title: A new FSA approach for in situ γ ray spectroscopy.
abstract: An increasing demand of environmental radioactivity monitoring comes both from the scientific community and from the society. This requires accurate, reliable and fast response preferably from portable radiation detectors. Thanks to recent improvements in the technology, γ spectroscopy with sodium iodide scintillators has been proved to be an excellent tool for in-situ measurements for the identification and quantitative determination of γ ray emitting radioisotopes, reducing time and costs. Both for geological and civil purposes not only (40)K, (238)U, and (232)Th have to be measured, but there is also a growing interest to determine the abundances of anthropic elements, like (137)Cs and (131)I, which are used to monitor the effect of nuclear accidents or other human activities. The Full Spectrum Analysis (FSA) approach has been chosen to analyze the γ spectra. The Non Negative Least Square (NNLS) and the energy calibration adjustment have been implemented in this method for the first time in order to correct the intrinsic problem related with the χ(2) minimization which could lead to artifacts and non physical results in the analysis. A new calibration procedure has been developed for the FSA method by using in situ γ spectra instead of calibration pad spectra. Finally, the new method has been validated by acquiring γ spectra with a 10.16 cm × 10.16 cm sodium iodide detector in 80 different sites in the Ombrone basin, in Tuscany. The results from the FSA method have been compared with the laboratory measurements by using HPGe detectors on soil samples collected particular, the (137)Cs isotopes has been implemented in the analysis since it has been found not negligible during the in-situ measurements.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Padova Section, Via Marzolo 8-35131 Padova, Italy. caciolli@pd.infn.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caciolli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baldoncini
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bezzon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Broggini
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Buso
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Callegari
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Colonna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorentini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guastaldi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menegazzo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.forename: C Rossi
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shyti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xhixha
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002138:Calibration; D005720:Gamma Rays; D007558:Italy; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D012588:Scintillation Counting; D012974:Sodium Iodide; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D012974:Sodium Iodide