Sensor and coincidence radiation detection device

A muon sensor for detection of muons and for a radiation detection device, the muon sensor including a single integrated circuit board comprising:

• a bias voltage power supply circuit located on the circuit board and configured to receive a signal from an external power source and generate an input power signal;
• a silicon photomultiplier device powered by the input power signal and configured to receive incident optical pulses of photons from an associated scintillator device and, in response, generate an input electrical signal having corresponding electrical pulses, wherein the scintillator device is configured to convert energy from incident muons into the optical pulses of photons;
• a charge sensitive amplifier configured to receive the input electrical signal and output an amplified electrical signal in which the electrical pulses are amplified and stretched in time;
• an edge-peak detector circuit configured to detect:
• a fast rising edge of the electrical pulses;
• a beginning of a trailing edge of the electrical pulses;
• and
• a pulse peak value being a voltage value measured at the beginning of the trailing edge of the electrical pulses;
• a local microcontroller having:
• a timing circuit configured to generate timestamp values for each of the detected pulses in response to a detected pulse edge and to synchronise the timestamp values with a reference clock signal to generate timestamp values for the pulses;
• an analog to digital converter configured to record pulse height values of the electrical pulses;
• and
• a communications interface configured to communicate the timestamp values and pulse height values to a memory device.