High Sensitivity Counting Techniques (eBook)

International Series of Monographs on Electronics and Instrumentation

D. Ramsden, D. E. Watt (Autoren)

D. W. Fry, W. Higinbotham (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: PDF

2014 | 1. Auflage
364 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-1-4831-8514-9 (ISBN)

Infos

International Series of Monographs on Electronics and Instrumentation, Volume 20: High Sensitivity Counting Techniques details the low background counting techniques for radiation detection. The book covers various areas of concerns in utilizing low background counting technique. The text first details the counting parameters, and then proceeds to discussing the attainment of low backgrounds in radiation detectors. Next, the selection deals with low background laboratories. The remaining chapters cover various quantification methods such as carbon-14 beta counting; counting of soft radiations using internal sources; and measurement of gamma radioactivity from the body. The book will be of great interest to scientists, engineers, and technicians involved in atomic energy projects.

Inhalt

Front Cover 1
High Sensitivity Counting Techniques 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 6
FOREWORD 12
AUTHORS' PREFACE 14
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 16
CHAPTER 1. COUNTING PARAMETERS 18
1.1 The Minimum Observable Counting Rate 18
1.2 The Factor of Merit 21
References 26
CHAPTER 2. THE ATTAINMENT OF LOW BACKGROUNDS IN RADIATION DETECTORS — (I) THE COSMIC RADIATION 28
2.1 Sources of Background 28
2.2 The Extensive Air Shower 29
2.3 Neutron Production 32
2.4 Gamma Shielding 35
2.5 Summary of Cosmic-ray Shield Requirements 37
2.6 Types of Anticoincidence System 38
2.7 Experimental Tests 42
2.8 Conclusions on Shielding for 48
References 50
CHAPTER 3. THE ATTAINMENT OF LOW BACKGROUNDS IN RADIATION DETECTORS — (II) SECONDARY EFFECTS 52
3.1 Local Radioactivity 52
3.2 Construction Materials 55
3.3 Electronics and Electrical System 61
References 70
CHAPTER 4. LOW-BACKGROUND LABORATORIES 72
4.1 Underground Laboratories 74
4.2 Steel Rooms 76
4.3 The Aldermaston Low-background Laboratory 76
References 85
CHAPTER 5. THE MEASUREMENT OF WEAK ALPHA ACTIVITIES 88
5.1 General Considerations on Sensitivity 88
5.2 Scintillation Counting 91
5.3 Gas-filled Detectors 98
5.4 The Gridded lonization Chamber 101
5.5 The Coaxial-electrode lonization Chamber as an Alpha Spectrometer 106
5.6 Semiconductor Counters 111
5.7 Preparation of Sources 114
5.8 Self-absorption in Homogeneously Dispersed Sources 122
5.9 Distortion of Energy Spectrum of Alpha-particles from a Thick Source 124
5.10 Backscattering of Alpha-particles from the Source Backing 126
References 128
CHAPTER 6. CARBON-14 BETA COUNTING 130
6.1 Radiocarbon Dating 130
6.2 Detection of Artificial C14 Activities 155
Bibliography and References 165
CHAPTER 7. COUNTING OF SOFT RADIATIONS USING INTERNAL SOURCES 170
7.1 Counting of Tritium 171
7.2 Errors in Gas Counting Techniques 183
7.3 Electron Attachment in Counters 184
7.4 Counting of S35 188
7.5 High Temperature Gas Counters 191
7.6 Counting of Other Soft Beta-emitters 194
7.7 Detection of X-radiations from Low Z Isotopes 195
Bibliography and References 204
CHAPTER 8. BETA COUNTING OF SOLID AND LIQUID SOURCES 210
8.1 Systems with 4 p Geometry 211
8.2 Systems with 2 p Geometry 219
8.3 Systems with less than 2 p Geometry 221
8.4 Organic Scintillator Anticoincidence Shields 232
8.5 Double Geiger Counter Technique 235
8.6 The Cancellation Technique 235
8.7 An "End-window" Beta Spectrometer 238
8.8 Source Preparation 241
8.9 Source Deposition Methods 244
8.10 Self-absorption and Self-scattering Corrections for Homogeneously Dispersed Sources 249
8.11 Backscattering and Self-scattering 253
8.12 Experimental Methods of Assessing Absorption and Scattering Corrections 258
8.13 Absorption in the Source-backing Foil 261
8.14 Annomalous Background Effects in Thick Sources 265
8.15 Correction for Source Decay during the Counting Period 269
8.16 Scintillation Counting of Solid Beta Sources 269
8.17 Scintillation Counting of Beta-emitters in Aqueous Solutions 275
References 278
CHAPTER 9. GAMMA-RAY DETECTION 282
9.1 General 282
9.2 Conditions for Counting under the Total Absorption Peak 284
9.3 Selection of Counting Geometry 287
9.4 Effects caused by Thick Sources 294
9.5 Errors Caused by Gain Drift 302
9.6 Ability to Detect One Gamma-ray in the Presence of Another Line at Higher Energy 303
9.7 Counting of Cascade Gamma-rays 306
9.8 Calculation of the Absolute Disintegration Rate 308
9.9 The Sum–Coincidence Method 310
9.10 Coincidence Counting of Positrons Among More Intense Negatron or Gamma Activity 312
9.11 Detector Calibration 316
9.12 Scintillation Spectrometers Operated in Anticoincidence with a Guard Detector 318
References 325
CHAPTER 10. MEASUREMENT OF GAMMA RADIOACTIVITY FROM THE BODY 328
10.1 Application of Whole Body Counters 328
10.2 Counting Systems 330
10.3 Calibration 341
References 347
AUTHOR INDEX 350
SUBJECT INDEX 358

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 16.5.2014
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Quantenphysik
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Bauwesen
• ISBN-10: 1-4831-8514-1 / 1483185141
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4831-8514-9 / 9781483185149