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Method for correcting thermal neutron self-shielding effect for aqueous bulk sample analysis by PGNAA technique

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Abstract

A method based on internal standard is proposed to correct the thermal neutron self-shielding effect of aqueous samples containing elements with large thermal neutron absorption cross-section using prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis. The experiments for determination of boron and cadmium dissolved in water were carried out to validate the method using a setup with a 300 mCi 241Am–Be source and a cylindrical 4 × 4 inch (diameter × height) BGO detector. The results showed the proposed methodology can be used to correct the self-shielding effects for the aqueous samples by prompt gamma neutron activation analysis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was support by the National Key Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Projects (Grant No. 2013YQ40861) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11375087).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 211106, China

    Wenbao Jia, Can Cheng, Daqian Hei, Yongsheng Ling, Hongtao Wang & Da Chen

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou, 215000, China

    Wenbao Jia, Can Cheng, Daqian Hei, Yongsheng Ling, Hongtao Wang & Da Chen

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  1. Wenbao Jia
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  2. Can Cheng
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  3. Daqian Hei
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  4. Yongsheng Ling
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  5. Hongtao Wang
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  6. Da Chen
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Correspondence to Daqian Hei.

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Jia, W., Cheng, C., Hei, D. et al. Method for correcting thermal neutron self-shielding effect for aqueous bulk sample analysis by PGNAA technique. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 304, 1133–1137 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-3962-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-3962-3

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