Comparison of measured and calculated emission probabilities for K and L X-rays following radioactive disintegration processes

Abstract

The program EMISSION has been developed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). It allows emission probabilities to be calculated for K and L X-rays following radioactive disintegration processes. This program was already applied to the calculation of total K X-ray emission probabilities for six radionuclides. The results are found to be in reasonable agreement with measured values. In order to check the validity of this program also for the individual components of K and L X-rays, calculated emission probabilities of K X-ray components ( 139Ce, 203Hg) and L X-ray components ( 139Ce, 203Hg, 241Am) were compared with remeasured ( 139Ce, 203Hg) and already available ( 241Am) emission probabilities, measured earlier at the PTB. In most cases there is an agreement within the standard uncertainties of the measured and calculated values, usually within 1–5%. Larger deviations, not covered by three times the standard uncertainty have been found for some weak lines.