Method of photon spectral analysis
Abstract
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.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 6223109
- Patent Number(s):
- 5206174
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-949955
- Assignee:
- EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-76ID01570
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 24 Sep 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; PLUTONIUM; SPECTROSCOPY; SOILS; CONTAMINATION; SPECTROMETERS; EFFICIENCY; FISSION PRODUCTS; GAMMA SPECTRA; LEAST SQUARE FIT; PHOTONS; RADIATION MONITORING; X-RAY SPECTRA; ACTINIDES; BOSONS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ELEMENTS; ISOTOPES; MASSLESS PARTICLES; MATERIALS; MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD FIT; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; METALS; MONITORING; NUMERICAL SOLUTION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; SPECTRA; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; 540230* - Environment, Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
Citation Formats
Gehrke, R J, Putnam, M H, Killian, E W, Helmer, R G, Kynaston, R L, Goodwin, S G, and Johnson, L O. Method of photon spectral analysis. United States: N. p., 1993.
Web.
Gehrke, R J, Putnam, M H, Killian, E W, Helmer, R G, Kynaston, R L, Goodwin, S G, & Johnson, L O. Method of photon spectral analysis. United States.
Gehrke, R J, Putnam, M H, Killian, E W, Helmer, R G, Kynaston, R L, Goodwin, S G, and Johnson, L O. Tue .
"Method of photon spectral analysis". United States.
@article{osti_6223109,
title = {Method of photon spectral analysis},
author = {Gehrke, R J and Putnam, M H and Killian, E W and Helmer, R G and Kynaston, R L and Goodwin, S G and Johnson, L O},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1993},
month = {4}
}