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Title: Quality assurance of temporal variability of natural decay chain and neutron induced background for low-level NORM analysis

Abstract

In this study, twenty-one high purity germanium (HPGe) background spectra were collected over 2 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory. A quality assurance methodology was developed to monitor spectral background levels from thermal and fast neutron flux levels and naturally occurring radioactive material decay series radionuclides. 238U decay products above 222Rn demonstrated minimal temporal variability beyond that expected from counting statistics. 238U and 232Th progeny below Rn gas displayed at most twice the expected variability. Further, an analysis of the 139 keV 74Ge(n, γ) and 691 keV 72Ge(n, n') spectral features demonstrated temporal stability for both thermal and fast neutron fluxes.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1296660
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-15-22454
Journal ID: ISSN 0236-5731
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 307; Journal Issue: 3; Conference: International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radioanalytical Chemistry (MARC), Kona Keauhou, HI (United States), 12-14 Apr 2015; Journal ID: ISSN 0236-5731
Publisher:
Springer
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY; NORM; neutron; background; quality assurance; HPGe

Citation Formats

Yoho, Michael, Porterfield, Donivan R., and Landsberger, Sheldon. Quality assurance of temporal variability of natural decay chain and neutron induced background for low-level NORM analysis. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1007/s10967-015-4467-9.
Yoho, Michael, Porterfield, Donivan R., & Landsberger, Sheldon. Quality assurance of temporal variability of natural decay chain and neutron induced background for low-level NORM analysis. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4467-9
Yoho, Michael, Porterfield, Donivan R., and Landsberger, Sheldon. Tue . "Quality assurance of temporal variability of natural decay chain and neutron induced background for low-level NORM analysis". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4467-9. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1296660.
@article{osti_1296660,
title = {Quality assurance of temporal variability of natural decay chain and neutron induced background for low-level NORM analysis},
author = {Yoho, Michael and Porterfield, Donivan R. and Landsberger, Sheldon},
abstractNote = {In this study, twenty-one high purity germanium (HPGe) background spectra were collected over 2 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory. A quality assurance methodology was developed to monitor spectral background levels from thermal and fast neutron flux levels and naturally occurring radioactive material decay series radionuclides. 238U decay products above 222Rn demonstrated minimal temporal variability beyond that expected from counting statistics. 238U and 232Th progeny below Rn gas displayed at most twice the expected variability. Further, an analysis of the 139 keV 74Ge(n, γ) and 691 keV 72Ge(n, n') spectral features demonstrated temporal stability for both thermal and fast neutron fluxes.},
doi = {10.1007/s10967-015-4467-9},
journal = {Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry},
number = 3,
volume = 307,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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