Portable instrumentation for quantitatively measuring radioactive surface contaminations, including 90 Sr
This paper describes the development and application of portable instrumentation capable of quantitatively measuring most transuranics, activation products, and fission products, including Strontium 90, on almost any contaminated surface in nearly any location. Two germanium diode spectrometers, specifically adapted to portable, multipurpose use, provide measurement capability for both gamma rays and X rays. One is a large volume intrinsic germanium coaxial detector having a FWHM resolution of 1.82 KeV at the 1332 KeV line of Cobalt 60 and a relative efficiency of 32.8%. The other is a 2000 mm/sup 2/ planar intrinsic germanium detector housed in an end cap with a thin beryllium window and having a resolution of 739 eV at the 122 KeV line of Cobalt 57. Both crystals are mounted in 12-inch long end caps and attached to portable liquid nitrogen cryostats with nominal holding times of 16 hours. Data acquisition is normally accomplished with a 4096 channel analyzer and transferred to cassette tape for subsequent computer reduction and analysis. Data reduction is normally done with the aid of a PDP 11-44 computer either following ''reading'' of the data stored on tape or by direct connection to the laboratory-based computer. Transuranic elements can be identified and quantified on the basis of their characteristic K or L shell X-ray emission lines. The only difficulty in these procedures is obtaining suitable calibration data.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA 99352
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 7136519
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-831015-
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Vol. 31:1; Conference: Nuclear science symposium, San Francisco, CA, USA, 19 Oct 1983
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SURFACE CONTAMINATION MONITORS
DESIGN
GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
BERYLLIUM
CALIBRATION
COBALT 57
COBALT 60
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY RESOLUTION
FISSION PRODUCTS
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
MULTI-CHANNEL ANALYZERS
PDP COMPUTERS
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
STRONTIUM 90
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
X-RAY SPECTRA
X-RAY SPECTROMETERS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
COBALT ISOTOPES
COMPUTERS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DEC COMPUTERS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PULSE ANALYZERS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION MONITORS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RESOLUTION
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
440103* - Radiation Instrumentation- Nuclear Spectroscopic Instrumentation
440101 - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments