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Forty-five years of neutron activation analysis in Slovenia: achievements towards improved quality of measurements results

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Abstract

Main achievements towards improved quality of measurements results obtained by neutron activation analysis (NAA) at the TRIGA Mark II reactor of the Jožef Stefan Institute during its 45 years of continuous operation are reviewed from a historical perspective; emphasis is on the features specific for NAA. The development of radiochemical neutron activation analysis for characterising reference materials is described in detail in the first part. Several approaches specific for the method such as the determination of long-lived radionuclides, the simultaneous determination of several elements using double irradiation and the internal standard method are presented in more detail. Several interesting approaches such as combination with liquid scintillation counting detection and combination with radiometric measurements are outlined. Then, the development of instrumental neutron activation analysis, specifically the k 0-NAA based method is discussed. The contribution towards methodological development of uncertainty assessment is outlined, and the importance of the nuclide-specific and neutron fluence-specific approach is emphasised. Throughout the paper, the importance of neutron activation analysis and contributions of measurements results obtained by this method to characterising (candidate) reference materials is shown.

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Acknowledgments

Late Professor L. Kosta, and retired colleagues Dr. A.R. Byrne and Dr. M. Dermelj are greatly acknowledged for providing their valuable mentorship during my early scientific efforts. The author would like to thank all the JSI colleagues quoted in the references, especially—but not exclusively—Dr. L. Benedik, Dr. T. Bučar, Dr. R. Jaćimović and Dr. V. Stibilj for their long-term collaboration, contributions to methodological developments of the NAA as applied within the group and provision of outstanding measurements results. The Slovenian Research Agency ARRS (Contract No. P2-0075) is greatly acknowledged for its financial support.

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  1. Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Borut Smodiš

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  1. Borut Smodiš
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Correspondence to Borut Smodiš.

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Smodiš, B. Forty-five years of neutron activation analysis in Slovenia: achievements towards improved quality of measurements results. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 291, 543–548 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1207-7

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