NE - 520 - Radiation Detection and Instrument

Syllabus

Course No. NE 520

Term: Fall 2021
Credit Hours: 3 hours
Instructor: Dr. Awad Al-Zahrany
Office: …….
Phone: 0556875406
Email:aalzahrany1@ksu.edu.sa
: drawadalzahrany@gmail.com
Office Hours: TBD
Course Day and Time: Tue 5:00 – 7:00 LEC.
7:00- 9:00 LAB. (Location TBD)
Prerequisite: …..

Description: Principles of radiation detection and measurement

This course will cover the following: radiation sources and their interactions with
matter, Introduction to nuclear spectrometry and instrumentation, Counting statistics
and data interpretation, General properties and principles of Gas filled detectors,
ionization chambers, Gas multiplication, proportional counters, GM counters, Dead
Time and Recovery Time, Scintillation detectors, Semiconductor detectors,
Radiographic and radiochromic films, Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD),
Optically stimulated Luminescence Dosimeter (OSLD) and Neutron Detectors.
Required Textbook:
Knoll, G. F., Radiation Detection and Measurement, 4th Edition, John Wiley (2010).
Supplemental Textbooks:
Tsoulfanidis, N., Landsberger, S., Measurement and Detection of Radiation, 3rd
Edition, CRC Press (2013).
L’Annunziata, M.F., Handbook of Radioactivity Analysis, 4th Edition, Academic
Press (2020).
Gilmore, G., Practical Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, John Wiley (2008).

Teaching Methods:
Lectures with handouts, slides and white board
Problem solving in groups and as individuals

Evaluation Methods:
Accomplishment of course objectives will be assessed by completing the following
tasks:
Homework 15 %
Lab reports and Project 25 %
Med-Term Exam 20 %
Final Exam 40 %

Course Objectives:
The student is expected to gain a basic understanding of the concepts and
applications of radiation detection. The knowledge gained by the student in this
course can be applied to the daily professional activities of a practicing radiochemist,
nuclear engineer, health or medical physicist. After successful completion of this
course, the student is expected to be able to perform the activities listed below:
1. Explain the different sources of radiation and their interaction mechanisms.
2. Use statistical methods to determine the uncertainty in measured values.
3. Combine uncertainties associated with radiation detection and sample preparation.
4. Explain the general properties of radiation detectors/dosimeters typically found in
the workplace.
5. Explain the operation of gas-filled radiation detectors and distinguish the
appropriate type of instrument for a given application.
6. Explain the operation of scintillation and semiconductor detectors and distinguish
the appropriate type of instrument for a given application.
7. Explain the operation and use of equipment used to detect slow and fast neutrons,
and their limitations.
8. Explain the principles of gamma-ray spectrometry in analyzing the composition
of radioactive samples.
9. Understand the signal processing associated with radiation detection.
10. List the sources of radiation backgrounds and design methods/components to
reduce it.

Homework:
Homework assignments will be given out each two weeks. They will consist of a
number of problem sets. Students need to submit the completed assignment before
the next assignment is handed out.

Exams:
Examinations will consist of problem sets and short answer questions. Exams will
be closed book. Students are expected to know the material well. Students must take
each examination at the scheduled time.
Course Outline
Lecture# 1A: Introduction/Radiation Sources
Lecture# 1B: Radiation Sources
Lecture# 1C: Radiation Interactions with matter
Lecture# 2A: Radiation Interactions with matter
Lecture# 2B: Counting Statistics and Error Propagation
Lecture# 2C: Counting Statistics and Error Propagation
Lecture# 3A: Counting Statistics and Error Propagation
Laboratory exercise # 1
Lecture# 3B: General Properties of Radiation Detectors
Lecture# 3C: General Properties of Radiation Detectors
Lecture# 4A: General Properties of Radiation Detectors
Lecture # 4B: Ion Chambers I
Lecture# 4C: Ion Chambers II
Lecture# 6A: Proportional Counters I
Lecture# 6B: Proportional Counters II
Lecture# 6C: Geiger Mueller Counters
MED-TERM EXAM
Lecture# 7A: Scintillation Detector Principles I
Lecture# 7B: Scintillation Detector Principles – II.
Laboratory exercise # 2
Lecture# 8A: Photomultiplier Tubes
Lecture# 8B: Applications of Liquid Scintillation Counting
Lecture# 9A: Radiation Spectroscopy with Scintillator I
Lecture# 9B: Radiation Spectroscopy with Scintillators II
Laboratory exercise # 3
Lecture# 10A: Semiconductor Diode Detectors/Alpha Spectroscopy
Lecture# 10B: Gamma-Ray Detectors (HpGe)
Lecture# 10C: Gamma-Ray Detectors (HpGe)
Laboratory exercise # 4
Lecture# 11A: Neutron Detectors
Lecture# 11B: Neutron Detectors
Lecture# 11C: Neutron Detectors
Lecture # 12A: Pulse Processing
Lecture # 12B: Pulse Processing
Lecture # 12C: Background and Detector Shielding

FINAL EXAM

Laboratory Assignments:
Students will be notified one week before a laboratory assignment takes place in
KACST. All students are expected to participate in the laboratory assignments and
complete the laboratory reports (if required), which will be due a week after the
laboratory assignment is concluded.
Laboratory #1 Qualitative analysis using gamma-ray spectroscopy
This method describes the use of gamma spectrometry for the measurement of
gamma photons emitted from radionuclides in a sample without the need to separate
the radionuclides from the sample matrix. The simultaneous detection of several
gamma emitters in the sample material is carried out with a shielded germanium
semiconductor detector of high resolution connected to a multichannel analyzer
(MCA) and associated data input and output units. Automatic processing of the
collected spectral data can be conveniently controlled by a computer system with
selected software.
Laboratory #2 Quantitative analysis using gamma-ray spectroscopy
Beside the energy calibration in previous lab, the efficiency calibration will be
calculated and the activities of specific radionuclides will be measured and the
student will learn how can take the decision-making in analysis sample.

Laboratory # 3 Survey Meters

The purpose of this laboratory is to become familiar with the use of several types of
survey meters. Specific objectives of this laboratory will allow the student to:
Understand the characteristics and operation of survey meters in medium to high-
level photon radiation environments, Calibrate survey meters using a gamma
calibration source.

Laboratory #4: Thermoluminescence Dosimetry

The purpose of this laboratory is to become familiar with the operation and operating
characteristics of a Thermoluminescence Dosimetry (TLD) System. Specific
objectives are to: Learn how to operate TLD annealing and read-out systems,
Determine the sensitivity and efficiency of CaF2 and LiF TLDs at photon energies
of 661.66 keV.
Project:
The subject of the project will be discussed later.