Poulton, S E; Regan, P H; Bell, S J; Shearman, R; Goodwin, M A; O’Sullivan, E B; Ryan, M (2025) Progress towards electron–photon coincidence detection of noble gases for enhanced safety monitoring of nuclear fuel. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 233. 112703 ISSN 0969806X

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Abstract

The conditions under which nuclear fission occurs affects the ratio of radioxenon isotopes and their metastable states which are produced. Measuring the ratio can be used to monitor the condition of nuclear fuel through its life span. This conference paper presents preliminary results from the testing of an electron-photon coincidence system at resolving signals from two isotopes of radio-xenon compared to the background. The detector system is comprised of a PIPSBox silicon detector and a high-purity germanium detector, with signals from both detectors processed using a 500 MHz CAEN digitiser. The system was tested using a mixed gaseous source containing 131mXe (t1/2=11.8 days) and 133Xe (t1/2=5.25 days). The preliminary results show a clear separation between events associated with the discrete-energy internal conversion lines associated with the 131mXe decay and the coincident characteristic Xe Kα and Kβ X-rays and those events associated with the beta decay from the ground state of 133Xe to excited states in the 133Cs daughter nucleus.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	criticality monitoring, beta-gamma coincidence, xenon, nuclear, uel condition
Subjects:	Ionising Radiation > Radioactivity
Divisions:	Medical, Marine & Nuclear
Identification number/DOI:	10.1016/j.radphyschem.2025.112703
Last Modified:	22 Jun 2026 10:25
URI:	https://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/10466