Optimizing measurement sensitivity to facilitate monitoring environmental levels of Rn-daughter concentrations
In the measurement of environmental levels of radioactivity, the primary problem is the accumulation of a statistically meaningful number of counts within a reasonable period of time. In the case of measurements of airborne /sup 222/Rn-daughter concentrations, the problem is further complicated by the particularly short half-life, 3.05 minutes, of RaA (Po/sup 218/). Since three Rn-daughters--RaA, RaB (Pb/sup 214/) and RaC (Bi/sup 214/)--are of interest, the equations interrelating these Rn-daughter concentrations were derived from the laws of radioactive-series decay. These equations, although straightforward, are cumbersome to solve. To facilitate the efficient use of these equations, a computer program has been written which permits the calculation of Rn-daughter concentrations or expected counts for a given set of measurement parameters (flow rate and detector efficiencies). A subroutine then calculates the optimum pumping and counting times required to provide the number of counts necessary for acceptable statistics at environmental levels of /sup 222/Rn-daughter concentrations. This subroutine contains a set of parameters, flow rate and efficiencies, that are fixed using realistic restrictions. The use of these optimized pumping and counting times results in maximum measurement sensitivity under realistic constraints.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL
- OSTI ID:
- 6206337
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States) Vol. NS-25:1; ISSN IETNA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BISMUTH 214
BISMUTH ISOTOPES
CALCULATION METHODS
COMPUTER CODES
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEAD 214
LEAD ISOTOPES
MATHEMATICS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
POLONIUM 218
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
SENSITIVITY
STATISTICS