Abstract
The relative effectiveness of plutonium-beryllium and americium-beryllium isotopic neutron sources are compared for use in prompt-γ neutron-activation analysis. Measurements were performed with a boron trifluoride neutron detector, a Geiger-Müller tube and a sodium iodide scintillation crystal. Relative neutron levels and associated γ-radiation produced by these sources in a standard moderating system are normalized to neutron emission rates. The normalized thermal neutron level for the sources is the same, which verifies the source calibrations. The americium source has a higher γ-radiation level than the plutonium source when normalized to the same neutron emission rate, which is primarily due to the higher energy γ-radiation emitted in the decay of Am 241. Therefore, for prompt-γ neutron-activation analysis, use of an americium source could be applied to reactions in which a γ-ray of high energy is emitted, so that no interference with the low energy background radiation occurs.
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