title: Reference instruments based on spectrometric measurement with Lucas Cells.
abstract: The Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (Berlin, Germany) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (Villigen, Switzerland) both operate accredited calibration laboratories for radon gas activity concentration. Both the institutions use Lucas Cells as detector in their reference instrumentation due to the low dependence of this detector type on variations in environmental conditions. As a further measure to improve the quality of the reference activity concentration, a spectrometric method of data evaluation has been applied. The electric pulses from the photomultiplier tube coupled to the Lucas Cells are subjected to a pulse height analysis. The stored pulse height spectra are analysed retrospectively to compensate for fluctuations in the electric parameters of the instrumentation during a measurement. The reference instrumentation of both the laboratories is described with the respective spectrum evaluation procedures. The methods of obtaining traceability to the primary calibration laboratories of Germany and Switzerland and data of performance tests are presented.
authors.affiliation: Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland gernot.butterweck@psi.ch.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Butterweck
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Buchröder
authors.affiliation: Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hugi
authors.affiliation: Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hohmann
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.affiliation: Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration / Q000592:standards; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005858:Germany; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012588:Scintillation Counting / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D011886:Radon