title: Hydrogen, carbon and oxygen determination in proxy material samples using a LaBr3:Ce detector.
abstract: Hydrogen, carbon and oxygen concentrations were measured in caffeine, urea, ammonium acetate and melamine bulk samples via 14 MeV neutron inelastic scattering using a LaBr3:Ce detector. The samples tested herein represent drugs, explosives and benign materials, respectively. Despite its intrinsic activity, the LaBr3:Ce detector performed well in detecting the hydrogen, carbon and oxygen elements. Because 5.1 MeV nitrogen gamma rays interfere with silicon and calcium prompt gamma rays from the room background, the nitrogen peak was not detected in the samples. An excellent agreement was observed between the experimental and theoretical yields of 2.22, 4.43 and 6.13 MeV gamma rays from the analyzed samples as a function of H, C and O concentrations, respectively. Within statistical errors, the minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen elements in the tested materials were consistent with previously reported MDC values for these elements measured in hydrocarbon samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. aanaqvi@kfupm.edu.sa
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.forename: Faris A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Al-Matouq
authors.forename: F Z
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Khiari
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Isab
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raashid
authors.lastname: Khateeb-ur-Rehman
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009501:Neutron Activation Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009502:Neutrons; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen; D010100:Oxygen