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Analysis of 125Xe electron–photon coincidence decay

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Abstract

As part of the verification component of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), environmental gas samples originating from nuclear fission are analyzed for the presence of 131mXe, 133mXe, 133Xe, and 135Xe. In this work, the non-traditional radioxenon isotope 125Xe was investigated. The isotope was produced as an isotopically pure sample via neutron activation of 124Xe at the University of Texas at Austin Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab’s TRIGA MARK II Reactor. The sample was then measured using a HPGe detector as well as an ARSA-style β–γ coincidence detector. Potential sources and sensitivities for production of 125Xe are also considered for relevance to the CTBT verification mission.

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Notes

  1. The cumulative fission yield for 137Xe is actually ~6 × 10−2. Due to its short half-life of 3.818 min, the isotope will not be present after separating radioxenon from other fission products via uranium irradiation.

  2. This number excludes summing events such as two X-rays being registered at once at ~60 keV, or the summing of the 55 keV γ-ray at the same time as an X-ray which would result in a detection at ~85 keV. If these and other summing events are included, 31 coincidences can be found below a γ-energy of 600 keV.

  3. As before, only γ energies below 600 keV and γ-rays with emission probabilities above 0.5 % were considered. If all possible γ rays were included, that number would obviously be higher.

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Acknowledgments

This work was conducted with the U.S. DoD Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s support through Grant HDTRA1-12-1-0009.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Rd Bldg 159, Austin, TX, 78758, USA

    Franziska J. Klingberg & Steven R. Biegalski

  2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, PO Box 999, Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    Amanda Prinke, Derek A. Haas & Justin D. Lowrey

Authors
  1. Franziska J. Klingberg
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  2. Steven R. Biegalski
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  3. Amanda Prinke
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  4. Derek A. Haas
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  5. Justin D. Lowrey
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Correspondence to Franziska J. Klingberg.

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Klingberg, F.J., Biegalski, S.R., Prinke, A. et al. Analysis of 125Xe electron–photon coincidence decay. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307, 1933–1939 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4519-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4519-1

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