  Optical detection of alpha particle emitters in the environment by air
radioluminescence is a new technology that enables sensing a radiological
threat at safe distances, without putting personnel at risk or contaminating
equipment. Radioluminescence detection systems need to be fine-tuned to
efficiently capture a substantial number of photons while minimizing the
contribution from ambient ultraviolet light. The accurate simulation of
radioluminescence, in conjunction with ray tracing, facilitates the design and
optimization of such detection systems. In this work, an application within the
Geant4 framework has been developed to simulate radioluminescence photons
emitted in the vicinity of accelerated alpha particles and at the surface of
alpha radioactive samples. The application relies on existing scintillation
physics implemented in Geant4 classes such as G4OpticalPhysics and
G4Scintillation, which are used to simulate radioluminescence photons as
scintillations produced during the passage of alpha particles through air. The
application computes the ultraviolet image of alpha particles accelerated at
energies of 5.1 MeV and 8.3 MeV, as well as an extended alpha source. The
application enables optimization of experimental setups for various scenarios,
such as radiological emergency management, radiological crime scene
investigations, or decommissioning of nuclear facilities, thus minimizing the
use of costly resources and exposure to radiation.
