SUBJECT

Title

Instrumental Nuclear Analytical Methods

Type of instruction

lecture

Level

Master

Part of degree program
Credits

2

Recommended in

Semester 2/4

Typically offered in

Spring semester

Course description

Topics covered: Place and role of nuclear analytical methods among the analytical methods: advantages, limits, and specialties.Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA):the principle and main steps of the method; kinetics of complex nuclear transformations (radioactive decay and nuclear reaction); the Bateman-Rubinson equation; activation neutron sources; gamma-ray spectrometry: types, characteristics, and calibration of spectrometers; methods of INAA: absolute, relative, comparator, and parametric standardization; prompt-gamma INAA; environmental applications.Proton-induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE): interaction of light charged particles with the matter; accelerators utilized for PIXE, and their properties; characteristic X-rays, energy disperse X-ray spectrometry; methods of PIXE: standardization for thick and thin targets; micro-PIXE; environmental applications.

Readings
  • Ehmann, W.D. – Vance, D. E.: Radiochemistry and Nuclear Methods of Analysis. Willey, New York, 1991.

  • Erdtmann, G. – Petri, H.: Nuclear Activation Analysis: Fundamentals and Techniques. In: Treatise on Analytical Chemistry (Eds.: Elving, P. J. – Krivan, V. – Kolthoff, I. M.), Willey, New York, 1986.

  • Vértes, A. – Nagy, S. – Klencsár, Z. (Eds.): Handbook of Nuclear Chemistry. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2003.