PNNL

Abstract

The monitoring of atmospheric radioxenon to ensure compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has driven the development of improved detectors for measuring xenon, including the development of a phoswich detector. This detector uses only one PMT to detect beta-gamma coincidence, thus greatly reducing the bulk and electronics of the detector in comparison to the ARSA-type detector. In this experiment, 135Xe was produced through neutron activation and a phoswich detector was used to attain spectra from the gas. These results were compared to similar results from an ARSA-type beta-gamma coincidence spectrum. The spectral characteristics and resolution were compared for the coincidence and beta spectra. Using these metrics, the overall performance of the phoswich detector for beta-gamma coincidence of radioxenon was evaluated.