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We perform a detailed simulation of a pixelated CdTe detector using the GEANT4 toolkit completed with a custom code emulating the detector's electronic response. We demonstrate that a measured tungsten X-ray spectrum can be majorly restored back to the original incident spectrum using the developed model, without requiring the dedicated hardware charge sharing correction.

The fundamental quantity in the dosimetry of ionizing radiation is the absorbed dose to matter in units of J/kg with the special name of gray (Gy). The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the national metrology institute of Germany, is responsible for the realization and dissemination of the gray for x- and gamma radiation. The quantity air kerma is the metrological basis for dosimetry in radiation protection applications as well as in medical x-ray diagnostics and therapy. Air kerma for x-radiation is primarily measured using what are known as free-air ionization chambers (FACs). This technical report describes the definition of air kerma, the physical principles behind FACs, the technical design of three different FACs maintained at PTB, and the procedures and data needed to obtain the air kerma from the charge measured by FACs. This report is of general interest not only for researchers at other national metrology institutes who work with FACs but also for anyone who has air kerma calibration done for their secondary air kerma standards with traceability to FACs.

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of CERN's Sources, Targets and Interactions (STI) Group, the Accelerator Consolidation Project at CERN, as well as M. Wendt and F. Caspers. This program is partially supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP16H03994. This support is gratefully acknowledged. The research leading to these results has received funding from the transnational access activity ARIES which is co-funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement no. 730871., Beam Intercepting Devices (BIDs) are essential protection elements for the operation of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) complex. The LHC internal beam dump (LHC Target Dump Injection or LHC TDI) is the main protection BID of the LHC injection system; its main function is to protect LHC equipment in the event of a malfunction of the injection kicker magnets during beam transfer from the SPS to the LHC. Several issues with the TDI were encountered during LHC operation, most of them due to outgassing from its core components induced by electron cloud effects, which led to limitations of the injector intensity and hence had an impact onLHCavailability. The absorbing cores of the TDIs, and of beam intercepting devices in general, need to deal with high thermo-mechanical loads induced by the high intensity particle beams. In addition, devices such as the TDI—where the absorbing materials are installed close to the beam, are important contributors to the accelerator impedance budget. To reduce impedance, the absorbing materials that make up the core must be typically coated with high electrical conductivity metals. Beam impact testing of the coated absorbers is a crucial element of development work to ensure their correct operation. In the work covered by this paper, the behaviour of several metal-coated absorber materials was investigated when exposed to high intensity and high energy proton beams in the HiRadMat facility at CERN. Different coating configurations based on copper and molybdenum, and absorbing materials such as isostatic graphite, Carbon Fibre Composite (CfC) and Silicon Carbide reinforced with Silicon Carbide fibres (SiC-SiC), were tested in the facility to assess the TDI’s performance and to extract information for other BIDs using these materials. In addition to beam impact tests and an extensive Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) campaign to assess the performance of the coatings and the structural integrity of the substrates, extensive numerical simulations were carried out., CERN's Sources, Targets and Interactions (STI) Group, Accelerator Consolidation Project at CERN, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) JP16H03994, transnational access activity ARIES - European Union 730871

At the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the superconducting cyclotron “COMET” delivers a 250 MeV proton beam for radiation therapy in pulses of 1ns at the cyclotron-RF frequency of 72.85 MHz. Accurate measurement of the beam position at proton beam currents of 0.1–10 nA in the beam transport line downstream of the degrader is of crucial importance for the treatment safety and quality, beam alignment and feedback systems. This is essential for efficient operation and beam delivery. These measurements are usually performed with intercepting monitors such as ionization chambers (ICs). In this paper, we present a novel non-intercepting position sensitive cavity resonator. The resonant monitor, tuned to the second harmonic of the cyclotron's RF, is based on the detection of the transverse magnetic dipole mode of the EM field generated by the beam. This mode is only excited for off-center beam positions and is measured with the help of four floating cavities within a common grounded cylinder. This paper discusses the BPM fundamental characteristics, design optimization and the underlying parametric investigations involving the contribution of the different modes and crosstalk. We estimate the expected signals from the prototype BPM for position offsets from simulations and compare them with test-bench measurements and beam measurements with the prototype and the improvised BPM design. We conclude by summarizing the achieved position sensitivity, precision, and measurement bandwidth.

Noise magnitude in conventional attenuation X-ray tomography (CT) is strongly dependent on the pixel size and/or the geometrical magnification, thereby limiting the possibility of achieving high-resolution low-dose CT imaging. In this context, the use of Propagation-Based Imaging (PBI) phase-contrast technique coupled with the application of a suitable Phase-Retrieval (PhR) filter is a valuable tool to overcome such limitation. In fact, at fixed radiation dose, the noise dependence on the effective pixel size when the PhR filter is applied is much shallower with respect to conventional CT imaging. Making use of a theoretical framework developed by other authors, this work demonstrates quantitatively the dependence of CT image noise on pixel size and magnification in PBI. Calculations are compared with experimental images of a breast specimen imaged at the SYRMEP beamline at the Elettra synchrotron facility (Trieste, Italy), with a CdTe photon-counting detector in PBI configuration. The results, expressed in terms of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) gain due to the PhR application, show a good agreement between predictions and experimental data at all pixel pitches and magnifications, quantitatively demonstrating the importance of going towards detectors featuring smaller pixels (or higher spatial resolution) to fully exploit the advantages of PBI and PhR. Specifically, SNR gain up to a factor of 20 is observed at the smallest pixel pitch (60 μ m) and largest magnification (1.40). At the same time, as predicted theoretically, larger magnifications correspond to lower image noise (or higher SNR) when PhR is applied: this trend is unparalleled in attenuation-based CT imaging where larger magnifications, hence smaller effective pixel sizes, lead to a higher noise.

Hadrons emerging from high-energy collisions, as it is the case for protons and pions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, can produce a damage to inorganic crystals that is specific and cumulative. The mechanism is well understood as due to bulk damage from fragments caused by fission. In this paper, the existing experimental evidence for lead tungstate, LYSO and cerium fluoride is summarised, a study using FLUKA simulations is described and its results are discussed and compared to measurements. The outcome corroborates the confidence in the predictive power of such simulations applied to inorganic scintillators, which are relevant to their adoption as scintillators for calorimetry., Journal of Instrumentation, 15 (6), ISSN:1748-0221

The e_LiBANS project aims at creating accelerator based compact neutron facilities for diverse interdisciplinary applications. After the successful setting up and characterization of a thermal neutron source based on a medical electron LINAC, a similar assembly for epithermal neutrons has been developed. The project is based on an Elekta 18 MV LINAC coupled with a photoconverter-moderator system which deploys the ({\gamma},n) photonuclear reaction to convert a bremsstrahlung photon beam into a neutron field. This communication describes the development of novel diagnostics to qualify the thermal and epithermal neutron fields that have been produced. In particular, a proof of concept for the use of silicon carbide photodiodes as a thermal neutron rate detector is presented., Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication to JINST on the 17th April 2020

In this work we address the effects of surface radiation damage on detectors fabricated on high-resistivity p-type FZ < 100 > substrates by Hamamatsu Photonics (HPK) and by Infineon Technologies (IFX). Test structures underwent a wide set of measurements before and after X-ray irradiation with doses from 0.05 to 100 Mrad (SiO2) in order to extract the integrated interface trap density (N-IT) and the oxide charge (Q(OX)) peculiar to different vendors, processes and technology options. These parameters can be then used as inputs to TCAD simulation tools. On the basis of the new experimental evidences at these high doses, the TCAD numerical model has been updated considering two main bands of defects, one acceptor and one donor, extended to the whole silicon bandgap and simulating the net effect of the radiation-induced acceptor-like and donor-like defects. The comparison between simulation findings and measured macroscopic electric behaviour, e.g. in terms of C-V curves of MOS capacitors has been used as cross-check for model validation purposes. By means of the same modelling scheme it is possible to reproduce the I-V curves of gated-diodes and the interstrip resistance as a function of the dose from 0.05 to 100 Mrad (SiO2) for the range of technology and design options investigated. The good agreement between simulations and measurements would support the use of this TCAD surface radiation damage model as a predictive tool to optimize the design and the operations of the new generation of silicon detectors for the future High Energy Physics experiments.

Journal of imaging 6(7), 63 (1-15) (2020). doi:10.3390/jimaging6070063, For imaging events of extremely short duration, like shock waves or explosions, it isnecessary to be able to image the object with a single-shot exposure. A suitable setup is givenby a laser-induced X-ray source such as the one that can be found at GSI (Helmholtzzentrum fürSchwerionenforschung GmbH) in Darmstadt (Society for Heavy Ion Research), Germany. There,it ispossible to direct a pulse from the high-energy laser Petawatt High Energy Laser for HeavyIon eXperiments (PHELIX) on a tungsten wire to generate a picosecond polychromatic X-ray pulse,called backlighter. For grating-based single-shot phase-contrast imaging of shock waves or explodingwires, it is important to know the weighted mean energy of the X-ray spectrum for choosing asuitable setup. In propagation-based phase-contrast imaging the knowledge of the weighted meanenergy is necessary to be able to reconstruct quantitative phase images of unknown objects. Hence,we developeda method to evaluate the weighted mean energy of the X-ray backlighter spectrumusing propagation-based phase-contrast images. In a first step wave-field simulations are performedto verify the results. Furthermore, our evaluation is cross-checked with monochromatic synchrotronmeasurements with known energy at Diamond Light Source (DLS, Didcot, UK) for proof of concepts., Published by MDPI, Basel

In this work we address the effects of bulk and surface damages on detectors fabricated by Hamamatsu on standard float zone (FZ) p-type material with an active thickness of 290 $\mu$m or thinned to 240 $\mu$m. In order to disentangle the effects of the two main radiation damage mechanisms, ionization effects and atomic displacement, the structures underwent two types of radiation: X-ray with doses from 0.05 to 70 Mrad (SiO$_2$) and neutron in the range of 1$-$10 $\times$ 10$^{14}$ n$_{eq}$/cm$^2$ 1 MeV equivalent. The combined surface and bulk damage could be investigated in structures that underwent both types of irradiation. A wide set of measurements has been carried out on the test structures for a complete characterization. In this work we address the effects of bulk and surface damages on detectors fabricated by Hamamatsu on standard float zone (FZ) p-type material with an active thickness of 290 µm or thinned to 240 µm. In order to disentangle the effects of the two main radiation damage mechanisms, ionization effects and atomic displacement, the structures underwent two types of radiation: X-ray with doses from 0.05 to 70 Mrad (SiO 2 ) and neutron in the range of 1 − 10 × 10 14 n eq /cm 21MeV equivalent. The combined surface and bulk damage could be investigated in structures that underwent both types of irradiation. A wide set of measurements has been carried out on the test structures for a complete characterization.

The potential for a radiological or nuclear attack has been widely acknowledged in the last two decades. The use of a dirty bomb by terrorist organizations is considered to be a credible threat for which policymakers and relevant security agencies must prepare. Radioactive materials are stored in thousands of facilities around the world and may not be adequately protected against theft. This article analyzes a hypothetical dirty bomb attack in a large metropolitan area, evaluating the radiation dose to the involved population. The dispersion of radioactive materials is simulated using HOTSPOT code, considering a number of possible radionuclides (alpha, beta and gamma emitters) and scenarios. The findings of the present study corroborate and extend previous research demonstrating that it is unlikely that the atmospheric dispersion of radioactive material contained in a dirty bomb would produce deterministic effects in the exposed population. The radioactive material would be dispersed into the air resulting in relatively low doses. However, depending on the situation, the explosion of a dirty bomb is likely to contaminate properties (rendering them temporarily uninhabitable), thereby requiring potentially costly cleanup. Furthermore, due to the general fear of radiation, pervasive psychological effects are expected.

The eastern equatorial Pacific plays a~great role in the global carbon budget due to its enhanced biological productivity linked to the equatorial upwelling. However, as confirmed by the Equatorial Biocomplexity cruises in 2004 and 2005, nutrient upwelling supply varies strongly, partly due to the tropical instability waves (TIWs). The aim of this study was to examine patterns of spatial and temporal variability in the biological uptake of NO3, Si(OH)4 and carbon in this region, and to evaluate the role of biological and physical interactions controlling this variability over seasonal and intraseasonal time scales. Here, high resolution Pacific ROMS–CoSiNE (Regional Ocean Modeling System–Carbon, Silicon, Nitrogen Ecosystem) model results were evaluated with in situ and remote sensing data. The results of model–data comparison revealed a good agreement in domain-average hydrographic and biological rate estimates, and patterns of spatio-temporal variability in primary productivity. We confirmed that TIWs have the potential to enhance phytoplankton biomass through an increased supply of nutrients and elevated local and instantaneous phytoplankton nutrient uptake as opposed to only advecting biomass. Furthermore, we concluded that initial biological conditions (e.g., zooplankton biomass) may play an important additional constraint on biological responses, in particular of large phytoplankton such as diatoms, to TIW-induced perturbations in the physical and biogeochemical fields and fluxes. In order to fully resolve the complexity of biological and physical interactions in the eastern equatorial Pacific, we recommended improving CoSiNE and other models by introducing more phytoplankton groups, variable Redfield and carbon to chlorophyll ratios, as well as resolving the Fe–Si co-limitation of phytoplankton growth.

International audience; The high luminosity expected from the HL-LHC will be a challenge for the CMS detector. The increased rate of particles coming from the collisions and the radioactivity induced in the detector material could cause significant damage and result in a progressive degradation of its performance. Simulation studies are very useful in these scenarios as they allow one to study the radiation environment and the impact on detector performance. Results are presented for CMS RPC stations considering the operating conditions expected at the HL-LHC.

Nuclear waste is deposited for many years in the concrete or bitumen-filled containers. With time hydrogen gas is produced, which can accumulate in bubbles. These pockets of gas may result in bitumen overflowing out of the waste containers and could result in spread of radioactivity. Muon Scattering Tomography is a non-invasive scanning method developed to examine the unknown content of nuclear waste drums. Here we present a method which allows us to successfully detect bubbles larger than 2 litres and determine their size with a relative uncertainty resolution of 1.55 ± 0.77%. Furthermore, the method allows to make a distinction between a conglomeration of bubbles and a few smaller gas volumes in different locations.

In this paper we present a novel label fusion algorithm suited for scenarios in which different manual delineation protocols with potentially disparate structures have been used to annotate the training scans (hereafter referred to as "atlases"). Such scenarios arise when atlases have missing structures, when they have been labeled with different levels of detail, or when they have been taken from different heterogeneous databases. The proposed algorithm can be used to automatically label a novel scan with any of the protocols from the training data. Further, it enables us to generate new labels that are not present in any delineation protocol by defining intersections on the underling labels. We first use probabilistic models of label fusion to generalize three popular label fusion techniques to the multi-protocol setting: majority voting, semi-locally weighted voting and STAPLE. Then, we identify some shortcomings of the generalized methods, namely the inability to produce meaningful posterior probabilities for the different labels (majority voting, semi-locally weighted voting) and to exploit the similarities between the atlases (all three methods). Finally, we propose a novel generative label fusion model that can overcome these drawbacks. We use the proposed method to combine four brain MRI datasets labeled with different protocols (with a total of 102 unique labeled structures) to produce segmentations of 148 brain regions. Using cross-validation, we show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the generalizations of majority voting, semi-locally weighted voting and STAPLE (mean Dice score 83%, vs. 77%, 80% and 79%, respectively). We also evaluated the proposed algorithm in an aging study, successfully reproducing some well-known results in cortical and subcortical structures. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The novel proton radiography imaging technique has a large potential to be used in direct measurement of the proton energy loss (proton stopping power, PSP) in various tissues in the patient. The uncertainty of PSPs, currently obtained from translation of X-ray Computed Tomography (xCT) images, should be minimized from 3-5% or higher to less than 1%, to make the treatment plan with proton beams more accurate, and thereby better treatment for the patient.With Geant4 we simulated a proton radiography detection system with two position-sensitive and residual energy detectors. A complex phantom filled with various materials (including tissue surrogates), was placed between the position sensitive detectors. The phantom was irradiated with 150 MeVprotons and the energy loss radiograph and scattering angles were studied. Protons passing through different materials in the phantom lose energy, which was used to create a radiography image of the phantom. The multiple Coulomb scattering of a proton traversing different materials causes blurring of the image. To improve image quality and material identification in the phantom, we selected protons with small scattering angles.A good quality proton radiography image, in which various materials can be recognized accurately, and in combination with xCT can lead to more accurate relative stopping powers predictions.

Capacitor and Schottky diode sensors were fabricated on GaN material grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition techniques using plasma etching and metal deposition. The operational characteristics of these devices have been investigated by profiling current transients and by comparing the experimental regimes of the perpendicular and parallel injection of excess carrier domains. Profiling of the carrier injection location allows for the separation of the bipolar and the monopolar charge drift components. Carrier mobility values attributed to the hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) GaN material have been estimated as μe = 1000 ± 200 cm2/Vs for electrons, and μh = 400 ± 80 cm2/Vs for holes, respectively. Current transients under injection of the localized and bulk packets of excess carriers have been examined in order to determine the surface charge formation and polarization effects.

Networks that merge and harmonise eddy-covariance measurements from many different parts of the world have become an important observational resource for ecosystem science. Empirical algorithms have been developed which combine direct observations of the net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide with simple empirical models to disentangle photosynthetic (GPP) and respiratory fluxes (Reco). The increasing use of these estimates for the analysis of climate sensitivities, model evaluation and calibration demands a thorough understanding of assumptions in the analysis process and the resulting uncertainties of the partitioned fluxes. The semi-empirical models used in flux partitioning algorithms require temperature observations as input, but as respiration takes place in many parts of an ecosystem, it is unclear which temperature input – air, surface, bole, or soil at a specific depth – should be used. This choice is a source of uncertainty and potential biases. In this study, we analysed the correlation between different temperature observations and nighttime NEE (which equals nighttime respiration) across FLUXNET sites to understand the potential of the different temperature observations as input for the flux partitioning model. We found that the differences in the correlation between different temperature data streams and nighttime NEE are small and depend on the selection of sites. We investigated the effects of the choice of the temperature data by running two flux partitioning algorithms with air and soil temperature. We found the time lag (phase shift) between air and soil temperatures explains the differences in the GPP and Reco estimates when using either air or soil temperatures for flux partitioning. The impact of the source of temperature data on other derived ecosystem parameters was estimated, and the strongest impact was found for the temperature sensitivity. Overall, this study suggests that the choice between soil or air temperature must be made on site-by-site basis by analysing the correlation between temperature and nighttime NEE. We recommend using an ensemble of estimates based on different temperature observations to account for the uncertainty due to the choice of temperature and to assure the robustness of the temporal patterns of the derived variables.