Introduction
At present students perform gamma spectroscopy experiments in Dual Degree programme and MSc final year lab sessions where students learn about characterization of scintillation detectors, properties of radiation sources, interaction of gamma radiation with detector or absorber materials. However, the experiments involve use of radioactive sources under strict guidelines of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. In addition, the detectors are biased to high voltages ~ 1000 V where the students should maintain extra caution during the lab hours. Hence, the nuclear physics lab is conducted for the higher semester senior students.
With the proposed B.Tech programme in the department and expected increase in the number of students along with the updated curricula it may not be possible to allow a large number of students to handle radioactive sources at a given time.
The emulators can provide a safe alternative to radioactive sources which can be tuned as per the requirement of lab course and syllabus. The “Emulation kit” with the Digital Multichannel Analyzer. This kit allows to perform a series of lab experiments without using a radioactive source and a detector but simulating the signals produced by the interaction of particles with the detecting unit.
The goal is to inspire students and guide them towards the analysis and comprehension of different physics phenomena with a series of experiments based on state-of-the art technologies, instruments and methods.
In addition, the digitizer can be further be connected and used with any other scintillation and semiconductor gamma detectors. The students will perform
- linear calibration of the detector,
- energy resolution and efficiency measurement of the detector,
- spectroscopy of any unknown radiative sources.
Estimated Timeline for the Project
2 years
Expected Impact
- The facility will cater to the needs of large number of students thereby providing opportunity to have hands-on expertise in spectroscopic data analysis.
- The experiments are safe and do not require any permission and approval from AERB.
- The digitizer is multifunctional and can serve emulator as well as any other gamma detector.
- The set up can train students at different levels of Btech, Mtech, IDD and MSc. Moreover, the digitizer and MCA are equally useful for any research based works with gamma ray detectors.
This will cater to the second year experiments for the B.Tech students, fourth year experiments for IDD students and 2nd year experiments of the final year MSc students.
