Ultra Low-level Gamma-ray Spectrometry Research Articles

Investigation of advanced materials for fusion alpha particle diagnostics

Fusion alpha particle diagnostics for ITER remain a challenging task. Standard escaping alpha particle detectors in present tokamaks are not applicable to ITER and techniques suitable for fusion reactor conditions need further research and development [1,2]. The activation technique is widely used for the characterization of high fluence rates inside neutron reactors. Tokamak applications of the neutron activation technique are already well developed [3] whereas measuring escaping ions using this technique is a novel fusion plasma diagnostic development. Despite low alpha particle fluence levels in present tokamaks, promising results using activation technique combined with ultra-low level gamma-ray spectrometry [4] were achieved before in JET [5,6].In this research work, we use new advanced detector materials. The material properties beneficial for alpha induced activation are (i) moderate neutron cross-sections (ii) ultra-high purity which reduces neutron-induced background activation and (iii) isotopic tailoring which increases the activation yield of the measured activation product.Two samples were obtained from GERDA[7], an experiment aimed at measuring the neutrinoless double beta decay in 76Ge. These samples, made of highly pure (9N) germanium highly enriched to 87% in isotope Ge-76, were irradiated in real D–D fusion plasma conditions inside the TEXTOR tokamak. Comparison of the calculated and the experimentally measured activity shows good agreement. Compared to previously investigated high temperature ceramic material [8], this candidate detector offers better prospects for signal to background S/B ratio, energy resolution and particle selectivity due to a unique alpha particle signature. Applicability to ITER is discussed. Finally, research needs for further development of this diagnostic technique are outlined.

LAFARA: a new underground laboratory in the French Pyrénées for ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry

We describe a new underground laboratory, namely LAFARA (for “LAboratoire de mesure des FAibles RAdioactivités”), that was recently created in the French Pyrénées. This laboratory is primarily designed to analyze environmental samples that display low radioactivity levels using gamma-ray spectrometry. Two high-purity germanium detectors were placed under 85 m of rock (ca. 215 m water equivalent) in the tunnel of Ferrières (Ariège, France). The background is thus reduced by a factor of ∼20 in comparison to above-ground laboratories. Both detectors are fully equipped so that the samples can be analyzed in an automatic mode without requiring permanent presence of a technician in the laboratory. Auto-samplers (twenty positions) and systems to fill liquid nitrogen automatically provide one month of autonomy to the spectrometers. The LAFARA facility allows us to develop new applications in the field of environmental sciences based on the use of natural radionuclides present at low levels in the environment. As an illustration, we present two of these applications: i) dating of marine sediments using the decay of 226Ra in sedimentary barite (BaSO4), ii) determination of 227Ac (231Pa) activities in marine sediment cores.

First fusion proton measurements in TEXTOR plasmas using activation technique

MeV particle loss measurements from fusion plasmas, in particular alpha particles, remain difficult in large fusion devices and further R&D is needed for ITER. This paper describes the first attempt to measure 3 MeV escaping fusion protons emitted from TEXTOR tokamak plasmas using activation technique. This technique was successfully demonstrated, initially, in 2006 on the JET tokamak. An ion camera equipped with a collimator and several types of activation detectors was installed inside the TEXTOR vacuum vessel to perform these measurements. After irradiation, the detectors were analyzed using ultra low level gamma-ray spectrometry at the HADES underground laboratory. 3 MeV escaping fusion protons were detected in larger number -~6 times more--compared to earlier measurements using this technique on JET. Another major progress was the reduction of the cooling time by a factor of 50, which made possible to detect radionuclides with half-life of less than 90 min.

Distribution of 60Co in steel samples from Hiroshima

This paper describes ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry measurements of the 60Co activity distribution inside one 52mm and one 41mm thick steel sample. The samples had been exposed to the Hiroshima atomic bomb and were from the Aioi bridge and the Yokogawa bridge. Both samples were measured in a recent study aiming to back up model calculation of Hiroshima dosimetry. The 60Co activity distributions found in this study support the assumptions made in the previous study.

Monitoring the leakage of 3.0 and 14.7 MeV protons from a fusion plasma

An experiment to study, separately, the leakage of protons of 3.0 and 14.7 MeV in the JET Tokamak, is presented. The activity of the activation products induced by the plasma in different samples that were placed inside the Tokamak was measured using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry (ULGS). Stacking of some of the samples during activation allowed differentiating between the protons of 3.0 and 14.7 MeV that originated in two different reactions in the plasma. For the B 4C sample the ratio of the 3.0 and 14.7 MeV proton flux could be determined as 0.17(10) assuming normal incidence and 0.31(16) assuming 45° incidence. For LiF the result obtained was that, within the uncertainty, there was no contribution from the 3.0 MeV protons.

Natural radioactivity in winter wheat from organic and conventional agricultural systems

The distribution of natural radionuclides was studied in winter wheat plants collected from three sites in Belgium during 2004–2007. Activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Th in organically and conventionally grown wheat, and in the corresponding soil samples, were determined using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry. The observed soil-to-wheat concentration ratios were calculated for the different parts of the wheat plant (root, stem and grain) in the two agricultural systems (organic and conventional). There were large variations in radionuclide activity concentrations between the sites and fields, but no significant difference between conventionally and organically grown wheat plants was observed.

Charged fusion product loss measurements using nuclear activation

In ITER, α particle loss measurements will be required in order to understand the alpha particle physics. Techniques capable of operating in a fusion reactor environment need further development. Recent experimental studies on JET demonstrated the potential of nuclear activation to measure the flux of escaping MeV ions. New results from MeV ion induced activation of metallic, ceramic, and crystal samples placed near the plasma edge are reported. Activation products were measured as function of orientation with respect to the magnetic field as well as function of the distance to the plasma. Sample activity was measured using ultralow-level gamma-ray spectrometry. Distribution of 14.68 MeV fusion proton induced activation products is strongly anisotropic in agreement with simulations and falls off sharply with increasing distance to the plasma. Prospects for using the technique in ITER are discussed.

Gamma-ray spectrometry of ultra low levels of radioactivity within the material screening program for the GERDA experiment

In present and future experiments in the field of rare events physics a background index of 10 −3 counts/(keV kg a) or better in the region of interest is envisaged. A thorough material screening is mandatory in order to achieve this goal. The results of a systematic study of radioactive trace impurities in selected materials using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry in the framework of the GERDA experiment are reported.

Low-level gamma-ray spectrometry for analysing fusion plasma conditions

A new method, combining activation by neutrons and charged particles with ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry, aimed at obtaining a better understanding and more adequate measurements of MeV particle leaks in magnetic fusion devices was studied here. A total of 36 samples containing Ti, LiF, B 4C and W were placed in a boron-nitride holder mounted on the ceiling of the JET Tokamak. The samples were activated by 63 pulses from a D– 3He plasma and were later measured using underground gamma-ray spectrometry. The radionuclides 7Be, 46Sc, 54Mn, 56Co, 57Co, 58Co, 124Sb, 181Hf, 182Ta, 181W and 185W were detected in several of the samples, with very low levels of activity of 47Sc and 48V found in a few of the samples. The various production channels for the radionuclides in question are discussed.

A low-level activation technique for monitoring thermonuclear fusion plasma conditions

Optimisation of the confinement and sustainability of a thermonuclear plasma requires methods to monitor processes in the plasma. In this work three materials were used as activation targets (Ti, MgF 2 and a TiVAl compound). They were placed inside the joint European Torus (JET) vacuum chamber. Certain gamma-ray emitting radionuclides ( 7Be, 54Mn, 56Co, 57Co, 58Co and 46Sc) were measured using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry in an underground laboratory 1–2 months after activation. They were found to arise from neutron activation of bulk sample material and surface contaminants sputtered from other Tokamak parts. Decision thresholds for some activation products were determined in order to aid in giving upper bounds for the flux of charged particles.

Measurement of low levels of 26Al from meteorite samples

As part of an intercomparison to resolve discrepancies between accelerator mass spectrometry results and radiometric results, the 26Al activity in four meteorite samples was measured using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry in the underground laboratory HADES. Although reference sources were used, extensive use was made of computer modelling to determine corrections for absorption, coincidence summing between gamma rays in the decays and annihilation radiation following positron emission. Directional correlation corrections were also taken into account. The limiting uncertainties in these measurements arose from counting statistics of 5–9%. Some computer modelling was undertaken to determine optimum geometry for this type of intercomparison involving gamma-ray spectrometry.

Ultra low-level gamma ray spectrometry of thorium in human bone samples.

Following the use of in vivo measurements of 210Pb to estimate retrospectively radon exposure, interest has been expressed in the use of in vivo measurements of 208Tl to estimate thorium intake. To aid with calibration and to determine the optimum part of the body on which in vivo measurements should be made, the distribution of 208Tl and 228Ac amongst different human bones was measured in the underground laboratory HADES. The 208Tl activity was determined by the 2614.5 keV and the 583.2 keV gamma ray lines. The 225Ac activity was determined by the 911.2 keV and the 969.0 keV gamma ray lines. The background under those peaks when measured on the 106% relative efficiency coaxial HPGe detector in HADES is of the order of 1 d(-1), resulting in detection limits in the order of 1 mBq for both radionuclides for a typical 10 g bone sample and for a measuring time of I week.