Re: Portable alpha spectroscopy

[Gary Masters <gmasters@csn.net>]

We have been using the AP-2 to identify isotopes on air samples with good
results. I'm not sure how well it would work with an irregular surface such
as a PC board.

What do you mean when you say "(Disassembly of other people's hardware isn't
always an option.)"? An AP-2 won't detect contained isotopes.

 *********************************************************************
 * Gary Masters, ALARA Program Coordinator, RFETS   gmasters@csn.net *
 *         Get Totally Warped - Use a Mac as a Unix terminal!        *
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> We periodically need to identify unknown alpha emitters which are not readily
> removeable from surfaces. Typically, this occurs when trying to identify the
> isotope found on a circuit board which may have been subjected to a number of
> processes involving different alpha emitting isotopes (i.e., neutron or
> fission product irradiation from Cf-252 sources, dusting with air from
> anti-static air nozzles containing Po-210, etc.). Alpha emission levels from
> the surface of these components range between 0.3 and 35 per cm2 per minute.
>
> The only portable instrument we have seen that would give us this capability
> is the new SAIC AP-2 alpha analyzer. Does anyone have any experience with this
> or any other device that would permit alpha spectroscopy on fairly large
> objects? (Disassembly of other people's hardware isn't always an option.) Or
> can anyone suggest an alternate means for accomplishing this?We are concern ed
> about reliability, ease of use, ability to calibrate, and general usefulness
> of whatever instrument we get.
>
> Thanks,
> Richard W. Edwards, Analyst          The Boeing Company
> Phone: (206) 393-1999                P.O. Box 3707, M/S 6Y-38
> Fax:   (206) 393-3060                Seattle, WA  98124-2207
>
>
>