Distribution of the ²²²Rn decay products from a ²²⁶Ra solution in a PTB ampoule--implications for calibration

Oliver Ott; Octavian Sima; Qi Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.11.059

Distribution of the ²²²Rn decay products from a ²²⁶Ra solution in a PTB ampoule--implications for calibration

Appl Radiat Isot. 2014 May:87:365-71. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.11.059. Epub 2013 Dec 4.

Authors

Oliver Ott¹, Octavian Sima², Qi Zhao³

Affiliations

¹ Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany. Electronic address: oliver.ott@ptb.de.
² Physics Department, University of Bucharest, Bucharest-Magurele, P.O. Box MG-11, RO-077125, Romania.
³ Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany.

PMID: 24360857
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.11.059

Abstract

The spatial distribution of the activity in a flame-sealed PTB ampoule containing (226)Ra solution, incompletely filling the ampoule, was studied by autoradiography and by taking well-collimated gamma-ray spectra in 23 sections of the ampoule. A complex activity profile was observed and used for the Monte Carlo simulation of the ampoule by the GESPECOR code. The computed values of the efficiency transfer factors are in agreement with the experimental data. As a byproduct, the radon partition ratio in the solution-air phases was obtained.

Keywords: (222)Rn; (226)Ra; Efficiency transfer; Gamma-ray spectrometry; Monte Carlo simulation; Spatial distribution of decay products.