Gamma-ray spectrometry

摘要

A calibration source for a gamma-ray spectrometer is provided, comprising a scintillator body having a cavity in which a radioactive material is received. A scintillator body may be cuboid and the cavity may be a hole drilled into the scintillator body. The radioactive material comprises an isotope having a decay transition associated with emission of a radiation particle and a gamma-ray of known energy. A photodetector is optically coupled to the scintillator body and arranged to detect scintillation photons generated when radiation particles emitted from the radioactive material interact with the surrounding scintillator. A gating circuit is arranged to receive detection signals to generate corresponding gating signals for a data acquisition circuit of an associated gamma-ray spectrometer to indicate that gamma-ray detections in the gamma-ray spectrometer occurring within a time window defined by the gating signal are associated with a decay transition in the radioactive isotope.

主权项

1. A calibration source for a gamma-ray spectrometer, the calibration source comprising:
a scintillator body having a cavity in which a radioactive material is received, the radioactive material comprising a radioactive isotope having a decay transition associated with emission of a radiation particle and a gamma-ray having a known energy; a photodetector optically coupled to the scintillator body and arranged to detect scintillation photons associated with radiation particles emitted from the radioactive material within the cavity of the scintillator body interacting with the scintillator body and to output corresponding detection signals; and a gating circuit arranged to receive the detection signals from the photodetector and to generate a corresponding gating signal and to output the gating signal for receipt by a data acquisition circuit of a gamma-ray spectrometer to indicate that gamma-ray detection in the gamma-ray spectrometer occurring within a time window defined by the gating signal is associated with a decay transition in the radioactive isotope.