'Half-Life' p3 Searchterm 'Half-Life' found in 5 terms [ • ] and 8 definitions [• ]Result Pages : •
(NAA) Neutron activation analysis is a very sensitive analytical technique to determine even very low concentration of chemical elements, trace elements for example, in small biological samples. NAA becomes commercial available in the USA in 1960. In the activation process stable nuclides in the sample, which is placed in a neutron beam (neutron flux, 90-95% are thermal neutron with low energy levels under 0.5 eV), will change to radioactive nuclides through neutron capture (artificial radioactivity). These radioactive nuclides decay by emitting alpha-, beta-particles and gamma-rays with a unique half-life. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the sample is done with a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer. NAA is subdivided into the following techniques:
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Prompt Gamma NAA (PGNAA): gamma rays are measured during neutron activation. For detection of elements with a rapid decay.
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Delayed Gamma NAA (DGNAA): conventional detection after the neutron activation.
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Instrumental NAA (INAA): automated from sample handling to data processing. Analyzes simultaneously more than thirty elements in most samples without chemical processing.
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Radiochemical NAA (RNAA): After neutron activation the sample is chemically refined for better analysis.
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Radioactive decay is the change of instable atoms to a more stable state. This change to a different nuclide by the spontaneous emission of radiation such as alpha or beta particles, gamma rays, or by electron capture follows an element-specific decay chain. Each step in the decay chain has a definite half-life. Sometimes also the reduction of excitation energy of the nucleus by e.g. internal conversion is mentioned as radioactive decay. See also Decay Chain, Radioisotope. • Further Reading: Basics:
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