Analysis of radionuclides at ultra-low levels: A comparison of low and high-energy mass spectrometry with gamma-spectrometry for radiopurity measurements.
Recent developments in high-energy accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and low-energy inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) made them the most sensitive techniques for ultra low-level analysis of238U and232Th. Detection limits below 1 nBq g-1for analysis of these radionuclides in construction materials were obtained. The most important development in the radiometric sector was operation of HPGe detectors in underground laboratories where detection limits of about 1 µBq kg-1were obtained. Specific features of radiometric, mass spectrometry and neutron activation techniques for ultra low-level radionuclide measurements are discussed, and obtained results for analysis of radiopure materials prepared for underground experiments are compared.
Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia. Electronic address: povinec@fmph.uniba.sk.
Pavel P
PP
Povinec
AMS; HPGe gamma-spectrometry; ICPMS; Radiopure materials; Underground detectors