LA4JR

-85-1477

TITLE

AUTHOR{S)

SUBMITTEDTO

BISMUTHGERMANATE
SCINTILLATORS:
2!JiJGiiAiii& ANil HMLIH IJHYSICS

APPLICATIONS IN NUCLEAR

LA-UR--85-1477

F. Moss
E. d. Dowdy
M. C. Lucas

C.

010730

DE85

Sixth Symposium on X- and Gamma-Ray Sources

Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 21-23,

and Applications

198S

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BISMUTH GERMANATE
SCINTILLATORS:
APPLICATIONS
IN NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS AND HEALTH PHYSICS
C. E. Moss, E. J. Dowdy. and M. C. Lucas
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663, MS 3562
Los Alamos, NM 87545

ABSTRACT
Bismuth germanate
scintillators

(BGO) scintil!ators

or germanium

detectors

systems based on BGO scirhillators

health physics.
computer-based

are preferable

for some applications.

for applications

in nuclear safeguards and

data acquisition

system, is very efficient.

and a small analyzer,

unfolds the BGO distributions

gamma-ray

systems is the accurate

containers

of uranium or plutonium.

quantities

from a replica of Little

1.

but portable.

and photopeak

measured with these systems to

flux spectra and dose rates.

determination

and a

The second, which

is less efficient

A computer code that uses measured response functions

determine

We describe two

The tirst. system, which consists of eight scintillators

consists of one scintillator

efficiencies,

to Nal(T 1)

One application

of thfise

of flux spectra and dose rates from

A second application

determined

these

Boy, the device exploded over Hiroshima.

INTRODUCTIi3N

Although a high-resolution
gamma-ray

germanium

lmeasurements, a scintillation

detector
detector

is preferable

for most

is more suitable for some

Bismuth Germanate
C. E. MOSS

applications.

Page 2

Scintillators...

If a spectrum contains high-energy

that must be unfolded, then a scintillator

recently,

NaI(Tl)

scintillators

Now bismuth germanate

scintiiiai.ors
efficiency

(BGCI) scintillators

of BGLI scintillators

scintillators.

can be performed

scintillator

is larger, the gamma-ray

BGO is mechanically

NaI(l 1) and is highly insensitive

BGO scintillatcrs

to luw-energy

Because the BGO

distributions

and chemically

are not suitable for some applications.

at low energy.

resulting

from Nal(Tl)
more stable than

neutrons. 1

output from BGO !s only about El% of that from Nal(Tl),4

worse, especially

The hiqher efficierwy

Because the light

the resolution

dutector

batter

temperature

and 7.62 cm in length.

raadily available

coefficient

control or gain stabilization.

costs more than twice as much as the same size Nal(Tl)

largest BGO detector

commercially

is

of BGO causes sum

peaks to be larger than those from Nal(l 1). Tho larger temperature
of BG03 necessitates

at high

faster with a BGO

of similar size.

pulse-height

especially

are easier ta analyze than distributions

Moreover,

Until

The photopeak

is larger than that of NaI(Tl),

than with a NaI(Tl)

from EGO scintillators

choice.

are replacing NaI(Tl)

for several reasons.

energies (Fig. 1): thus measurements

photofraction

is often the better

were preferred.

in many applications,

scintillator

gamma rays or a continuum

A BGO

detector.

Is 10.16 cm irI diameter

Tkle

Bismuth Germanate
C. E. MOSS

The Advanced Nuclear

Laboratory

Technology

chose BGO scintillators

and health physics.

2.

Page 3

Scintillators...

. --..-.,-,

LuulwwLlv

Group of the Los Alamos Natienal

for two systems used in nuclear safeguards

This paper describes these systems and some applications.

The first system, which is very efficient,

scintillators
diameter

and a dedicated

minicomputer.

and 7.62 cm in length.

tne photofraction.

The detector

gamma-ray
stabilizers

pulse-height

The unshielded scintillators

scintillator
distributions

distributions

In addition

equipped with an

241

from the eight detec:ors.

peaks in the pulse-height

to the eight scintillators,

Am pulser is available

system set up around a transuranic

uses a deuterium-tritium

generator

for active

The second system, which is portable,

small multichannel

analyzer

scattering.
crate acquires
Gain

distributions

for measurements

of

Figure 2 shows our

waste assay system that

interrogation

of the waste.4

consists of a single scintillator

(Fig. 3). The Canberra

for

one special

that do not have suitable peaks for stabilizing.

eight -scintillator

are supported

source sc as to minimize

system equipped with a CAMAC

may be set on gamma-ray

long measurements.

is 7.62 cm in

resolutions at 662 keV range from 13.2 to

on low mass tripods around a radioactive

3500 data acquisition

Each BGO scintilldtor

Such large crystals were chosen to maximize

19.1 % in full width at half maximum.

A LeCroy

consists of eight BGC

10 anaiyzer

has 4096

and a

Bismuth Germanate
C. E. MOSS

Page 4

Scintillators...

channels and a built-in

amplifier,

high-voltage

suppiy, and stabilizer.

A small

cassette recorder stores the data.

3.

CALIBRATION

We calibrated
and reactions.

AND ANALYSIS

the system from 0.12 to 8.29 MeV using radioactive

The gamma-ray

point sources used were

57C0

139ce

sources
s

203

Hg,

51 Cr, 113Sn, Be, 85Sr, 1:37CS, 54Mn, 88Y, 65Zn, 22Na, 60 Co, 208Tl, and 16N.
The reactions used were the 9Be(a,n)12C
source that yields a 4.439-MeV
produced in a Van de Graaff
available

from long-lived

emit 4.439-MeV

gamma

reaction

in a plutonium-beryllium

gamma ray and the

target.

14

The calibration

N(p,y) 150 reaction

extends above the energies

isotopic sources becallse some materials

ri~ys

from the reaction

9Be(a,n)2C.

neutron capture gamma rays such as the 7.631 -7.645-MeV

also present,

Details

of interast

High-energy
doublet from, iron are

about the determi, ~ation of the photopeak efficiency

cljrves and the response functions are given in Refs. 5 and 6, respectively.

Our analysis determines

rate.

the flux distribution

dose rate and integral

dose

A code called GPEE L, which runs on a CDC 7600 computer or a Cray

computer,

uses the measured detector

stripping proceduro to calculato

efficiency

tho gamma-ray

and response function

flux in photons/cm2/s

function of energy from the raw BGO puls,e-height

convorts tho resultlng

flux distribution

distributions.

to a doso-rate

distribution

in a
as a

The code then

using a

Bismuth Germanate
C. E. MOSS

flux-to-dose-rate
integral

4.

Scintillators...

curve, based on the work of Dimbylow

over this dose-rate

APPLICA1

Page 5

distribution

and Francis.

is the total gamma-ray

of our system is the determination

dose rates from containers

of uranium or phjtoniurn.

from a 550-g shell of depleted uranium containing

of flux distributions

output from uranium is bremsstrahlung,

continuum out to the 2.3-MeV

shell of plutonium containing

end point.
2.65%

240

0.2% 235U.

checks of Monte Carlo calculations

bremsstrahlung

dosimeters,

Much of the

which is responsible for the

lines

The flux spectra provide experimental

for the gamma-ray

theory makes experimental

peaks

Figure 5 shows results from a 455-g

fission products, and room scatter

which are more accurate

Prominent

Pu. Complexes of gamma-ray

produce peaks at 414, 640, and 760 keV.

and

Figure 4 shows results

from the 234m Pa daughter occur tit 767, 1001, and 1800 keV.

of contaminants,

dose rate.

10NS

One application

gamma-ray

The

emissions.

The presence

and of uncertainties

checks important.

in the

The dose rates,

than those obtained with simple energy-dependent

are useful when dose rates must be known accurately

because of

or legal considerations.

second application

is the determination

rate from a replica of Little

operating

as a reactor

of the flux distribution

and dose

Boy, the device exploded over Hiroshima,

at low power.

To minimize

scatter

the device was

supported outside on a stand so that the core was 4.0 m from the ground when

Bismuth Germanate
C. E. MOSS

operating.

Page 6

Scintillators...

Figure 6 shows some results at 0.75 m from the center and 90 from

the vertical

cylindrical

7.63 l-7.645-MeV

axis.

The distributions

by the

doublet from neutron capture in the massive steel case.

Because data concerning the Hiroshima

for many of our radiation
radiation

are dominated

and Nagasaki survivors provide the basis

safety guidelines,

of the Hiroshimc

explosion.

it s important

Experimentally

rate, such as these, provide checks of the calculations

increase the confidence

in the calculations

to establish the

determined

flux and dose

at low power and

for the explosion.

REF LRILNLES

1.

0. Hausser, M. A. Lone, T. K. Alexander,

Nucl. lnstr. and Meth. ~

S. A. Kushneriuk,

and J. Gascon,

(1983) 301.

2.

0. H. Nestor and C. Y. Huang, IEEE Trans. Nut\.

3.

C. L. Melcher,

J. S. Schweitzer,

A. l.iberman,

Sci. NS-22 () 975) 68.

and J. Simormtti,

IEEE

Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-32 (1) (1985) 529.

4.

J. T. Caldwell,
Haff,

D. A. Close, T. H. Kuckertz,

and F. J. Schultz, Nucbar

issue) ( ] 983) 75.

Materials

W. E. Kunz, 3. C. Pratt,
Management

K. W.

Xll (proceedings

Bismuth Germanate
C. E. MOSS

5. C. E.

Page 7

Scintillators...

MOSS, E. W. Tisinger,

and M. E. Harem. Nuc1. Instr. and Meth. ~

(1984) 378.

6.

C. E. Moss, E. J. Dowdy, A. E. Evans, M. E. Ham,m, M. C. Lucas, and E. R.

Shunk, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. ~

70

P. 3. Dimbylow
Depth-Dose

(1984) 558.

and T. M. Francis, A Calculation

Distributions

in the ICRU Sphere for a Broad Parallel

Point Source, and an Isotropic Field, National

Board report R92, Harwell,

of the Photon

England (1979).

Radiological

Beam, A

Protection

Bismuth Germanate
C. E. Moss

Page 8

Scintillators...

FIGURE

Figure

1..

CAPTIOIJS

Comparison of the absolute photo~eak ef: iciency at 30 crri of a BGO

snd -5 ~J~],\~-,
w,,

.ntillatnr.

each

7.62

cm

in

Figure 2.

Array of eight BGO scintillators

transuranic

assay system.

The LeCroy

diameter

and 7.62 cm long.

supported on tripods around a

3500 data acquisition

system and the

NIM bin electronics

are on the right.

Figure 3.

system consisting of a single BGO scintillator

Portable

and a Canberra

10 multichannel

analyzer.

The cassette recorder

on a tripod
is the small

unit in front of the analyzer.

Figure 4.
dose-rate

Binned pulse-height
distribution

distribution

(bottom)

(top), flux distritwtior,

from a 55!3-g shell of depleted uranium.

major peak is labeled with the erwrgy in keV and the radioactive

Figure 5.
dose-rate

Figure 6.
dose-rate
7.6-MeV

F3inned pulse-height
distribution

(bottom)

Binned pulse-height
spectrum (bottom)

(middle), and

distribution

(top), flux distribution

Each

nuclide.

(middle), and

from a 455-g shell of plutonium.

distribution

(top), flux spectrum (middle),

at (90, 0.75 m) from the Little

peak from Fe(n,y) is the most prominent

feature

Boy replica.

and
The

of the distribution.

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