• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.76-80
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• 2020

Background: To improve the measurement accuracy of liquid-scintillation counting for activity standardization, it is necessary to significantly reduce the background caused by thermal noise or after-pulses. We have therefore improved a movable 3 photomultiplier (3PM)-γ coincidence-counting method using the logical sum of three double coincidences for β events. Materials and Methods: We designed a new data-acquisition system in which β events are obtained by counting the logical sum of three double coincidences. The change in β-detection efficiency can be derived by moving three photomultiplier tubes sequentially from the liquid-scintillation vial. The validity of the method was investigated by activity measurement of ¹³⁴Cs calibrated at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) with 4π(PC)β-γ(NaI(Tl)) coincidence counting using a proportional counter (PC) for the β detector. Results and Discussion: Measurements were taken over 14 counting intervals for each liquidscintillation sample by displacing three photomultiplier tubes up to 45 mm from the sample. The dead time in each β- and γ-counting channel was adjusted to be a non-extending type of 20 ㎲. The background ranged about 1.2-3.3 s^-1, such that the contributions of thermal noise or after-pulses were negligible. As the β-detection unit was moved away from the sample, the β-detection efficiencies varied between 0.54 and 0.81. The result obtained by the method at the reference date was 396.3 ± 1.7 kBq/g. This is consistent with the KRISS-certified value of 396.0 ± 2.0 kBq/g within the uncertainty range. Conclusion: The movable 3PM-γ method developed in the present work not only succeeded in reducing background counts to negligible levels but enabled β-detection efficiency to be varied by a geometrical method to apply the efficiency extrapolation method. Compared with our earlier work shown in the study of Hwang et al. [2], the measurement accuracy has much improved. Consequently, the method developed in this study is an improved method suitable for activity standardization of β-γ emitters.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.4472-4476
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• 2023

In this study, it has been shown that the true coincidence summing correction factor can be obtained for the first time using the PHITS Monte Carlo program. Determining this correction factor using different methods and tools in each laboratory to increase the possibility of achieving high-efficiency measurement conditions is still popular in gamma-ray spectrometry. By using ¹³³Ba, ¹⁵²Eu, ¹³⁴Cs, and ⁶⁰Co point sources, the true coincidence summing factor was investigated in both near and far counting geometries for 15 different energy values. GESPECOR software was used to validate the results obtained with PHITS. A remarkable agreement was obtained between PHITS and GESPECOR, with a discrepancy of less than 3%. With this study, a new tool has been proposed to obtain the true coincidence summing factor, which is one of the significant correction factors investigated/calculated in gamma-ray spectrometric studies.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.181-186
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• 2015

Measurement of xenon radioisotopes from nuclear fission is a key element for monitoring underground nuclear weapon tests. $^{131m}Xe$, $^{133}Xe$, $^{133}mXe$ and $^{135}Xe$ in the air can be detected via low background systems such as a beta-gamma coincidence counting system. Radioxenon monitoring is performed through air sampling, xenon extraction, measurement and spectrum analysis. The minimum detectable concentration of $^{135}Xe$ can be significantly variable depending on the sampling time, extraction time and data acquisition time due to its short half-life. In order to optimize the acquisition time with respect to certain experimental parameters such as sampling and xenon extraction, theoretical approach and experiment using SAUNA system were performed to determine the time to minimize the minimum detectable concentration, which the results were discussed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 1987

Using a solution of $^{137}$ Cs as a tracer, radioactivity of a $^{137}$ Cs solution is measured by coincidence and anticoincidence counting methods. Sample sources in this study are fabricated by mixing $^{137}$ Cs with tracer, and the mixing ratios are 1/3 and 1/5, respectively in coincidence and anticoincidence methods. Specific activities of a $^{137}$ Cs solution are calculated by means of f-channel low energy threshold level variation and efficiency extrapolation. The results obtained by coincidence and anticoincidence counting methods are 552.78 kBq/g and 554.32kBq/g, respectively on the reference date and the combined uncertainties are 1.60kBq/g and 1.51kBq/g for each method. These two results show a good agreement within the uncertainty range.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.165-170
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• 2003

We developed an improved 3-PM liquid scintillation counting (3-PM LSC) method in which three detectors can be displaced to back and forth directions, and a data acquisition system being able to provide the values for all parameters required for the method. The detectors are entirely located in a 20-mm lead chamber of an inner diameter of 500 mm. A saw-toothed gear ties up all detectors so as to move them uniformly, up to 50 mm with unit of 1 mm. The data acquisition system was designed in an integrated circuit to perform the necessary works such as fast amplification, discrimination, coincidence and logic analysis. It generates values of nine parameters among twelve's generated in the 3-PH LSC method. The dead time of each counting channel is of extending type, valving from 10 to 100 $mutextrm{s}$. We measured the TDCR values with an unquenched liquid scintillation source 1"C by displacing the detectors with a step of 2.5 mm away from counting vial. Their values were derived on the range from 0.9 to 0.6. The extent is three times wider than those regions observed by applying the defocalization technique.ique.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.423-428
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• 2022

Very low contents (in the range of 10^-9 g/g) of Ir in mantle-derived rock samples (komatiites) were non-destructively determined by INAA coupled with coincidence gamma-ray spectrometry using 16 Ge detectors. Aliquots of the same samples were analyzed by NiS fire-assay ICP-MS for Ir and other platinum group elements. Because the INAA procedure used in this study is non-destructive and is almost free from spectral interference in gamma-ray spectrometry, the INAA values of Ir contents obtained in this study can be highly reliable. Iridium values obtained by ICP-MS were consistent with the INAA values, implying that the ICP-MS values of Ir obtained in this study are equally reliable. Under the present experimental conditions, detection limits were estimated to be 1 pg/g, which corresponds to 0.1 pg for a sample mass of 0.1 g. These levels can be even lowered by an order of magnitude, if necessary, which cannot be achieved by ICP-MS carried out in this study.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 1985

The activity measurement of a solution of $^{133}Ba$ which is an electron capture nuclide was carried out by the ${\beta}-{\gamma}$ coincidence method. The counting rates at the ${\beta}-,\;{\gamma}-$, and coincidence-channels were measured using a $4{\pi}$ proportional counter and two NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors. The specific activity of the solution calculated by the efficiency extrapolation was $(1151.01{\pm}2.99)kBqg^{-1}$ at the reference time(00h UT, 03-15-84). According to an international comparison of activity measurements organized by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, this result showed the difference of 0.94% to the mean value derived from the comparison.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.308-313
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• 2002

One of the nonclassical effects in two-photon interference experiments, spatial quantum beating, is observed in fourth-order interference with pairs of photons produced by a spontaneous parametric down-conversion process. When photon pairs in different frequencies $\omega1$ and $\omega2$ are mixed together, and directed to two detectors, the coincidence counts exhibit a cosine modulation with difference frequency | $\omega1$- $\omega2$|. The measured coincidence counts turned out to have an interference pattern with periodicity of 10.45 ㎛ in position or 34.82fs in time delay, which corresponds to the period 2$\pi$/| $\omega1$- $\omega2$| for the beat frequency of 0.29${\times}10^{14}$Hz.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.452-456
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• 1993

The quantum efficiencies of photomultiplier tubes were measured by counting the coincidence photon pairs generated in the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion. They were measured within 3% accuracy over the range of wavelength from 560 to 850 nm without any standard light source or detector. The values for 633 nm correspond to those obtained with a calibrated laser power meter within the measurement error.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.573-577
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• 2003

We report an effect of photon pairs on single-photon detection rates, while Hong-Ou-Handel's two-photon interference experiment is performed with photons produced in noncollinear type-I parametric down-conversion. Photon pairing behavior or spatial bunching is measured and shown to cause a decrease in the single photon counting rate. Such a dip is found to result from the fact that the single-photon timing resolution of photodetectors is much longer compared to the time interval between the two photons incident on the single-photon detector.