BULK: Re: [ RadSafe ] Can tritium produce bremsstrahlung?

[Wesley]

Tom and All,

 

Your characterization of the average Bremsstrahlung x-ray being about 2 keV
is correct.

 

What you are missing is the small fraction of H-3 betas at the upper end of
the beta energy spectrum: about 15 to 18 keV. And the small fraction of the
resulting Bremsstrahlung x-rays about 15 to 18 keV. Thus, perhaps 0.00001
(just my guess) of the H-3 betas will produce an x-ray above 15 keV. These
x-ray photons are detectable, with varying efficiency, with common radiation
survey meters. And even better, with a thin NaI crystal detector with a thin
beryllium window.

 

Best regards,

Wes

Wesley R. Van Pelt, PhD, CIH, CHP

Wesley R. Van Pelt Associates, Inc.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
Of Tom Harrison
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 4:07 PM
To: brees at lanl.gov; stiegli1 at msu.edu; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: BULK: Re: [ RadSafe ] Can tritium produce bremsstrahlung?

 

 

 

wait a minute Gang... I may be very wrong as many times I am, but  the

peak internsity energy for spectral  beta emitters like H-3 is not the

18.6 kev end point energy , but rather the 18.6/3 peak energy for the

betas, or about 6 kev..... then you gott'a  convolute the bremmstrahlung

energy spectrum onto this peak meaning that in the final analysis you'd

be looking for 1-2 kev X-rays peak, which is less than the

bremmstrahlung 

X-rays you would get off an X-ray tube ... unless the H-3 source is

well into the curie(excuse the oldie but goodie  units)  activity range,

the chances of detecting 1-2 kev X-rays with any probe are probably

pretty remote..... am I missing something here ???

 

Tom Harrison, Ph.D.

University of North Texas

Denton, TX  

HarrisoT at adaf.admin.unt.edu 

 

 

 

 

Thomas G. Harrison, Ph.D.

Radiation Safety Officer

Room 245 ESaT Bldg

UNT

tel:      (940)565-3282

page:  (817)824-9349

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>> Brian Rees <brees at lanl.gov> 2/21/2006 4:03 PM >>>

Oh rats, my favorite source of winning beer will be gone.  Most folks

will 

bet that you can't, but go find a tritium exit sign.  Any time you get

 

10^11 or 10^12 things occurring every second even low probability

things 

happen.  It's not a stupid question at all, just go try it.

 

Brian Rees

 

 

 

At 12:04 PM 2/21/2006, Jon Stieglitz wrote:

>Could someone please tell me if a beta pancake is able to detect

tritium in

>any amounts?  I have heard from reputable sources that it can. 

Obviously

>the beta is too weak to be detected so as I understand it, the only

way

>would be to detect the bremsstrahlung radiation.  Is tritium

energetic

>enough to produce bremsstrahlung?  Can anyone tell me how much would

be

>needed?  I apologize if this is a stupid question but nobody has

totally

>answered the question to my satisfaction.

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

>J. Stieglitz

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