PNNL

Abstract

We are currently developing a handheld radioisotope identifier containing 18 position-sensitive CdZnTe crystals. In addition to isotope identification, the device performs basic Compton imaging to determine the location of suspected sources. This paper presents two computationally efficient algorithms for this purpose. The first algorithm traces individual Compton cones onto the unit sphere, whereas the second algorithm computes the intersection of two Compton cones and the unit sphere. Simulations demonstrate that the algorithms are suitable for determining the directionality, even with features such as uncertainty calculations omitted. The one-cone algorithm works more efficiently at high count rates, but the two-cone algorithm generates fewer image artifacts.