210Pbactivity by detection of bremsstrahlung in 210Bi β-decay

A. Nachab (1) , Ph. Hubert (2)

1 NEMO
2 NEMO - Neutrino et Faibles Radioactivités

A method for the determination of the 210Pbactivity by HPGe spectrometry is proposed, consisting of measuring the bremsstrahlung generated in a sample by 210Bi β-emission (1.16 MeV). The detection efficiency is evaluated by GEANT3 simulation and is compared with experiment. A detection limit of 600 mBq was obtained. This technique has been used to select low background detector materials and lead shielding.

Mots clés: γ-Spectrometry; Lead shield; 210Pb; 210Bi; Bremsstrahlung

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Expérimentale [nucl-ex]

A. Nachab, Ph. Hubert. 210Pbactivity by detection of bremsstrahlung in 210Bi β-decay. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 2012, 274, pp.188-190. ⟨10.1016/j.nimb.2011.11.020⟩. ⟨in2p3-00687090⟩