 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2013) |
Ra
, 214
Pb
, and 214
Bi
of the uranium decay chain. This spectrum was taken from a Uranium ore sample from Moab, Utah
Gamma-ray spectroscopy is the qualitative study of the energy spectra of gamma-ray sources, such as in the nuclear industry, geochemical investigation, and astrophysics.[1] Gamma-ray spectrometry, on the other hand, is the method used to acquire a quantitative spectrum measurement.[2]
Most radioactive sources produce gamma rays, which are of various energies and intensities. When these emissions are detected and analyzed with a spectroscopy system, a gamma-ray energy spectrum can be produced.
A detailed analysis of this spectrum is typically used to determine the identity and quantity of gamma emitters present in a gamma source, and is a vital tool in radiometric assay. The gamma spectrum is characteristic of the gamma-emitting nuclides contained in the source, just like in an optical spectrometer, the optical spectrum is characteristic of the material contained in a sample.
- ^ "Scintillation Detector - an overview". ScienceDirect. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ "Gamma Spectroscopy". nuclear-power.com. Retrieved 2023-07-29.