A new calibration method for radon detector in seismic systems

Radon observation is an important measurement item of seismic precursor network observation.The radon detector calibration is a key technical link for ensuring radon observation accuracy.At present,the radon detector calibration in seismic systems in China is faced with a series of bottleneck problems,such as aging and scrap,acquisition difficulties,high supervision costs,and transportation limitations of radon sources.As a result,a large number of radon detectors cannot be accurately calibrated regularly,seriously affecting the accuracy and reliability of radon observation data in China.To solve this problem,a new calibration method for radon detectors was established.The advantage of this method is that the dangerous radioactive substance,i.e.,the radon source,can be avoided,but only“standard instruments”and water samples with certain dissolved radon concentrations can be used to realize radon detector calibration.This method avoids the risk of radioactive leakage and solves the current widespread difficulties and bottleneck of radon detector calibration in seismic systems in China.The comparison experiment with the traditional calibration method shows that the error of the calibration coefficient obtained by the new method is less than 5%compared with that by the traditional method,which meets the requirements of seismic observation systems,confirming the reliability of the new method.This new method can completely replace the traditional calibration method of using a radon source in seismic systems.

Research on the Testing Methods of Instrumental System in the Marine Magnetic Survey

Testing methods of instrumental system in the marine magnetic survey have been studied in this paper, and the feasibility of each method has been testified by the observed data. The conclusion shows that the method brought out can effectively eliminate the systematic error caused by the instrumental system, and greatly improve the surveying precision and the reliability of the survey results.

Optical fiber positioning based on four-quadrant detector with Gaussian fitting method

With the development of large-scale spectral surveys, fiber positioning technology has been developing rapidly. Because of the performance advantages of a four-quadrant（4Q） detector, a fiber positioning and real-time monitoring system based on the 4Q detector is proposed. The detection accuracy of this system is directly determined by the precision of the center of the spot. A Gaussian fitting algorithm based on the 4Q detector is studied and applied in the fiber positioning process to improve the calculated accuracy of the spot center. The relationship between the center position of the incident spot and the detector output signal is deduced. An experimental platform is built to complete the simulated experiment. Then we use the Gaussian fitting method to process experimental data, compare the fitting value with the theoretical one and calculate the corresponding error.

Self-heating Probe Instrument and Method for Measuring High Temperature Melting Volume Change Rate of Material

The castings defects are affected by the melting volume change rate of material. The change rate has an important effect on running safety of the high temperature thermal storage chamber, too. But the characteristics of existing measuring installations are complex structure, troublesome operation and low precision. In order to measure the melting volume change rate of material accurately and conveniently, a self-designed measuring instrument, self-heating probe instrument, and measuring method are described. Temperature in heating cavity is controlled by PID temperature controller; melting volume change rate υ and molten density are calculated based on the melt volume which is measured by the instrument. Positive and negative υ represent expansion and shrinkage of the sample volume after melting, respectively. Taking eutectic LiF＋CaF2 for example, its melting volume change rate and melting density at 1 123 K are -20.6% and 2 651 kg/m–3 measured by this instrument, which is only 0.71% smaller than literature value. Density and melting volume change rate of industry pure aluminum at 973 K and analysis pure NaCl at 1 123 K are detected by the instrument too. The measure results are agreed with report values. Measuring error sources are analyzed and several improving measures are proposed. In theory, the measuring errors of the change rate and molten density which are measured by the self-designed instrument is nearly 1/20-1/50 of that measured by the refitted mandril thermal expansion instrument. The self-designed instrument and method have the advantages of simple structure, being easy to operate, extensive applicability for material, relatively high accuracy, and most importantly, temperature and sample vapor pressure have little effect on the measurement accuracy. The presented instrument and method solve the problems of complicated structure and procedures, and large measuring errors for the samples with high vapor pressure by existing installations.

An overview on observational instruments and measuring methods for dewfall

This paper systematically summarizes previous measuring methods and observational instruments for the magnitude of dewfall on land surface, analyzes the characteristics of common observational instruments for land surface dewfall, and describes several basic dewfall measurement methods. Moreover, the basic principles of these methods and instruments are interpreted, and their advantages, disadvantages, and applicability are analyzed. Recommendations for the further improvement of these observational instruments and the development of dewfall measuring methods are presented, and new technologies and scientific proposals for exploiting dewfall are elucidated.

Reformatted method for two-dimensional detector arrays measurement data in proton pencil beam scanning

The spatial resolution of a commercial two-dimensional(2D)ionization chamber(IC)array is limited by the size of the individual detector and the center-to-center distance between sensors.For dose distributions with areas of steep dose gradients,inter-detector dose values are derived by the interpolation of nearby detector readings in the conventional mathematical interpolation of 2D IC array measurements.This may introduce significant errors,particularly in proton spot scanning radiotherapy.In this study,by combining logfile-based reconstructed dose values and detector measurements with the Laplacian pyramid image blending method,a novel method is proposed to obtain a reformatted dose distribution that provides an improved estimation of the delivered dose distribution with high spatial resolution.Meanwhile,the similarity between the measured original data and the downsampled logfilebased reconstructed dose is regarded as the confidence of the reformatted dose distribution.Furthermore,we quantify the performance benefits of this new approach by directly comparing the reformatted dose distributions with 2D IC array detector mathematically interpolated measurements and original low-resolution measurements.The result shows that this new method is better than the mathematical interpolation and achieves gamma pass rates similar to those of the original low-resolution measurements.The reformatted dose distributions generally yield a confidence exceeding 95%.

Electrode Design of Cylindrical Coplanar-grid CdZnTe Detector by Finite Element Methods

Cylindrical coplanar-grid configurations,which offer a lot of advantages over established designs,can effectively overcome the problem of poor hole collection.Finite element analysis is utilized for simulating the potential distribution of the cylindrical coplanar-grid detector under different models by varying the widths of grid and pitch of electrodes. In addition, a modified grid pattern has been discussed to improve the weighting potential match between two grids. In this way, the geometry of electrodes for cylindrical coplanar-grid detectors is optimized.

The Method of Data Access for Nuclear Instrument Based on Linked List

A new method of data access which can effectively resolve the problem of high speed and real time reading data of nuclear instrument in small storage space is introduced. This method applies the data storage mode of “linked list” to the system of Micro Control Unit (MCU), and realizes the pointer access of nuclear data on the small storage space of MCU. Experimental results show that this method can solve some problems of traditional data storage method, which has the advantages of simple program design, stable performance, accurate data, strong repeatability, saving storage space and so on.

Extending Instrumental Variable Method for Effective Economic Modelling

Economic modeling that yields practical value must cater for effects caused by exogenous variables. AutoRegressive eXogenous approach (ARX) has been widely used in regional economic studies. Instrumental Variable Method is regarded as a preferential method to parametric estimation in ARX modeling. However, traditional instrumental variable methods can only handle single variable which has limited its capability. This paper presents an extended instrumental variable method (EIVM) which is based on multiple variables. This provides the capability of taking into account of exogenous variables and reflects better the economic activities. A case study is conducted, which illustrates the application of the EIVM in modeling Northeastern economy in China.

Preliminary Application of Combinatorial Measurement and Regression Analysis Method to High Precision Instrumental Analysis

With determination micro-Fe by 1, 10-phenanthroline spectrophotometry for example, they are systematically introduced the combinatorial measurement and regression analysis method application about metheodic principle, operation step and data processing in the instrumental analysis, including: calibration curve best linear equation is set up, measurand best linear equation is set up, and calculation of best value of a concentration. The results showed that mean of thrice determination , s = 0 μg/mL, RSD = 0. Results of preliminary application are simply introduced in the basic instrumental analysis for atomic absorption spectrophotometry, ion-selective electrodes, coulometry and polarographic analysis and are contrasted to results of normal measurements.

Preparation of Microcapsules Containing Aqueous Solution of Azur B with Melting Dispersion Cooling Method and Application to DNA Amplification Detector

Microcapsules containing the aqueous solution of Azur B of a water soluble dye were prepared with the melting dispersion cooling method and applied to the amplification detector of plant DNA. Paraffin wax with melting temperature of 75°C was used as the shell material. In the experiment, the aqueous solution (W) of Azur B as the core material was dispersed in the melted paraffin wax (O) to form the (W/O) emulsion and then, the (W/O) emulsion was dispersed in the silicon oil (O’) as the continuous phase to form the (W/O)/O’ emulsion at 85°C. After formation of the (W/O)/O’ emulsion, the microcapsules were prepared by cooling the (W/O)/O’ emulsion to 50°C. The microcapsules were prepared by changing the concentration of oil soluble surfactant in the (W/O) emulsion and the volume of the (W/O) emulsion in the (W/O)/O’ emulsion. The microencapsulation efficiency increased with the concentration of oil soluble surfactant and finally became 100% under the optimum conditions. Furthermore, the microcapsules were melted down at temperature of 85°C to reveal the sharp thermal responsibility and to release the aqueous solution of Azur B. As a result, it was found that the microcapsules were able to be applied to the amplification detector of plant DNA by utilizing the reaction between DNA and Azur B.

Soller slits automatic focusing method for multi-element fluorescence detector

In X-ray absorption fine structure(XAFS) experiments,Soller slits are widely used as filter devices in order to improve the signal to noise ratio.Performing high accuracy manual focusing operations is a time-consuming process;therefore,this work introduces an automatic focusing method for Soller slits in multi-element fluorescence detectors.This method establishes a relation model between the fluorescence intensity distribution and the coordinates of the fluorescence excitation point.According to this relation model,the actual coordinates of the fluorescence excitation point can be deduced from the detected fluorescence intensity distribution and used in focusing operations.This method has proven to be feasible in an XAFS experiment at the BL14W1 beamline of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

Usefulness of an Anisotropic Diffusion Method in Cerebral CT Perfusion Study Using Multi-Detector Row CT

Purpose: To present an application of the anisotropic diffusion (AD) method to improve the accuracy of the functional images of perfusion parameters such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT) generated from cerebral CT perfusion studies using multi-detector row CT (MDCT). Materials and Methods: Continuous scans (1 sec/rotation ×60 sec) consisting of four 5-mm-thick contiguous slices were acquired after an intravenous injection of iodinated contrast material in 6 patients with cerebrovascular disease using an MDCT scanner with a tube voltage of 80 kVp and a tube current of 200 mA. New image data were generated by thinning out the above original images at an interval of 2 sec or 3 sec. The thinned-out images were then interpolated by linear interpolation to generate the same number of images as originally acquired. The CBF, CBV and MTT images were generated using deconvolution analysis based on singular value decomposition. Results: When using the AD method, the correlation coefficient between the MTT values obtained from the original and thinned-out images was significantly improved. Furthermore, the coefficients of variation of the CBF, CBV and MTT values in the white matter significantly decreased as compared to not using the AD method. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the AD method is useful for improving the accuracy of the functional images of perfusion parameters and for reducing radiation exposure in cerebral CT perfusion studies using MDCT.

FITTING CORRECTION METHOD OF RING ARTIFACTS FOR RECONSTRUCTING CONE-BEAM CT IMAGES

In high-resolution cone-beam computed tomography （CBCT） using the flat-panel detector, imperfect or defect detector elements cause ring artifacts due to the none-uniformity of their X-ray response. They often disturb the image quality. A dedicated fitting correction method for high-resolution micro-CT is presented. The method converts each elementary X-ray response curve to an average one, and eliminates response inconsistency among pixels. Other factors of the method are discussed, such as the correction factor variability by different sampling frames and nonlinear factors over the whole spectrum. Results show that the noise and artifacts are both reduced in reconstructed images

A novel method for gamma spectrum analysis of low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste

The uncertainty of nuclide libraries in the analysis of the gamma spectra of low-and intermediate-level radioactive waste(LILW)using existing methods produces unstable results.To address this problem,a novel spectral analysis method is proposed in this study.In this method,overlapping peaks are located using a continuous wavelet transform.An improved quadratic convolution method is proposed to calculate the widths of the peaks and establish a fourth-order filter model to estimate the Compton edge baseline with the overlapping peaks.Combined with the adaptive sensitive nonlinear iterative peak,this method can effectively subtracts the background.Finally,a function describing the peak shape as a filter is used to deconvolve the energy spectrum to achieve accurate qualitative and quantitative analyses of the nuclide without the aid of a nuclide library.Gamma spectrum acquisition experiments for standard point sources of Cs-137 and Eu-152,a segmented gamma scanning experiment for a 200 L standard drum,and a Monte Carlo simulation experiment for triple overlapping peaks using the closest energy of three typical LILW nuclides(Sb-125,Sb-124,and Cs-134)are conducted.The results of the experiments indicate that(1)the novel method and gamma vision(GV)with an accurate nuclide library have the same spectral analysis capability,and the peak area calculation error is less than 4%;(2)compared with the GV,the analysis results of the novel method are more stable;(3)the novel method can be applied to the activity measurement of LILW,and the error of the activity reconstruction at the equivalent radius is 2.4%;and(4)The proposed novel method can quantitatively analyze all nuclides in LILW without a nuclide library.This novel method can improve the accuracy and precision of LILW measurements,provide key technical support for the reasonable disposal of LILW,and ensure the safety of humans and the environment.

Study of the continuum removal method for the Moon Mineralogy Mapper(M^3) and its application to Mare Humorum and Mare Nubium

The absorption band center of visible and near infrared reflectance spectra is a key spectral parameter for lunar mineralogical studies, especially for the mafic minerals（olivine and pyroxene） of mare basalts, which have two obvious absorption bands at 1000 nm（Band I） and 2000 nm（Band II）. Removal of the continuum from spectra, which was developed by Clark and Roush and used to isolate the particular absorption feature, is necessary to estimate this parameter. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper（M3） data are widely used for lunar mineral identification. However, M3 data show a residual thermal effect, which interferes with the continuum removal, and systematic differences exist among optical data taken during different optical periods. This study investigated a suitable continuum removal method and compared the difference between two sets of M3 data taken during different optical periods, Optical Period 1B（OP1B）and Optical Period 2A（OP2A）. Two programs for continuum removal are reported in this paper. Generally,a program respectively constructs two straight lines across Band I and Band II to remove the continuum,which is recommended for locating band centers, because it can find the same Band I center with different right endpoints. The optimal right endpoint for continuum removal is mainly dominated by two optical period data at approximately 2480 and 2560 nm for OP1 B and OP2 A data, respectively. The band center values derived from OP1 B data are smaller than those derived from OP2 A data in Band I but larger in Band II, especially for the spectra using longer right endpoints（〉2600 nm）. This may be due to the spectral slopes of OP1 B data being steeper than those of OP2 A data in Band I but gentler in Band II. These results were applied to Mare Humorum and Mare Nubium, and the measurements were found to mainly vary from intermediate- to high-Ca pyroxene.

The deconvolution of lunar brightness temperature based on the maximum entropy method using Chang'e-2 microwave data

A passive and multi-channel microwave sounder onboard the Chang＇e-2 orbiter has successfully acquired microwave observations of the lunar surface and subsurface structure. Compared with the Chang＇e-1 orbiter, the Chang＇e-2 orbiter obtained more accurate and comprehensive microwave brightness temperature data, which are helpful for further research. Since there is a close relationship between mi- crowave brightness temperature data and some related properties of the lunar regolith, such as the thickness, temperature and dielectric constant, precise and high resolution brightness temperature data are necessary for such research. However, through the detection mechanism of the microwave sounder, the brightness temperature data ac- quired from the microwave sounder are weighted by the antenna radiation pattern, so the data are the convolution of the antenna radiation pattern with the lunar brightness temperature. In order to obtain the real lunar brightness temperature, a deconvolution method is needed. The aim of this paper is to solve the problem associated with per- forming deconvolution of the lunar brightness temperature. In this study, we introduce the maximum entropy method （MEM） to process the brightness temperature data and achieve excellent results. The paper mainly includes the following aspects： first, we introduce the principle of the MEM; second, through a series of simulations, the MEM has been verified as an efficient deconvolution method; and third, the MEM is used to process the Chang＇e-2 microwave data and the results are significant.

Estimating the mirror seeing for a large optical telescope with a numerical method

It is widely accepted that mirror seeing is caused by turbulent fluctuations in the index of air refraction in the vicinity of a telescope mirror. Computational Fluid Dynamics（CFD） is a useful tool to evaluate the effects of mirror seeing. In this paper, we present a numerical method to estimate the mirror seeing for a large optical telescope（～ 4 m） in cases of natural convection with the ANSYS ICEPAK software. We get the FWHM of the image for different inclination angles（i） of the mirror and different temperature differences（△T） between the mirror and ambient air. Our results show that the mirror seeing depends very weakly on i, which agrees with observational data from the Canada-FranceHawaii Telescope. The numerical model can be used to estimate mirror seeing in the case of natural convection although with some limitations. We can determine △T for thermal control of the primary mirror according to the simulation, empirical data and site seeing.

A sodium laser guide star coupling efficiency measurement method

A large telescope＇s adaptive optics （AO） system requires one or more bright artificial laser guide stars to improve its sky coverage. The recent advent of a high power sodium laser is perfect for such application. However, besides the output power, other parameters of the laser also have a significant impact on the brightness of the generated sodium laser guide star, mostly in non-linear relationships. When tuning and optimizing these parameters it is necessary to tune based on a laser guide star generation performance metric. Although return photon fluxis widely used, variability of the atmosphere and sodium layer makes it difficult to compare results from different sites or even within a short time period for the same site. A new metric, coupling efficiency, is adopted in our field tests. In this paper, we will introduce our method for measuring the coupling efficiency of a 20W class pulse sodium laser for AO application during field tests that were conducted during 2013-2015.

Scattering-absorbing method for the detection of 16.7 MeV high-energy pulse gamma

Based on theoretical calculation and Monte Carlo simulation,this paper proposes a new method for the diagnosing of 16.7 MeV high-energy pulse gamma,named "scattering absorption method". The ratio of the sensitivity of high-energy gamma to that of the low-energy background gamma can reach 106 to 108 by this new method. The sensitivity of 16.7 MeV high-energy gamma ranges from 10-21 to 10-16 C·cm2. It's better than the traditional method which is based on the magnetic analyzer and Cherenkov detector on some aspects.