title: On the uncertainty in activity measurements for samples containing "hot particles".
abstract: The uncertainty in activity measurements for samples containing hot particles is considered under three assumptions: (1) all activity in the samples is due to hot particles; (2) hot particle dimensions are log-normally distributed with the logarithm of the median radius m and the standard deviation of the logarithm of the particle radius s; and (3) the number of particles in the sample is a random quantity. It is shown that the measurement uncertainty grows when both s and m increase. Also, that for s < 0.25-0.3 the primary source of uncertainty is the randomness of the number of particles in the sample, and, if s exceeds 0.3, the "log-normality" effect becomes more dominant. The values of the variance/uncertainty estimated by the measurement of replicate aliquots from a single sample can be used for the estimation of the m and s relationship and boundary values of these parameters.
authors.affiliation: SSC Technocentre, Ministry of Emergency of Ukraine, Pr. Nauki 46, Kiev-28, Ukraine. shevchenko@technocentre.com.ua
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Shevchenko
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D020450:Heavy Ions; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010316:Particle Size; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes