Neutron activation analysis of aerosols in conjunction with a loss-free counter

Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:88958

Biegalski, S R; Heydorn, K; Landsberger, S

As part of an ongoing Arctic environmental research program, aerosol samples were collected on cellulose acetate filters at Station Nord in Greenland by the National Environmental Research Institute of Denmark. These samples were then given to the Riso National Laboratory in Denmark for evaluation by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Even though loss-free counters have been available for some with good results, little information has appeared in the literature in its use for actual samples. At Riso National Laboratory the samples were irradiated in the DR3 reactor and then counted on a GAMMA-X high-purity germanium (HPGe) counter with a Nuclear Data ND 599 loss-free counting (LFC) module. The aerosol filters were quite varied in their elemental depositions, and LFC was especially utilized to accommodate for the wide range of dead times encountered with the counting of short-lived isotopes. In some cases the fast decay of isotopes over the count along with pulse pileup problems would have made the use of other dead-time correction methods unreliable.

• OSTI ID: 88958
• Report Number(s): CONF-941102--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 71; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

40 CHEMISTRY
44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
COUNTING RATES
HIGH-PURITY GE DETECTORS
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS