Chapter 3: Neutron Activation and Isotope Analysis

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Jason Jasper Burke
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Neutron Activation with Accelerators 3.5.

1 Chapter 3: Neutron Activation and Isotope Analysis 3.1. Neutron Activation Techniques 3.2. Neutron Activation of Paintings 3.3. From Qumran to Napoleon 3.4. Neutron Activation with Accelerators 3.5. Isotope Separation and Analysis 3.6. Food and Diet Analysis 3.7. European Origins

3.1. Neutron Activation Techniques The previously discussed techniques of material analysis are mainly based on the characteristic atomic structure of the

Alternative and complementary techniques are based on the use of nuclear signatures which rely on the characteristic structure of the atomic nucleus and its

2 3.1. Neutron Activation Techniques The previously discussed techniques of material analysis are mainly based on the characteristic atomic structure of the elements and the associated unique signature of the characteristic x-ray energies. Alternative and complementary techniques are based on the use of nuclear signatures which rely on the characteristic structure of the atomic nucleus and its associated energy and time-scale conditions. Since it is not only characteristic for elemental analysis but also for isotope analysis it has emerged as a powerful tool in material analysis and also in the dating of archaeological artifacts.

3 Activation Analysis This section concentrates on the activation analysis as one of the main application of nuclear physics tools in the analysis of historical artifacts. Activation analysis is based on the synthetic production of radioactivity in the sample to use decay characteristics (like decay radiation, decay energy, half life/decay constant, & activity) as unique analytical signature. Characteristic decay mechanisms, a, b, g Activity A reveals the abundance N: A=l N Half life T 1/2 of decay or the decay constant l are unique for each radioactive isotope: T 1/2 =ln2/l A number of decays/time

4 Production of Radioactivity Radioactivity is typically produced through nuclear reactions which trigger a change of neutron and proton number in the sample nuclei. e.g. neutron induced radioactivity of stable 238 U 92U U Np Pu 239 T 1/2 =23.5 min T 1/2 =2.355 days Each decay is associated with emission of characteristic b and g radiation

5 Airport security - neutron activation techniques for plastic explosive search 14 N+n (thermal) 15 N* 15 N+g (10.8 MeV) MeV 14 N(n,g) 15 N prompt reaction

Example: Iron 4 stable isotopes: 54 Fe (5.8%), 56 Fe (91.

3%) Neutron activation would create mostly 57 Fe through

6 Example: Iron 4 stable isotopes: 54 Fe (5.8%), 56 Fe (91.7%), 57 Fe (2.2%), 58 Fe (0.3%) Neutron activation would create mostly 57 Fe through 56 Fe(n,g) 57 Fe Followed by activation of 58 Fe(n,g) 59 Fe (T 1/2 =44.5d) 58 Fe(n,γ) 59 Fe(n,γ) 60 Fe other possibility: 56 Fe(p,a) 53 Mn (T 1/2 = y) This method requires high energy proton beam for penetrating the iron and on-line detection of the energetic exiting a particle!

7 Neutron Activation Analysis NAA Advantages: neutrons can penetrate deeply into material neutrons can be produced by accelerators and reactors neutron induced reactions have large cross section s N detector N-flux N n [cm -2 s -1 ] Characteristic decay radiation artifact Disadvantage: no depth resolution Production rate P=s N n N

8 Reactors as neutron sources Neutrons are produced by fission of 235 U isotopes in reactor core and subsequently scattered as neutron beam towards to object.

Fission mechanism and neutron flux Neutron induced fission breaks 235 U up into two highly radioactive fission fragment nuclei of medium mass plus 3 neutrons.

9 Fission mechanism and neutron flux Neutron induced fission breaks 235 U up into two highly radioactive fission fragment nuclei of medium mass plus 3 neutrons. Neutron flux multiplies in fission chain to up to 10 9 to neutrons/cm 2 s. The fission process is controlled by neutron absorption material between the uranium elements.

Neutron flux and energy distribution Reactor neutrons come with certain complex energy distribution due to scattering and thermalization

10 Neutron flux and energy distribution Reactor neutrons come with certain complex energy distribution due to scattering and thermalization processes which slow the initially fast fission neutrons down to mostly thermal energies; T=25 0 C= K=298 K, E=kT= ev/k 298 K=26 mev

11 E=26 mev E=26 mev E=26 mev 10 B 23 Na 239 Pu Neutron Cross Section s Production rate P=s N n N Neutron capture cross section mostly follows the 1/v law: s=s n 1/v with v equal to the velocity of the neutron and S n being a reaction specific (single particle) parameter. Only at higher neutron energies more complex reaction mechanisms like resonance contributions contribute. Thermalized neutrons have the highest cross section and detector count-rate!

023 10 23 m/a: number of particles in sample; N n : neutron flux : total efficiency of detector arrangement Delayed

12 Prompt and delayed detection Prompt technique is based on immediate decay radiation (g,a) after neutron capture Detector count rate for prompt (n,g) or (n,a) reaction: I=s N N n [cts/s] Human finger nail s : cross section; N= m/a: number of particles in sample; N n : neutron flux : total efficiency of detector arrangement Delayed technique is based on detection of characteristic decay radiation (a,b,g) of the produced long-lived radioactive isotope.

13 Production of radioactive Isotope N x for delayed activity measurements production rate: P s N N [ 1/ s] radioactive isotopes N x decay while being produced depending on decay constant l: characteristic activity: dn x t A( t) l N x( t) P P( 1 e l ) dt n with N x t P e l l t

14 activity Example: neutron activation of a Ag coin Neutron activation of a Ag coin of 1g mass with a neutron flux of n/cm 2 s and a cross section of 1 barn (=10-24 cm 2 ); N Ag = /109= : P= s -1. (l=ln2/ T 1/2 ) 109 Ag(n,g) 110 Ag 6.0E E E E E E E E t 0 time Production Curve Activity Curve T 1/2 ( 110 Ag)=24.6 s; l= /s (short-lived component) l t A( t) P ( 1 e ) during irridiation l t t A( t) l N e A e after irridiation,with activity at the end period. ( 0 ) l ( t t0 ) 0 0 t 0 A 0 being the of the irridiation

15 Characteristic radiation signals 109 Ag+n Emission of a characteristic g line as a consequence of 110 Ag b decay to the first excited state in 110 Cd. prompt g-decay 110 Ag b 1 =4% delayed g-decay b 0 =96% 110 Cd 658 kev detector count rate: I g =A(t) b g

16 Typical NAA-set-up neutron beam

Activation Analysis. Characteristic decay mechanisms, α, β, γ Activity A reveals the abundance N:

Activation Analysis. Characteristic decay mechanisms, α, β, γ Activity A reveals the abundance N: 2.5. Isotope analysis and neutron activation techniques The previously discussed techniques of material analysis are mainly based on the characteristic atomic structure of the elements and the associated