Low-background gamma-ray spectrometry for the international monitoring system

L R Greenwood; M G Cantaloub; J L Burnett; A W Myers; C T Overman; J B Forrester; B G Glasgow; H S Miley

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.12.034

Low-background gamma-ray spectrometry for the international monitoring system

Appl Radiat Isot. 2017 Aug:126:240-242. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.12.034. Epub 2016 Dec 28.

Authors

L R Greenwood¹, M G Cantaloub², J L Burnett², A W Myers², C T Overman², J B Forrester², B G Glasgow², H S Miley²

Affiliations

¹ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, United States. Electronic address: larry.greenwood@pnnl.gov.
² Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, United States.

PMID: 28041679
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.12.034

Abstract

PNNL has developed two low-background gamma-ray spectrometers in a new shallow underground laboratory, thereby significantly improving its ability to detect low levels of gamma-ray emitting fission or activation products in airborne particulate in samples from the IMS (International Monitoring System). The combination of cosmic veto panels, dry nitrogen gas to reduce radon and low background shielding results in a reduction of the background count rate by about a factor of 100 compared to detectors operating above ground at our laboratory.

Keywords: Gamma-ray spectroscopy; IMS; Low background detectors.