A new highly efficient set-up for cyclic and pseudocyclic short time activation analysis with high count rates

Abstract

A new counting geometry with a simple sample changer was constructed to enable cyclic and pseudocyclic short-time activation analysis. With the new system it is possible to cycle a sample, or successively an indefinite number of samples up to 20 times. The sample changer acts at the same time as sample catcher for two n-type HPGe detectors and can release the sample into a well-type HPGe detector. The new system enables the simultaneous counting of the irradiated samples by means of two endcap HPGe detectors, and subsequent counting by means of the well HPGe detector or both detector types. A well detector ensures a high counting efficiency which improves the sensitivity of a large number of short lived nuclides. Some standard reference materials (i.e., BCR-176, NIST SRM 1633b, IAEA-336, 335b, 335c) were prepared and analysed in replicates. The results indicate that up to 46 nuclides can be determined in BCR-176 if the samples are irradiated with and without the⁶LiD converter. An automatic evaluation programme was developed that determines the FWHM calibration parameters for each spectrum for accurate peak-area estimation at high count rates.