Determination of the Ratio of L-X-Rays to Alpha Particles Emitted by PU-239
Abstract
A method of absolute counting was used to determine a value for the ratio of L-X-rays to alpha particles emitted by Pu-239. The emission rates of alpha particles were measured with a detector made of lithium-drifted silicon, operated at room temperature and at a pressure of 0.001-torr. The emission rates of photons were measured with a detector made of lithium-drifted germanium (Ge(Li)), cooled to a temperature of 77 deg K. All measurements were recorded with a 400-channel pulse-height analyzer. The efficiency of the Ge(Li) detector for photoelectric interactions was established from a series of measurements of a source of AM-241 with a known activity. The geometric arrangements of the sources and the detectors were varied widely to avoid biased results that may have accrued if all measurements had been made with the geometry fixed. The count rates recorded by the detection apparatus were corrected for the efficiency of the detector and the geometry of the measurement by means of a computer program, to yield the rate of emission of the source for each energy of interest.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0857541
Entities
People
- Neil A. Coddington
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory