Production of 37Ar in The University of Texas TRIGA reactor facility
The detection of {sup 37}Ar is important for on-site inspections for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty monitoring. In an underground nuclear explosion this radionuclide is produced by {sup 40}Ca(n,{alpha}){sup 37}Ar reaction in surrounding soil and rock. With a half-life of 35 days, {sup 37}Ar provides a signal useful for confirming the location of an underground nuclear event. An ultra-low-background proportional counter developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is used to detect {sup 37}Ar, which decays via electron capture. The irradiation of Ar gas at natural enrichment in the 3L facility within the Mark II TRIGA reactor facility at The University of Texas at Austin provides a source of {sup 37}Ar for the calibration of the detector. The {sup 41}Ar activity is measured by the gamma activity using an HPGe detector after the sample is removed from the core. Using the {sup 41}Ar/{sup 37}Ar production ratio and the {sup 41}Ar activity, the amount of {sup 37}Ar created is calculated. The {sup 41}Ar decays quickly (half-life of 109.34 minutes) leaving a radioactive sample of high purity {sup 37}Ar and only trace levels of {sup 39}Ar.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1031984
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-78278; JRNCDM; TRN: US201201%%872
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 291, Issue 1; ISSN 0236-5731
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Calibration of an ultra-low-background proportional counter for measuring {sup 37}Ar
Calibration of an Ultra-Low-Background Proportional Counter for Measuring 37Ar
Related Subjects
ARGON 37
CALIBRATION
CTBT
DETECTION
ELECTRON CAPTURE
HALF-LIFE
IRRADIATION
MONITORING
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
ON-SITE INSPECTION
PRODUCTION
PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS
RADIOISOTOPES
SOILS
TRIGA-TEXAS REACTOR
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
37Ar
CTBT
On-Site Inspections
Radioargon