Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Evaluation of peak-fitting software for magnesium quantification through k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis

  • Dasari, Kishore B. (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Cho, Hana (Division of Chemical and Biological Metrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science) ;
  • Jacimovic, Radojko (Department of Environmental Sciences, Jozef Stefan Institute) ;
  • Park, Byung-Gun (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Sun, Gwang-Min (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)
  • Received : 2021.03.10
  • Accepted : 2021.07.13
  • Published : 2022.02.25
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Abstract

The selection and effective utilization of peak-fitting software for conventional gamma-ray spectrum analysis is significant for accurate determination of the mass fraction of elements, particularly in complex peak regions. Majority of the peak-fitting programs can derive similar peak characteristics for singlet peaks, but very few programs can deconvolute multi-peaks in a complex region. The deconvolution of multi-peaks requires special peak-fitting functions, such as left and right-skew distributions. In the this study, 843.76 keV (27Mg) peak area from the complex region (840 keV-850 keV) determined and compared using four different peak-fitting programs, namely, GammaVision, Genie2000, HyperLab, and HyperGam. The 843.76 keV peak interfered with 841.63 keV (152mEu) and 846.81 keV (56Mn). The total Mg concentration was determined through k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis by applying the isotopic interference correction factor 27Al(n,p)27Mg through the simultaneous determination of Al concentration. HyperLab and HyperGam peak-fitting programs reported consistent peak areas, and resultant concentrations agreed with the certified values of matrix-certified reference materials.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors from KAERI & KRISS thank Prof. Milena Horvat, Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences at JSI, for her support of the experimental work at JSI funded by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) programme P1-0143 and the Metrology Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (MIRS), Slovenia contract No. C3212-10-000071 (6401-5/2009/27). This work was supported by KAERI, South Korea through the Korea Government project No. MSIT/1711078081, 2021. This work was also supported by KRISS, South Korea under the project, "Establishment of Measurement Standards for Inorganic Analysis" Grant No. 21011058, 2021.

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