A Sound Introduction to Radiation Detection and Measurement for Newcomers to Nuclear Science and Engineering Since the publication of the bestselling third edition, there have been advances in the field of radiation detection, most notably in practical applications. Incorporating these important developments, Measurement and Detection of Radiation, Fourth Edition provides the most up-to-date and accessible introduction to radiation detector materials, systems, and applications. New to the Fourth Edition New chapters on nuclear forensics and nuclear medicine instrumentation, covering basic principles and applications as well as open-ended problems that encourage more in-depth research Updated references and bibliographies New and expanded problems As useful to students and nuclear professionals as its popular predecessors, this fourth edition continues to carefully explain the latest radiation detector technology and measurement techniques. It also discusses the correct ways to perform measurements and analyze results following current health physics procedures.

Table of Contents:
Introduction to Radiation Measurements What Is Meant by Radiation? Statistical Nature of Radiation Emission Errors and Accuracy and Precision of Measurements Types of Errors Nuclear Instrumentation Errors of Radiation Counting Introduction Definition of Probability Basic Probability Theorems Probability Distributions and Random Variables Location Indexes (Mode, Median, Mean) Dispersion Indexes, Variance, and Standard Deviation Covariance and Correlation Binomial Distribution Poisson Distribution Normal (Gaussian) Distribution Lorentzian Distribution Standard, Probable, and Other Errors Arithmetic Mean and Its Standard Error Confidence Limits Propagation of Errors Goodness of Data—χ2 Criterion—Rejection of Data Statistical Error of Radiation Measurements Standard Error of Counting Rates Methods of Error Reduction Minimum Detectable Activity Detector Dead-Time Correction and Measurement of Dead Time Loss-Free Counting and Zero Dead Time Review of Atomic and Nuclear Physics Introduction Elements of Relativistic Kinematics Atoms Nuclei Nuclear Binding Energy Nuclear Energy Levels Energetics of Nuclear Decays Radioactive Decay Law Nuclear Reactions Fission Energy Loss and Penetration of Radiation through Matter Introduction Mechanisms of Charged-Particle Energy Loss Stopping Power due to Ionization and Excitation Energy Loss due to Bremsstrahlung Emission Calculation of dE/dx for a Compound or Mixture Range of Charged Particles Stopping Power and Range of Heavy Ions (Z > 2, A > 4) Interactions of Photons with Matter Interactions of Neutrons with Matter Gas-Filled Detectors Introduction Relationship between High Voltage and Charge Collected Various Types of Gas-Filled Detectors Ionization Chambers Proportional Counters Geiger–Müller Counters Gas-Flow Detectors Rate Meters General Comments about Construction of Gas-Filled Detectors Applications of Gas-Filled Detectors Scintillation Detectors Introduction Inorganic (Crystal) Scintillators Organic Scintillators Gaseous Scintillators Relationship between Pulse Height and Energy and Type of Incident Particle Photomultiplier Tube Assembly of a Scintillation Detector and the Role of Light Pipes Dead Time of Scintillation Detectors Sources of Background in a Scintillation Detector Phoswich Detector Semiconductor Detectors Introduction Electrical Classification of Solids Semiconductors P–N Junction Different Types of Semiconductor Detectors Radiation Damage to Semiconductor Detectors Relative and Absolute Measurements Introduction Geometry Effects Source Effects Detector Effects Relationship between Counting Rate and Source Strength Reference Materials for Relative and Absolute Measurements Introduction to Spectroscopy Introduction Definition of Energy Spectra Measurement of an Integral Spectrum with a Discriminator Measurement of a Differential Spectrum with a Single-Channel Analyzer Relationship between Pulse-Height Distribution and Energy Spectrum Energy Resolution of a Detection System Determination of the Energy Resolution: The Response Function Importance of Good Energy Resolution Brief Description of a Multichannel Analyzer Calibration of a Multichannel Analyzer Electronics Introduction Resistance, Capacitance, Inductance, and Impedance Differentiating Circuit Integrating Circuit Delay Lines Pulse Shaping Timing Coincidence–Anticoincidence Measurements Pulse-Shape Discrimination Preamplifiers Amplifiers Analog-to-Digital Converters Multiparameter Analyzers High Count Rates Digital Processing Data Manipulation International Atomic Energy Agency Nuclear Electronics Manuals Data Analysis Methods Introduction Curve Fitting Interpolation Schemes Least-Squares Fitting Folding and Unfolding Data Smoothing Quality Assurance and Quality Control Photon (γ-Ray and X-Ray) Spectroscopy Introduction Modes of Energy Deposition in the Detector Efficiency of X-Ray and γ-Ray Detectors: Definitions Detection of Photons with NaI(Tl) Scintillation Detectors Detection of Gammas with Ge Detectors Detection of X-Rays with a Si(Li) Detector CdTe, CZT, Hgl2, LaBr, and LaCl2 Detectors as Gamma Spectrometers Charged-Particle Spectroscopy Introduction Energy Straggling Electron Spectroscopy Alpha, Proton, Deuteron, and Triton Spectroscopy Heavy-Ion (Z > 2) Spectroscopy Time-of-Flight Spectrometer Detector Telescopes (E dE/dx Detectors) Position-Sensitive Detectors Neutron Detection and Spectroscopy Introduction Neutron Detection by A (n, Charged Particle) Reaction Fission Chambers Neutron Detection by Foil Activation Measurement of a Neutron Energy Spectrum by Proton Recoil Detection of Fast Neutrons Using Threshold Activation Reactions Neutron Energy Measurement with a Crystal Spectrometer Time-of-Flight Method Compensated Ion Chambers Self-Powered Neutron Detectors Concluding Remarks Activation Analysis and Related Techniques Introduction Selection of the Optimum Nuclear Reaction Preparation of the Sample for Irradiation Sources of Radiation Irradiation of the Sample Counting of the Sample Analysis of the Results Sensitivity of Activation Analysis Interference Reactions Advantages and Disadvantages of the Activation Analysis Method Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis Neutron Depth Profile Neutron Radiography Health Physics Fundamentals Introduction Units of Exposure and Absorbed Dose Relative Biological Effectiveness: Dose Equivalent Dosimetry for Radiation External to the Body Dosimetry for Radiation inside the Body Internal Dose Rate Time Dependence: Biological Half-Life Biological Effects of Radiation Radiation Protection Guides and Exposure Limits Health Physics Instruments Proper Use of Radiation Health Physics within Nuclear Power Plants and Radiological Facilities Nuclear Forensics Introduction Nuclear Forensics Instrumentation Chronometry Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Used for Radiation Detection Instrumentation in Nuclear Medicine Introduction Areas of Nuclear Medicine Imaging Technologies Dose Calibrator Novel Radiation Detection Systems in Nuclear Medicine Production of Isotopes by Accelerators or Nuclear Reactors Commercially Available Nuclear Medicine Imaging Systems Appendices Index Problems, References, and Bibliography appear at the end of each chapter.