Conveners
Poster: Session 1
- Andrea Sagatova (Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava)
Poster: Session 2
- Andrea Sagatova (Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava)
The Customs Service performs X-ray security screening to prevent illicit articles from entering the country. The primary contraband products that are illegally distributed include unspecified forms of narcotics, explosives, and seeds. The challenge in detecting these contraband items using a conventional transmission X-ray inspection system alone stems from their tendency to be concealed as...
X-ray security screening is essential in high-security facilities such as airports and harbors. It can detect prohibited items and hazardous materials concealed in baggage. This screening process is critical to ensuring public safety. It enables the early detection and interception of dangerous items. Screening images taken with standardized test kits are commonly used to evaluate the...
Signal, noise, and their correlationsโ in space are fundamental for determining image quality. These can be characterized by modulation-transfer function (MTF) and noise-power spectrum (NPS), which are both Fourier metrics. The ratio of the squared MTF and the NPS is termed noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ) or detective quantum efficiency (DQE), commonly used to describe the performance of an...
Chest radiography is a widely used imaging modality for diagnosing and monitoring thoracic diseases due to its accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and relatively low radiation dose. However, conventional chest radiographs often struggle to differentiate overlapping anatomical structures, such as bones and soft tissues, which can obscure important pathological findings. To address these...
The radiotherapeutic method of cancer treatment using precise beam of energetic carbon ions has many advantagescompared to the conventional X-ray radiotherapy. More precise dose delivery to the tumor spares the surrounding healthytissue which makes this method especially suitable for brain cancer treatment. However, this comes with an increasedsensitivity to deformations and displacements of...
Removing constraints of 4D STEM with a framework for event-driven acquisition and processing
Arno Annys1,2*, Hoelen L. Lalandec Robert1,2, Saleh Gholam1,2, Joke Hadermann1,2 and Jo Verbeeck1,2
1Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
2NANOlight Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan...
Balloon-borne Instrument for Spectral Scanning of high-altitude Environments (BISSE) is a lightweight gamma-ray measurement setup that can be placed in standard weather balloons and can be retrieved after the flight [1]. The design allows multiple flights with a relatively small cost. The BISSE setup records automatically spectral information of radiation at different altitudes throughout its...
This study presents a novel gamma-ray detector module based on a 16-element MPPC-13360-3050 matrix (Hamamatsu) coupled with YSO, GaGG, and BGO scintillators, evaluating its performance across a 60 keV โ 2500 keV energy range. Each 3ร3 mmยฒ SiPM element features a 1440 pixels/mmยฒ density, 40% photon detection efficiency (at 470 nm), and operates at 55.5 V. The detector was characterized using...
To support the development and testing of detectors for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) and neutron imaging, we have constructed a compact neutron irradiation beamline at the Helsinki Accelerator Laboratory. The beamline includes a movable moderator/reflector assembly made of Teflon, aluminium and lead, which allows shaping the neutron spectrum to enhance specific energy ranges, such as...
Timepix4 is an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) developed by the Medipix4 Collaboration. It features a 448ร512 pixel matrix, which can be bump-bonded pixel by pixel to pixelated semiconductor sensors of various materials and thicknesses, with a pixel pitch of 55 \textmu m. In ToA-ToT data-driven mode, data packets are generated only when the charge collected in a pixel exceeds a...
X-Ray imaging and diffraction techniques at Sirius [1], the fourth-generation synchrotron light source operated by the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) which is part of Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), frequently utilize hybrid pixel detectors. They consist of photon-counting devices encompassing a photo-active semiconductor sensor integrated with a...
Background:
Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) is a rapidly emerging imaging modality that offers significant advantages over conventional energy-integrating detectors (EIDs)-based CTs, such as improved image quality, spectral imaging, and dose and noise reduction. Developing a new photon-counting detector with four-side buttable technology and six energy bins enables CT systems that...
Spectral imaging in industrial CT offers significant benefits for materials analysis and artifact reduction. In this study, we demonstrate that dual-layer energy-integrating detectors (DL EIDs) provide substantial improvements over conventional flat panel detectors (FPDs) in the spectral imaging of a commercial 18650 lithium-ion battery. Using a prototype dual-layer detector (XRD4343RF-DL,...
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) uses a nuclear reaction between boron atoms (10B) and neutrons to selectively destroy cancer cells from the inside. To estimate the treatment effect in real-time, the use of prompt gamma rays (478 keV) emitted by the 10B(n,ฮฑ)7Li reaction has been proposed using a collimator. Although the collimator is able to detect the direction of incident gamma rays,...
Three-dimensional biomedical imaging techniques, such as X-ray computed tomography (CT), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET), acquire one- or two-dimensional projections of the object of interest. These projections are subsequently reconstructed into cross-sectional or volumetric images using analytic computed tomography algorithms. In all...
Several experimental techniques make use of soft X-rays as a probe, commonly focusing on the energy range between a few hundred eV up to approximately 1 keV. This range is particularly relevant for the study of transition metals and light elements such as C, N and O, which are fundamental components of a large number of materials with intriguing electronic and magnetic properties, from...
X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a versatile non-destructive analytical technique used to analyze crystalline properties of various materials. This technique requires collimated monochromatic X-ray beam that reflects at certain angles from the crystals within the sample. The reflection angles are specific for given crystal type and its orientation. A composition of materials containing multiple...
Diffraction experiments using coherent X-ray radiation from light sources, such as X-ray free- electron lasers (XFELs), are essential for investigating the structural and functional properties of materials at the nanoscale. These sources deliver highly coherent, high-brilliance, pulsed X-ray beams that enable the detailed study of physical, chemical and iological systems. A key requirement...
Low-energy X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping at synchrotron radiation facilities [1, 2] is often limited by acquisition time and dose constraints [3], especially for sensitive samples such as biological specimens or cultural heritage objects. Compressive sensing strategies [3] offer a way to mitigate these limitations by enabling spatial undersampling or by triggering dynamical decisional...
We report a proof-of-concept study applying double-photon emission coincidence imaging (DPECI) to visualize polymeric micelle-based nanocarriers in a tumor-bearing mouse model. The micelles, formed via self-assembly of block copolymers, had an average diameter of approximately 30 nm. They were radiolabeled with DOTA-conjugated ยนยนยนIn and administered intravenously, enabling passive tumor...
Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) detectors used in CERNโs LHC experiments traditionally operate with a gas mixture containing C2H2F4 (R134a) and SF6, both of which are greenhouse gases with high Global Warming Potential (GWP). In Europe, the production of these fluorinated gases is being phased out, making the identification of environmentally friendly alternatives increasingly urgent.
This...
We demonstrate the application of the Three-Photon Absorption Transient Current Technique (3PA-TCT) for the characterization of 3D silicon column device, with an active thickness of 285 ยตm and pitch of 55 um, manufactured at IMB-CNM through the RD50 Common Project. The work presented in this contribution is done within the framework of the CERN DRD3 and CERN Rd50 Collaborations. To our best...
Low Gain Avalanche Diodes (LGADs) constitute the state-of-the-art in Minimum Ionizing Particles (MIP) timing measurements in High Energy Physics (HEP), providing a time resolution of about 30 ps. These detectors feature an active area of about a few mm$^2$ on a 50~$\mu$m thick silicon and are capable of withstanding fluence up to a few 10$^{15}$ n$_{eq}$/cm$^2$. Due to their exceptional timing...
The ATLAS Inner Detector will be entirely replaced with a new all-silicon tracking detector (ITk) in 2026โ2028 to meet the demands of the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). The innermost region of ITk will be instrumented with 3D sensor technology at Layer 0 (L0), where the expected fluence reaches up to 2ร1016 neq/cmยฒ, while the outer layers (L1โL4) will feature n-in-p planar hybrid modules with...
The Swiss Light Source (SLS) is currently in the final stages of upgrading to
a diffraction-limited storage ring configuration, SLS 2.0. This upgrade will
significantly enhance the brilliance by up to two orders of magnitude. However,
it introduces new challenges for silicon detectors due to increased radiation
damage. A primary concern is the higher accumulated dose received by...
Gas Proportional Scintillation Counters (GPSCs) are noble gas detectors in which the primary ionization charge generated by radiation interactions is amplified via electroluminescence (EL) in the gas. Under an external electric field, the primary electrons drift into a region where the field exceeds the gas scintillation thresholdโknown as the scintillation region. Compared to charge...
In this study, the Detective Quantum Efficiency (DQE) was measured by calculating the DQE at zero- frequency, the modulation transfer function (MTF), and the noise power spectrum (NPS) for Timepix3 detectors equipped with 500 ฮผm silicon (Si) sensor (biased to 200 V and threshold equal to 3 keV) and 1mm Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) sensor (bias equal to -300V and threshold set to 5 keV). By...
Timepix2 [1] is a hybrid pixel detector developed by the Medipix2 collaboration as the successor to Timepix [2]. Its introduction brought significant advancements, including the simultaneous measurement of Time-over-Threshold (ToT) and Time-of-Arrival (ToA), as well as new capabilities such as adaptive gain mode and pixel disabling to reduce power consumption. These features, combined with the...
The inner detector of the present ATLAS experiment has been designed and developed to function in the environment of the present Large Hadron Collider (LHC). For the next LHC upgrade to High Luminosity, the particle densities and radiation levels will exceed the current levels by a factor of ten. The instantaneous luminosity is expected to reach unprecedented values, resulting in up to 200...
Low-mass, low-power radiation detectors are needed to monitor and predict space weather conditions for future crewed and autonomous space missions. The Compact Electron Proton Spectrometer (CEPS) combines Timepix2 ASIC technology with CdTe chips to form a small, portable, hybrid-pixel detector package capable of differentiating particle types and energies over a wide dynamic range in a...
Although energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and energy electron loss spectroscopy (EELS) can be acquired simultaneously with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), it is not a common practise. Most users do one at the time despite that the two data streams complement each other very well allowing to have both the high selectivity of EDX with the high energy resolution of EELS. By...
The High-Luminosity LHC will deliver proton-proton collisions at 5-7.5 times the nominal LHC luminosity, with an expected number of 140-200 pp-interactions per bunch crossing. To maintain the performance of muon triggering and reconstruction under high-rate background, the forward part of the Muon spectrometer of the CMS experiment will be upgraded with Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors....
For the HL-LHC era, the Phase-2 CMS upgrade will involve a complete replacement of the trigger and data acquisition system. The readout electronics will be enhanced to support a maximum Level-1 (L1) accept rate of 750 kHz with a latency of 12.5 ยตs. The muon trigger operates as a multi-layer system, designed to reconstruct and measure muon momenta by correlating data from muon chambers within...
Introduction
Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) flat panel detectors (FPDs) have the potential to overcome limitation of a-Si:H TFT detectors by avoiding the cost increase of CMOS technology [1-3]. Main advantages of IGZO-TFT FPDs when compared to a-Si:H TFT FPDs reside in the higher electrons (โฅ 10cm2โVs vs. โค 1cm2โVs) and holes (~0.1 cm2โVs vs. ~0.0005 cm2โVs)...
Jaewon Son1, Chanyeol Lee1, Yeongbin Song1, Junmo Yang1, Jungwon Kang1, 2, *
1. Department of Foundry Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin-Si, 16890, Gyeonggi-Do, Republic of Korea
2. Department of Convergence Semiconductor Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin-Si, 16890, Gyeonggi-Do, Republic of Korea
* Corresponding author: jkang@dankook.ac.kr
In recent semiconductor scaling,...
Accumulation of space-charge in gaseous ionization detectors is a well-known phenomenon. Various signatures of its effects are observed experimentally in all sorts of gaseous detectors, starting from wire chambers, RPCs to MPGDs [1,2,3,4,5]. It is also known to have important consequences influencing avalanche to streamer transition [6], loss of efficiency and response uniformity [7] in many...
An optical Time-Projection Chamber (TPC) using a He-40%CF4 gas mixture has been proposed for directional Dark Matter (DM) searches. The motion of the Earth around the Sun results in an anisotropic angular distribution of the WIMP relative to the gas target and, thus, relative to the nuclear recoils induced by WIMP collisions with nuclei which, together with the Earth rotation, enables an...
Observation of the dynamics for cell and its inside is required to reveal the mechanism of life activities; For example, how virus invade host cell, how liquidโliquid phase separation in the cell became to disorder. To observe such dynamics, high spatial-resolution of less than 50 nm is required, and X-ray is available for the in vivo imaging or Non-destructive Testing. To realize such high...
Scintillator-based radiation detectors are widely used to detect alpha, beta, gamma, X-rays, and neutrons for high-energy physics, non-destructive inspection, homeland security, resource exploration, and medical imaging applications. X-ray imaging, in particular, has been utilized in product inspection and developing battery materials, aircraft parts, and more. This has driven a strong demand...
4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) is an emerging wide bandgap detector material in high-energy physics due to its superior temperature stability and low dark current compared to silicon detectors. The wide bandgap of 4H-SiC makes it suitable for high-temperature applications and allows operation at room temperature even after irradiation.
These features, combined with SiC being insensitive to...
Low-Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGADs) based on 4H-SiC are emerging as a promising technology for high-radiation environments due to their intrinsic radiation hardness, wide bandgap, and high breakdown field. In this work, we present results from a systematic study of radiation-induced degradation in 4H-SiC LGADs subjected to 24 GeV/c proton irradiation at the CERN IRRAD facility, with fluences...
Gallium arsenide is extensively studied for about seven decades as an excellent material for semiconductor lasers, LEDs, and microwave electronics. GaAs has noticeable advantages over silicon and Cd(Zn)Te for radiation detectors. Particularly GaAs has higher electron mobility compared to Si and Cd(Zn)Te; higher average atomic number compared to Si; and lower probability and energy of the...
High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy using Iridium-192 (Ir-192) sources is widely adopted in the treatment of various cancers due to its ability to deliver concentrated radiation doses with high spatial precision. Accurate dose verification is essential in this modality to ensure both treatment efficacy and patient safety. In this study, we investigate the feasibility and performance of...
The Katherine readout system for Timepix3 (and to a smaller extent, Timepix2) is widely used within the scientific Medipix community. Timepix3, in particular, is a popular readout chip offering a resolution of 256ร256 pixels with a 55โฏยตm pitch, capable of measuring both energy and timestamps (with 1.56โฏns time binning) simultaneously. It has already demonstrated excellent performance and...
This work describes the design and the testing of a charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA) mainly conceived for the readout of hybrid pixel detectors in extreme radiation environments, as in the high-luminosity upgrades of the LHC or in future experiments at the FCC. Developed in a 28 nm CMOS process, the CSA features a feedback network to compensate for detector leakage current and operates at a...
In this contribution we present the first measurements of the characterization of the ColorPix-2 ASIC communicating with the UniCorn readout interface. ColorPix-2 is the ASIC consisting of 32x32 pixel matrix with the pixel pitch of 70 um. It is designed for high-resolution, position and color sensitive X-ray imaging. A 2 mm-thick CZT layer is bump-bonded and used as the sensing material,...
The ColorPix3 ASIC represents an advanced hybrid pixel detector design tailored explicitly for high-resolution, color-sensitive X-ray imaging. Developed using a 65-nm CMOS process, this ASIC integrates a pixel matrix comprising of 32ร32 pixels, each sized at 70ร70 ยตmยฒ, covering a sensitive area of 0.05 cmยฒ. In this technology demonstrator, the digital part of the readout system is being...
We are glad to present one of the latest developments of the R&D at DECTRIS: the novel ASIC ERMINE, a photon counting chip that is specifically designed for laboratory X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) applications.
ERMINE is a 192 x 256 pixels array with an active area of 14.4 mm x 19.2 mm and a pixel pitch of 75 ยตm. The ASICโs two-side buttable design allows for larger sensitive areas with wider...
To meet the stringent demands of signal digitization in high-energy physics experiments, a universal high-speed digitizer module has been developed for precise acquisition of fast analog signals from various detector technologies. The system supports sampling rates of up to 20โฏGS/s in single-channel mode and 10โฏGS/s in dual-channel mode, offering 9โฏGHz analog bandwidth and 12-bit vertical...
Spectral Computed Tomography (CT) based on Photon-Counting Detectors (PCDs) is an emerging technology [1] that provides 3D images on multiple energy channels (typically between 2 and 8 energy bands). The main challenge for PCDs is to achieve good spectral accuracy while maintaining reliable performance at high-count rate.
The classic architecture of a PCD utilizes a CdTe crystal hybridized...
Novel applications of fundamental particle detectors often require that the final device has a compact and lightweight design that offers more than one sensing mechanism covering a wide energy range. Radiation emitted from different radioactive sources often consists of various types of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma).
This article describes the design of an amplification and biasing...
The LHCb Upgrade II, proposed for implementation during Long Shutdown 4 (LS4) of the LHC, aims to operate the detector at a maximum luminosity of 1.5 ร 10ยณโด cmโปยฒsโปยน. This necessitates the Upstream Pixel tracker (UP) to achieve a detection efficiency exceeding 99% under extreme hit densities of up to 100 MHz, provide nanosecond-level timing resolution to precisely tag collisions occurring at 25...
The advent of fourth-generation synchrotron light sources carries both novel and compelling scientific opportunities, as well as new requirements for the instrumentation employed in detectors within such a framework. To address this challenge, a collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory, University of Pavia, and University of Bergamo devised a prototype readout to be utilised in x-ray...
The X-ray Imaging Telescope (XIT) is one of the scientific payloads of the Solar Polar Observatory (SPO). It is primarily responsible for solar X-ray observations, enabling the monitoring of full-disk eruptive events and the acquisition of X-ray spectra for small-scale activities. The X-ray Imaging Telescope (XIT) plans to employ CdZnTe (CZT) detectors as the sensitive elements due to the...
This study investigates the imaging performance of the TimePix3 chip for high-speed X-ray imaging, with a focus on its potential application in impact dynamics, specifically in gas-gun experiments combined with a flash X-ray system. The flash X-ray system used is the MAT 300-4C (Scandiflash, Sweden), which generates four discrete X-ray bursts with an exposure time of 20 ns, within a voltage...
ABSTRACT
At the Wolsong CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) nuclear power plant in the Republic of Korea, 37-element CANDU fuel assemblies using natural uranium are employed. Due to the short burnup cycle of natural uranium, a relatively large amount of spent nuclear fuel is produced, necessitating safe management and timely verification of spent fuel inventories. To address this need, the...
X-ray spectrum estimation is essential for dose calculation, image quality optimization, and material decomposition in diagnostic radiology. This study implements and evaluates an X-ray spectrum estimation method based on the Birch-Marshall model with three advanced scatter correction techniques. Using a dual-material step wedge phantom composed of acrylic (0-60 mm) and aluminum (0-6 mm), we...
Due to their ability to track single particles and measure energy deposition,Timepix detectors are successfully used for various research projects in particle therapy. Examples include the helium-beam radiography project or the estimation of LET spectra for ion radiation fields at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT) in Heidelberg, Germany....
X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a powerful technique for probing the local atomic structure of specific elements, providing crucial insights into oxidation states and atomic coordination environments [1]. Typically performed at a synchrotron light source, XAS involves scanning the incident X-ray energy across an elementโs absorption edge while recording the transmitted intensity,...
We present a novel application of the Timepix3 optical camera (Tpx3Cam) for investigating ultrafast dynamics in substrate-free nanoparticles at the Extreme Light Infrastructure European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ELI ERIC). The camera, integrated into an ion imaging system based on a micro-channel plate (MCP) and a fast P47 scintillator, enables individual time-stamping of incoming...
Radiation therapy demands high precision in patient positioning due to its tumor-conformal dose distribution characteristics. Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is employed to verify and ensure accurate patient positioning prior to treatment, thereby reducing uncertainties in the exact location of the planning target volume (PTV). Digital X-ray imaging, a common modality in IGRT, typically...
The Optical Fiber Radiation Probe System (OFPS), which utilizes an optical fiber-based scintillation detector, has been employed by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and South Korea to verify spent fuel bundles from CANDU-type heavy water reactors. To address challenges identified in previous studies, the OFPS is currently undergoing enhancements to improve its...
The Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) [1] is a hybrid pixel detector developed to cope with high dynamic range and megahertz repetition rates of the European XFEL. Its adaptive gain mechanism enables simultaneous detection of single-photon events and high-intensity X-ray signals. AGIPDโs adaptive gain combined with its ability to handle the unique time structure of European...
Accurate modeling of alpha particle interactions in hybrid semiconductor detectors remains challenging, as standard simulation tools like Geant4 and Allpix Squared (CERN) often fail to simulate specific sensor and detector electronics responses. This results in discrepancies between simulated and experimental data, particularly in reproducing key features such as the "halo" effect surrounding...
Visualizing nanostructures within macroscopic materials is fundamental to understanding their physical and chemical properties. Over the past decades, super-resolution techniques have revolutionized visible-light microscopy [1-3]. Among these, structured illumination microscopy (SIM) [4-6] provides a straightforward implementation to access a full range of spatial information limited by the...
Space weather refers to the changing conditions in space, primarily caused by solar activity, ultimately affecting human activities on Earth and in space. The solar emissions interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, leading to disruptions in technology and communication systems. Severe solar storms can cause errors in digital electronics and disrupt high-frequency radio signals,...
Phosphor-coupled or indirect-conversion X ray detectors are widely used in both industrial non destructive testing (NDT) and medical imaging. However, there is an inherent tradeoff between spatial resolution and conversion efficiency: detectors with a thin phosphor offer higher spatial resolution but suffer from lower X ray conversion efficiency, leading to higher quantum noise, whereas those...
Computed tomography (CT) generates 3D volumetric images by numerically processing projection views obtained from various angles, and is widely used both in medical and industrial fields. However, industrial CT faces challenges, such as limited field of view for large objects and severe photon starvation or metal artifacts. These artifacts can be reduced or eliminated by avoiding highly...
Radiation source localization is a critical technology in fields such as emergency response and nuclear decommissioning, where identifying the position of radioactive materials is essential for safety and operational efficiency. In such scenarios, compact and deployable systems are particularly important to enable rapid and flexible detection in constrained or hazardous environments. While...
The modulation transfer function (MTF) is a critical metric for quantitatively assessing the contrast-transfer capability of X-ray imaging devices, particularly in terms of their ability to resolve fine details. Photon-counting detectors (PCDs), which use semiconductor sensor materials, typically exhibit superior MTF performance compared to scintillator-coupled detectors [1]. This is primarily...
The development of advanced Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) for Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray Micro-CT has emerged as a crucial driver for achieving high-precision material characterization. In particular, acquiring 2D distribution of the electrons or X-ray photons along with measuring their energy is desired for imaging the chemical elements at...
Introduction
Accurate identification of radioactive isotopes is a critical task in nuclear security, environmental monitoring, and emergency response. Traditional gamma spectroscopy analysis relies on peak fitting, template matching, or expert-driven methods, which can struggle in low-resolution, low-statistics, and high-background environments. These challenges are particularly...
Fast neutron imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for non-destructive testing, particularly in environments where traditional X-ray and thermal neutron imaging methods are limited. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of fast neutron imaging using a compact D-D neutron generator and the KSTAR tokamak as neutron sources. Various scintillators for fast neutrons were employed to...
This project presents a specialized gamma radiation detector electronics system optimized for aerial mapping, surveillance, and radiation safety applications. The drone-mounted design effectively addresses radiation safety requirements across challenging terrains and sensitive locations. We discuss the main features of the detector electronics, starting from powering the detector up to data...
This paper presents the tests of the charge-sharing compensation algorithm implemented in the single photon counting readout integrated circuit for Si and CdTe pixel detectors. The multi-threshold pattern recognition algorithm with four energy thresholds was tested in 96 ร 192 pixel matrix with 100 ยตm pixel pitch. With the readout pixel noise of only 124 el. rms and the threshold spread below...
A new single photon-counting IC prototype called SPECTRUM1k with pixel matrix 40 ร 24 and pixel pitch 75 ยตm is developed by the Microelectronics Group of the AGH University of Krakow as a solution for X-ray color imaging. The chip, produced in CMOS 40 nm technology, is made up of 960 individually configured pixels, each composed of an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, and 64 ร 12-bit...
This study addresses the clinical demand for real-time localization of Bragg peaks in heavy-ion radiotherapy, overcoming the technical limitations of conventional readout electronics such as dead time and slow response. A multi-channel electronic readout system based on application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) was developed. By integrating the high-precision digitalization chip...
The High-Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) is a next-generation heavy-ion accelerator currently under construction in China. A compact, large-acceptance spectrometer equipped with silicon pixel detectors will be constructed at HIAF to detect final-state particles at high event rates. The pixel-based tracking system, a key component of the spectrometer, is designed to precisely...
Hybrid pixel detectors are segmented devices used for X-ray detection that consist of a sensor attached to the readout electronics. Detectors working in single-photon counting mode process each incoming photon individually, have essentially infinite dynamic range and by applying energy discrimination they provide noiseless imaging [1].
To improve the resolution of the detector and allow...
X-ray imaging systems designed for X-ray spectroscopy, based on semiconductor strip sensors, have recently been a key research area. A major objective is to enhance spectroscopic and spatial resolution [1โ3]. In spectroscopic applications, short-strip silicon detectors are widely employed due to their low capacitance and leakage current. Using a strip pitch below 100 ฮผm enables high spatial...
The High Energy Cosmic Radiation Detection (HERD) facility is scheduled for deployment on the China Space Station in 2027. A key load subsystem of the HERD, the Transition Radiation Detector (TRD), requires high-precision energy calibration and astronomical observations in the TeV energy range. However, the reliability of low-grade commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) chips used in the TRD under...
The High Energy Cosmic Radiation Detection (HERD) facility is one of several planned space astronomy payloads to be deployed onboard the upcoming China Space Station (CSS). HERD is expected to begin operation around 2027 and continue for approximately ten years. Among its key subsystems, the Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) is designed to calibrate the TeV energy spectrum of the Calorimeter...
Wavelength Shifting (WLS) fibres shift UV/blue light to green, granting efficient scintillation conversion in the process. These fibres enhance detection accuracy in particle physics experiments due to reduced interference susceptibility, improving overall signal quality.
The attenuation length of WLS fibres, defined as the distance over which the signal is reduced by a factor of 1/e, is a...
This work presents the results of performance studies conducted on 1.5 mm thick cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector structures with differing electrode configurations. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the correlation between the physical processes and the electrical and spectroscopic properties of the studied devices. We performed current-voltage (IV) and capacitance-voltage...
Diamond is a highly attractive material due to its excellent chemical and physical properties, making it suitable for various applications, including heavy particle detection, neutron detection, and radiotherapy dosimeters. Atomic and mass numbers 6 and 12 are considered to be almost tissue-equivalent, providing an important advantage over alternative materials such as silicon. Although...
Recent advantages in the detector production have facilitated the manufacture of pixelated 4H-SiC detectors, which can be an alternative to silicon ones especially in the harsh radiation environment, or in the environment with high temperatures, where such sensors profit from their higher band gap. Moreover, thanks to an elastic scattering cross-section of carbon for fast neutrons the SiC...
Silicon carbide belongs to the wide band gap semiconductor materials, and it is very perspective in the detection of various types of radiation. Another advantage is the commercial availability of high-quality crystalline material required for the preparation of radiation detectors. The 4H-SiC has the band gap energy of 3.23 eV at room temperature, breakdown voltage about 2ร10$^6$...
The recent development of inverse Low Gain Avalanche Diode (iLGAD) sensors with optimized thin entrance windows has made hybrid pixel detectors available for applications with soft X-rays. One promising use case is Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS), which requires high statistics and multidimensional scans while being inherently photon-starved. The multi-kHz image rates and large area...
To meet the increasingly demanding requirements of future tracking detectors for the LHCb Upgrade II and the future Circular Electron-Positron collider, advanced detector technologies with enhanced hit density processing capabilities and superior radiation tolerance are essential. To study the sensor performance and electronic response in the next generation process of HV-CMOS, a sensor chip,...
Mapping the distribution of dopants in three dimensions provides a deeper understanding of the characteristics of silicon sensors, such as depletion voltage, electric field distribution, and charge collection properties. A uniform distribution across a large sensor area and depth is essential for high manufacturing yield and device reliability. However, conventional measurement techniques face...
The Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) is a hybrid pixel, large area detector tailored to the unique beam structure of the European XFEL [1]. The development is a collaborative effort of Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), the University of Hamburg, the University of Bonn and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland, and has been in operation with silicon sensors...
Gamma-ray imaging based on Compton scattering typically requires a two-component system, consisting of a scatterer and an absorber. The present work explores an alternative approach using a single, segmented high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector from the Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) [1] collaboration for reconstructing the position of a radioactive source. A key advantage of using a...
High dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) is a treatment technique in which a radioisotope (RI) is directly inserted into the human body. This allows for minimizing the dose to surrounding critical organs while concentrating the radiation dose on the tumor tissue, resulting in high therapeutic efficacy. Treatment planning for HDR-BT is performed based on anatomical images including the clinical...
Metal artifactsโarising from the interaction between the high-density metals and the X-ray beamsโ pose a significant challenge to computed tomography (CT) by degrading image quality and hindering accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. Although numerous metal artifact reduction (MAR) techniques have been proposed, none have achieved universal adoption due to their varying effectiveness,...
Timepix4 [1] is the latest readout chip in the Timepix family of detectors, developed at CERN within the Medipix collaboration. Compared to its predecessor, it offers higher resolution (512 ร 448 pixels with a 55 ยตm pitch) and significantly improved Time-of-Arrival (ToA) performance, with time binning down to 195 ps. Timepix4 is also capable of handling extremely high hit rates โ up to 2.5...
Low-Gain Avalanche Diodes (LGADs) are advanced silicon sensors developed for the fast and precise detection of minimum ionizing particles (MIPs), offering promising performance for certain applications in high-energy physics experiments. Fabricated on thin silicon wafersโtypically ranging from 20 to 50 microns in thicknessโwith internal gain that results in a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR),...
We report on the evolution of the SpacePix chip series designed for compact, high-resolution space radiation detection. The SpacePix2-based system was deployed onboard the VZLUSAT-2 nanosatellite and successfully operated in low Earth orbit, collecting in-situ data on the radiation environment over several months. The detector demonstrated stable operation, directional sensitivity, and the...
In this work, we present a detailed study of cross-talk in a linear single-photon avalanche
diode (SPAD) array using the LinoSPAD2 detector, which features 512 time-resolved
channels with a timing precision of 40 ps r.m.s. By characterizing and leveraging cross
talk effects, we were able to calibrate the intrinsic delays in the system readout, reducing
the uncertainty in the position of...
Abstract:
AMS-02 is a multipurpose particle physics detector installed on the International Space Station. The objective includes search of dark matter, the primordial anti-matter, and the origin and propagation of cosmic rays. L0 (Layer 0) is a double-layer plane of silicon strip detector to be installed on AMS-02, which increases the acceptance of cosmic rays by 300% and significantly...
The data rates of hybrid pixel detectors are rapidly increasing, with next-generation systems moving from 10 Gbit/s to 100 Gbit/s readout. For Matterhorn, a new single-photon counting detector under development at PSI, a 16-megapixel configuration would generate data rates of up to 3.2 Tbit/s (or 400 GB/s). These high data rates are not only a challenge for beamline operation but also make...
The Medipix3 hybrid pixel detector has found use globally, with applications such as colour x-ray CT scanners and electron microscopy detectors. These detectors are typically characterised using x-rays, either at a synchrotron facility, or using x-ray flouresence. While this is a convenient and well understood characterisation method, as the application range of these detectors broadens it is...
A novel dose calibrator based on CZT detector has been designed to accurately measure low-level activities that conventional dose calibrators cannot reliably measure. In order to ensure that the dose delivered to the patient is what is intended in radiopharmaceutical therapies, dose calibrator is a priory. Errors in exact activity measurement would otherwise result in overdose or underdose...
Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) is a well-established chemical element analysis method with applications in material characterization, device testing, biosciences, forensics, food science and many more. In EDS, characteristic X-rays are generated by hitting a sample with an electron beam. These X-rays are then captured by a Silicon Drift Detector (SDD), where the photon energy is...
ABSTRACT
We present a testing setup for a hybrid pixel array (HPAD) radiation detector with an on-chip and in-pixel Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The setup takes advantage of the IC design, which supports testing of itโs individual blocks, and allows for full characterization of the IC as well as facilitates training of per-pixel ANN.
The setup is dedicated to testing of an...
The CMS experiment at CERN is foreseen to receive a substantial upgrade during Long Shutdown-3 (LS3) to handle the large number of pileup events in the High-Luminosity LHC. The objective is to increase the integrated luminosity by a factor of 10 beyond the LHC design value (~10^34 cmโปยฒ sโปยน). The CMS just commissioned the Gaseous Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector, namely GE1/1, at the endcap...
This contribution presents a detailed GEANT4 based simulation study of the
MPGD-HCAL prototype. The simulation implements the geometry of the prototype that
is going to be tested under pions beam in November 2025 at PS facility at CERN. The
prototype consists of 12 layers of alternating stainless steel absorber and the MPGD.
The first 8 layers...
Resistive Plate Chambers detectors are extensively used in several domains of Physics. In High Energy Physics, they are typically operated in avalanche mode with a high-performance gas mixture based on Tetrafluoroethane (C2H2F4), a fluorinated high Global Warming Potential greenhouse gas.
The RPC EcoGas@GIF++ Collaboration has pursued an intensive R&D activity to search for new gas mixtures...
Tracking imaging systems have evolved from manual analysis to advanced photodetectors, such as SiPM arrays and CMOS cameras, enabling the conversion of scintillation light into digital data for precise physical measurements. This study presents RIPTIDE, a recoil-proton track imaging system for fast neutron detection. The system employs a plastic scintillator where fast neutrons scatter...
During the Long Shutdown 3 (LS3, scheduled 2026-2030), the innermost 3 layers (Inner Barrel, or IB) of the present ALICE ITS2 will be replaced with 6 large-area, flexible, stitched CMOS 65 nm sensors, in the framework of the ITS3 upgrade project. For the first time in a High Energy Physics experiment, such large-scale sensors will be bent into a truly half-cylindrical shape, requiring little...
Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is capable of delivering a precise dose distribution using the Bragg peak. However, the generation of secondary neutrons and the uncertainty of the beam range can potentially affect the efficacy of the treatment and could also result in damage to surrounding organs at risk (OAR). In order to ensure patient safety, it is essential to accurately characterize...
Nuclear power plant generates electricity by nuclear fission reactions, from which Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste are inevitably generated. Since SNF includes 235U, 239Pu, and fission products, the effective management and supervision techniques are necessary for non-proliferation of nuclear materials. The IAEA has conducted Safeguards activities using varying non-destructive...
In the context of the so-called PRIN 2022, funded by the Italian Ministero dellโUniversitร e della Ricerca, the project Front-end channels in a 28 nm CMOS process for Pixel detectors in future High Energy physics colliders and advanced X-ray imaging instrumentation (PiHEX) has, as one of its objectives, the development of ASIC prototypes for modern photon science applications, which require...
Timepix is a hybrid pixel detector used to measure mixed radiation fields. Several Timepix-based instruments are currently used on the International Space Station, as part of the Artemis program on the Orion Spacecraft, the Gateway lunar space station, and the Lunar Human Landing System, and on various scientific missions such as Polaris Dawn. New space-based instruments are being developed...
