Re: Wanted: Help interpreting photon spectrum

["JERRY ROSEN" <rosen@rso.radsafe.pitt.edu>]

The wire is likely a capillary tube that was filled with radon for 
the manufacture of radon seeds.  The 803 keV gamma is a rarely 
reported, low abundance, Po-210 gamma ray.  The 46 keV line is from 
Pb-210. The remainder are fluorescent x rays. You should also have a 
broad continuum of bremstrahlung from the Bi-210 beta emmision.



> Subject:       Wanted: Help interpreting photon spectrum

> Could someone with a more useful gamma catalog than I have help me with
> this?
> 
> I recently ran a photon spectrum on some gold wire that had been hiding
> away for a number of years. The history on this is irretrievable since
> the person who was responsible for this retired a number of years ago
> and has since passed away.
> 
> Here's what I have. The photon emission rates are highly suspect since I
> suspect that there is a significant amount of self-shielding,
> particularly at the lower energies.
> 
> Energy in keV	Photon emission rate (approx.)
> 
> 802.96 +/- 0.25		17 photons/sec
> 80.17 +/- 0.02		>480 photons/sec
> 77.87 +/- 0.02		>1500 photons/sec
> 68.80 +/- 0.02		>4200 photons/sec
> 46.52 +/- 0.02		>1000 photon/sec
> 
> The age of the source and the 803 keV lines are the real kickers for me.
> I can't figure out a nuclide or combination of nuclides that would
> produce a spectrum like this without having a lot of other peaks
> present. Even a 50,000 second count doesn't reveal anything other than
> this and sum peaks of the x-ray emissions.
> 
> Rick Edwards, Analyst
> richard.w.edwards@boeing.com
> 


Jerry Rosen

University of Pittsburgh
GSPH  Rm G-7
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Phone:  412-624-2728
Fax:    412-624-3562
Email:  Rosen@radsafe.pitt.edu