maxfomitchev

Gamma Calibration Sources

Posted on June 2, 2021October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

When working with gamma spectroscopy it is very important to have a calibration source. Why do you need one? The answer is quite simple: to calibrate your gamma spectrometer prior to acquiring spectra. Calibration Drift It is true that most ... Read More

Po-Be Neutron Check Source

Posted on June 1, 2021November 16, 2023 by maxfomitchev

One question that arises over and over when working with neutron detectors is how to test and calibrate them. Obviously one has to have some kind of a neutron source in order to verify the detector operation. In this regard ... Read More

Radioactive Decay Acceleration

Posted on May 24, 2021October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

My previous attempt to accelerate natural decay of Fe-55 was inconclusive due to massive ablation of the source caused by the corona discharge in air. To mitigate the corona discharge problem I have made a PTFE insert to go around ... Read More

Cremat Charge-Sensitive Preamps and Shaping Amplifiers

Posted on January 17, 2021October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

Detector Signal Processing Most x-ray and gamma detectors produce a current pulse that has to be converted to a voltage pulse that can be measured and analyzed in order to build a spectrum. Classic signal processing approach involves charge integration ... Read More

Fe-55 Beta Decay Acceleration

Posted on January 16, 2021October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

55Fe 55Fe is a relatively short-lived isotope that undergoes an inverse beta decays (K-capture) with the half life of 2.737 years. When searching for natural radioactive decay acceleration it is preferable to work with short-lived isotopes like 55Fe because they ... Read More

CapeSym ScintiClear SC-14×25 SiPM Gamma Detector

Posted on November 25, 2020October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

As I have stated before, CapeSym SrI2(Eu) scintillation detectors mounted on a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) are characterized by high resolution and compact form factor. These detectors are easy to work with: they do not require high bias voltage (only 30V for ... Read More

Low-Energy SDD X-Ray Spectrum of a Co-57 Source

Posted on November 17, 2020October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

I have connected a Ketek AXAS SDD detector (Fig. 1) to an MCA-PRO 16 system and calibrated the spectrometer using a Fe-55 source (Fig. 2) purchased from Imagesco. Fig. 1. Ketek AXAS SSD detector. Fig. 2. 55Fe and 57Co calibration ... Read More

CapeSym ScintiClear SC-14x2c SiPM Gamma Detector

Posted on November 1, 2020October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

CapeSym SrI2(Eu) scintillation detectors mounted on a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) are characterized by high resolution and compact form factor. In this blog post I am going to evaluate a CapeSym SC-14x2c-SiPM-T detector, which has a 14 x 2 mm SrI2(Eu) ... Read More

Kromek SPEAR CZT Gamma Detector

Posted on October 28, 2020October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

Kromek SPEAR CZT is a compact gamma detector with the useful energy range of 30 keV to about 300 keV, priced just under $2,000 US dollars - Fig. 1. Fig. 1. Kromek SPEAR CZT gamma detector. Although the manufacturer-declared energy ... Read More

The Rich Physics of Cs-137 Gamma Spectrum

Posted on October 24, 2020October 20, 2022 by maxfomitchev

The process of beta decay is an extremely fascinating phenomenon. I cannot think of any other physical process that is so rich in fundamental physics. Please allow me to elaborate. 137Cs Decay Modes Let's start by examining a very-well known ... Read More

RELIABLE NEUTRON AND GAMMA DETECTION

Author: maxfomitchev