Method of photon spectral analysis
A spectroscopic method to rapidly measure the presence of plutonium in soils, filters, smears, and glass waste forms by measuring the uranium L-shell x-ray emissions associated with the decay of plutonium. In addition, the technique can simultaneously acquire spectra of samples and automatically analyze them for the amount of americium and [gamma]-ray emitting activation and fission products present. The samples are counted with a large area, thin-window, n-type germanium spectrometer which is equally efficient for the detection of low-energy x-rays (10-2,000 keV), as well as high-energy [gamma] rays (>1 MeV). A 8,192- or 16,384 channel analyzer is used to acquire the entire photon spectrum at one time. A dual-energy, time-tagged pulser, that is injected into the test input of the preamplifier to monitor the energy scale, and detector resolution. The L x-ray portion of each spectrum is analyzed by a linear-least-squares spectral fitting technique. The [gamma]-ray portion of each spectrum is analyzed by a standard Ge [gamma]-ray analysis program. This method can be applied to any analysis involving x- and [gamma]-ray analysis in one spectrum and is especially useful when interferences in the x-ray region can be identified from the [gamma]-ray analysis and accommodated during the x-ray analysis.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-76ID01570
- Assignee:
- EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- A; US 5206174
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-949955
- OSTI ID:
- 6223109
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Rapid assay of plutonium in soils by passive L x-ray counting
Rapid assay of plutonium in soils by passive L x-ray counting
Related Subjects
540230* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACTINIDES
BOSONS
CONTAMINATION
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FISSION PRODUCTS
GAMMA SPECTRA
ISOTOPES
LEAST SQUARE FIT
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATERIALS
MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD FIT
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MONITORING
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PHOTONS
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
SOILS
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
X-RAY SPECTRA