Development of portable HPGe spectrometer for in situ measurements

Abstract

In situ applications require a very high level of portability of high-resolution spectrometric equipment. Usage of HPGe detectors for radioactivity measurements in the environment or for nuclear safeguard applications, to combat illicit trafficking of nuclear materials or uranium and plutonium monitoring in nuclear wastes, has become a norm in the recent years. Portable HPGe-based radionuclide spectrometer with electrical cooling has lately appeared on the market for in situ applications. At the same time deterioration of energy resolution associated with vibrations produced by cryocooler or high weight of the instrument, short time of autonomous operation and high price of these spectrometers are limiting their usage in many cases. In this paper we present development results of ultra compact hand held all-in-one spectrometer for in situ measurements based on HPGe detector cooled by liquid nitrogen without listing the above disadvantages.

Development of miniaturized HPGe spectrometers for unmanned aerial vehicles

“…To cool the HPGe detector, a miniaturised Dewar vessel with a volume of 0.5 l was developed. The same technologies were applied by us during the development of small-sized Dewar vessels for portable spectrometers for nuclear inspections applications [50]- [52]. However, in the present project, a cylindrical shape was chosen for the Dewar vessel as it is easier to manufacture.…”

“…The Dewar vessel of the spectrometer with the liquid nitrogen cooling was filled using a funnel, a very simple method analogous to the one used for portable spectrometers [50]- [52]. The detector reached its operational temperature already after one hour.…”