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From: GEOelectronics@...
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[email protected]Sent: Fri, 04 Oct 2019 07:38:05 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [XRF] Compare a high end, purpose built NaI(Tl) to an amateur grade Silicon Drift Detector (SDD)
This is a scan of a Cesium-Iodide crystal via XRF? that I did in 2013-2014 in Nevada while on a field trip.
The portable gamma spec lab was set up on top of our son's pool table in his "Man-Cave".
During that trip I did hundreds of scans, both XRF and natural radioactivity of many different samples not to mention a coin collection and just about every inanimate object we could find. Of particular interest was the detailed study of our standard MHO's hardness pint set and out hand cast bullet alloys. .
These scans have mostly been in storage since then because the effort was exhausting and other things had to take priority until recently.
3 months of 24 hour scanning using AMPTEK SDD 1-2-3 X-Ray Spectrometer and their free? DppMCA software,
Two URSA II? MCA's, and two Spectrum Techniques UCS-20 MCAs.? A wide variety of sodium iodide scintillators was available for individual test setups. Also a wide variety of radioisotopes and one 10 bto 50 keV, energy and power adjustable microfocus X-Ray (most XRF was @ either 10 or 15 microamps)
When out in the field collecting samples, the Mobile Rad Lab included two Exploranium GR-135 spectrum analyzers one with the standard internal NaI(Tl), plus internal GM sensors for ratemeter readout, while the other one has the same plus a CZT sensor and a neutron sensor, all internal.
The ever present Polimaster PM-1703M pocket alarming pocket detector was utilized in the field as well as the portable Rad Lab, while a much larger Polimaster unit with a larger gamma detector plus He-3 neutron detector was used in the filed with extra external neutron moderators available if needed (they weren't, even at Pantex). Of course several alpha-beta-gamma pancake probe instruments were always at hand.
Here's the SDD XRF scan of CsI crystal. More pictures and info will be added as I sift through this mountain of data and photographs.
Have fun
Geo>K0FF
