Pile-up correction in characterizing single-photon avalanche diodes of high dark count rate

Although as a single-photon detector, the single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) may be applied to multi-photon conditions. At a minimum, SPADs with a high dark count rate (DCR) demand a higher value of photon number per pulse to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. In this case, and without correction, severe pile-up distortion may induce a system error in the measurement of photon detection efficiency (PDE) and timing jitter. In this paper, we study the pile-up distortion in SPAD characterization by numerical simulation and experimentation, and introduce a pile-up correction method for the precise characterization of PDE and timing jitter in immature SPADs with an unintentionally high DCR. The results of this study are useful in the development of future SPADs.     

Application of digital signal processing in nuclear spectroscopy

Digital signal processing algorithms for nuclear particle spectroscopy are described. The algorithms are presented as recursive procedures, which can easily be programmed using modern computer programming languages. The input data flow was formed by particle detector pulses, preprocessed by a charge-sensitive preamplifier and transformed into a sequence of equidistantly sampled signals by a sampling analog-to-digital converter. The pile-up elimination procedure, the influence of the number of bits of the sampling analog-to-digital converter on the energy resolution of the spectrometer, and ballistic deficit correction are also considered. The pile-up elimination method was developed for fission fragment spectroscopy in the case of high α radioactivity of fissile targets (²³⁹Pu, ²⁴¹Am) using a Frisch-grid double ionization chamber. Since the intrinsic energy resolution of a spectrometer based on a double ionization chamber is much worse than that determined by the noise level of the charge-sensitive amplifier, an ultrapure germanium detector was used to provide the highest sensitivity to the errors introduced by measuring procedures. The effect of pile-up elimination procedure on the energy resolution was experimentally investigated at different source intensities. The main characteristics of the developed algorithms are compared with those of other processing procedures published in the literature.     

Improvement in adaptive nonuniformity correction method with nonlinear model for infrared focal plane arrays

The scene adaptive nonuniformity correction (NUC) technique is commonly used to decrease the fixed pattern noise (FPN) in infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPA). However, the correction precision of existing scene adaptive NUC methods is reduced by the nonlinear response of IRFPA detectors seriously. In this paper, an improved scene adaptive NUC method that employs “S”-curve model to approximate the detector response is presented. The performance of the proposed method is tested with real infrared video sequence, and the experimental results validate that our method can promote the correction precision considerably.     

二维位置灵敏探测器输出图像畸变的修正

高分辨(e,2e)谱仪采用二维位置灵敏探测器同时对能量和角度进行多道测量.二维位置灵敏探测器由级联使用的微通道板和电阻阳极板组成,由于电阻阳极板的边缘效应和制造工艺的缺陷,测量得到的位置图像与实际图像总会有一定的形变,存在一定的非线性.本文针对高分辨(e,2e)谱仪二维位置灵敏探测器输出图像的“桶形”畸变及位置非线性,采用一种简易的冷刻法(用脉冲信号来模拟真实电子束团),检验了二维位置灵敏探测器的Gear型电阻阳极板的线性好坏,并用分割成小三角形的方法找出测量得到的畸变图像与原始真实图像的映射关系,再用此关系对其它测量得到的畸变图像进行修正,并对修正的结果进行了评估.通过修正,由“桶形”畸变所造成的图像扭曲得到明显改善.修正后的x方向非线性由修正前的2.1%变为0.59%.这种检验和修正方法对其它领域类似探测器输出图像的修正也有一定的指导意义.     

光子计数位置灵敏探测器畸变多项式校正

采用多项式校正方法对光子计数位置灵敏探测器成像畸变进行校正。介绍光子计数位置灵敏探测器工作原理并分析其畸变产生原因;介绍多项式校正原理,并给出光子计数位置灵敏探测器畸变多项式校正流程;采用该方法对两种不同畸变程度的基于楔条形阳极该类探测器进行了畸变校正,校正后残余误差分别为2.5pixel和1.2pixel。实验结果表明,多项式校正法能够有效校正光子计数位置灵敏探测器成像畸变。     

Counting‐loss correction for X‐ray spectroscopy using unit impulse pulse shaping

High‐precision measurement of X‐ray spectra is affected by the statistical fluctuation of the X‐ray beam under low‐counting‐rate conditions. It is also limited by counting loss resulting from the dead‐time of the system and pile‐up pulse effects, especially in a high‐counting‐rate environment. In this paper a detection system based on a FAST‐SDD detector and a new kind of unit impulse pulse‐shaping method is presented, for counting‐loss correction in X‐ray spectroscopy. The unit impulse pulse‐shaping method is evolved by inverse deviation of the pulse from a reset‐type preamplifier and a C‐R shaper. It is applied to obtain the true incoming rate of the system based on a general fast–slow channel processing model. The pulses in the fast channel are shaped to unit impulse pulse shape which possesses small width and no undershoot. The counting rate in the fast channel is corrected by evaluating the dead‐time of the fast channel before it is used to correct the counting loss in the slow channel.     

基于自适应滤波的红外焦平面阵列非均匀性校正算法

 红外探测器响应漂移特性会降低红外焦平面阵列（IRFPA）非均匀性校正的精度。针对该问题提出了一种基于场景的IRFPA非均匀性校正算法。该算法利用所获得的序列成像场景信息,采用一种基于快速自适应滤波器的最优化递归估计方法来获得非均匀性校正参数,并利用当前的成像信息来更新校正参数,以此降低探测器响应漂移特性对非均匀性校正的影响。算法仿真实验显示,对非线性参数为26.12%的同一图像,使用该算法、两点校正算法和卡尔曼滤波校正算法校正1 h后,可分别将非线性参数降至1.856%,3.122%和1.893%,说明该算法可获得稳定而较好的非均匀性校正效果。     

基于激光半主动的弹道修正系统修正能力的研究

弹道修正技术是为了解决射程与精度的矛盾而采用的一种有效方法。激光半主动弹道修正是采用激光半主动检测落点误差,通过对鸭舵进行弹道修正来提高打击精度的。分析了激光半主动弹道修正系统的工作原理和尾翼式微旋火箭弹鸭舵执行机构控制力,建立了尾翼式微旋火箭弹的刚体弹道,在最大周期平均控制力下持续对由弹道修正的弹道修正能力进行了仿真,得到不同启控时间的弹道修正能力。为激光目标指示器、探测器、鸭舵执行机构协调设计提供了理论依据。     

Ring artifacts correction based on the projection-field in neutron CT

Ring artifacts will happen mostly when the detector has inconsistent response among the detector channels, and the characteristic produced rings centered in the iso-center in the reconstructed slices inevitably affect the recognition and analysis of the corresponding sample structures in neutron computed tomography(CT). In this work, a ring correction method based on the projection-field(RCP) is proposed, it is a pre-processing method and provides the corrected projection data directly, which is also conducive to efficient data storage and other algorithmic researches. Simulation and physical experiments are performed for verifying the effect of the method, and one of the correction methods based on the imagefield is used for comparison. The results demonstrate that the RCP can correct the ring artifacts well without reducing the image resolution or over-correction.     

一种改进的计算探测器校正因子的相关抽样方法

对于小尺寸探测器处于大块介质的情形, 在探测器的校正因子的Monte Carlo模拟中, 存在两个难题: 一是由于探测器尺寸很小粒子难以到达探测器并发生碰撞; 二是两个随机变量比值难以达到要求精度. 本文使用经过改进的粒子碰撞自动重要抽样方法, 再结合相关抽样方法, 解决了这两个难题, 并在MCNP-4C程序平台上加以实现. 除了粒子碰撞自动重要抽样以外, 还选用了其他3种方法: 直接模拟、区域分裂、强迫碰撞+Dxtran球分别与相关抽样方法结合, 对一个简化的探测器校正因子计算模型进行了计算. 实际计算结果表明, 相关抽样方法无论与哪种方法结合, 都起到了提高相关量计算效率的作用; 而它与粒子碰撞自动重要抽样结合, 比其他方法具有明显的优越性.     

Energy‐dependent dead‐time correction in digital pulse processors applied to silicon drift detector's X‐ray spectra

Dead‐time effects in X‐ray spectra taken with a digital pulse processor and a silicon drift detector were investigated when the number of events at the low‐energy end of the spectrum was more than half of the total, at counting rates up to 56 kHz. It was found that dead‐time losses in the spectra are energy dependent and an analytical correction for this effect, which takes into account pulse pile‐up, is proposed. This and the usual models have been applied to experimental measurements, evaluating the dead‐time fraction either from the calculations or using the value given by the detector acquisition system. The energy‐dependent dead‐time model proposed fits accurately the experimental energy spectra in the range of counting rates explored in this work. A selection chart of the simplest mathematical model able to correct the pulse‐height distribution according to counting rate and energy spectrum characteristics is included.     

Test and evaluation of reference-based nonuniformity correction methods for microbolometer infrared detectors

In the paper, reference-based nonuniformity correction methods for microbolometer infrared detectors are discussed and tested. In order to evaluate their effectiveness, a complete readout circuit for amorphous silicon microbolometer focal plane array has been designed. The tests were carried out on a developed stand including several extended blackbodies. Some modification of standard two-point correction algorithm incorporating detectors response at external shutter to compensate offset drift is also proposed. The obtained results are presented.     

An enhanced non-uniformity correction algorithm for IRFPA based on neural network

Influenced by detector materials’ non-uniformity, growth and etching techniques, etc., every detector’s responsivity of infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPA) is different, which results in non-uniformity of IRFPA. And non-uniformity of IRFPA generates fixed pattern noises (FPN) that are superposed on infrared image. And it may degrade the infrared image quality, which greatly limits the application of IRFPA. Non-uniformity correction (NUC) is an important technique for IRFPA. The traditional non-uniformity correction algorithm based on neural network and its modified algorithms are analyzed in this paper. And a new improved non-uniformity correction algorithm based on neural network is proposed in this paper. In this algorithm, the desired image is estimated by using three successive images in an infrared sequence. And blurring effect caused by motion is avoided by applying implicit motion detection and edge detection. So the estimation image is closer to real image than the estimation image estimated by other algorithms, which results in fast convergence speed of correction parameters. A comparison is made to these algorithms in this paper. And experimental results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper can correct the non-uniformity of IRFPA effectively and it prevails over other algorithms based on neural network.     

Response of converter semiconductor detectors on neutron radiation

Active detectors based on Si semiconductors are being developed for individual radiation protection purposes in mixed neutron and photon fields. These devices are constructed as combined converter semiconductor detectors. Incident neutrons interact with the converter or detector nuclei and produce charged particles that can deposit energy in the semiconductor and cause a signal. The aim of this work is the determination of the response of such detectors to incident neutrons by experiment and by computation. The computer model consists of the neutron interaction simulation and the calculation of the ion transport. An analysis of measured and computed pulse height distributions for 5 MeV incident neutrons is presented as well as a comparison.     

基于4H-SiC的高能量分辨率α粒子探测器

为突破传统半导体核探测器耐高温与抗辐照性能不足的瓶颈,采用4H-SiC宽禁带半导体材料研制了4H-SiC探测器,并研究其构成的探测系统对α粒子的能量分辨率和能量线性度。所研制4H-SiC探测器漏电流低,当外加反向偏压为200V时,其漏电流仅14.92nA/cm2。采用具有5种主要能量α粒子的226 Ra源研究其构成的探测系统对α粒子的能量分辨率,获得4H-SiC探测系统对4.8~7.7 MeV能量范围内α粒子的能量分辨率为0.61%~0.90%,与国际上报道的高分辨4H-SiC探测系统能量分辨率一致。同时,实验结果表明:4H-SiC探测系统对该能量范围内α粒子的能量线性度十分优异,线性相关系数为0.999 99。     

兰州充气谱仪的焦平面探测系统

在兰州充气谱仪上,设计安装了一套新的焦平面探测系统,该系统包括飞行时间(TOF) 探测器、盒型硅(Si-box) 探测器阵列和反符合(Veto) 探测器3 部分。Si-box 探测器阵列是由3 块位置灵敏硅探测器(PSSD) 和8 块周边硅探测器(SSD) 构成,它对注入核的 衰变的探测效率达到80% 左右。Si-box 探测器阵列与TOF 探测器关联可以有效区分注入信号和 衰变信号。Veto 探测器与Si-box 探测器阵列和TOF 探测器关联可以反符合掉高能轻粒子对注入信号和 衰变信号的干扰。简要介绍了PSSD 的能量和位置刻度方法。这套探测器系统已经应用于40Ca+175Lu 和40Ca+169Tm 的实验。实验结果表明,该探测器系统具备很好的本底抑制能力,能够给出干净的a衰变能谱,结合能量-时间-位置关联测量方法可以实现对单原子的探测和鉴别,总体上达到了预期的设计要求。A new designed focal plane detection system was mounted at the gas-filled recoil separator at Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, which consisted of a time-of-flight (TOF) detector, a silicon-box (Sibox) detector array and a silicon veto detector. Three position sensitive silicon detectors (PSSD) were surrounded by eight side silicon detectors (SSD) without position sensitive, forming a box of the detector open from the front side. The detection efficiency for -decays of implanted nuclei was about 80%. The anticoincidence condition for the signals from the TOF detector and Si-box detector array was used to distinguish between the pulses originating from the implanted nuclei and their -decays. The veto detector information was used to discriminate events due to high-energy charged particles．External energy calibration and position calibration of PSSD are described concisely in this work. This systemhas been used in experiments of 40Ca+175Lu and 40Ca+169Tm. Clean a-decay spectra obtained in these reactions indicated the detection system has a good performance in background suppression. Evaporation residues can be identified by the energy-time-position correlation method. On the whole, the new designed focal plane detection system has achieved thedesign requirements.     

Robust scatter correction method for cone-beam CT using an interlacing-slit plate

Cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT) has been widely used in medical imaging and industrial nondestructive testing,but the presence of scattered radiation will cause significant reduction of image quality.In this article,a robust scatter correction method for CBCT using an interlacing-slit plate(ISP) is carried out for convenient practice.Firstly,a Gaussian filtering method is proposed to compensate the missing data of the inner scatter image,and simultaneously avoid too-large values of calculated inner scatter and smooth the inner scatter field.Secondly,an interlacing-slit scan without detector gain correction is carried out to enhance the practicality and convenience of the scatter correction method.Finally,a denoising step for scatter-corrected projection images is added in the process flow to control the noise amplification The experimental results show that the improved method can not only make the scatter correction more robust and convenient,but also achieve a good quality of scatter-corrected slice images.     

Geometrical factors in the dispersion of ballistic heat pulses

The dispersion of ballistic heat pulses in dielectric crystals can partly be ascribed to geometrical factors that include the sample thickness, the contact areas of the source and detector and their relative positioning, and the acoustic anisotropy of the transmission medium. These factors are involved in determining the spread in the path lengths and group velocities of the phonons that are transmitted. In this paper we derive a simple expression, valid when the source and detector dimensions are small compared with the thickness of the slab-shaped sample, which relates the temporal width of a ballistic heat pulse to the average in-plane component of the slowness vector s of the transmitted phonons. A comparison is made between the predictions of this expression, Monte Carlo simulations and published experimental ballistic heat pulse data on paratellurite.     

Analyse of Corrections during Measurements of Charge of a Semiconductor Detector

The amplitude of signals coming from a semiconductor detector depends on the a amplifier system filter networks, detector physical properties and energy of particles measured. The absolute measuring of detector charge requires an analysis of the influence of the mentioned parameters upon the measuring system reaction. The paper gives the theoretical concepts and correction diagrams for the optimum filter networks of CR-RC and CR-(RC)² tapes taking into consideration the existence of an undesirable integrating constant of the charge sensitive preamplifier. The application of the presented diagrams increases the accuracy and helps checking the obtained results by a pulse generator.     

Effect of Lorentz local field correction on propagation of ultrashort laser pulse in one-dimensional para-nitroaniline (PNA) molecules

This paper investigates the effect of Lorentz local field correction (LFC) on the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses in a para-nitroaniline molecular medium under resonant and nonresonant conditions by solving numerically the full-wave Maxwell-Bloch equations beyond slowly-varying envelope approximation and rotating-wave approximation. The effect of the LFC is considerably obvious when pulses with large areas propagate in the dense molecular medium. In the case of resonance,the group velocity of the sub-pulses split from the incident pulse along propagation is severely decreased by the LFC,especially for the latest sub-pulse. However,in the case of nonresonance,the influence of the LFC on the temporal evolution of the pulse is less obvious and lacks homogeneity with an increase in incident pulse area,propagation distance and molecular density.