Virtual radiation detection and measurement laboratory

Simulation of alpha, beta and gamma radiation detection and measurement experiments which are part of nuclear physics laboratory courses was realized with Monte-Carlo method and JAVA Programming Language. As it is well known, establishing this type of laboratory is very expensive. At the same time, highly radioactive sources used in some experiments carry risks for students and also for experimentalists. By taking into consideration these problems, the aim of this study is to setup a virtual radiation laboratory with minimum cost and to speed up the training in radiation physics for students. Bearing in mind the training capabilities of the software is coded to allow the users creating their own experimental setup and searching for experimental setup suitable for a specific type of experiment. As an example, mixed source isotope identification with high purity germanium, bismuth germanate, and sodium iodine detectors is studied in this paper and the importance of energy resolution of a detector in such an experiment is discussed. Software shows the nature of radiation and radiation transport with the help of Monte-Carlo method. In this software, experimental parameters can be changed manually by the user and experimental results can be followed in an multi channel analyzer (MCA) or an single channel analyzer (SCA). Results obtained in experiments can be analyzed by these MCA or SCA panels. Virtual radiation laboratory which is developed in this study with reliable results and unlimited experimentation capability seems a useful educational tool. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 550-560, 2013