High-energy resolution alpha spectrometry using cryogenic detectors.
Applications such as environment monitoring implying alpha emitters activity measurement associated with isotope identification, require high-energy resolution detectors. Conventional silicon detectors are inexpensive therefore widely used, although intrinsically limited in energy resolution. Thermal detection principle of cryogenic detectors introduces a breakthrough in alpha particle measurement. For the first time, spectra with 5.5 keV FWHM energy resolution have been obtained for several external alpha emitting sources using a copper-germanium bolometer specially developed for alpha spectrometry.
Leblanc
E
E
Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais, Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191, Cedex, France. elvire.leblanc@cea.fr
Coron
N
N
Leblanc
J
J
de Marcillac
P
P
Bouchard
J
J
Plagnard
J
J
D000512:Alpha Particles; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014159:Transducers