The preparation of stable and actinide nuclide targets for nuclear measurements
Specifications for isotopic targets of both stable and actinide nuclides for nuclear measurements are very varied and individually very stringent. The majority of the targets are required to be of specified isotopic and chemical purity, well characterised and uniformly deposited over a precisely defined area. Mass assay of actinide targets may be requested to an accuracy of + or - 0.1%, resolutions of <10 KeV FWHM may be requested for infinitely thin alpha sources and the Schmidt and Pleasonton criteria must be met for /sup 252/Cf fission fragment energy calibration sources. In order to cater for this wide range of requirements it is necessary to have available many preparation and calibration techniques. Actinide sources with activities in the range 0.01 ..mu..Ci to several hundred mCi and targets up to a few mg/cm/sup 2/ are prepared by one of the following techniques, vacuum evaporation, painting, electrodeposition or the use of TEG as a spreading agent. These targets may be assayed quantitatively by absolute alpha counting and weighing and qualitatively by alpha spectrometry. Stable isotope targets with thickness varying from a few ..mu..g/cm/sup 2/ to several hundred mg/cm/sup 2/ are prepared primarily by vacuum evaporation and rolling. Mass assay is to + or - 10% or better, the achievable accuracy being a function of substrate and target thickness. Activities of particular interest include the preparation of fission foils to be used in a series of flux inter-comparison measurements being organised by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, the preparation of stable isotope alloy foils for Mossbauer studies and the preparation of actinide targets on thin substrates.
- Research Organization:
- Chemistry Division Bldg. 10.30, U.K.A.E.A., A.E.R.E., Harwell, Oxon, OX11 ORA
- OSTI ID:
- 5482859
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-801111-
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States) Vol. NS-28:2; ISSN IETNA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
400703* -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Radioisotope Production
ACCELERATOR FACILITIES
ACCURACY
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
CALIBRATION
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
EVAPORATION
FOILS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
STABLE ISOTOPES
SUBSTRATES
SYNTHESIS
TARGET CHAMBERS
TARGETS
VACUUM EVAPORATION