Re: Alpha Self-Absorption Factor

["Arthur and Marian Desrosiers" <52deerjump@mediaone.net>]

couple of options from arthur@bartletinc.com

(1) collect radon daughters on an air samplers then alternatively count the
gamma lines and the alpha particles over a period of time.  using the gamma
analysis to determine the actual alpha emission rates, you can calculate a
factor rewuired to make the observed alpha count rate equal the
gamma-derived count rate.  obviously there are a few details left out here.

the advantage of this method is that you use your filter paper, air
samplers, etc.

(2) I recall methods based on taking filters with radon daughter activity
and counting the front and back sides to estimate the self absortion.  This
method assumes nothing is lost betwen the front and back of the filter.

either of these methods can be tried with filters that are fully loaded or
new.

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