Characteristics of Formvar Films Used to Prevent Alpha-Detector Contamination

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2011

Keywords

Alpha spectrometry, Recoil contamination, Formvar film, Resolution

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1256-y

Abstract

Alpha spectrometry is an extremely useful and sensitive for detection of alpha-emitting nuclides. Contamination of the silicon detectors for low-level alpha spectrometry by recoil nuclides is a serious problem in the measurement of alpha emitters decaying to daughter nuclides with short half-lives. This unwanted contamination leads to decreased measurement sensitivity causing a degradation of the limit of detection. The simplest method to prevent this radioactive contamination of detector is to use a catcher film between the alpha source and the detector. In this work we describe the obtaining of the thin formvar films as stopper foils for recoil nuclei and we investigated the influence of these films on alpha spectrometry parameters, as energy shift (~30 keV) and resolution (~7%). No significant deterioration of the alpha spectrometry parameters was observed when using thin formvar films. Using the ASTAR web databases, which calculate stopping powers for alpha particles, the thickness of formvar films was estimated to be about 5.355 × 10−5 g/cm2. The measurements were performed with an ORTEC SOLOIST alpha spectrometer with PIPS detector.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

No

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, v. 290, p. 241-245

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS