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Developments in radioanalytics: from Geiger counters to single atom counting

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Progress in radioanalytical science, mainly in radiometrics and mass spectrometry technologies for ultra-sensitive analyses of radionuclides applied in natural sciences is shortly reviewed. While in the radiometrics sector the greatest developments have been made in underground Ge gamma-spectrometry, in the mass spectrometry sector the accelerator mass spectrometry had dominant position reaching the status of single atom counting and compound specific analysis for some long-lived radionuclides.

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Acknowledgements

First, I would like to thank Prof. Zsolt Révay, the Chief Editor of Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, for his invitation to write this review at the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Journal. The Journal, originally founded by Prof. Tibor Braun (in collaboration with the late Prof. Juraj Tölgyessy from Bratislava), has become a leading and comprehensive printed (and later also Internet) medium for radioanalytical science and technology, with important impacts on new developments and their applications almost in all experimental research fields. Therefore, our appreciation goes to all these scientists for their great vision and continuing support of radioanalytical science.

The development of radioanalytical methods focusing on radionuclide analyses was an international undertaking and this review can only mention a few of the contributions. Many colleagues participated in various stages of these developments, and even more on applications of these methods. Personally, I would like therefore to acknowledge at least some of them with whom I was working on joint projects. I am indebted to colleagues and graduated students in my CENTA team at the Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics (R. Breier, M. Ješkovský, J. Kaizer, I. Kontul’, V. Palušová, J. Pánik,, M. Richtáriková, J. Staníček, J. Szarka, A. Šivo, J. Zeman) for fruitful collaboration on recent developments of radiometrics, accelerator mass spectrometry and ion beam analysis technologies, as well as to senior staff of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics (K. Holý, P. Kúš, J. Masarik, V. Porubčan, I. Sýkora, S. Tokár, J. Tóth) for continuing collaboration and support.

It has been great pleasure during and after my stay at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco to work on various aspects of radioanalytical developments (including separation radiochemistry, radiometrics and mass spectrometry methods, development of the CAVE underground laboratory in Monaco, etc.) with IAEA staff members (M.S. Baxter, J.-F. Comanducci, S.W. Fowler, J. Gastaud, L. Huynh-Ngoc, J. La Rosa, S.- H. Lee, I. Levy, L. Liong Wee Kwong, H.D. Livingston, J.C. Miquel, B. Oregioni, I. Osvath, M.K. Pham, E.J. Wyse, and others), but also with numerous visitors working on long-term contracts (T. Honda, Y. Ikeuchi, T. Ito, M. Nakano, O. Togawa, and others).

It has also been a great privilege to work with my friends, distinguished scientists from all over the world, on developments of radioanalytical technologies (to mention at least the leaders of the groups participating in joint projects): M. Aoyama (Fukushima), L. Benedik (Ljubljana), M. Betti (Karlsruhe), W.C. Burnett (Tallahassee), J.R. Chisholm (Monaco), L.K. Fifield (Canberra), Y. Hamajima (Kanazawa), K. Hirose (Tokyo), G.-H. Hong (Seoul), M.A.C. Hotchkis (Sydney), X. Hou (Riso), Y. Igarashi (Tsukuba), Y. Ikeuchi (Chiba), K.G.W. Inn (Gaithersburg), T. Ito (Tokai), P. Jean-Baptist (Gif-sur-Yvette), J. John (Prague), A.J.T. Jull (Tucson), W. E. Kieser (Toronto, Ottawa), J. Kučera (Prague), Y. Kumamoto (Yokosuka), M. Laubenstein (Gran Sasso), H.-C. Li (Taipei), G. Lujaniené (Vilnius), M. Molnár (Debrecen), U. Morgenstern (Lower Hutt), M. Nakano (Tokai), H. Nies (Hamburg), S. Nisi (Gran Sasso), S.V. Pagava (Tbilisi), L. Palcsu (Debrecen), P. Steier (Vienna), I. Svetlik (Prague), F. Terrasi (Caserta), O. Togawa (Tokai), Z. Top (Miami) and with more than two hundred colleagues participating in international underground physics projects NEMO-3, SuperNEMO, LEGEND and EURECA.

The developments of ultra-sensitive radioanalytical technologies and their applications at the Comenius University in Bratislava have recently been supported by the EU Research and Development Operational Program funded by the ERDF (Projects 26240120012, 26240120026 and 26240220004), by the International Atomic Energy Agency (Projects SLR 0/008, SLR 0/009, SLR1001), by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (Projects APVV 15-0576 and APVV 16-0148) and by the VEGA Scientific Granting Agency of Slovakia (Projects 1/0891/17 and 1/0783/14).

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  1. Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Pavel P. Povinec

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Povinec, P.P. Developments in radioanalytics: from Geiger counters to single atom counting. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 318, 1573–1585 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6248-8

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