Detecting and measuring nuclear radiation

The detection and measurement of nuclear radiation is a vast, delicate and often difficult problem, and one that is encountered in all nuclear analysis methods. As there is no such thing as an ideal, universal detector, a compromise must always be found in order to use the one that seems best suited to a particular measurement. This choice will depend on the ultimate aim of the measurement (simple counting, energy measurement, time measurement, localization, etc.), the type of radiation and its energy. Only a thorough understanding of the mechanisms by which radiation interacts with matter, the operating principle of the various detectors and the capabilities of the associated electronics can enable us to define the most appropriate analysis chain.

As this article is part of the Nuclear Methods of Analysis section, the various detectors are grouped by type of spectroscopy rather than by operating principle, but in a logical order of presentation. In this way, readers are not obliged to read the whole text if they are only interested in a particular problem.

The first part is devoted to the general information needed to understand how detectors work. The second part provides detailed descriptions of the most commonly used detectors for measuring alpha particles, electrons, photons and neutrons. Readers should find all the information they need to choose the most suitable detector for their measurement problem. The third section provides a brief description of the main electronic modules making up the analysis chain, with emphasis on their function, enabling the reader to select the most appropriate modules from the vast choice offered by the various manufacturers.

The bibliography covering this subject is immense and cannot be included here. We will give the references of a few particularly comprehensive books, as well as the journals in which most of the articles dealing with radiation detection are published. Also included is a list of the main manufacturers of the necessary equipment.