High Resolution Gamma Ray Spectrometer for Nuclear Non-Proliferation

70062 Gamma ray spectrometers are an important tool for checking the proliferation of the nuclear weapons. The requirements for the ?-ray spectrometers used in this application include good energy resolution, high detection efficiency, compact size, light weight, portability, and low power requirements. None of the available spectrometers satisfy all these requirements. This project will investigate a new scintillator, which appears to be very promising for nuclear non-proliferation studies in view of its excellent energy resolution. Large crystals of the new scintillator will be grown and their ?-ray energy resolution will be examined. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of applying the new scintillation material towards nuclear non-proliferation monitoring. Large crystals of the proposed scintillator will be grown and their energy resolution and scintillation properties will be evaluated. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to its use in nuclear non-proliferation monitoring, the new scintillator should be applicable to nuclear, high energy, and space physics experiments, medical imaging, nondestructive evaluation, geological exploration, industrial CT imaging, X-ray instrumentation, and material analysis.