Monte Carlo simulation of a NaI(Tl) detector for in situ radioactivity measurements in the marine environment

To develop in situ NaI(Tl) detector for radioactivity measurement in the marine environment, the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) Transport Code was utilized to simulate the measurement of NaI(Tl) detector immersed in seawater, taking into account the material and geometry of the detector, and the interactions between the photons with the atoms of the seawater and the detector. The simulation results of the marine detection efficiency and distance were deduced and analyzed. In order to test their reliability, the field measurement was made at open sea and the experimental value of the marine detection efficiency was deduced and seems to be in good agreement with the simulated one. The minimum detectable activity for 137Cs in the seawater of NaI(Tl) detector developed was determined mathematically at last. The simulation method and results in the paper can be used for the better design and quantitative calculation of in situ NaI(Tl) detector for radioactivity measurement in the marine environment, and also for some applications such as the installation on the marine monitoring platform and the quantitative analysis of radionuclides.