Patent ID: 7630469
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: G01N,G01T

Abstract:
1. A method for evaluating a material specimen, comprising: mounting a neutron source adjacent the material specimen; mounting a detector adjacent the material specimen; bombarding the material specimen with neutrons from the neutron source to create prompt gamma rays within the material specimen, some of the prompt gamma rays being emitted from the material specimen, some of the prompt gamma rays resulting in the formation of positrons within the material specimen by pair production; collecting positron annihilation data by detecting with the detector a plurality of emitted annihilation gamma rays resulting from the annihilation of positrons, the detector producing the positron annihilation data; processing collected positron annihilation data in accordance with a Doppler-broadening algorithm; and continuing to collect and process positron annihilation data to measure an accumulation of lattice damage over time.