A single-layer compton camera for nuclear decommissioning: An improved back-projection algorithm

The decommissioning of nuclear facilities, a critical and hazardous process due to radiation exposure, necessitates the advancement of radiological measurement techniques concerning safety and efficiency. This study presents an optimized back-projection method, integrating a novel single-layer Compton camera and 3D camera setup with the Timepix3 readout chip to improve the precision and efficiency of gamma-ray source localization in decommissioning scenarios. Implementing ‘twin addition’ and ‘twin multiplication’ techniques addressed data ambiguities that arise from event selection in the Compton camera, enhancing the reliability of localization. Introducing a zoom function significantly improved computational efficiency, achieving 163 times faster computation times without sacrificing accuracy. Our method demonstrated enhanced precision with a median angular error of 1.41°, outperforming traditional methods and showing competitive advantages over state-of-the-art technologies, including the Caliste-HD detector. The feasibility of integrating this methodology onto mobile robotic platforms suggests a promising avenue to minimize human radiation exposure and optimize decommissioning tasks, ensuring safer and more effective nuclear facility decommissioning.