A fibre optic based approach and device for sensing alpha particles in liquids

Abstract

In-situ measurement of alpha particle emitting radionuclides within mineral processing liquids requires a highly sensitive detector which is capable of operating in harsh chemical environments at elevated temperatures. In this study, a sensing device suitable for directly measuring trace quantities of alpha particles under environmental conditions analogous to those encountered in mineral processing is presented. The sensor is constructed using plastic scintillating optical fibres which have been characterized in terms of their alpha particle scintillation response, transmission loss and, in a previous study, their performance under the proposed environmental conditions Alpha particles in Po210 test solutions were detected at levels as low as 0.42 Bq/ml, with the sensor demonstrating the ability to operate in a semi-continuous manner.