CAEN solutions for Neutron Detection

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CAEN solutions for Neutron Detection

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In the last newsletter (you can subscribe here) we talked about CAEN solutions for Neutron Detection. Neutron Coincidence Counting is one of the fundamental techniques for non-destructive assay. CAEN offers complete solutions to satisfy the needs of attended and unattended measurements.

Unattended Data Acquisition Module for Unattended Monitoring Systems (UMS)

The R7780 is a complete readout, acquisition and analysis module for up to 8 neutron detectors that can work in unattended mode. It combines the functions of a Shift Register and a Pulse Train Recorder. The eight single-ended TTL inputs (LEMO) feature independent counting capability and adjustable input thresholds, giving the possibility to compensate TTL signal voltage drops in case of long- distance use.
The internal 100MHz sampling clock fits for high count-rate applications and the on-board FPGA with ARM CPU running Linux makes it possible to provide time-stamped lists and the overall neutron counting information (coincidence timing, multiplicity distributions of coincident events, etc.) required for the analysis in Nuclear Safeguards and nuclear material process monitoring.

More info
R7780 image
R7771 image

Neutron Pulse Train Recorder

The R7771 is a Neutron Pulse Train Recorder for the acquisition of signals from 32 neutron detectors. It provides the time-stamped list of TTL pulses from neutron detector front-end electronics with 10ns pulse pairs resolution independently per each channel.
The R7771 provides the most complete information on neutron counting, giving the capability to characterize nuclear material in passive mode and to analyse the transients in active nuclear material interrogation. The 32 independent inputs allow for the acquisition from big volume assay systems composed by multiple neutron detectors.

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Neutron Position Measurement System

R8033 High Voltage board, R1443 Charge Sensitive Preamplifier specifically designed for 3He/BF3 tubes and R5560 14-bit 125MS/s open FPGA Digitizer can be combined together to build a complete readout system for neutron detection applications. Thanks to its features, the system can acquire waveforms, energy, ToF spectra and perform position reconstruction.
Thanos software allows to easily manage all the setup and the acquisition parameters via the web-based GUI, saving the data and statistics locally or on the client PC.

Require Measurement Report
R5560 image
R1443 technology is granted to CAEN by Institut Laue-Langevin – Grenoble, France (ILL). R5560 and DAQ is developed in collaboration with Nuclear Instruments.

Portable XRF spectrometers for multiple applications in Cultural Heritage

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The culture of innovation has always been a crucial aspect for CAEN. Today companies and public authority operate by the need for synergetic solutions to promote and improve technological transformation through diagnostic and preservation.

In a context where advanced technologies reside in the development of innovative solutions in many sectors, ENEA Tech and INFN will commit themselves to this goal by signing an agreement to promote and enhance technology transfer.

Adorazione magi CAEN
Pictures under courtesy of INFN-CHNet (Cultural Heritage Network)
Adorazione magi di Leonardo CAEN
Pictures under courtesy of INFN-CHNet (Cultural Heritage Network)

A recent example of an ad-hoc tool for cultural heritage designed by CHnet – the INFN network for Cultural Heritage – is the XRF scanner used for MA-XRF analysis in some medieval and modern art masterpieces such as “La Venaria Reale” and the unfinished work by Leonardo da Vinci, “The Adoration of the Magi” which have been the subject of diagnostic investigations by the CHNet laboratories through X-ray fluorescence measurements for images performed with the scanner developed in Florence and aimed at characterizing the drawing materials.

The XRF scanner embeds a CAEN digital multi channel analyzer (DT5780SD MCA) designed specifically for diamond and silicon detectors coupled with a CSP, in combination with other hyperspectral analysis methods.

Gamma Spectrometer for agriculture missions and environmental monitoring

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The CAEN i-Spector gamma spectrometer has been used within the project Pignoletto mounted on a drone (image below), in search of natural radiation from the soil and the environment to help next-generation agriculture missions.

Pignoletto aims to create a multiscale analysis system of the characteristics of the soils and the environment, based on the combination of geophysical field measurements obtained from sensors carried by an unmanned drone: ionizing (gamma) radiation, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and thermal multispectral imaging. Moreover satellite (PRISMA and Copernicus) and proximity informations are acquired.

The Pignoletto project is coordinated by the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) of Milan and the partners are Nuclear Instruments s.r.l., INAF, ELSE Nuclear s.r.l., FEM2 Ambiente s.r.l., Aermatica3D s.r.l., Blu Electronic s.r.l. and Red Cat Devices s.r.l.
The project is financed by the Lombardy region with European structural funds relating to the call “Greening the economy in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” within the Workprogramme n.12, “Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials”.

The unmanned drone of the Pignoletto project mapping a soil
The unmanned drone of the Pignoletto project mapping a soil

CAEN as technology provider for borders security

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The University of Tartu and the start-up company GScan announced that they have just completed a laboratory prototype of a muon tomography scanner, suitable for customs and security control. Exploiting natural radiation, this innovative technology will allow to scan vehicles at borders, cargo, sea containers and even human people, avoiding the use of harmful X-rays. This new technology will probably find application in other fields as well, for example for scanning buildings and large industrial devices, but also in medicine.

A laboratory prototype of the new scanner is ready, but there are plans to build a full-scale prototype and move on to manufacturing the devices. GScan prototype is exploiting CAEN Spa SiPM readout systems (DT5550W and A1702) to readout glassy fibers and detect the muon tracks in space, in order to reconstruct the shape and recognise the chemical composition of the scanned objects.

CAEN is pleased to announce that its commitment as technology provider for these kind of applications is going to continue in the framework of the H2020 European project SilentBorder. The project is going to end in April 2025 when the first full-size prototype is planned to be tested under real conditions.

Germanium solutions for LEGEND-200 experiment

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Legend logo

The GERDA (GERmanium Detector Array) experiment, which started in the first decade of 2000 as a new 76Ge neutrinoless double beta decay experiment at LNGS, has finally completed his goals with incredible results. A new record has been published on 17 September on Physical Review Letters but now it’s time for LEGEND-200 (Large Enriched Germanium Experiment for Neutrinoless Decay) to proceed with important contributions in this area, defining new paths for the installation of 200kg of Germanium Detectors across the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory.

Because of the success of this experiment, in this first phase, called LEGEND-200 – which has been divided into three subprojects (GetDet, Minidex and Pen) – the same architecture of GERDA will be used to determinate unresolved properties on neutrino mass and, at the same time, the number of High Voltage Channel will be increased to 160 (LEGEND-200). In this context, CAEN S.p.A has previously provided N1471H NIM HV power supplies for 30 kg of Germanium Detectors (GERDA) and then delivered his A1560HDPE +6 KV/20 µA power supplies with SHV connectors hosted in CAEN Mainframes (SY4527 and SY5527), reaching 160 High Voltage channels.

Inside the GERDA Experiment
Inside the GERDA Experiment @ LNGS – © K. FREUND/University of Tübingen

One-minute CAEN Pills is our new Newsletter

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Our November newsletter is out! Check the web version here.

The One-minute CAEN Pills is our new newsletter format dedicated to products but also application examples of the latest CAEN solutions condensed into a few lines. Join our mailing list by registering on our website or sign up here with your email address only.

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