Americium? vs. Plutonium via? Neptunium vs. Uranium Daughter XRF.
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Part 3
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Case study of decay prompted progeny XRF from "the blob" also known as 2-dot metal only sample of Atomsite.
- Equipment used:
- Amptek GEO-1-2-3 with integral DPP/PC5 electronics and Si-PIN detector with preamplifier, external Amptek 5V 2A switching power supply wall-wart for power.
- Controlling computer is a 32 bit ACER ASPIRE ONE?NOTEBOOK with WIN10 running Amptek?DPPMCA control and analysis program, USB connected.
- Source being tested, suspected Trinity debris suspected of containing a small amount of Am.
LOG scale, recalibrated to known Fe X-Ray and Am Gamma Ray lines 6.40 and 59.55 keV respectively. Highlighted by the cursor are one line at a time from lower to higher in?successive pictures. The purpose is to study the peak height relationship of the know Am contribution's progeny Np to the progeny U from unknow and unseen parent, assumed to be one or
more Pu-2xx. U progeny possible origin from other parents or processes will be ruled in or out in further testing at different energy ranges.
Fig. 1: The BLOB w/2 painted dots for ID.
Fig. 2: Low energy 0-61 keV Gamma Scan. LOG display selected, Fe highlighted by cursor. Using active XRF and other tests, the major element present in this sample was determined to be Fe
Fig. 3: Low energy 0-61 keV Gamma Scan. LOG display selected, Fe highlighted by cursor. Lowest of the 3
progeny X-Rays @? 13.61 and therefore labeled as U La1.
Fig. 4: Low energy 0-61 keV Gamma Scan. LOG display selected, 17.22 highlighted by cursor. Next higher of the 3 predominant??progeny X-Rays @? 17.22 and therefore labeled as U Lb1
Fig. 5: Low energy 0-61 keV Gamma Scan. LOG display selected, 20.16 highlighted by cursor. Next higher of the 3 predominant??progeny X-Rays @? 17.22 and therefore labeled as U Ly1.??
Fig. 6: Low energy 0-61 keV Gamma Scan. LOG display selected, 59.55 highlighted by cursor.
This is Am-241 Gamma-Ray. It is one of the calibration points used to make the original scan and in shown in this series to indicate the relative pulse height on this articular sensor, as compared to the pulse height of the low energy X-Rays we are studying.
Preliminary conclusions:
1) There is Am 241 present in the sample, therefore there are some Np-237 X-Rays in the sample.
? ? We know from previous tests with actual Am sources what the ratio of 59.5 to the X-Rays should? ? ? ? be. The ratio of 59.5 to the X-Rays we see here are not consistent with a pure Am-241 source.
? ? ?Therefore there is another source present that is overwhelming the actual Am-241 X-Rays with
? ? ? what I believe to be U L-line X-Ray, which are very close to the Np X-rays in energy.
2) We know from the presence of Am-241 that there was plutonium present when this metal was? ? ? ? ? ?melted.Pu-241 beta decays to Am-241
3) We know that many Pu isotopes alpha decay to uranium.? Examples are?Pu-239>U-235,?
? ? ?Pu-240>U-238, Pu-238>U-234.
Geo
