Development of X-ray Spectrometry for Nuclear Decay Data Applications at IFIN-HH Aurelian Luca Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Romania

Work performed in the frame of the joint research project IFA Romania – CEA France no. C2-05/2012 (collaboration between IFIN-HH and CEA, DRT/LIST/LNHB, ): “Creation of national standards for some emerging pharmaceutical radionuclides to ensure the radioprotection of patients and medical staffs”

A new high-resolution spectrometry system is necessary at IFIN-HH for measurements of low energy γ- and X-rays emitted by the radionuclides to be studied for the project ( 177 Lu, 186 Re) and other applications. The energy range (3…50) keV is of particular interest, as it cannot be covered by the existing high-resolution HPGe gamma-ray detector used in the Radionuclide Metrology Laboratory (RML) since 2007.

The following components (Canberra) were purchased, assembled and preliminary tested: -Si(Li) detector (preamplifier included); -Digital spectrometer; -Notebook computer with GENIE2000 S511 and OriginPro v.9.0 (2012) software.

Si(Li) detector SL30170, with charge sensitive preamplifier model 2008B and cryostat model 7500: active diameter 6.2 mm, active area 30 mm 2, 3 mm thick, 5 mm distance from the Be window (0.025 mm). High voltage: -500 V dc. Manufacturer specifications for a time constant 12  s: FWHM=166 eV and FWTM=306 eV, for 5.9 keV ( 55 Fe) Digital spectrometer DSA 1000: DSP, MCA channels, PHA/MCS, pole zero adjustment, pile-up rejector and dead time correction, pulse shaping, USB/RS-232, support for GENIE 2000 v.2.0A

Experimental Results Radioactive standard sources available: 55 Fe [5.89 keV (25.02(30)%) XK  and (6.49…6.54) keV (3.40(7)%) XK  ], T 1/2 = 2.747(8) years 57 Co [6.4 keV (50%), 7.1 keV (7%);  14.4 keV (9%)] 241 Am [XL keV (38%),  26.3 keV (2.4%) and 59.5 keV (36%)]. 55 Fe point standard source: produced by RML; code SEG 7-872, activity: (3793±152) Bq, k=2 (27/02/2013); 7200 s measurement time; 50 mm distance above the detector

Experimental Results -A spectral anomaly caused by a wrong electronic setup was corrected by the specialists from Canberra Romania (2013). After the correction: Integral background counting rate (1022 channels): counts/s Experimental FWHM: 0.23 keV at 5.7 keV. Detection efficiency for the mean energy (5.96 keV): 0.87·10 -2 s -1 Bq -1

X-ray Spectra: 55 Fe, 241 Am 5.9 keV 6.5 keV

Resolving (deconvolution) complex X-ray and low energy  -rays spectral regions (e.g. 241 Am) Testing different types of sources to check the influence of self-absorption Training for the use of GENIE 2000 software Future Improvements

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