[ RadSafe ] low energy gamma-spikes

[Alston, Chris]

Marco

Yes, the doserate would have to be very high for an E-compensated GM detector to see something at 25 keV.  Noise from the high tension power lines would be my first guess, too.

Cheers
cja

-----Original Message-----
From: marco bähler [mailto:m.c.baehler at bluewin.ch] 
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 2:51 PM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] low energy gamma-spikes

dear group

I live close to an old bwr and went for a walk with my BNC 935 / 3inch NaI. it was towards the end of the annual refueling period.
500m downwind, calm wind, on the open field  suddenly I recorded several short alarms, lasting between one and 12 seconds. countrates up to 15000cps. energy almost exclusively around 25 keV. I am wondering what this could have been. 
answers from the authorities range from "noise due to high tension lines" (actually 200m away) to "probably x-ray exams somewhere" and  "no hear no see no say" or "cosmic particle showers". 
one answer referred to the gm-tube-equipped doserate-monitoring network which "recorded nothing". I think it is quite common for compensated gm tubes not to see 25 keV.
Is someone of YOU familiar with such spikes (me thinks I can call them clouds) and knows possible sources/causes? (Cd109??)

kind regards and thankyou for pondering 

marco bähler
(euratom level 5b, 2004 utrecht)
uetikon
switzerland


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