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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

A novel approach to correct the coded aperture misalignment for fast neutron imaging

Aperture alignment is crucial for the diagnosis of neutron imaging because it has significant impact on the coding imaging and the understanding of the neutron source. In our previous studies on the neutron imaging system with coded aperture for large field of view, “residual watermark,” certain extra information that overlies reconstructed image and has nothing to do with the source is discovered if the peak normalization is employed in genetic algorithms (GA) to reconstruct the source image. Some studies on basic properties of residual watermark indicate that the residual watermark can characterize coded aperture and can thus be used to determine the location of coded aperture relative to the system axis. In this paper, we have further analyzed the essential conditions for the existence of residual watermark and the requirements of the reconstruction algorithm for the emergence of residual watermark. A gamma coded imaging experiment has been performed to verify the existence of residual watermark. Based on the residual watermark, a correction method for the aperture misalignment has been studied. A multiple linear regression model of the position of coded aperture axis, the position of residual watermark center, and the gray barycenter of neutron source with twenty training samples has been set up. Using the regression model and verification samples, we have found the position of the coded aperture axis relative to the system axis with an accuracy of approximately 20 μm. Conclusively, a novel approach has been established to correct the coded aperture misalignment for fast neutron coded imaging.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Gamma ray Imaging Based Methods to Improve the Accuracy of Uranium Holdup Quantification

Deposits in commercial uranium processing facilities of interest to nuclear safeguards are predominantly low enriched uranium (LEU). The shapes and sizes of holdup deposits can vary significantly, thus making it difficult to model the deposits accurately for calibration purposes. This presents a challenge to currently employed methods such as the Generalized Geometry Holdup (GGH) that rely on quantifying 235U mass by simplifying deposit shapes as a point, a line, or an area. In this work, gamma ray imaging using high energy resolution Germanium Gamma Imagers (GeGI™) is employed to determine the distribution of uranium inside the source containment. Two types of imaging methods are employed; coded-aperture imaging and Compton imaging. Gamma-ray emissions seen in different regions of the image are quantified using an inverse gamma-ray transport solver being developed at ORNL. Using measured data, the inverse method will be used to solve for unknown source parameters such as source matrix thickness, density, and attenuation due to container wall and shielding. The intrinsic efficiency of the detector is determined based on a library of built-in response functions and key dimensions of the detector (e.g., thickness and radius of the detector crystal). Measurements are performed in both imaging modalities using uranium sources of well-known masses and enrichments configured inside mocked-up holdup fixtures. Results from the two imaging modalities are intercompared. The paper presents preliminary results of the imaging measurements and the progress made in the computational methods to quantify uranium mass.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2023

Coded aperture and Compton imaging for the development of 225 Ac‐based radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract Background Targeted alpha‐particle therapy (TAT) has great promise as a cancer treatment. Arguably the most promising TAT radionuclide that has been proposed is 225 Ac. The development of 225 Ac‐based radiopharmaceuticals has been hampered due to the lack of effective means to study the daughter redistribution of these agents in small animals at the preclinical stage. Purpose The ability to directly image the daughters, namely 221 Fr and 213 Bi, via their gamma‐ray emissions would be a boon for preclinical studies. That said, conventional medical imaging modalities, including single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) based on nonmultiplexed collimation, cannot be employed due to sensitivity limitations. Methods As an alternative, we propose the use of both coded aperture and Compton imaging with the former modality suited to the 218‐keV gamma‐ray emission of 221 Fr and the latter suited to the 440‐keV gamma‐ray emission of 213 Bi. Results This work includes coded aperture images of 221 Fr and Compton images of 213 Bi in tumor‐bearing mice injected with 225 Ac‐based radiopharmaceuticals. Conclusions These results are the first demonstration of visualizing and quantifying the 225 Ac daughters in small animals through the application of coded aperture and Compton imaging.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-C-201-03: Coded Aperture Gamma-Ray Imaging Using Pixelated Semiconductor Detectors

Purpose: Improved localization of gamma-ray emissions from radiotracers is essential to the progress of nuclear medicine. Polaris is a portable, room-temperature operated gamma-ray imaging spectrometer composed of two 3×3 arrays of thick CdZnTe (CZT) detectors, which detect gammas between 30keV and 3MeV with energy resolution of <1% FWHM at 662keV. Compton imaging is used to map out source distributions in 4-pi space; however, is only effective above 300keV where Compton scatter is dominant. This work extends imaging to photoelectric energies (<300keV) using coded aperture imaging (CAI), which is essential for localization of Tc-99m (140keV). Methods: CAI, similar to the pinhole camera, relies on an attenuating mask, with open/closed elements, placed between the source and position-sensitive detectors. Partial attenuation of the source results in a “shadow” or count distribution that closely matches a portion of the mask pattern. Ideally, each source direction corresponds to a unique count distribution. Using backprojection reconstruction, the source direction is determined within the field of view. The knowledge of 3D position of interaction results in improved image quality. Results: Using a single array of detectors, a coded aperture mask, and multiple Co-57 (122keV) point sources, image reconstruction is performed in real-time, on an event-by-event basis, resulting in images with an angular resolution of ∼6 degrees. Although material nonuniformities contribute to image degradation, the superposition of images from individual detectors results in improved SNR. CAI was integrated with Compton imaging for a seamless transition between energy regimes. Conclusion: For the first time, CAI has been applied to thick, 3D position sensitive CZT detectors. Real-time, combined CAI and Compton imaging is performed using two 3×3 detector arrays, resulting in a source distribution in space. This system has been commercialized by H3D, Inc. and is being acquired for various applications worldwide, including proton therapy imaging R&D.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Comparison of thermionic filament and carbon nanotube field emitter-based electron ionization sources in cycloidal coded aperture mass analyzers

This report compares the coded aperture imaging performance of thermionic filament and carbon nanotube (CNT) field emitter-based electron sources in cycloidal-coded aperture mass spectrometers. The use of spatially coded apertures in mass spectrometry enables miniaturization by improving throughput without sacrificing resolution. CNT-based electron ionization sources for mass spectrometers provide several potential benefits over conventional thermionic emitters, including low voltage and low power consumption, room temperature operation, long lifetime, and ability to emit electrons in a pulsed mode. However, spatiotemporal variation in electron emission from CNTs is a major disadvantage. In this study, electron emission stability and spatiotemporal stability of the coded aperture image were compared for coded aperture cycloidal mass analyzers with either a CNT-based ion source or a thermionic filament-based ion source. We found that the thermionic filament-based ion source produced a significantly more stable coded aperture image than the CNT based ion source. The aperture image fluctuations in the CNT-based source are likely a result of adsorption and desorption of molecules on the CNT surface that cause local work function changes and induce spatiotemporal variation in electron emission and subsequent ion generation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantification of LEU Holdup using gamma ray imaging and inverse transport solver

Holdup is the residual amount of special nuclear material (SNM) remaining in a processing facility after the bulk materials have been cleaned out. In commercial uranium processing facilities, quantification of holdup is a major challenge because of the highly variable shapes and sizes of the deposits. Any method that attempts to generalize and calibrate deposit shapes in order to quantify holdup will be prone to high uncertainties. Uncertainties on the order of ±50% are typical in holdup results. In international safeguards applications, a ±50% uncertainty can result in a large amount of material unaccounted for (MUF) thereby increasing the difficulty of detecting material diversion and facility misuse. An imaging-based methodology has been developed with the objective of significantly reducing this uncertainty by using the true deposit shape, instead of relying on oversimplified geometric assumptions. The project is a collaboration between ORNL, Y-12, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. Uranium sources of known masses were measured using the Germanium Gamma-ray Imager (GeGI), a high-resolution imaging spectrometer, creating a pixelated map for each spectral bin. Two different gamma imaging methods are employed in this work: coded aperture imaging and Compton imaging. A validated MonteCarlo model of the detector has been developed using the GEANT4 code for determining the intrinsic response of the detector, its enclosure, and the coded aperture mask. An inverse transport solver based on the Markov Chain Monte-Carlo approach known as Differential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) is employed to use the measurement data from the image pixels (coded aperture or Compton) to solve for the mass of 235 U in the deposit. A reliable method based on the DREAM solver has been developed to flag the infinite thickness condition of a uranium deposit. The project team is working towards improving the image reconstruction for Compton imaging so that a better localization of the source can be achieved. Besides treating the coded aperture and Compton imaging methods independently, the project is also evaluating a combined method that uses the Compton scatter data from a coded aperture measurement. GEANT4 simulations are being performed to evaluate the combined approach. The impact on the DREAM optimization as the source thickness progressively approaches infinite thickness is being evaluated. A number of uranium sources available at ORNL have been measured, and the DREAM results have been tested and validated for the coded aperture imaging. A similar effort will be carried out to validate the Compton based method once the development of algorithms for better localization are complete. The imaging based quantification is very amenable to unattended monitoring of holdup accumulation at key measurement points. A proof of concept measurement has been completed to demonstrate this capability The current work used the high energy resolution imager GeGI. However, the approach and methodologies are applicable to other imagers such as the cadmium zin telluride (CZT) based imager manufactured by H3D, Inc.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Real-time Free-moving Active Coded Mask 3D Gamma-Ray Imaging

The ability to localize and map the distribution of gamma-ray emitting radionuclides in 3D has applications ranging from medical imaging to nuclear security. In the case of radiological source search and nuclear contamination remediation, the deployment of freely moving detection systems such as hand- held instruments or ground/aerial-based vehicles are critical in overcoming the inverse square law and complex shielding scenarios. Using contextual sensors, these systems can simultaneously generate 3D maps of the surrounding environment and track the position and orientation of the gamma-ray sensitive detectors in that environment. The fusion of contextual scene data and gamma-ray detector data to facilitate real-time 3D gamma-ray image reconstruction has been demonstrated with mobile HPGe and CdZnTe-based Compton cameras for gamma-ray energies ranging from a few hundred keV to several MeV. Here we apply this approach for lower energy (50-400 keV) gamma-rays, using a hand-held CdZnTe-based omnidirectional imaging system and an active coded mask imaging modality. Here, we present our approach to real-time reconstruction using a scene data constrained GPU- accelerated list-mode MLEM algorithm and show results from several measurements in the lab and in the field.

3D gamma-ray imaging↗
DOE OSTI2022

Computational models of direct and indirect X‐ray breast imaging detectors for in silico trials

Abstract Background To facilitate in silico studies that investigate digital mammography (DM) and breast tomosynthesis (DBT), models replicating the variety in imaging performance of the DM and DBT systems, observed across manufacturers are needed. Purpose The main purpose of this work is to develop generic physics models for direct and indirect detector technology used in commercially available systems, with the goal of making them available open source to manufacturers to further tweak and develop the exact in silico replicas of their systems. Methods We recently reported on an in silico version of the SIEMENS Mammomat Inspiration DM/DBT system using an open‐source GPU‐accelerated Monte Carlo x‐ray imaging simulation code (MC‐GPU). We build on the previous version of the MC‐GPU codes to mimic the imaging performances of two other Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐approved DM/DBT systems, such as Hologic Selenia Dimensions (HSD) and the General Electric Senographe Pristina (GSP) systems. In this work, we developed a hybrid technique to model the optical spread and signal crosstalk observed in the GSP and HSD systems. MC simulations are used to track each x‐ray photon till its first interaction within the x‐ray detector. On the other hand, the signal spread in the x‐ray detectors is modeled using previously developed analytical equations. This approach allows us to preserve the modeling accuracy offered by MC methods in the patient body, while speeding up secondary carrier transport (either electron–hole pairs or optical photons) using analytical equations in the detector. The analytical optical spread model for the indirect detector includes the depth‐dependent spread and collection of optical photons and relies on a pre‐computed set of point response functions that describe the optical spread as a function of depth. To understand the capabilities of the computational x‐ray detector models, we compared image quality metrics like modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE), simulated with our models against measured data. Please note that the purpose of these comparisons with measured data would be to gauge if the model developed as part of this work could replicate commercially used direct and indirect technology in general and not to achieve perfect fits with measured data. Results We found that the simulated image quality metrics such as MTF, NNPS, and DQE were in reasonable agreement with experimental data. To demonstrate the imaging performance of the three DM/DBT systems, we integrated the detector models with the VICTRE pipeline and simulated DM images of a fatty breast model containing a spiculated mass and a calcium oxalate cluster. In general, we found that the images generated using the indirect model appeared more blurred with a different noise texture and contrast as compared to the systems with direct detectors. Conclusions We have presented computational models of three commercially available FDA‐approved DM/DBT systems, which implement both direct and indirect detector technology. The updated versions of the MC‐GPU codes that can be used to replicate three systems are available in open source format through GitHub.

Sengupta, Aunnasha↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development of GPU-based Monte Carlo code for fast CT imaging dose calculation on CUDA Fermi architecture

This paper describes the development of a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) accelerated Monte Carlo photon transport code, ARCHER{sub GPU}, to perform CT imaging dose calculations with good accuracy and performance. The code simulates interactions of photons with heterogeneous materials. It contains a detailed CT scanner model and a family of patient phantoms. Several techniques are used to optimize the code for the GPU architecture. In the accuracy and performance test, a 142 kg adult male phantom was selected, and the CT scan protocol involved a whole-body axial scan, 20-mm x-ray beam collimation, 120 kVp and a pitch of 1. A total of 9 x 108 photons were simulated and the absorbed doses to 28 radiosensitive organs/tissues were calculated. The average percentage difference of the results obtained by the general-purpose production code MCNPX and ARCHER{sub GPU} was found to be less than 0.38%, indicating an excellent agreement. The total computation time was found to be 8,689, 139 and 56 minutes for MCNPX, ARCHER{sub CPU} (6-core) and ARCHER{sub GPU}, respectively, indicating a decent speedup. Under a recent grant funding from the NIH, the project aims at developing a Monte Carlo code with the capability of sub-minute CT organ dose calculations. (authors)

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Out of distribution evaluation for neural image compression

Official code for the NeurIPS 2023 paper "Neural Image Compression: Generalization, Robustness, and Spectral Biases". This code can be used to: - Computing spectral distortion errors of images compressed with traditional codes or neural image compression models (as proposed in the aformentioned paper) - Visualize power spectral densities and fourier heatmaps (as proposed in the aformentioned paper) - Train and test a variety of neural image compression models

Lieberman, KelseyA↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantitative Holdup Determinations Using Coded-Aperture Gamma-Ray Imaging

Passive gamma-ray imaging can be used to create images of distributed nuclear materials. Inherently quantitative, the images provide a means to directly determine the amount of nuclear material in the imager’s field of view. However, to take advantage of quantitative imaging, one must correct for changes to the imager’s efficiency across the image. This paper presents work on detailed calibration of a coded-aperture imager based on a portable, mechanically cooled, high-purity germanium detector. This enables the use of gamma-ray imaging as a tool to determine nuclear holdup. By applying the calibrations to images of small amounts of distributed 235U, quantity estimates within a few percent of the actual amounts present were obtained, validating the approach.

Ziock, Klaus-Peter↗
DOE OSTI2018

Cyclic codes over the ring F{sub 2}+uF{sub 2}+vF{sub 2}

In this paper, we study linear and cyclic codes over the ring F{sub 2}+uF{sub 2}+vF{sub 2}. The ring F{sub 2}+uF{sub 2}+vF{sub 2} is the smallest non-Frobenius ring. We characterize the structure of cyclic codes over the ring R=F{sub 2}+uF{sub 2}+vF{sub 2} using of the work Abualrub and Saip (Des Codes Cryptogr 42:273–287, 2007). We study the rank and dual of cyclic codes of odd length over this ring. Specially, we show that the equation |C||C{sup ⊥}|=|R|{sup n} does not hold in general for a cyclic code C of length n over this ring. We also obtain some optimal binary codes as the images of cyclic codes over the ring F{sub 2}+uF{sub 2}+vF{sub 2} under a Gray map, which maps Lee weights to Hamming weights. Finally, we give a condition for cyclic codes over R that contains its dual and find quantum codes over F{sub 2} from cyclic codes over the ring F{sub 2}+uF{sub 2}+vF{sub 2}.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

IMAGING ANALYSIS OF THE HARD X-RAY TELESCOPE ProtoEXIST2 AND NEW TECHNIQUES FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION CODED-APERTURE TELESCOPES

Wide-field (≳100 deg{sup 2}) hard X-ray coded-aperture telescopes with high angular resolution (≲2′) will enable a wide range of time domain astrophysics. For instance, transient sources such as gamma-ray bursts can be precisely localized without the assistance of secondary focusing X-ray telescopes to enable rapid followup studies. On the other hand, high angular resolution in coded-aperture imaging introduces a new challenge in handling the systematic uncertainty: the average photon count per pixel is often too small to establish a proper background pattern or model the systematic uncertainty in a timescale where the model remains invariant. We introduce two new techniques to improve detection sensitivity, which are designed for, but not limited to, a high-resolution coded-aperture system: a self-background modeling scheme which utilizes continuous scan or dithering operations, and a Poisson-statistics based probabilistic approach to evaluate the significance of source detection without subtraction in handling the background. We illustrate these new imaging analysis techniques in high resolution coded-aperture telescope using the data acquired by the wide-field hard X-ray telescope ProtoEXIST2 during a high-altitude balloon flight in fall 2012. We review the imaging sensitivity of ProtoEXIST2 during the flight, and demonstrate the performance of the new techniques using our balloon flight data in comparison with a simulated ideal Poisson background.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗