Gamma-ray spectrometry

A gamma-ray spectrometer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the photon detector is separated from the scintillation body by a light guiding spacer having a length between 0.3 and 10 times the width of the scintillation body.

A gamma-ray spectrometer comprising a scintillation body for absorbing gamma rays at locations within the scintillation body and creating photons therefrom, and a photon detector arranged to receive and detect the photons, wherein the photon detector is separated from the scintillation body by a light guiding spacer having a length between 0.3 and 10 times the width of the scintillation body so as to spread the photons so that their intensity profile across the photon detector is relatively invariant to the locations where the gamma rays are absorbed in the scintillation body.

A gamma-ray spectrometer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the photon detector is based on a semiconductor element.

A gamma-ray spectrometer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the scintillation body is packed in a reflective material.

A gamma-ray spectrometer comprising a scintillation body for absorbing gamma-rays of at least a first energy at locations within the scintillation body and creating photons therefrom, and a photon detector arranged to receive and detect the photons, wherein the scintillation body is dimensioned to have a length of at least twice the attenuation length of gamma rays of the at least first energy in the scintillation body, so as to spread the photons so that their intensity profile across the photon detector is relatively invariant to the locations where the gamma rays are absorbed in the scintillation body, wherein the scintillation body is made of CrI and has a length of at least 0.56, 5.6 or 48.8 mm, the scintillation body is made of NaI and has a length of at least 0.86, 8.2 or 62.4 mm, the-scintillation body is made of LSO and has a length of at least 1.2, 2,2 or 24.4 mm, or the scintillation body is made of YAP and has a length of at least 1.96, 14.0 or 44.8 mm.

A gamma-ray spectrometer according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring temperature of the scintillation body.

A method of gamma-ray spectroscopy comprising:

• providing an object to be analysed based on gamma rays, and
• collecting energy-loss data for the object with a gamma-ray spectrometer comprising a scintillation body for receiving gamma-rays and creating photons therefrom, and a photon detector having a sensitive area facing the scintillation body so as to receive and detect the photons, wherein the sensitive area of the photon detector presented to receive the photons is no more than 10% of the surface area of the scintillation body.

A method of gamma-ray spectroscopy comprising:

• providing an object to be analysed based on gamma rays, and
• collecting energy-loss data for the object with a gamma-ray spectrometer comprising a scintillation body for absorbing gamma-rays and creating photons therefrom, and a photon detector arranged to receive and detect the photons, wherein the photon detector is separated from the scintillation body by a light guiding spacer having a length between 0.3 and 10 times the width of the scintillation body so as to spread the photons so that they more uniformly illuminate the photon detector.

A method of gamma-ray spectroscopy comprising:

• providing an object to be analysed based on gamma rays of at least a first energy, and
• collecting energy-loss data for the object with a gamma-ray spectrometer comprising a scintillation body for absorbing the gamma-rays and creating photons therefrom, and a photon detector arranged to receive and detect the photons, wherein the scintillation body is dimensioned to have a length of at least twice the attenuation length of gamma rays of the at least first energy in the scintillation body, so as to spread the photons so that they more uniformly illuminate the photon detector.