Radiation Detectors Physical Principles and Applications

by Delaney, C. F. G.; Finch, E. C.

• ISBN13: 9780198539230
• ISBN10: 0198539231
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1992-08-27
• Publisher: Clarendon Press

Summary

From the pocket dosemeter and photographic emulsions to the superheated drop detector and the single particle calorimeter, this text describes the wide range of sensing apparatus used for observing and measuring nuclear radiation. Emphasis is placed on simple but thorough explanations of the underlying physics for each detector and on their applications. Introductions to the types of radiation and their interaction with matter lead to descriptions of well established devices such as ionization chambers, proportional and Geiger counters, scintillation counters, semiconductor detectors, and other more recent innovations such as semiconductor drift chambers and dark matter detectors. A separate chapter discusses sources of noise and their influence on the energy resolution achievable with different systems. The book has been written by two physicists who have worked and taught in the field for many years. It is intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students as well as technicians and workers who use sources of ionizing radiation.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Aims and objectives	p. 1
Early history of detectors	p. 1
Atoms and nuclei	p. 3
General features of radioactivity	p. 8
Types of nuclear decay	p. 16
Accelerated charged particles	p. 31
X-rays	p. 33
Neutrons and other radiations from nuclear reactions	p. 36
References	p. 40
Further reading	p. 40
Interactions of radiations with matter	p. 41
Introduction	p. 41
Interaction of directly ionizing particles	p. 41
Gamma-ray interactions with matter	p. 52
Neutron interactions	p. 62
Implications for detection methods	p. 64
Reference	p. 65
Gas-filled detectors	p. 66
Introduction	p. 66
Ionization chambers	p. 66
Proportional counters	p. 83
Geiger counters	p. 97
References	p. 107
Further reading	p. 107
Scintillation counters	p. 108
Introduction	p. 108
Inorganic scintillators	p. 111
Organic scintillators	p. 116
Photomultipliers	p. 119
Applications of scintillation counting	p. 145
References	p. 153
Further reading	p. 153
Semiconductor detectors	p. 154
Introduction	p. 154
Band structure of semiconductors	p. 155
Current flow in bulk semiconductors	p. 160
Junction detectors: principles	p. 164
Silicon junction detectors: practice	p. 172
Lithium-drifted detectors: principles	p. 189
Si(Li) detectors	p. 193
Ge(Li) detectors	p. 197
HPGe detectors	p. 203
Semiconductor detectors for neutrons	p. 206
Radiation damage in semiconductor detectors	p. 210
Detectors made from special materials	p. 211
References	p. 213
Further reading	p. 213
Electronics for radiation detection	p. 214
Introduction	p. 214
Amplification principles for radiation detectors	p. 215
Preamplifiers	p. 218
Main amplifiers	p. 237
Simple counting and analysis systems	p. 249
Multichannel analysers	p. 254
Timing systems	p. 262
Coincidence units	p. 277
Housing of electronic units	p. 280
A complete system	p. 282
References	p. 282
Further reading	p. 282
Energy resolution in radiation detectors	p. 283
The necessity for good energy resolution	p. 283
Sources of instrumental linewidth	p. 283
Noise in signal	p. 284
Electronic noise and linewidth	p. 299
Appendix: Noise calculations for the charge-sensitive preamplifier	p. 324
References	p. 325
Further reading	p. 326
Miscellaneous detectors	p. 327
Introduction	p. 327
Cherenkov detectors	p. 327
Special detectors using noble gases	p. 331
Detectors with event storage properties	p. 333
Calorimetric detectors	p. 340
References	p. 348
Further reading	p. 349
General bibliography	p. 350
Index	p. 351
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.