title: Comparison of Cf-252 thin-film sources prepared by evaporation or self-transfer.
abstract: Thin-film sources containing Cf-252 were prepared by two techniques—evaporation and self-transfer—to determine whether sources prepared by simple evaporation work as well as sources prepared by self-transfer for alpha particle studies. The sources were analyzed by alpha and gamma spectroscopy. Results indicate that self-transfer sources exhibit less alpha energy straggling and alpha energy loss than evaporative sources. Fission fragments may also self-transfer, and sources made by self-transfer may need time to decay before reaching radioactive equilibrium.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Materials Processing Group, Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Algutifan
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Materials Processing Group, Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA. Electronic address: shermansr@ornl.gov.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Materials Processing Group, Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Alexander
keywords: Alpha straggling; Fission fragments; Spectroscopy