ABSTRACT
Neutron-induced gamma-ray-emitting radionuclides in components and surroundings of the University of Colorado 1.3-m sector-focusing cyclotron have been measured with Ge(Li) and HPGe detectors. These measurements were made before decommissioning of the cyclotron and before approving release of the accelerator components and building space for other uses. In addition to the activities expected from previous published work, 13.3-y 152Eu and 8.6-y 154Eu were found in the concrete shielding with specific activities of tens of becquerels per kilogram (a few nanocuries per kilogram).
Subject(s)
Particle Accelerators , Radioactivity , Environmental Monitoring , Europium , Neutrons , Radiation Monitoring , RadioisotopesABSTRACT
The use of the stable isotope 48Ca as a tracer in biological systems has been studied. Determination of 48Ca concentrations in samples was accomplished by proton activation via the (p,n) reaction with subsequent measurement of gamma-ray spectra from 44-h 48Sc and 4-h 44Sc. With protons of about 5.5 MeV and a Ge(Li) gamma-ray detector, and with no chemical processing of the samples, ratios of these two radioisotopes can be determined with sufficient precision to allow 48Ca tracer studies to be performed with sensitivity at least equivalent to that possible with the common 45Ca radioactive tracer.
