembly and measurement of a radiation detection experiment
- Data analysis and report writing
All the material (syllabus, course slides, exercise lists, lab books and tutorials) can be found on the Moodle (UCLouvain)  site and Toledo (KU Leuven) of the teaching unit

Evaluation methods

The evaluation is based on:

• reports and presentations about laboratory work.
• written exam.

Bibliography

G.F. Knoll, Radiation Detection and Measurement.
H. Kolanoski, N. Wermes, Particle Detectors  fundamentals and applications
C. Grupen & B. Schwartz, Particle Detectors (2nd Edition)
W.R. Leo Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments
D. McGregor, J. Kenneth Shultis, Radiation Detection: Concepts,Methods and Devices.

Faculty or entity

PHYS