Difference between revisions of "KJM5911 Lab Exercise 3 - Gamma Spectroscopy"

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! scope="col" | Bq  
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! scope="col" | Excempt Level (Bq)
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| align="center" | <sup>226</sup>Ra  
 
| align="center" | <sup>226</sup>Ra  

Revision as of 20:09, 14 October 2012

UnderConstruction pict22.gifUnderConstruction pict17.gifWarning - under construction - you are welcome to read it, but it will change...

Learning Goals

After completing this exercise you should:

  • Understand the processes by which gamma radiation is absorbed in the detector.
  • Understand how the detector (and it's electronics) transform the absorbed energy from the gamma rays into electrical pulses which is continuously sorted according to pulse height and presented as a histogram (number of events vs. energy) - a "spectrum".
  • Know the basic parameters of a spectroscopy system (spectrum, real time, life time, dead time, channels, etc.).
  • Know the relationship between channel number and energy, how to derive this relationship ("energy calibration") and be able to evaluate it's uncertainty.
  • Recognise the different parts of a gamma-ray spectrum.
  • Know how "peaks" in the spectrum are analysed and understand the results (you should understand terms like: ROI, gross count, net count, peak fitting, FWHM, etc.). You should understand how the software calculate and subtract the background under the peaks.
  • Know the relationship between number of counts and gamma-rays emitted by the source (and the disintegration rate). I.e. how to perform an efficiency calibration.

Theory

Experimental Procedure

  • Part 1: Measurements
    • Get familar with the detector system and Maestro
    • Make energy calibration for Maestr
    • Measure various calibration point-sources (sealed)
    • Measure various large-volum calibration sources
    • Measure some unknown sources
  • Part 2: Energy calibration
    • Analyse the calibration spectra, for each "good" gamma-peak write down fitted centroid (channel number), net count, FWHM, fitted energy (from Maestro), and library energy (from Berkeley/Lund database).
    • Make (in Origin) a plot of library energy as function of gamma-peak centroid (channel number). Then make a linear fit to the data.
    • Use the linear fit parameters to calculate the energy your calibration yields for each of your gamma-peaks.
    • Calculate the difference between the library energies and the energies from your calibration. Do the same for the Maestro energis (compared to library energies). Plot the differences as function of gamma-peak energies. Evalute the plots!
    • Use your energy calibration and try to determine the unknown sources.
  • Part 2: Efficiency calibration
    • Make an efficiency calibration curve (in Origin) based on as many of the calibration sources as possible. Remember that the sources must have the same geometry.
    • Evaluate the quality of your efficiency calibration.
    • If the point sources is included in the efficiency calibration plot, how does it fit?
    • Use the efficiency calibration to calibrate the 152Eu source with unknown desintegration rate. Then assume that this rate is "true" and include the 152Eu data as if it was another calibration source. Is 152Eu a good source for efficiency calibration?

Reports

You do not need to write a report from this exercise, but you should hand in the following plots:

  • Deviation of your own energy calibration curve
  • Deviation of Maestro's energy calibration curve
  • Efficiency calibration curve
  • Efficiency calibration curve with point sources
  • Efficiency calibration curve including 152Eu gamma-rays.

Safety Aspects

  • We will work in the OCL chemistry lab. Most of you are not on the SAs for the OCL. Thus, you are not allowed to work in these labs on your own but must be supervised.
  • We will prepare calibration sources of natural thorium, natural uranium and 226Ra. In particular the 226Ra and 152Eu sources are to be handled very carefully. All work preparing the sources should be performed in a hood.
  • The sealed gamma sources are about 37 kBq (10 uCi) each, keep them well shielded when not in use. Never handle the sources (even if they are "sealed" with your bare hands - use gloves and a pincher. We keep the sources inside glass vials, these should be ok to handle with your bare hands. There should be no need to take the sources out of the glas vials.


ALI values
Nuclei Bq Excempt Level (Bq)
226Ra 9x103 -
232Th 9x101 -
238U 6x102 -
natU - 1x103