High sensitivity isotope analysis with a /sup 252/Cf--/sup 235/U fueled subcritical multiplier and low background photon detector systems

Conference · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7257037

Wogman, N A; Rieck, Jr, H G; Laul, J C; MacMurdo, K W

A /sup 252/Cf activation analysis facility has been developed for routine multielement analysis of a wide variety of solid and liquid samples. The facility contains six sources of /sup 252/Cf totaling slightly over 100 mg. These sources are placed in a 93 percent /sup 235/U-enriched uranium core which is subcritical with a K effective of 0.985 (multiplication factor of 66). The system produces a thermal flux on the order of 10/sup +1/ neutrons per square centimeter per second. A pneumatic rabbit system permits automatic irradiation, decay, and counting regimes to be performed unattended on the samples. The activated isotopes are analyzed through their photon emissions with state-of-the-art intrinsic Ge detectors, Ge(Li) detectors, and NaI(Tl) multidimensional gamma ray spectrometers. High efficiency (25 percent), low background, anticoincidence shielded Ge(Li) gamma ray detector systems have been constructed to provide the lowest possible background, yet maintain a peak to Compton ratio of greater than 1000 to 1. The multidimensional gamma ray spectrometer systems are composed of 23 cm diameter x 20 cm thick NaI(Tl) crystals surrounded by NaI(Tl) anticoincidence shields. The detection limits for over 65 elements have been determined for this system. Over 40 elements are detectable at the 1 part per million level at a precision of +-10 percent.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: E(45-1)-1830
• OSTI ID: 7257037
• Report Number(s): BNWL-SA-5796; CONF-761234-1; TRN: 77-011934
• Resource Relation: Conference: International symposium on biological application of stable isotopes, Leipzig, F.R. Germany, 6 Dec 1976
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
EQUIPMENT
ACCURACY
DESIGN
GAMMA DETECTION
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
NEUTRON REACTIONS
BARYON REACTIONS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
HADRON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
RADIATION DETECTION
400101* - Activation
Nuclear Reaction
Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures