Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Improvement of the Ca determination accuracy with k 0-INAA using an HPGe coaxial detector with extended energy range efficiency calibration

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We show that use of the radionuclide 56Co for calibration of the full energy peak efficiency, ε, of a coaxial HPGe detector, in addition to the commonly employed set of activity standards (133Ba, 241Am, 152Eu, 57Co, 137Cs, 88Y, 65Zn), affects significantly the ε values in the high energy region. This change resulted in substantial improvement of the accuracy of Ca determination by k 0-INAA via the 49Ca radionuclide, which emits predominantly the 3084 keV photons, as demonstrated by Ca results in NIST SRMs 1547 Peach Leaves, 1633b constituent elements in coal fly ash, and 2711 Montana II Soil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Molnár GL, Révay Zs, Belgya T (2002) Wide energy range calibration method for Ge detectors. Nucl Instrum Methods A 489:140–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Szentmiklósi L, Révay Zs, Maróti B, Párkányi D, Harsányi I (2017) High-energy calibration data for neutron activation analysis. J Radioanal Nucl Chem. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5651x

    Google Scholar 

  3. NuDat 2.6. National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 2012, www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/, Accessed on 2 Oct 2017

  4. Update of X-ray and gamma-ray decay data standards for detector calibration and other applications, Volume 1: Recommended decay data, high-energy gamma-ray standards and angular correlation coefficients (2007). IAEA Vienna, STI/PUB/1287

  5. Barker PH, Connor RD (1967) 56Co as a calibration source up to 3.5 MeV for gamma ray detectors. Nucl Instrum Methods 57:147–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Auble RL, McHarris WC, Kelly WH (1967) The decay schemes of 56Co and 56Mn and their use as calibration standards. Nucl Phys A 91:225–237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Funck E, Schötzig U, Woods MJ, Sephton JP, Munster AS (1992) 56Co standardization and half-life. Nucl Instrum Methods A 312:334–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Miyahara H, Yoshida A, Ishikawa N, Mori C (1998) Simple source preparation and disintegration rate measurement of 56Co and its use for efficiency calibration. Appl Radiat Isot 49:9–11

    Google Scholar 

  9. Raman S, Yonezawa C, Matsue H, Iimura H, Shinohara N (2000) Efficiency calibration of a Ge detector in the 0.1–11.0 MeV region. Nucl Instrum Methods A 454:389–402

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Helmer RG, Nica N, Hardy JC, Iacob VE (2004) Precise efficiency calibration of a HPGe detector up to 3.5 MeV, with measurements and Monte Carlo calculations. Appl Radiat Isot 60:173–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dryák P, Kovář P (2008) Determination of emission probabilities of gamma photons in the decay of 56Co. Appl Radiat Isotopes 66:711–714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Rizwan U, Chester A, Domingo T, Starosta K, Williams J, Voss P (2015) A method for establishing absolute full-energy peak efficiency and its confidence interval for HPGe detectors. Nucl Instrum Methods A 802:102–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kubešová M, Kučera J, Fikrle M (2011) A new monitor set for the determination of neutron flux parameters in short-time k 0-NAA. Nucl Instrum Methods A 656:61–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kayzero for Windows for Reactor Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) Using k 0 Standardization Method, Version 2, User’s Manual, DSM Research R94-11492, Geleen, The Netherlands, 2005

  15. De Corte F (1987) The k 0 Standardization method. A Move to the Optimization of Neutron Activation Analysis. University of Gent, Belgium

  16. De Corte F, Simonits A (2003) Recommended nuclear data for use in the k 0 standardization of neutron activation analysis. At Data Nucl Data Tables 85:47–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Czech Science Foundation, grant P108/12/G108.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 250 68, Husinec-Řež 130, Czech Republic

    Jan Kučera, Marie Kubešová & Ondřej Lebeda

Authors
  1. Jan Kučera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marie Kubešová
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ondřej Lebeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Kučera.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kučera, J., Kubešová, M. & Lebeda, O. Improvement of the Ca determination accuracy with k 0-INAA using an HPGe coaxial detector with extended energy range efficiency calibration. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 315, 671–675 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5656-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5656-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation