LIQUID SCINTILLATION ANALYSIS AND ALPHA SPECTROMETER LABORATORY
Laboratory Activities
Education
Graduate students perform total alpha/beta counting experiments using Proportional Counters available in this laboratory during Radiation Detection and Measurement Laboratory.
Research
Research on samples such as drinking and tap water, mineral water, milk powder and soil are carried out using liquid scintillation counter (LSC), alpha spectrometer and proportional counter. To determine the total alpha/beta activities of the alpha emitters (210Po, 241Am, 226Ra, 238U) and beta emitters (40K, 90Sr, 137Cs, 228Ra, 232Th), radiochemical sample preparation techniques are studied for environmental samples.
Services
Drinking water, mineral water, lake and river water samples are measured using total alpha/beta counters. Same analysis service can also be provided for various food samples, industrial products and environmental-geological samples. Alpha and beta nuclide analyses will also be performed using LSC and Alpha Spectrometer soon.
Systems Available in the Laboratory
Gross Alpha/Beta Counting Systems
Low level alpha/beta counter (with single detector): This 80 μg/cm2 mylar windowed P-10 gas operated proportional counter is mainly used for educational purposes.
Low Level Alpha/Beta counter (with 4 detectors): Canberra LB4110 Low Level Alpha/Beta Counter is a proportional counter using P-10 gas. It is mainly used for total alpha/beta counting of water samples.
Alpha Spectrometer
Alpha emitting radioisotopes such as 210Po, 226Ra, 241Am are analysed using alpha spectrometer with dual vacuum chambers containing a 450 mm2 and 600 mm2 active surface area PIPS silicon detector in each chamber.
Liquid Scintillation Counting System (LSC)
Low level radionuclide activity measurements are studied using Quantulus 1220 liquid scintillation counting system with coincident dual photomultiplier tubes and veto detector.