Radiation Measurement Applications Laboratory

Location:

Room 9, Ward Hall

Description:

The Radiation Measurement Applications Laboratory (RMAL) provides facilities to perform research and to conduct teaching experiments concerning the application of radiation to the measurement of physical properties of matter. Faculty and students are able to perform research and conduct experiments in

• nondestructive evaluation

• quantitative analysis by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence

• applications of scintillating fibers

• radioisotope gauging

• radioactive and intert tracing.

The laboratory has a dark room within which the scintillating fiber experiments can be conducted with minimal background from visible and ultra-violet sources.

Current research interests:

• remote detection of explosives in vehicles • characterization of semiconductor neutron detectors for dosimetry and imaging • detection and characteriztion of hidden cracks in metal sub-structures

• energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis • nondestructive testing with plastic scintillating fibers

Equipment:

Lithium-drifted silicon (Si-Li) detector for x-ray fluorescence analysis

NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors

Plastic scintillating fibers

Tektronix TDS 420 digitizing oscilloscope

NIM bin and bin-mounted electronics modules

Canberra Inspector 2000 DSP Portable multichannel analyzer (MCA) including Genie 2000 Software

Two high-precision stepping motors (one capable of 0.04 mm resolution and one having a 7-foot travel)

PCs for experiment control, data collection, data analysis, simulation

16-channel data acquisition board

4096-channel MCA board

Multiscaler board

Portable survey meter

Semi-dark room equipped with benches for conducting experiments with scintillating Fibersnumerous

X-Ray tube and radioisotope sources

Brookfield RVT rheometer for measuring viscosity of fluids

Small optical plate with rods, clamps, lenses, mirrors, etc.