Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Fission based radioxenon measurement by gamma spectrometry

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

P. Tayyebi
M. Tabasi
M. Ghannadi Maragheh

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-8486, Tehran – Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2023.1403.1917
Abstract
Xenon radioisotopes are one of the products of uranium nuclear fission. These radioisotopes are released in the form of gas in the process of dissolving the uranium target to extract 99Mo. This research aims to measure the activity of released xenon radioisotopes. For this, radioxenon is separated from other fission products using activated charcoal and purified after passing through a carbon molecular sieve. Pure radioxenon is directed into the measurement chamber and determined by an HPGe detector. Calibration of the detector efficiency has been performed via experimental and simulation (using MCNPX27e code) and the difference was less than 22%. In this way, the average activity of 100 cc of radioxenon gas at the moment after irradiation was equal to 54225 ±2272 Bq.

Highlights

  1. Tabasi M, Bahrami Samani A, Shirvani Arani S, Ghannadi Maragheh M, Mohammadi A. Assessment of Mo-99 radioisotope supply chain using LEU in Iran. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology. 2021;97(4):104-110 [In Persian].

 

  1. IAEA, Non-HEU Production Technologies for Molybdenum-99 and Technetium-99m. Technical Report No. NF-T-5.4, Vienna, 2013.

 

  1. Paul R.J. Saey. The influence of radiopharmaceutical isotope production on the global radioxenon background. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 2009;100:396-406.

 

  1. Paul R.J. Saey. Xenon: radionuclides. DOI: 10.1002/0470862106.ia725.

 

  1. ENSDF. Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File. 2009.

 

  1. Ringbom A, Larson T, Axelsson A, Elmgren K, Johansson C. SAUNA—a system for automatic sampling, processing, and analysis of radioactive xenon. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. A 2003;508:542–553.

 

  1. Fontaine J.-P., Pointurier F, Blanchard X, Taffary T, Atmospheric xenon radioactive isotope Monitoring. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 2004;72:129–135.

 

  1. Gohla H, Auer M, Cassette P, Hague R.K, Lechermann M, Nadalut B. Radioxenon standards used in laboratory inter-comparisons. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 2016 March; 109:24-29.

 

  1. Bowyer T.W, Kephart R, Eslinger P.W, Friese J.I, Miley H.S, Saey P.R. Maximum reasonable radioxenon releases from medical isotope production facilities and their effect on monitoring nuclear explosions. J Environ Radioact. 2013 Jan;115:192-200.

 

  1. Separation of 133Xe from 99Mo, 131I and uranium, and removal of impurities using gas chromatography. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 2005;264(3):679-686.

 

  1. http://www.ga-maassociates.com/products/gas-beakers/3-radiogas-containers/.

 

  1. Debertin K, Grosswendt B. Efficiency calibration of semiconductor detectors by primary standard sources and Monte Carlo calculations. Nucl. Inst. Methods. 1982;203:343.

 

  1. Sánchez F, Navarro E, Ferrero J.L, Moreno A, Roldán C, Baeza A, Paniagua J. A Monte Carlo based method of including gamma self-absorption for the analysis of environmental samples. Nucl. Inst. Methods. B 1991;61:535.

 

  1. Boson J, Agren G, Johansson L. A detailed investigation of HPGe detector response for improved, Monte Carlo efficiency calculations. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. A 2008;587:304–314.

 

  1. Decombaz M, Gostely J.J, Laedermann J.P. Coincidence-summing corrections for extended sources in gamma-ray spectrometry using Monte Carlo simulation. Nucl. Inst. Methods. A 1992;312:152.

 

  1. Overwater M.W, Bode P, De Goeij J. Gamma-ray spectroscopy of voluminous sources: corrections for source geometry and self-attenuation. Nucl. Inst. Methods. A 1993;324:209.

 

  1. Huy N.Q, Bihn D.Q, An V.X. Study on the increase of inactive germanium layer in a high-purity germanium detector after a long-time operation applying MCNP code. Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 2007;573:384.

 

  1. Andreotti E, Hult M, Marissens G, Lutter G, Garfagnini A, Hemmer S, VonSturm K. Determination of dead-layer variation in HPGe detectors. Appl Rad Isotop. 2014;87:331-335.

 

  1. Tayyebi P, Davani F.A, Tabasi M, Afarideh H. A novel technique for detection efficiency determination of HPGe. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. 2017;133:86-90.

Keywords

Uranium fission
Radioxenon
Gamma spectrometry
HPGe detector
Charcoal active
Carbon molecular sieve
  1. Tabasi M, Bahrami Samani A, Shirvani Arani S, Ghannadi Maragheh M, Mohammadi A. Assessment of Mo-99 radioisotope supply chain using LEU in Iran. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology. 2021;97(4):104-110 [In Persian].

 

  1. IAEA, Non-HEU Production Technologies for Molybdenum-99 and Technetium-99m. Technical Report No. NF-T-5.4, Vienna, 2013.

 

  1. Paul R.J. Saey. The influence of radiopharmaceutical isotope production on the global radioxenon background. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 2009;100:396-406.

 

  1. Paul R.J. Saey. Xenon: radionuclides. DOI: 10.1002/0470862106.ia725.

 

  1. ENSDF. Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File. 2009.

 

  1. Ringbom A, Larson T, Axelsson A, Elmgren K, Johansson C. SAUNA—a system for automatic sampling, processing, and analysis of radioactive xenon. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. A 2003;508:542–553.

 

  1. Fontaine J.-P., Pointurier F, Blanchard X, Taffary T, Atmospheric xenon radioactive isotope Monitoring. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 2004;72:129–135.

 

  1. Gohla H, Auer M, Cassette P, Hague R.K, Lechermann M, Nadalut B. Radioxenon standards used in laboratory inter-comparisons. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 2016 March; 109:24-29.

 

  1. Bowyer T.W, Kephart R, Eslinger P.W, Friese J.I, Miley H.S, Saey P.R. Maximum reasonable radioxenon releases from medical isotope production facilities and their effect on monitoring nuclear explosions. J Environ Radioact. 2013 Jan;115:192-200.

 

  1. Separation of 133Xe from 99Mo, 131I and uranium, and removal of impurities using gas chromatography. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 2005;264(3):679-686.

 

  1. http://www.ga-maassociates.com/products/gas-beakers/3-radiogas-containers/.

 

  1. Debertin K, Grosswendt B. Efficiency calibration of semiconductor detectors by primary standard sources and Monte Carlo calculations. Nucl. Inst. Methods. 1982;203:343.

 

  1. Sánchez F, Navarro E, Ferrero J.L, Moreno A, Roldán C, Baeza A, Paniagua J. A Monte Carlo based method of including gamma self-absorption for the analysis of environmental samples. Nucl. Inst. Methods. B 1991;61:535.

 

  1. Boson J, Agren G, Johansson L. A detailed investigation of HPGe detector response for improved, Monte Carlo efficiency calculations. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. A 2008;587:304–314.

 

  1. Decombaz M, Gostely J.J, Laedermann J.P. Coincidence-summing corrections for extended sources in gamma-ray spectrometry using Monte Carlo simulation. Nucl. Inst. Methods. A 1992;312:152.

 

  1. Overwater M.W, Bode P, De Goeij J. Gamma-ray spectroscopy of voluminous sources: corrections for source geometry and self-attenuation. Nucl. Inst. Methods. A 1993;324:209.

 

  1. Huy N.Q, Bihn D.Q, An V.X. Study on the increase of inactive germanium layer in a high-purity germanium detector after a long-time operation applying MCNP code. Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 2007;573:384.

 

  1. Andreotti E, Hult M, Marissens G, Lutter G, Garfagnini A, Hemmer S, VonSturm K. Determination of dead-layer variation in HPGe detectors. Appl Rad Isotop. 2014;87:331-335.

 

  1. Tayyebi P, Davani F.A, Tabasi M, Afarideh H. A novel technique for detection efficiency determination of HPGe. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. 2017;133:86-90.
Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
Volume 45, Issue 3 - Serial Number 109
October 2024
Pages 136-142

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