Possibility of determining microimpurities in materials using a activation measuring complex based on a photoneutron source

Abstract

An activation measuring complex containing a W–Be photoneutron source of neutrons and a lowbackground gamma spectrometer is designed at the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for Nuclear Research. The photoneutron source is mounted on the beam of a LUE-8 industrial electron linear accelerator with an electron energy of 7–8 MeV and contains a tungsten bremsstrahlung target, a photoneutron beryllium target, and a fast neutron moderator. The measuring component of the complex includes a detector made from high purity germanium, positioned inside a low-background chamber with active-passive protection. Neutron-activation analysis (NAA) is used to determine the content of microimpurities in a substance. A procedure for measuring ultralow contents of elements in aerosol filters is developed. Contents of Au, As, Sb, Mn, Fe, W, and other elements are measured in a variety of samples. The limits of detecting microimpurities in materials are estimated.