Ionizing radiation measurement using optical fibers

Abstract

We present our first results of ionizing radiation measurement using optical fibers and LYSO scintillator. The LYSO scintillator was used to detect the radiation and the silica optical fibers with 1 mm fiber core was used to deliver scintillation radiation from LYSO to single photon counter. We present our setups and measurement results of several ionizing sources Co-60, Cs-134, Cs-137 and Am-241 with different level of the activities. Focus to measurement gamma radiation of these nuclides was motivated by the research of measurement possibilities in the nuclear power plants by optical fibers. Used nuclides have different level of radiation energies and can be used to design and optimize of the measurement setup. We used one and four optical fibers with different types of collimation at both ends of the optical fibers to deliver scintillation radiation to the single photon counter. The comparison of these setups of the measurement is presented. Our measurement confirmed the optical fibers can be used to measure radiation of these nuclides with activities from tenths up to hundreds kBq. Next will be verified the measurement of higher level of radiation activities.