Speaker
Description
Nuclear decommissioning requires a thorough understanding of the radiological hazards present, typically achieved through a combination of in-situ detection and complementary radiochemical analysis. A major
challenge with in-situ detection arises from the diverse functions at nuclear installations, which impose constraints on detector geometry, precision, and the chemical and environmental resilience of the characterisation technology used. These challenges often necessitate customised solutions.
In this context, we explore the use of organic (polymer, oligomer, and small molecule) semiconductors deposited on flexible substrates as a conformable and tuneable solution. Organic semiconductors have gained prominence in consumer electronics, such as OLED displays, IR photodiodes, and flexible photovoltaics. Over the past two decades, they have also been studied as cost-effective alternatives to inorganic materials in radiation detection, with applications spanning medical dosimetry, nuclear security, and high-energy physics. Our focus is on fabricating flexible alpha particle sensors for in-situ characterisation of buried structures (e.g: pipelines and scaffolding) on Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) sites. The characterisation objectives in this setting include:
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Identifying contamination location.
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Measuring radioactivity levels.
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Determining radioisotope identity.
We are investigating the alpha detection capabilities of these organic diode-style sensors under laboratory conditions, using 241-Am sources. Our initial goal is to assess the detection performance of the sensor
elements, focusing on minimum detectable activity and sensitivity to particle energy. Ultimately, we aim to apply this technology to an NDA site.