Field-Proven Charged Particle Sensor For Radioactive Constituents
Available for licensing in all fields
BetaScint, a fiber optic sensor, is an innovative technology to detect short-lived radioisotope daughters of uranium and strontium-90, two of the most prevalent contaminants left over from nuclear power generation and weapons development. (Full size image)
Summary
Before the development of this novel radiation sensor technology, data on uranium and strontium contamination could only be obtained by expensive and time-consuming laboratory analysis of samples taken from a site. A fiber-optic version of the sensor has been field proven and performs real-time, in situ detection, offering an elegant, inexpensive option to support nuclear facility decontamination, environmental restoration, treaty verification, and routine monitoring activities.
The portable radiation detection system is ideally suited for generating rapid, reliable, and inexpensive results in support of soil remediation or decommissioning efforts. The device has been designed to be placed directly on or above contaminated soils or surfaces to detect radiation, for example, that associated with the decay of uranium and strontium.
The sensor technology operation relies on layers of detection material (e.g., organic scintillating fibers) for detecting charged particles. The presence of such particles is revealed by means of substances that scintillate, or emit light, when charged particles (e.g., beta particles) pass through the sensitive material. Multiple layers of this material and an on-board computer are used to analyze the source and energy levels of the particles, yielding detailed data that has not been available directly in the field through any other means. Because of its comparatively large "footprint" (about 2000 square centimeters), the sensor can analyze larger, more representative samples than is feasible with laboratory methods.
