Laboratoires et Stage de recherche

Experiments with several commercial, sealed nuclear sources such as Co-60, Cs-137, Am-241 are conducted. The students measure the radiation using one or more of

• NaI scintillator + bi-alkali photomultiplier tube

• Gas proportional tube

• Semiconductor (CdZnTe) detector

and, using the GEANT4 simulator, explain their observations. Some emphasis on statistical analysis is demanded.

This course is a laboratory study of the fundamentals of radiation detection used in the field of nuclear and particle physics. Students will work with sensor devices, data acquisition equipment, and analysis tools in order to understand the physics which occur in the interaction of nuclear radiation with matter. Additionally, the students will simulate a visualize the underlying processes using a simulation package GEANT4 developed originally for use in particle physics experiments but now deployed widely in academia and industry for topics as diverse as medical dosimetry.

Required and corequired courses

Cours co-requis

This is a laboratory course which takes one full 40-hour week. The students are divided into groups (binomes/trinomes) to collectively work with one of the detectors.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

• Glenn F. Knoll, Radiation Detection and Measurement ISBN-13: 978-0471073383

• W. R. Leo, Techniques for Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments, ISBN-13: 978-3540572800

Contacts

Prof. Kael HANSON

Université Libre de Bruxelles

Department de physique des particules élémentaires

Boulevard du Triomphe, CP-230

1050 Bruxelles

Tel.: +32 2 629 35 82

email: khanson@ulb.ac.be

Method(s) of evaluation

• Other

Other

A written laboratory report is due one week following the completion of the experiment.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

75% of the grade is based on the quality of the laboratory report. Students are expected to know from BA1 and BA2 laboratory experience how to write lab reports. The remaining 25% is based on the students' performance during the laboratory.