Skip to main content
Log in

Alpha-particle analysis of a triple isotope 239Pu – 241Am – 244Cm source by nuclear track methodology

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This work presents a new approach using nuclear track in solids methodology (NTSM) for the energy analysis of alpha-particles. This method is based on the quantitative relationship between the energy deposited in the polycarbonate by the geometrical parameters of the developed track after the chemical etching. We used separated calibrated sources of 239Pu and 241Am, and a mixed source with 239Pu, 241Am and 244Cm. CR-39 polycarbonate manufactured by Landauer Inc.® was selected as the detector material, because of its excellent response to these energies. The chemical etching was done in two steps: (a) pre-etching to avoid the irregularities on the surface of the material, and (b) chemical etching to develop the track. In both processes the temperature and pH of the solution need to be very controlled. The geometrical characteristics of the formed tracks were analyzed automatically by Digital Image System. The results show a distribution of track diameters as a function of the energies analyzed analogous to the pulses produced on the conventional electronic detection system.

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

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. P. Fews, D. L. Henshaw, Nucl. Instr. Meth., 197 (1982) 517.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. G. Campos Venuti, M. Diociaiuti, G. Grisanti, S. Risica, Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas., 8 (1984) 199.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. G. Espinosa, R. J. Silva, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 234 (1998) 283.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. O. A. Bondarenko, P. L. Salmon, D. L. Henshaw, A. P. Fews, Radiat. Meas., 26 (1996) 59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. A. M. Abdel Moneim, A. Addel Naby, F. A. El Ekkad, Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas., 21 (1993) 235.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. M. Izerrouken, J. Skvarc, R. Ilic, Radiat. Meas., 31 (1999) 141.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. R. L. Fleischer, P. B. Price, R. M. Walker, Nuclear Tracks in Solids, Principles and Applications, University of California Press, Berkeley, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  8. G. Espinosa, A. Moreno, Proc. 10th Intern. Conf. on SSNTD, Lyon, France, July 1979, Pergamon Press.

  9. D. L. Henshaw, Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas., 16 (1989) 253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. G. Espinosa, R. B. Gammage, K. Meyer, R. B. Wheeleer, M. Salasky, Radiat. Prot. Dosim., 59 (1995) 227.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. G. Espinosa, R. B. Gammage, K. E. Meyer, C. S. Dudney, Radiat. Prot. Dosim., 66 (1996) 363.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Espinosa, G., Silva, R.J. Alpha-particle analysis of a triple isotope 239Pu – 241Am – 244Cm source by nuclear track methodology. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 248, 575–578 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010622703206

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010622703206

Keywords

Navigation