Coincidence counting for PGNAA applications: Is it the optimum method?

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Abstract

One of the main advantages of γ-γ coincidence counting is the reduction of the background spectrum, pulse pile-up, and summing effects (for simple schemes). For prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA), the sources of background include the gamma-rays from the natural background, from surrounding materials, from the neutron source, and from detector neutron activation. While this counting approach effectively increases the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, it also decreases the signal counting rate. This adds some practical limitations to using this approach. In this work, two examples are presented for the efficient use of the coincidence counting approach.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)309-314
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Volume265
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2005
Externally publishedYes

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of: (1) the Associates Program – Nuclear Techniques in Oil Well Logging with present members Baker Atlas, Advantage Engineering/Computalog, Shell, and ExxonMobil; (2) the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant No. FG07-99ID13775 entitled “Coincidence Prompt Gamma-Ray Neutron Activation Analysis”, and (3) Sabia, Inc. for a Subcontract on an STTR Project with the U.S. Department of Energy entitled “Real-Time Monitoring of Ash, Sulfur, and Elemental Contaminants by Neutron-Gamma Spectroscopy”.

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