Discriminative detection of deposited radon daughters on CR-39 track detectors using TRIAC II code

A method for detecting deposited ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po by a spectrometric study of CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors is described. The method is based on the application of software imposed selection criteria, concerning the geometrical and optical properties of the tracks, which correspond to tracks created by alpha particles of specific energy falling on the detector at given angles of incidence. The selection criteria were based on a preliminary study of tracks’ parameters (major and minor axes and mean value of brightness), using the TRIAC II code. Since no linear relation was found between the energy and the geometric characteristics of the tracks (major and minor axes), we resorted to the use of an additional parameter in order to classify the tracks according to the particles’ energy. Since the brightness of tracks is associated with the tracks’ depth, the mean value of brightness was chosen as the parameter of choice. To reduce the energy of the particles, which are emitted by deposited ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po into a quantifiable range, the detectors were covered with an aluminum absorber material. In this way, the discrimination of radon’s daughters was finally accomplished by properly selecting amongst all registered tracks. This method could be applied as a low cost tool for the study of the radon’s daughters behavior in air.     

Phantom studies of Cd, Hg and Cl by prompt gamma neutron activation analysis using a Pu-Be neutron source

Prompt gamma neutron activation analysis is a means of non-invasive monitoring for occupational exposure to toxic heavy metals such as Cd and Hg. Preliminary kidney detection limits from previous phantom studies at McMaster were 13.6 ± 0.2 ppm for Cd (125 mL phantom) and 315 ± 24 ppm for Hg (125 mL phantom) using the ²³⁸Pu-Be neutron source and 0.88 ± 0.01 ppm for Cd (125 mL phantom) and 16.91 ± 0.05 ppm for Hg (30 mL phantom) using the thermal neutron beam port at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. The detection limits vary greatly between the two methods due to differences in experimental set-up, neutron energy spectra and a difference in dose by more than a factor of 100. The Hg detection limit from preliminary data is much higher than expected for both neutron source types. In order to explain the apparent detection limit discrepancy, measurements of Hg and Cd phantoms were performed using the ²³⁸Pu-Be neutron source. The results were compared to phantom measurements of Cl, a well-known neutron activation element.     

Comparison of the analytical sensitivities for non-1/v elements in different neutron beams

Irregular nuclides such as ¹¹³Cd, and some rare-earth isotopes show different analytical sensitivities in PGAA performed at different facilities, because the cross-sections of these nuclides have strong low-energy resonances which partly overlap the energy range of typical neutron beams used for activation. A series of systematic measurements has been performed in the spectrally different cold and thermal neutron beams of the Budapest Research Reactor, Hungary and at the research reactor of NIST, Gaithersburg, USA to quantitatively study the non-1/v behaviour of irregular nuclides. Samples were prepared that contained one of the irregular nuclides and also a regular one (¹⁰B, ³⁵Cl and ⁵⁶Fe) and their activation ratios were compared as measured in five different beams. Theoretical values of the activation ratios were calculated from estimates of the actual neutron spectra and cross-section data, and show a generally good correspondence to the experimental results, although some details are still not reproduced.     

Measurements of linear attenuation coefficients of irregular shaped samples by two media method

The linear attenuation coefficient values of regular and irregular shaped flyash materials have been measured without knowing the thickness of a sample using a new technique namely “two media method”. These values have also been measured with a standard gamma ray transmission method and obtained theoretically with winXCOM computer code. From the comparison it is reported that the two media method has given accurate results of attenuation coefficients of flyash materials.     

PIXE characterization of CsI(Tl) scintillators used for particle detection in nuclear reactions

Particle-Induced X-ray Emission has been used to measure Thallium concentration in several CsI(Tl) scintillators from different manufacturers, in order to check their nominal declared values and correlate their behaviour with actual Tl concentration. Indeed, both Tl doping level and its uniformity affect light emission of these detectors, which are largely employed in nuclear physics experiments.In some of the examined crystals Tl concentration values from PIXE measurements came out to be quite different from those declared. This allowed us to explain apparent anomalies in the trend of their α/γ-induced light yield ratio versus Tl content. In some cases, the presence of unexpected contaminants was also pointed out.     

Application of the Monte Carlo method to the analysis of measurement geometries for the calibration of a HP Ge detector in an environmental radioactivity laboratory

A gamma spectrometer including an HP Ge detector is commonly used for environmental radioactivity measurements. The efficiency of the detector should be calibrated for each geometry considered. Simulation of the calibration procedure with a validated computer program is an important auxiliary tool for environmental radioactivity laboratories. The MCNP code based on the Monte Carlo method has been applied to simulate the detection process in order to obtain spectrum peaks and determine the efficiency curve for each modelled geometry. The source used for measurements was a calibration mixed radionuclide gamma reference solution, covering a wide energy range (50-2000 keV). Two measurement geometries - Marinelli beaker and Petri boxes - as well as different materials - water, charcoal, sand - containing the source have been considered. Results obtained from the Monte Carlo model have been compared with experimental measurements in the laboratory in order to validate the model.     

Complementary use of ion beam elastic backscattering and recoil detection analysis for the precise determination of the composition of thin films made of light elements

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) is a well known powerful technique to obtain depth profiles of the constituent elements in a thin film deposited on a substrate made of lighter elements. In its standard use the probing beam is typically 2 MeV He. Its capabilities to obtain precise composition profiles are severely diminished when the overlaying film is made of elements lighter than the substrate. In this situation the analysis of the energy of the recoiled element from the sample in the elastic scattering event, the ERDA technique may be advantageous. For the detection of light elements it is also possible to use beams at specific energies producing elastic resonances with these light elements to be analyzed, with a much higher scattering cross sections than the Rutherford values. This technique may be called non-RBS. In this work we report on the complementary use of ERDA with a 30 MeV Cl beam and non-RBS with 1756 keV H ions to characterize thin films made of boron, carbon and nitrogen (BCN) deposited on Si substrates.     

Thermoluminescence kinetic analysis of basaltic rocks using a generalized model for exponential distribution of activation energies

A new general order Thermoluminescence (TL) model for exponential distribution of activation energies has been presented. In the proposed model an effective kinetic-order has been introduced as an additional adjustable parameter. This makes it possible to take the re-trapping into account and would give a better estimate of the activation energy compared with the first order kinetics model. The proposed model has been applied to the basaltic rocks from central zone of Iran. The obtained results show that the proposed model gives a better fit to the experimental peaks compared to the first order model.     

Production and preliminary characterization of DC plasma polymerized allylamine film (PPAA) by NRA, ERD and XPS

Due to its surface properties, especially the presence of amine groups, plasma polymerized allylamine (PPAA) is involved in a large range of applications. Most of them are related to biology and biochemistry. In this work, we demonstrate a quick and simple way to produce PPAA thin films by conventional DC magnetron sputtering. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method not involving radiofrequency (RF) or microwave discharges. In this paper, we show preliminary characterizations on the produced films (bulk analysis) carried out by ion beam techniques. The Hydrogen content in the whole layers was measured by ERD. The surface composition was probed by XPS on pentafluorobenzaldehyde (PFBA) derivatized films: the maximum concentration of amine groups is 1.6%.     

Determination of bulk etch rate for CR-39 nuclear track detectors using an X-ray fluorescence method

The thickness of a CR-39 detector is determined using an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method of analysis. The method is based on exciting a suitable target and measuring the intensity of its fluorescence X-ray lines passing through the CR-39 sample in a fixed geometry. By properly selecting the target material, the method succeeds in assessing the thickness change of CR-39 detectors etched for different time intervals. The bulk etch rate (V_b) may thus be obtained, which is an important parameter for any solid state nuclear track detector. Application of the EDXRF method yielded a value of V_b = (2.01 ± 0.04) μm h⁻¹ for etching in a 6 N NaOH solution at 75 °C. This value agrees with the bulk etch rate of (1.90 ± 0.03) μm h⁻¹, obtained by the conventional mass-change method.     

The optimization of gamma spectra processing in prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA)

The uncertainty of the elemental analysis is one of the major factors governing the utility of on-line Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) in the blending and sorting of bulk materials. In this paper, a general method applicable to Gamma spectra processing is presented and applied to PGNAA in mineral industry. Based on the Fourier transform of spectra and their de-correlation in the Fourier space (the improvement of the conditioning of the correlation matrix), processing of overlapping of characteristic peaks minimizes the propagation of random errors, which optimizes the accuracy and decreases the detection limits of elemental analyses. In comparison with classical methods based on the linear combinations of relevant regions of spectra the improvement may be considerable, especially when several elements are interfering. The method is applied to four case stories covering both borehole logging and on-line analysis on conveyor belt of raw materials.     

Development of a detector model for generation of synthetic radiographs of cargo containers

Creation of synthetic cargo-container radiographs that possess attributes of their empirical counterparts requires accurate models of the imaging-system response. Synthetic radiographs serve as surrogate data in studies aimed at determining system effectiveness for detecting target objects when it is impractical to collect a large set of empirical radiographs. In the case where a detailed understanding of the detector system is available, an accurate detector model can be derived from first-principles. In the absence of this detail, it is necessary to derive empirical models of the imaging-system response from radiographs of well-characterized objects. Such a case is the topic of this work, where we demonstrate the development of an empirical model of a gamma-ray radiography system with the intent of creating a detector-response model that translates uncollided photon transport calculations into realistic synthetic radiographs. The detector-response model is calibrated to field measurements of well-characterized objects thus incorporating properties such as system sensitivity, spatial resolution, contrast and noise.     

Measurement of thick target yields of the S(α,x)Cl nuclear reaction and estimation of its excitation function up to 70 MeV

Thick target yields of the ^natS(α,x)^34mCl nuclear reaction were measured in the energy region from 14.2 to 69.5 MeV. Our results were also compared to the only available literature dataset. Cross-sections of the above reaction were also estimated from the obtained thick target yields. Pure natural sulfur used as a target material resulted in a thick target saturation yield of 1557 ± 18 MBq (42.1 ± 0.5 mCi)/μA at 69.5 MeV. The estimated excitation function curve of the ^natS(α,x)^34mCl process showed a maximum cross-section of 122 mbarn at about 27.5 MeV.     

Development and evaluation of the Combined Ion and Neutron Spectrometer (CINS)

The Combined Ion and Neutron Spectrometer, CINS, is designed to measure the charged and neutral particles that contribute to the radiation dose and dose equivalent received by humans in spaceflight. As the depth of shielding increases, either onboard a spacecraft or in a surface habitat, the relative contribution of neutrons increases significantly, so that obtaining accurate neutron spectra becomes a critical part of any dosimetric measurements. The spectrometer system consists of high- and medium-energy neutron detectors along with a charged-particle detector telescope based on a standard silicon stack concept. The present version of the design is intended for ground-based use at particle accelerators; future iterations of the design can easily be streamlined to reduce volume, mass, and power consumption to create an instrument package suitable for spaceflight. The detector components have been tested separately using high-energy heavy ion beams at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and neutron beams at the Radiological Research Accelerator Facility operated by Columbia University. Here, we review the progress made in fabricating the hardware, report the results of several test runs, and discuss the remaining steps necessary to combine the separate components into an integrated system. A custom data acquisition system built for CINS is described in an accompanying article.     

Development of a novel reaction chamber for ion beam analysis of large samples

A novel vacuum chamber for ion beam analysis of large-size industrial samples - whose analysis are not feasible in conventional ion beam analysis reaction chambers - has been designed, fabricated and successfully tested. Using the newly developed chamber, both PIXE and RBS analyses could be carried out at the same time and on the same point of the samples. Ion beam analysis using this novel chamber lacks the disadvantages of external beam analysis and benefits the advantages of in-vacuum analysis. This has been achieved by designing a tiny open port in the wall of the reaction chamber to be sealed with a small flat area of sample body where its analysis is of interest. As a case study, two samples of gas turbine blades, a corroded one at highly corrosive environment and a refurbished one after application of certain coatings are analysed using the novel chamber. Experimental results confirm the performance and capability of the reaction chamber.     

Micro-SR-XRF and micro-PIXE studies for archaeological gold identification - The case of Carpathian (Transylvanian) gold and of Dacian bracelets

Trace-elements are more significant for provenancing archaeological metallic artifacts than the main components. For gold, the most promising elements are platinum group elements (PGE), Sn, Te, Sb, Hg and Pb. Several small fragments of natural Transylvanian gold - placer and primary - were studied by using micro-PIXE technique at the Legnaro National Laboratory AN2000 microbeam facility, Italy and at the AGLAE accelerator, C2RMF, Paris, France and by using micro synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (micro-SR-XRF) at BESSY synchrotron, Berlin, Germany. The goal of the study was to identify the trace-elements, especially Sn, Sb and Te. A spectacular application to five Dacian gold bracelets authentication is presented (Sn and Sb traces).     

Development of a sequential data correction method for isotope ratio analysis by resonance ionization mass spectrometry

A sequential data correction method using several experimental parameters of pulsed resonance ionization mass spectrometry was developed to reduce mass discrimination effects for isotope ratio analysis as well as fluctuations in the ion count rate. This correction method was applied to isotope ratio determination of stable titanium isotopes using a two-step, single color ionization scheme. A significant improvement of the precision of the measured isotopic ratio of stable titanium isotopes was demonstrated after correction with a parameter set consisting of laser power, atmospheric pressure, and laser frequency.     

Towards a more comprehensive microstructural analysis of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubing using image analysis and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD)

Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes used in CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) reactors have a very complex microstructure, with two major crystallographic phases, α and β. These phases include a fair amount of deformation from the extrusion process and the cold working (∼25%) performed at the end of the manufacturing process. This microstructure (texture, grain aspect ratio, etc.) changes along the tube’s length and differs from tube to tube. In order to better understand the deformation mechanisms, these microstructural differences must be statistically characterized. Scanning electron microscopy combined with direct image analysis or with electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) are good techniques for carrying out such a measurement. However it is not possible, using specimen preparation methods specific for each of these techniques, to reveal all of the grain and phase boundaries. We have thus developed post-treatment algorithms to be able to partially analyze the revealed Zr-2.5Nb microstructure. The first algorithm was used for image analysis treatments of micrographs taken at 5 kV on the radial-tangential plane of etched samples using a reactive ion etch (RIE, CF₄ + O₂). The second was developed for EBSD grain mapping and can be used to characterize α-Zr grain shape and orientation. The two techniques are complementary: EBSD gives information about the micro-texture and the relationship between the microstructure and micro-texture while image analyses of SEM micrographs reveal the direction and distribution of the α-Zr lamellae more easily and over a greater sample area than EBSD. However, the SEM micrographs that were used did not reveal any grain boundary (only phase boundary). An analysis of EBSD grain maps reveals that the average α-Zr grain size, mainly in the elongated direction (tangential), is smaller than what is normally obtained from an image analysis of SEM micrographs. The grain size distribution of type I α-Zr grains (deformed original (prior) α-Zr) and type II (stress-induced β-Zr → α-Zr phase transformation) is also shown to be different for sizes greater than 0.4 μm².     

New measurement and evaluation of the excitation function of Ni(p,n) reaction for the production of Cu

One of the radioisotopes for which a growing interest exists in nuclear medicine is ⁶⁴Cu. Its branched decay makes it suitable for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Activation cross sections of the proton induced reaction on enriched ⁶⁴Ni have been studied using the stacked foil technique up to 24 MeV. The experimental cross sections are compared with values available from literature. Thick target yields, based on the discrete measured values of the cross sections are calculated and allow a better estimation of the optimum production parameters.     

Development of a method for measuring the ortho-positronium quenching rate in low vapor-pressure gases

A new measurement and analysis method for determining the ortho-positronium collisional quenching rate for low vapor-pressure gases is developed. It uses hydrophobic silica aerogels as highly efficient positronium formation media and microchambers. The value of the normalized positronium quenching rate, ¹Z_eff, for CH₃Br measured by this method is 0.70 ± 0.04.