title: Determination of (222)Rn absorption properties of polycarbonate foils by liquid scintillation counting. Application to (222)Rn measurements.
abstract: This work demonstrates that a Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) technique using a Triple to Double Coincidence Ratio counter with extending dead-time is very appropriate for the accurate measurement of (222)Rn activity absorbed in thin polycarbonate foils. It is demonstrated that using a toluene-based LS cocktail, which dissolves polycarbonates, the (222)Rn activity absorbed in thin Makrofol N foil can be determined with a relative standard uncertainty of about 0.7%. A LSC-based application of the methodology for determination of the diffusion length of (222)Rn in thin polycarbonate foils is proposed and the diffusion length of (222)Rn in Makrofol N (38.9±1.3µm) and the partition coefficient of (222)Rn in Makrofol N from air (112±12, at 20°C) and from water (272±17, at 21°C) are determined. Calibration of commercial LS spectrometers for (222)Rn measurements by LSC of thin polycarbonate foils is performed and the minimum detectable activities by this technique are estimated.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria. Electronic address: kmitev@phys.uni-sofia.bg.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitev
authors.affiliation: CEA, LIST, Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel, LNE-LNHB, Gif-sur-Yvette F-91191 France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cassette
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Georgiev
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dimitrova
authors.affiliation: CEA, LIST, Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel, LNE-LNHB, Gif-sur-Yvette F-91191 France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sabot
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boshkova
authors.affiliation: CEA, LIST, Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel, LNE-LNHB, Gif-sur-Yvette F-91191 France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tartès
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pressyanov
keywords: (222)Rn; LSC; Polycarbonate foil; TDCR