Speaker
Anthony Sweeney
(University of Liverpool)
Description
Homeland security agencies have a requirement to be able to locate and identify radionuclides which decay via gamma ray emission. One possible solution is the use of a Compton camera [1,2]. A prototype planar semiconductor Compton imaging device is under development at the University of Liverpool in partnership with the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). Compton cameras offer higher detection efficiency in comparison with conventionally collimated devices currently in use such as gamma cameras or coded aperture systems.
State of the art digital data acquisition electronics are being used to undertake measurements with the prototype development system, allowing pulse shapes to be stored for every event. Compton cameras are limited by their ability to locate the gamma ray interaction points within the detector crystals used. Pulse shape analysis [3] can then be utilised to determine the interaction positions within the detector more accurately than via detector segmentation. This enhanced knowledge of the interaction position within the detectors results in an improved Compton image resolution. A comparison of Compton images generated with and without pulse shape analysis techniques will be presented, highlighting the impact of this approach on image quality. The full potential of this system shall be quantified in terms of position resolution in the detector and the resulting image resolution in the reconstructed image. The ability of these technologies to identify radioactive sources in the field will be discussed.
Data has been collected using the double sided high purity germanium strip detectors used in the SmartPET project [4]. New detectors (a thinner planar germanium detector and a planar silicon lithium detector) are also being introduced as part of the prototype system, data from these will also be presented.
[1] Todd, R.W., Nature, Volume 251,Issue 5471, Pages 132-134, 1974
[2] Mihailescu, L., NIM Volume 570 Issue 1, Pages 89-100, 2007
[3] Kroll, T., NIM Volume 463 Issue 1, Pages 227-249, 2001
[4] Boston, H., NIM Volume 579 Issue 1, Pages 104-107, 2007
Preferred medium (Oral/poster)
Oral
Author
Anthony Sweeney
(University of Liverpool)
Co-authors
Amandeep Thandi
(Atomic Weapons Establishment)
Dr
Andrew Boston
(University of Liverpool)
Dr
Daniel Judson
(University of Liverpool)
Dr
David Oxley
(University of Liverpool)
Dr
David Scraggs
(University of Liverpool)
Dr
Helen Boston
(University of Liverpool)
Jamie Dormand
(University of Liverpool)
Dr
John Cresswell
(University of Liverpool)
Dr
Laura Harkness
(University of Liverpool)
Mark Ellis
(Atomic Weapons Establishment)
Martin Jones
(University of Liverpool)
Mike Slee
(University of Liverpool)
Prof.
Paul Nolan
(University of Liverpool)
