Simulation of a method for determining one-dimensional 137 Cs distribution using multiple gamma spectroscopic measurements with an adjustable cylindrical collimator and center shield.

With multiple in situ gamma spectroscopic measurements obtained with an adjustable cylindrical collimator and a circular shield, the arbitrary one-dimensional distribution of radioactive material can be determined. The detector responses are theoretically calculated, field measurements obtained, and a system of equations relating detector response to measurement geometry and activity distribution solved to estimate the distribution. This paper demonstrates the method by simulating multiple scenarios and providing analysis of the system conditioning.

A numerical method for the calibration of in situ gamma ray spectroscopy systems.

High purity germanium in situ gamma ray spectroscopy systems are typically calibrated using pre-calculated tables and empirical formulas to estimate the response of a detector to an exponentially distributed source in a soil matrix. Although this method is effective, it has estimated uncertainties of 10-15%, is limited to only a restricted set of measurement scenarios, and the approach only applies to an exponentially distributed source. In addition, the only soil parameters that can be varied are density and moisture content, while soil attenuation properties are fixed. This paper presents a more flexible method for performing such calibrations. For this new method, a three- or four-dimensional analytical expression is derived that is a combination of a theoretical equation and experimentally measured data. Numerical methods are used to integrate this expression, which approximates the response of a detector to a large variety of source distributions within any soil, concrete, or other matrix. The calculation method is flexible enough to allow for the variation of multiple parameters, including media attenuation properties and the measurement geometry. The method could easily be adapted to horizontally non-uniform sources as well. Detector responses are calculated analytically and Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations are used to verify the results. Results indicate that the method adds an uncertainty of only approximately 5% to the other uncertainties typically associated with the calibration of a detector system.

Calibration drift in a laboratory high purity germanium detector spectrometry system.

For unknown radionuclide identification, it is important that a high purity germanium (HPGe) spectrometry system be calibrated correctly for energy. The energy calibration of an HPGe spectrometry system will drift over time due to a variety of factors including the ambient temperature, the line voltage applied to the system, variation in the electronics, and other possible influences. In order to better understand the nature of this energy calibration drift, calibration spectra were collected over a period of several months from a laboratory HPGe spectrometry system. System parameters, including detector voltage, amplifier gain, and preamplifier gain, were not deliberately modified during the course of the experiment. The system was calibrated routinely over the 90 days, and the results of the calibrations were compared in order to assess the drift in the energy calibration of the detector over time. The analysis of a 36% high purity germanium system demonstrated the energy calibration drifted an average of 0.014 keV d(-1) to 0.041 keV d(-1) depending upon energy. At 1,332 keV, one day after calibration, it was shown that up to half of the total error in energy calibration was as a result of calibration drift.