Quantitative comparison of sample preparation methods for low-level alpha spectrometry

There are currently several widely accepted methods of sample preparation procedures for alpha spectroscopy. Alpha spectroscopy is becoming more important due to increased concentration on nuclear waste management, site decontamination and decommissioning, and environmental assessment. Due to increased emphasis on emergency response and preparedness, there is a strong desire to make the analysis of samples as quick and efficient as possible. Three methods evaluated in this project are electrodeposition, microprecipitation, and evaporation. Actinides are the main elements of concern, namely a tracer of241Am is used. Each method is itself optimized and evaluated quantitatively, and then the methods are compared against one another. Parameters such as energy resolution, sample yield and preparation time are evaluated to determine the most productive method for each scenario for preparing samples for alpha spectroscopy. Microprecipitation is the recommended due to the high yields produced and consistency of the results

Measuring Airborne Alpha Radioactivity

This project develops alpha spectroscopy to measure the airborne concentrations of attached and unattached radon progeny. The system is designed and constructed to be used in homes, thus is portable, fast, and easy to use

Towards the high-accuracy determination of the 238U fission cross section at the threshold region at CERN - N-TOF

The 238U fission cross section is an international standard beyond 2 MeV where the fission plateau starts. However, due to its importance in fission reactors, this cross-section should be very accurately known also in the threshold region below 2 MeV. The 238U fission cross section has been measured relative to the 235U fission cross section at CERN - n-TOF with different detection systems. These datasets have been collected and suitably combined to increase the counting statistics in the threshold region from about 300 keV up to 3 MeV. The results are compared with other experimental data, evaluated libraries, and the IAEA standards