Development of an alpha/beta/gamma detector for radiation monitoring

Two-dimensional halide perovskite as β-ray scintillator for nuclear radiation monitoring

Ensuring nuclear safety has become of great significance as nuclear power is playing an increasingly important role in supplying worldwide electricity. β-ray monitoring is a crucial method, but commercial organic scintillators for β-ray detection suffer from high temperature failure and irradiation damage. Here, we report a type of β-ray scintillator with good thermotolerance and irradiation hardness based on a two-dimensional halide perovskite. Comprehensive composition engineering and doping are carried out with the rationale elaborated. Consequently, effective β-ray scintillation is obtained, the scintillator shows satisfactory thermal quenching and high decomposition temperature, no functionality decay or hysteresis is observed after an accumulated radiation dose of 10 kGy (dose rate 0.67 kGy h⁻¹). Besides, the two-dimensional halide perovskite β-ray scintillator also overcomes the notorious intrinsic water instability, and benefits from low-cost aqueous synthesis along with superior waterproofness, thus paving the way towards practical application.

Efficient radiation monitoring ensures safety in nuclear power, but beta-ray scintillators should be developed for use near a highly radioactive and hot reactor. Here, the authors report a two-dimensional halide perovskite-based beta-ray scintillator with high irradiation hardness and thermotolerance.

Feasibility of 153Sm production using MNSR research reactor through a multi-stage approach

The main objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of producing ¹⁵³Sm radioisotope in miniature neutron source reactors (MNSRs) in Isfahan-Iran. As the first step of this study, the MNSR's geometry was created by using the MCNP6.2 simulation code and afterwards a validity check was performed by comparing the results with the experimental data. Then, by applying values obtained through simulation, the production process was followed up to 20 irradiation cycles using different irradiation and cooling periods (irradiation setups). The results showed that the proposed simulation technique has an acceptable agreement with the experiments (with a difference of nearly 6%). In spite of limitations, such as irradiation time and flux in such reactors, our results showed that by choosing the correct irradiation setup, it is possible to produces ¹⁵³Sm up to 852.26 mCi g^-1 in 20 successive irradiation cycles. However, after the 10th cycle, the production reached 90% of the maximum point. Nevertheless, the continuance of the irradiation process with a new target (by 10 plus 10 discrete irradiation) can double the total activity in comparison with 20 successive irradiation cycles, without any increase in the fuel consumption of the reactor. These findings increase the prospect of a large-scale production of the life-saving ¹⁵³Sm radioisotope in MNSR reactors.