Monte-Carlo modeling of a NaI(Tl) scintillator

Summary A NaI(Tl) scintillator detector has been modeled using GEANT simulation tool. Uniformity of the light collection efficiency was investigated by allowing a narrowly collimated beam of 59.5 keV g-rays to strike selected portion of the detector crystal. The simulated response function of the detector to the point source of photons was in good agreement with the measured one. Using the detector model, the simulated response function of the scintillator to the volume source of g-ray was also measured.     

Quantitative measurement of 125I with NaI(Tl) scintillation survey meter

This paper describes a NaI(Tl) scintillation survey meter which can quantify 125I on a contaminated surface in situ. This survey meter has four inherent windows; 20-45 keV the singles photopeak region, 45-80 keV the sum photopeak region, 20-80 keV the total photopeak region, and 80 keV-. The activity was calculated based on the sum peak method. The calculated activity of a point source agreed with the standardized source activity within an uncertainty of about 10% both up to the distance of 3 cm from the detector surface along the axis of the detector and on the detector surface. The activity of a simulated plate source also agreed with the source activity within the same uncertainty.     

Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometry as a pilot for NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometry

Lithium-drifted germanium semiconductor detectors give much better resolution than do thallium-activated sodium iodide detectors, but much lower sensitivity. They can often advantageously be used in conjunction with NaI(Tl) detectors, to show whether corrections must be applied for activities other than the one to be measured and to provide the necessary information for calculation of the corrections.     

Energy resolution improvement of NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors by means of a timing discrimination method

Gamma-ray energy spectrum of a ¹³⁷Cs radioisotope was obtained by using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. Improvement of the energy resolution of the detector was aimed. To achieve this, constant fraction timing method was used. Energy resolution of the photopeak of the isotope was improved from 7.1 to 6.7% through the timing application.     

The relative sensitivity and accuracy of NaI(Tl) and Ge(Li) detectors for minor components

A mixture of²³³Pa,¹⁴⁰La,⁸²Br,⁶⁴Cu.⁷²Ga,⁶⁰Co, and²⁴Na of known disintegration rates was counted on a NaI(Tl) and a large Ge(Li) detector. Both systems detected²³³Pa when present at 0.2%, and accurate results were observed for²³³Pa,¹⁴⁰La, and⁶⁰Co when present at greater than 0.5% of the total disintegration rate. The accuracy of the results from either system was not significantly different since the mean ratio of the observed to true results was 0.99±0.05 and 1.06±0.06, respectively. However, equal sensitivity and accuracy were achieved only when the counting interval for the germanium system was 1000 min, or 60 to 600 times that for sodium iodide.     

Counting yield calibration of NaI(Tl) detectors for complex geometry samples by use of californium-252

The counting yield for large volume, complex geometry samples such as solutions in Marinelli beakers as counted on a large NaI(Tl) detector can be calibrated using radionuclides activated by neutrons form a²⁵²Cf source. Calibration may be done by using either a known neutron flux facility or by cross calibration of the activated material as a point source vs. sealed gamma-standard sources. The point source of activated material is dissolved after cross calibration to produce the large volume distributed source.     

Evaluation of 1 cm dose equivalent rate using a NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer

A method for evaluating 1 cm dose equivalent rates from a pulse height distribution obtained by a 76.2 mm phi spherical NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer was described. Weak leakage radiation from nuclear facilities were also measured and dose equivalent conversion factor and effective energy of leakage radiation were evaluated from 1 cm dose equivalent rate and exposure rate.     

An improved method for liquid density measurement using NaI(Tl) detector and low-strength source

In the frame of severe accident topic for pressurized water reactor, the physical-chemistry of Ru fission products were experimentally studied to better understand their behavior inside the reactor coolant system in air or air/steam atmospheres. The tests consisted in vaporizing RuO₂ at 1200 °C and the ruthenium oxides are transported through a controlled thermal gradient tube made of quartz or pre-oxidized stainless steel. Results show that the major part up to 95% is deposited along the tube, the remaining part being transported almost under gaseous form attributed to RuO₄. Impact of carrier gas, temperature profile and nature of the tube are discussed.     

The effect of the housing material on the NaI(Tl) detector response function

In this study, a Monte Carlo program has been developed to simulate the response function of the NaI(Tl) detector with all features for ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs and to investigate the effects of detector housing material on response function. The pulse height spectra in a 2???×?2?? NaI(Tl) detector due to these gamma ray sources have been measured. Comparison of the experimentally obtained and simulated spectra shows that there is good agreement between both spectra. Energy distributions of gamma photons that generate the backscattering peak in the response function were obtained and the contribution of single, double and multiple Compton scattering events to these distributions was investigated.     

Study of the nuclear recoil response of a NaI(Tl) scintillator detector with a Cf neutron source

This paper describes the behavior of the scintillation pulses induced in a NaI(Tl) crystal scintillator under excitation of a ²⁵²Cf neutron source and a ¹³⁷Cs gamma source and the possible identification of the incident particle by the study of the pulse shape. Furthermore, the energy dependence of the mean decay time is presented.     

Improvement ofin vivoneutron activation analysis of Mn using a 4p NaI(Tl) detector array

Summary Manganese contents in hand phantoms were analyzed by in vivo neutron activation analysis using a 4p NaI(Tl) detector array. Solution-type phantoms with varying amount of Mn and fixed amounts of physiological normal elements (Na, Cl, Ca) were prepared in a cylindrical shape to simulate fisted hands and were irradiated with the ⁷Li(p,n) neutron beam. The proton energy and polyethlyene cavity were set at optimized conditions established before. The g-ray spectra were accumulated under the anticoincidence mode. The calibration was done both for the 847 keV full-energy peak area and for the total area of ⁵⁶Mn, which is defined as the total number of counts anywhere in the g-ray spectrum from ⁵⁶Mn. From the analysis of the 847 keV peak, the Mn detection limit has been improved by a factor of 1.6 compared to the previous feasibility test thanks to a significant gain in the g-ray detection efficiency. Further improvement by a factor of 1.2 was identified when the total area of ⁵⁶Mn was used for the calibration. The final sensitivity and detection limit for a 20 mSv hand dose reached 12,050 counts/mg Mn, and 86 mg, respectively. The overall improvement achieved in this study will be a considerable contribution toward realization of the clinical application.     

Application of simulated standard spectra for the analysis of complex sample spectra from NaI(Tl) detectors

The most accurate method for the analysis of complex gamma ray spectra from scintillation detectors is least squares method. The major requirement of this method is individual standard spectra of all nuclides expected in the complex spectrum which is not possible and feasible for some nuclides. In the present work, an approach of using simulated standard spectrum of the radionuclides for the least squares analysis is studied. The paper describes the methodology used for the generation of simulated spectrum which is the main objective, and validation of results using standard sources in the Sodium Iodide (NaI(Tl)) based gamma ray spectrometer.     

Characterization of HPGe gamma spectrometers by geant4 Monte Carlo simulations

Two coaxial and a low-energy HPGe detector were characterized with Monte Carlo simulations, using the geant4 toolkit. The geometry of the detectors, including the dimensions of the crystal and the internal structural parts, were initially taken from the factory specifications and from X-ray radiographies, and were later fine-tuned. The detector response functions, with special emphasis on the absolute full-energy peak efficiencies and peak-to-total ratios, were calculated and compared to experimental data taken at different measurement geometries. Between 150 keV and 11 MeV an agreement within 1–2 standard deviation has been achieved, whereas systematic deviations were experienced at lower energies.     

Physical properties of mixed-valence Tl 3 I TlIIICl6 investigated by conductivity and positron annihilation lifetime measurements: Effect of crushing the crystals

For a better understanding of isotope exchange in solid Tl₄Cl₆ the effects of crushing the crystals were investigated by conductivity and by positron annihilation lifetime measurements. As in untreated Tl₄Cl₆, the conductivity variation with temperature shows a break at about 450 K. The activation energies, 0.53 eV and 0.70 eV, respectively, below and above 450 K, are very close to those in the untreated material but the absolute values of conductivity are lower after crushing which is attributed to the trapping of the mobile defects of dislocation. The positron lifetime variation with increasing temperature shows some contribution of extrinsic defects, annealing at about 413 K. On further heating or cooling cycles, the lifetime changes are controlled by the production of intrinsic cation vacancies, whose formation enthalpy, 0.39 eV, is close to that derived for untreated Tl₄Cl₆. The shape of the initial part of the curves would indicate that crushing does not directly create appreciable concentrations of cation vacancies but would rather produce annealable defects, possibly dislocations, favouring the formation and/or trapping of such vacancies.     

Separation of Tl(I)-Pb(II) by liquid-liquid extraction with diethyldithiocarbamic acid isolation of201Tl

The production of²⁰¹ Tl is described. Natural thallium is irradiated with protons and the induced²⁰¹Pb is separated from the target by liquid-liquid extraction with diethyldithiocarbamic acid in chloroform.²⁰¹Tl is separated from the mother activity (²⁰¹Pb) by liquid-liquid extraction with the same reagent. The decontamination of the final product (carrier free²⁰¹TlCl) is ≥5·10⁶ from the thallium of the target and>5×10⁴ from lead isotopes.     

Positron annihilation in some organic scintillators: magnetic quenching and three gamma spectroscopy results

We present positron annihilation data in some organic polycrystalline scintillators, obtained through lifetime and three gamma spectroscopies, as well as magnetic quenching measurements. Strong magnetic quenching effects at low fields were discovered, which cannot be explained in terms of simply “swollen” Positronium (qPs): a possible explanation in terms of interactions between the qPs and the magnetic moments of the spur products is proposed.     

A comparison of two separation techniques using NaI(Tl) and Ge(Li) spectrometry for trace element determination in biological materials by neutron activation analysis

A comparison of two group separation techniques using either NaI(Tl) or Ge(Li) spectrometry is presented for trace element determination in biological materials by neutron activation analysis. The capabilities of both procedures are described in terms of detection limits, precision and accuracy for the determination of the elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Sn, and Zn in various types of biological samples. For this purpose the (standard) reference materials NBS SRM-1577 Bovine Liver, Bowen's Kale, IAEA Pig Kidney H-7 and IAEA Milk Powder A-11 were analyzed. An attempt was also made to minimize blank values for several elements.     

Features of EPR spectra of complexes of ortho-benzoquinones with Tl(I) and Tl(III) diethyldithiocarbamates

A study has been made of the EPR spectra of Tl(l) and Tl(III) o-semiquinolates, obtained by the interaction of o-benzoquinones with thallium amalgam and thallium(III) diethyldithiocarbamate, respectively. A strong temperature dependence has been found for the constant of hyperfine coupling (HFC) with the metal nucleus in thallium(III) 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-semiquinolate; this is explained by the presence of competing mechanisms of spin transfer from the o-semiquinone ligand to the metal. Cation exchange and effective complexation of the Tl(I) o-semiquinolate with thallium diethyldithiocarbamate have been observed. The kinetic parameters of exchange have been determined.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 786–790, April, 1990.     

An analysis of the potassium concentrations of soft drinks by HPGe gamma spectrometry

A pyrochemical processing has become one of the potential technologies for a future nuclear fuel cycle. An integrated multi-physics simulation and electrotransport model of a molten-salt electrolytic process are proposed and discussed with respect to the recovery of pure uranium when using thermochemical data. This study has been performed to provide information for diffusion boundary layers between the molten salt (KCl-LiCl) and electrode. The diffusion-controlled electrochemical model demonstrate a prediction of the electrotransport behaviors of LWR spent fuel as a function of the time up to the corresponding electrotransport satisfying a given applied current based on a galvanostatic electrolysis.