Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alpha Spectroscopy

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods

  • 381 Accesses

Synonyms

Alpha counting; Thick source alpha counting

Definition

Measurement of U and Th concentrations in environmental samples through detection of alpha particles emitted by isotopes in the U and Th decay chains.

Alpha particles emitted during radioactive decay are extremely short range (in minerals, micrometers) but deposit a significant quantity of energy. Therefore, the isotopes responsible for alpha emissions may be a large contributor to the overall absorbed radiation dose for a datable sample.

In order to measure the U and Th concentrations in a mineral, the sample is ground to a powder and deposited on a scintillator screen (mounted to a photomultiplier tube) or on to a semiconductor detector. Alpha particles deposit significantly more energy than beta particles or gamma rays, so unwanted counts are rejected through electronic processing of the signals recorded by the detector.

Although thin samples would provide better energy resolution (essentially no loss of energy due to...

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • Aitken, M. J., 1985. Thermoluminescence Dating. London: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michael, C. T., Hein, A., Zacharias, N., and Kritidis, P., 2008. Disequilibrium estimations in the U and Th series by using thick source alpha-particle spectroscopy. Radiation Measurements, 43, 1149–1153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sjostrand, H., and Prescott, J. R., 2002. Thick source alpha counting: the measurement of thorium. Ancient TL, 20, 7–10.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St West, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Jeroen Thompson Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Jeroen Thompson Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeroen Thompson Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    W. Jack Rink

  2. Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Jeroen Thompson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this entry

Cite this entry

Thompson, J. (2013). Alpha Spectroscopy. In: Rink, W., Thompson, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_49-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_49-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6326-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation