An Instrument for the Direct , Simultaneous Measurement of Radionuclides in Various Matrices
Abstract
Determination of the radionuclide content of samples acquired by customs officials, law enforcement officers, or treaty verification personnel almost always needs to be done in a timely and efficient manner. Traditionally, high sensitivities to radionuclides in a sample were achieved by first carrying-out complicated and lengthy chemical separation procedures. Recent advancements in solid-state radiation detectors and coincidence electronics now make efficient, high-resolution, large-area, multi-detector coincidence counting systems a practical reality for use in industrial and mobile laboratories. Such systems allow for a single, direct measurement of many radionuclides in various matrices: filtered air samples, thin soil samples, small liquid samples, and charcoal samples. This is accomplished by detecting alphas, betas, photons, and internal conversion electrons simultaneously in a multicoincidence detector system comprised of several layers of large-area silicon detectors placed in between two high-efficiency, high-purity germanium detectors. We will report on the achieved sensitivities to date.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Nuclear Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998APS..DNP..F706B