Radioactive source localization employing resistive electrode array (REA) detector

Objective. In this feasibility study, we explore an application of a Resistive Electrode Array (REA) for localization of a radioactive point source. The inverse problem posed by multichannel REA detection is studied from mathematical perspective and involves the questions of the minimal configuration of the conductive leads that can achieve this goal. The basic configuration consists of a circularly shaped REA with four opposite electrical lead-pairs at its perimeter. Approach. A robust mathematical reconstruction method for a 3D radioactive source relative to the REA is presented. The characteristic empirical Green's function for the detector response of the REA is determined by numerically solving Laplace equations with appropriate boundary conditions. Based on this model, Monte Carlo simulations of the inverse problem with Gaussian noise are performed and the overall accuracy of the localization is investigated. Main results. The results show a 3D error distribution of localization which is uniform in the (x, y)-plane of the REA and strongly correlated in the orthogonal z-axis. The overall accuracy decreases with higher distance of the source to the detector which is intuitive due to approximate flux dependence following the inverse square law. Further, a saturation in accuracy regarding the number of electrical leads and a linear dependence of the reconstruction error on the measurement noise level are observed. Significance. A broad range of REA detector configurations and their characteristics are investigated by this study for radioactive source localization allowing diverse practical applications with detector diameters ranging from millimeters to meters.