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Title: Archaeometry using the Cornell TRIGA reactor

Journal Article · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
OSTI ID:88943

There are several archaeological studies in progress at Cornell, and the various excavations include Etruscan (Siena, Italy), Neolithic (Halai, Greece), and late Classical (Sula Valley, northwest Honduras) Honduran sites. As part of these investigations, samples from these sites are analyzed using the Cornell TRIGA reactor. Cornell TRIGA is a 500-kW reactor well suited for high-sensitivity neutron activation analysis (NAA) and prompt gamma NAA (PGNAA). The NAA facilities include several 20 to 30% efficient high-purity germanium detectors coupled to several personal computer-based analyzers. A PGNAA facility using a cold neutron beam is currently under development. The Cornell cold neutron beam is designed for a temperature of {approximately}30 K and a flux of {approximately}1 x 10{sup 7} n /cm{sup 2}{center_dot}s thermal equivalent. The guided beam is extracted and taken 13 m from the TRIGA core into an adjoining laboratory area, where the PGNAA irradiation and counting station will be set up.

OSTI ID:
88943
Report Number(s):
CONF-941102-; ISSN 0003-018X; TRN: 95:004215-0007
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 71; Conference: Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), Washington, DC (United States), 13-18 Nov 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English