Kanehisa Hattori

Novel System for Potential Nondestructive Material Inspection Using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy

A new positron annihilation lifetime spectrometer consisting of a start ?-ray detector, a stop ?-ray detector, a digital oscilloscope, and a positron detector, which is a plastic scintillator coupled to a photomultiplier tube, is described. A 22Na source is placed between the positron detector and a sample to be studied. ?-ray signals related to positrons annihilating in the positron detector are rejected by anti-coincidence processing. Comparison of the positron lifetime spectrum of a steel strip collected with the new system with that collected with a conventional system using two specimens sandwiching the 22Na source shows that accurate positron lifetime measurements are possible with the new system. The new system does not require cutting of the samples and is potentially applicable to truly nondestructive onsite inspection of various materials such as those used in nuclear power plants, aircraft and cars, etc., by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS).

Effect of Constraining the Source Lifetime Parameter during Least-square-fit Analysis on Positron Lifetime Measurements

We examined the effect of constraining the positron source lifetime parameter during a least-square fitting (LSF) of positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) data on the resultant lifetimes, as determined from the fit result. The effect was assessed using calculated PAL spectra and also experimentallyobtained spectra for single-crystal silicon with different measurement statistics, in order to discuss the uncertainty of the resultant lifetime for a sample having a relatively short lifetime of around 220 ps. The obtained results suggest that constraining the positron source lifetime during the LSF analysis results in a relatively minor uncertainty of the sample lifetime in comparison with that due to the measurement statistics.

Sealed 22Na Sources for Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy

Sealed radioactive sources of 22Na for positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), free from the legal regulations, are commercially available from an American company. However, thick foils are used to seal 22Na in these sources and large fractions of the positrons annihilate in the sealing materials. Further, it is pointed out that a long lifetime component over 1 ns appears in the positron lifetime spectrum acquired with the Kapton sealed source (POSK-22, IPL Inc.). In this research, attempts were made to develop high quality sealed positron sources, potentially free from regulations, for ubiquitous application of PALS. The sources prepared in the present work are of high quality and applicable to our new PALS, which does not require sample cutting and is potentially applicable to truly nondestructive, onsite inspection of various materials

Positron Lifetimes and Mechanical Properties of Gamma-Irradiated Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has widely been used for probing open volume defects in various materials. PALS is in principle non-destructive, yet conventional PALS is not strictly non-destructive because cutting out of two specimens from the material is required. Recently we developed a novel method of PALS, which is potentially applicable to non-destructive, onsite material inspection. In order to explore the possibility of onsite monitoring of polymer degradation by this novel method of PALS, we studied variations of positron lifetime and mechanical properties of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) subjected to γ-irradiation. Correlations were found between the mechanical properties and ortho-positronium lifetimes, suggesting the feasibility of non-destructive, onsite monitoring of polymer degradation by PALS. The effect of γ-irradiation on positronium formation is discussed.