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HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR RADIATION DETECTOR
Title: Principal Investigator
Phone: (617) 926-1167
NUCLEAR RADIATION SENSORS ARE USED IN MANY IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS IN RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY. GOOD ENERGY RESOLUTION IS A VITAL PROPERTY OF NUCLEAR RADIATION SPECTROMETERS. THE BEST CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL UNITS CAN DISCRIMINATE DIFFERENCES ABOUT 100 EV. BETTER PERFORMANCE HAS BECOME AVAILABLE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF LOW T<V>C<D> SUPERCONDUCTORS WHICH HAVE ATTAINED RESOLUTION OF TENS OF EV. SUCH DEVICES OPERATE ONLY BELOW 1 K, HOWEVER. THE DEVICES REQUIRE THE USE OF COMPLEX, EXPENSIVE CRYOSYSTEMS. THE CRYOSYSTEMS REQUIRED FOR THE SUPERCONDUCTOR UNITS LIMIT THEIR AVAILABILITY TO THOSE LABORATORIES THAT CAN BUY AND SUPPORT ELABORATE EQUIPMENT. THIS PROGRAM WILL INVESTIGATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DETECTOR WITH EXCELLENT RESOLUTION CAPABILITIES BASED ON THENEW HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS. THE NEW MATERIAL WILLBE UTILIZED TO FABRICATE A SUPERCONDUCTING TUNNEL JUNCTION DEVICE (SCTJ) ANTICIPATED TO OPERATE AT TEMPERATURES ATTAINABLE BY A RELATIVELY MODEST COMMERCIAL CLOSED CYCLE REFRIGERATOR. FURTHER, WHATEVER THE CAPABILITY OF THE DETECTORS CONSTRUCTED, EXECUTION OF THE PROGRAM WILL CARRY THE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT OF A NEW TEST OF CONTEMPORARY THEORIES OF HIGH T<V>C<D> SUPERCONDUCTORS. ULTIMATELY, IF IT CAN BE SHOWN THAT THE SCTJ CAN OPERATE AS A HIGH RESOLUTION RADIATION DETECTOR AT HIGHER TEMPERATURES, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP AN INEXPENSIVE, ULTRAHIGH RESOLUTION RADIATION DETECTOR OPERABLE AT RELATIVELY CONVENIENT TEMPERATURE MAY OCCUR. IT IS TO THIS POTENTIAL THAT THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES ITSELF.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *