Gamma radiography and tomography with a CCD camera and Co-60 source

Gamma imaging using a relatively low strength 5.8 mCi laboratory Co-60 source and a CsI(Tl) scintillator screen read out by a CCD camera was investigated. A simple model was used to estimate the effective count rate, which was verified with experiments. Radiography and tomography of phantoms were used to determine the test setup spatial resolution of about 1.3–2.5 mm. Exposure times were on the order of a couple minutes per radiograph. These tests demonstrate the value of the count rate model and the feasibility of the setup as a simple and low-cost solution for gamma imaging cases where acquisition time is flexible and resolution requirements are moderate. The approach can be applied with higher activity sources for short exposure times and with thinner scintillator screens for better resolution. This work was performed with non-destructive testing applications in mind, particularly for the study of multi-phase flows.