Field analytical equipment

[atomicarcheologist]

If you were on a field assignment, digging up RAM and your count tech told you a hot sample IDed at Th234 what would your reaction(s)  be?

[Rennhack]

How hot?  Just above 'background', or like 6 Zillion curies?

[Marlin]

If you were on a field assignment, digging up RAM and your count tech told you a hot sample IDed at Th234 what would your reaction(s)  be?

Only Th234?

[atomicarcheologist]

1mCi/gm

Th234 lone isotope

[Marlin]

1mCi/gm

Th234 lone isotope

Not possible with it's short half life without the rest of the decay chain. You need a better library in your gamma spec. Send sample to a lab.

[Marlin]

Not possible with it's short half life without the rest of the decay chain. You need a better library in your gamma spec. Send sample to a lab.

While waiting do a half life if you saved the sample.

[atomicarcheologist]

While waiting do a half life if you saved the sample.

Yeah, we're digging RAM from the 60s to early new millenium... that T1/2 thing is a bit of a problem...

I was more interested in reactions to the scenario, to scale against mine, rather than technical solutions.

[Marlin]

Yeah, we're digging RAM from the 60s to early new millenium... that T1/2 thing is a bit of a problem...

I was more interested in reactions to the scenario, to scale against mine, rather than technical solutions.

Gothcha... reaction is "bogus"  

[atomicarcheologist]

Gothcha... reaction is "bogus"  

Interesting, I'll have to remember that in the future. My reaction was, shall I say, a bit less reserved... 

[Chimera]

1mCi/gm

Th234 lone isotope

With what degree of confidence?  It may be time to go back to the old-fashioned way and hand-identify all isotopes based on the peaks in your printout.  With the wrong library, your equipment may not be able to identify what it's seeing and is, instead, looking for the best fit from its library.

[atomicarcheologist]

So, if you were told to use a 2350-1 in single digit temperatures, what would your reaction be?