A system for simultaneous beta and gamma spectroscopy

A state-of-the-art radiation detection system for real-time and simultaneous spectroscopy of beta-particles and gamma-rays has been developed. The system utilizes a triple-layer phoswich detector and a customized Digital Pulse Processor (DPP) designed and built in our laboratory. The DPP board digitally captures the analog signal pulses and, following several digital preprocessing steps, transfers valid pulses to the host computer for further digital processing. A resolving algorithm also was developed to digitally discriminate beta and gamma events, and reconstruct separate beta and gamma-ray energy spectra with minimal crosstalk. The spectrometer has proven to be an effective tool for recording separate beta and gamma-ray spectra from mixed radiation fields. The system as a beta–gamma spectrometer will have broad-ranging applications in nuclear non-proliferation, radioactive waste management, worker safety, systems reliability, dose assessment, and risk analysis.