Liquid scintillation spectrometer optimization during alpha and beta emitters determination in waters

Abstract

<p>U disertaciji je izvr&scaron;ena optimizacija detektorskog IZ&nbsp;&nbsp; sistema Quantulus 1220^TM radi razvoja metoda za određivanje pojedinačnih radionuklida ³H,²²²Rn i⁹⁰Sr, kao i ukupne alfa/beta aktivnosti u vodama. Predstavljeni su eksperimenti u svrhu kalibracije sistema, istraživanja uticaja relevantnih parametara na rezultate određivanja aktivnosti alfa i beta emitera, i pode&scaron;avanja optimalnih vrednosti ovih parametara.&nbsp;Posebna pažnja je posvećena variranju&nbsp; PSA diskriminatora, odnosno pode&scaron;avanju analizatora oblika impulsa na optimalnu vrednost u svrhu optimalnog razdvajanja alfa od beta događaja, kao i ispitivanju efekata prigu&scaron;enja u uzorcima i metodama&nbsp;njihove korekcije.&nbsp; Predstavljene razvijene metode su brze, efikasne i jednostavne, &scaron;to je naročito važno u slučaju radijacionog akcidenta, kada je potrebno brzo odrediti sadržaj radionuklida u&nbsp; uzorcima vode, a njihova validnost je pokazana u okviru međunarodnih<br />i međulaboratorijskih interkomparacija.</p>

<p>Dissertation involves optimization of detector AB&nbsp;&nbsp; system&nbsp; Quantulus 1220^TM for development of methods for determination of individual radionuclides ³H, ²²²Rn and ⁹⁰Sr, as well as gross alpha/beta activity in waters. Presented experiments had purpose of calibration of the system,&nbsp; investigation&nbsp; of&nbsp; relevant parameters&nbsp; influence&nbsp; on&nbsp; activity&nbsp; measurements&nbsp; of alpha and beta emitters, as well as&nbsp; setting the optimum values of&nbsp; these parameters. Special attention&nbsp; was devoted to&nbsp; PSA&nbsp; discriminator value&nbsp; setting, i.e. adjusting the pulse shape analyzer level at optimum value for an optimal separation of alpha from beta events, as well as testing the effects of quenching in the samples and methods for quench&nbsp; correction. Presented developed methods are fast, efficient and simple, which is especially important in the case of a radiation accident, when there is a need to quickly determine the content of radionuclides in water samples, and their validity has been demonstrated within the framework of international and inter-laboratory&nbsp; ntercomparison measurements.</p>