36
4 Radiation Detection Technology
source; many newer instruments use natural
40 K and they continually monitor
that gamma to stabilize the energy response during temperature changes.
Scintillation detectors can also misidentify radionuclides when two or more
radionuclides emit gammas with very similar energies. As noted above, it is not
uncommon, for example, to have Ra-226 (with a gamma energy of 186 keV)
misidentified as U-235 (with a gamma energy of 185 keV).
Fig. 4.4 Examples of gamma spectra, obtained with a sodium iodide detector (top four) and background radiation as measured with high-purity germanium (bottom). The high peak at 1460 keV is
naturally occurring K-40. Spectra obtained by author
4 Radiation Detection Technology
source; many newer instruments use natural
40 K and they continually monitor
that gamma to stabilize the energy response during temperature changes.
Scintillation detectors can also misidentify radionuclides when two or more
radionuclides emit gammas with very similar energies. As noted above, it is not
uncommon, for example, to have Ra-226 (with a gamma energy of 186 keV)
misidentified as U-235 (with a gamma energy of 185 keV).
Fig. 4.4 Examples of gamma spectra, obtained with a sodium iodide detector (top four) and background radiation as measured with high-purity germanium (bottom). The high peak at 1460 keV is
naturally occurring K-40. Spectra obtained by author