Particle interaction with matter. X and gamma ray interaction with matter. Ionization chambers. Proportional counters. Scintillation detectors. Silicon detectors for particles. Germanium detectors for gamma and X ray detection Signals transmission. Front-end amplifiers and shapers. Electrical noise. Linear shaping of signals. Analog to digital conversion.
Laboratory: oscillographic study of current and charge waveforms. Signal shaping. Energy spectra.
- Lecture notes
- G. F. Knoll, Radiation Detection and Measurement, John Wiley & Sons
-W.R. Leo, Techniques for nuclear and particle Physics experiments, Springer-Verlag
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
Measurement of physical nuclear quantities
Competence acquired:
Knowledge of instruments for the
measurements of physical nuclear quantities
(gas, scntillation and semiconductor detectors) and of its correct use. Upgraded knowledge of error theory.
Skills acquired (at the end of the
course):
Planning
(choice of method and instruments) and
execution of measurements of physical nuclear quantities.
Prerequisites
none
Teaching Methods
CFU: 9
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 225
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 24
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 72
Further information
Office hours: the preferred contact
methods are email. Personal encounters
available upon previous agreement.
The final exam is designed to check the acquisition of knowledge and skills by conducting a practical and an oral tests. The individual practical test in laboratory , lasting 5 hours, is the performance of a measurement on detector performances with the production of a written report. The oral test is designed to check, by means a conversation with the teacher, the ability to independently solve a problem concerning the program arguments. This analytical graduation has the aim to reliably assess the level of achievement of the expected learning outcomes.
Course program
Particle interaction with matter. Collisional energy loss. Radiative energy loss. Ionization Bragg curve. Range. Straggling. X and gamma ray interaction with matter. Attenuation coefficients. Range. Ionization chambers. Proportional counters. Organic and inorganic scintillation detectors. Fotomultipliers. Detection statistics. Single electron response. Ramo Theorem for the calculation of current and charge waveforms. Silicon detectors for particles. Hp Germanium gamma ray detectors. Signals transmission. Some examples of front-end amplifiers and shapers. Introduction to electrical noise. Linear shaping of signals. Fundamentals of analog to digital conversion.
Laboratory: oscillographic study of current and charge waveforms. Signal shaping. Energy spectra.