Estimating population sizes in a mixture of two radioactive populations

Technical Report · Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5085924· OSTI ID:5085924

Beyer, W A; Qualls, C

The event times are observed of a mixture of two kinds of radioactive atoms, each producing alpha particles. The probability of observing an event is p, 0 < p < 1, and of missing the observation is 1 - p. A maximum likelihood statistical method is given for estimating the size of the two populations. A second discussion assumes that the populations themselves are samples from parent populations. Bayesian methods are given for estimating parameters of the parent populations. An example is presented of an experiment involving the search for particle-bound polyneutron systems. 2 figures, 3 tables.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5085924
• Report Number(s): LA-7197; TRN: 78-010373
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
POLYNEUTRONS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY
BISMUTH 212
MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD FIT
POPULATIONS
SIZE
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BARYONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BISMUTH ISOTOPES
DECAY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
NEUTRONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PARTICLE DECAY
651912* - Nuclear Properties &amp; Reactions
A=190-219
Theoretical- Radioactive Decay- (-1987)
645103 - High Energy Physics- Particle Interactions &amp; Properties-Experimental- Strong Interactions &amp; Baryon &amp; Meson Properties