Modern African Nuclear DEtector LAboratory

约克大学核应用小组目前正在与南非的西开普大学和祖鲁兰大学共同实施一个为期一年的全球气候变化框架项目，称为NuTRAIN。他们正在转让使用可应用于环境监测、实验核物理和医学的电子倍增器和硅光电倍增器的专门知识。六名南非学生访问了约克接受培训，并提供资金在UWC和UZ建立小型探测器开发实验室。目前的MANDELA项目打算以真正的分布式项目的形式，在这一初步培训的基础上，开发一种新型廉价的正电子发射断层扫描仪的组件，用于医疗成像。这将基于塑料闪烁体，并利用LabLogic（一家位于谢菲尔德靠近UoY的公司）新开发的英国塑料闪烁体供应链。南非的学生将接受培训，进行GEANT 4模拟-一种允许研究辐射探测器响应的方法，从而可以设计新的探测器。重要的是，UoY将在“云端”提供这些模拟，避免了对本地高性能计算机的需求。这些模拟甚至可以在网络浏览器或智能手机上运行。基于模拟，原型探测器将被制造。根据在约克接受的培训，SA的学生将评估这些，并确定闪烁光检测的最佳硅光电倍增管和光纤配置。MANDELA项目将提供资金升级他们的探测器实验室，以便他们能够开展必要的工作。该项目将为新型PET扫描仪的基本组件提供可靠的设计，该扫描仪可以通过进一步的合作研发阶段或迅速走向商业化。

The University of York (UoY) nuclear applications group is presently running a one-year GCRF project called NuTRAIN with University of Western Cape (UWC) and University of Zululand (UZ) in South Africa. They are transferring expertise in working with scintillators and silicon photomultipliers which can be applied to applications in environmental monitoring, experimental nuclear physics and medicine. Six South African students have visited York to receive training and funds have been provided to establish small detector development laboratories at UWC and UZ. The present MANDELA project intends to build on this initial training in the form of a genuine distributed project to develop the components for a new and inexpensive type of positron emission tomography (PET) scanner for medical imaging. This will be based on plastic scintillator and make use of a newly developed UK-based supply chain for plastic scintillator established by LabLogic, a company based in Sheffield close by to UoY. Students in South Africa will be trained to carry out GEANT4 simulations - a method that allows the response of radiation detectors to be studied and hence, novel detectors can be designed. Importantly, UoY will provide these simulations "in the cloud" avoiding the need for high performance computers based locally. The simulations could even be run on a web browser or on a smartphone. Based on the simulations, prototype detectors will be fabricated. Based on training received at York, the SA students will evaluate these and determine the best silicon photomultipliers and fibre optic configurations for scintillation light detection. The MANDELA project will provide funding to upgrade their detector laboratory so they can undertake the necessary work. The project will lead to a solid design for the basic components of a novel PET scanner which can be pursued through a further collaborative R&D phase or move rapidly to commercialisation.