Gamma-Ray Sensor Using YAlO(3)(Ce) Single Crystal and CNT/PEEK with High Sensitivity and Stability under Harsh Underwater Conditions

A new gamma-ray sensor, which could be employed in harsh underwater conditions, was developed using YAlO(3)(Ce) single crystal and carbon nanotube reinforced polyetheretherketone (CNT/PEEK). The sensor is compact, highly sensitive and stable, by providing real-time gross counts and an accumulated spectrum for fresh, saline, or contaminated water conditions. The sensor was tested in a water tank for quantification of the limit of detections. The Φ51 × 51 mm(2) YAlO(3)(Ce) crystal exhibits a nearly perfect proportionality with a correlation of over 0.999 in terms of light yield per energy and possesses a high energy resolution. The chemically stable CNT/PEEK window material further enhances the detection efficiency by minimizing the background counts from penetrating gamma-rays. Data timeliness was obtained for regulation-based minimum detectable activity targets within 300 s. For a source-detector distance of up to 300 mm in water, the gross counts demonstrate the existence of radionuclides (Cs-137 and Co-60), owing to their higher efficiency (max. ~15 times) than those of the photopeak counts. Such differences between efficiency values are more likely in water than in air because of the high density of water, resulting in an increased build-up of scattered photons. The proposed sensor is suitable for autonomous underwater systems.