Multicoincidence radionuclide analysis systems consisting of light-charged-particle detectors operating in coincidence with photon spectrometers are being developed to improve the sensitivity of radionuclide analysis in field applications. Requiring charged-particle/photon coincidence provides active shielding from environmental photon sources, and mapping photon-photon events into a coincidence plane can remove photon spectroscopy interferences. List-mode data acquisition and flexible hardware design ensures that the most sensitive coincidence schemes involving beta, atomic electron, gamma and x-ray emissions can be used for radionuclide quantification. System hardware design and preliminary measurement data are discussed. A centerpiece component of this project, the development of analysis tools and data libraries required to perform automated multicoincidence analysis, is also described.
Revised: August 25, 2003 |
Published: June 1, 2003
Citation
Smith L.E., C.E. Aalseth, T.W. Hossbach, H.S. Miley, R.W. Perkins, and J.E. Ellis. 2003.Development of Portable Multicoincidence Radionuclide Analysis Systems.Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 505, no. 1-2:320-323.PNNL-SA-36345.