title: Determination of the characteristic limits and responses of nuclear track detectors in mixed radon and thoron atmospheres.
abstract: Closed nuclear track detectors are widely used for the determination of Rn-222 exposures. There are also partial open systems available, which are specially designed for the determination of the exposure to Rn-220, which is a relevant exposure in special workplaces or in specific regions of the world. This paper presents data and a detail analysis of how to determine the cross-correlation by calibration in pure Rn-222 and pure Rn-220 atm. By these means calibration coefficients for the analysis of real mixed atmospheres can be obtained. The respective decision threshold, detection limit and limits of the confidence interval were determined according to ISO 11929 (ISO 11929:2010, 2010). The exposure of detectors was performed at the radon reference chamber and the thoron progeny chamber of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). The analysis of track response was done at Parc RGM, while the analytical routines were developed in the Leibniz University Hanover, Institute Radioökologie und Strahlenschutz IRS at the working Group AK SIGMA (Arbeitskreis Nachweisgrenzen).
authors.affiliation: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Röttger
authors.affiliation: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honig
authors.affiliation: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Fortbildungszentrum für Technik und Umwelt (FTU), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schrammel
authors.affiliation: Parc Radon Gas Monitoring, 158 Ixia Street, Florauna, Pretoria North 0182, South Africa.
authors.forename: Heinrich F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Strauss
keywords: Calibration; Decision threshold; Detection limit; Metrology; Nuclear track detectors; Radon; Reference atmospheres; Thoron