Genie™ 2000 Tutorials

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. Using the VDM Data Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

VDM Service Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Viewing VDM Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Controlling VDM Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Closing VDM Service Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Starting VDM Service Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3. The User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Top Four Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
How to Use the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How to Use the Spectral Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
How to Use the Status Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
How to Use the Report Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How to Use the Analysis Status Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
How to Use the the Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4. Basic Genie 2000 Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

How to Open a Datasource. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
How to View the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The Display’s Vertical Full Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How to Use the Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How to Use the Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
How to Add, Use and Delete ROIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
How to Expand the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
How to Describe the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
How to Save the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5. Basic Energy Calibration Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
How to Create a New Energy Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Starting the Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Entering the Peak Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Viewing the Energy Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Accepting the Energy Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Labeling the Peaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

6. Basic Efficiency Calibration Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

How to Create a New Efficiency Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Starting the Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Adding the Efficiency Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Viewing the Efficiency Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Accepting the Efficiency Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

7. Basic Spectroscopy Analysis Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

What Are Analysis Modules? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
How Are the Modules Used? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
How to Execute a Module Interactively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The Report Window Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
How to Execute an Analysis Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
How to Edit an Analysis Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Load the Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Modify the Peak Locate Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Store the Modified Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Use the Modified Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Creating Your Own Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Glossary · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 45

ii
1. Introduction to the Tutorials
Though these tutorials are written for Genie™ 2000’s Model S501 Gamma Analysis
Software, the Model S509 Alpha Analysis Software is similar enough that using these
tutorials shouldn’t cause any confusion.

• The Virtual Data Manager, starting on page 2.

• The user interface, starting on page 7.
• Basic Genie 2000 operations, starting on page 16.
• Basic energy calibration techniques, starting on page 23.
• Basic efficiency calibration techniques, starting on page 26
• Basic analysis techniques in three parts, starting on page 35.
u Executing a Module Interactively
u Executing an Analysis Sequence
u Editing an Analysis Sequence

The first tutorial, “The User Interface”, describes the main features of the application’s
user interface.

The remaining tutorials are brief introductions; their functions are covered more thor-
oughly in one of two documents:

• The Gamma Acquisition and Analysis chapter of the Genie 2000 Operations
Manual.
• The Model S509 Genie 2000 Alpha Analysis User’s Manual, which is included
at the back of the Genie 2000 Operations Manual.

Glossary
A comprehensive glossary of nuclear spectroscopy terms is included at the back of
this document, starting on page 45.

A Prerequisite to Using the Tutorials

Before you can use these Tutorials with Genie 2000, you must have created at least
one MCA Input Definition with either the MID Wizard or the MID Editor. Instructions
for using both of these are provided in the MCA Input Definition chapter of the Genie
2000 Operations Manual.
Using the VDM Data Manager

2. Using the VDM Data Manager

All Genie 2000 programs require the Virtual Data Manager (VDM) process to be
running before they can be launched.

In order to support the Windows Vista operating system starting with Genie 2000 ver-
sion 3.2, the VDM application has been converted to a Windows Service process, i.e.
it runs in the background and does not appear in the Task bar.

Warning: In contrast with previous versions of Genie 2000 installa-

tions if the VDM service is not running, when a Genie 2000
application is launched, the VDM service will not start auto-
matically and application will report an error establishing a
DSC connection.

The Genie 2000 application will not be able to open any

CAM datasources until the VDM service is started again.

VDM Service Manager

To allow the user to monitor the state of the VDM service and to control its operation
Genie 2000 provides a VDM Service Manager applet, which also starts automatically
and appears in the notification area (a.k.a. system tray) of the Task bar in the form of
AREVA logo icon (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 Genie 2000 Service Manager

2
 Viewing VDM Information

The icon's color indicates the status of the VDM service: green if the service is run-
ning or red if the service is stopped. (see Figure 2)

Figure 2 Showing the VDM Service

Status

Using the right mouse button, clicking on the VDM Service Manager icon will display
the context menu that offers several options (see Figure 3).

• Send control commands to the VDM service

• Display information about the VDM service and the VDM Service Manager ap-
plet
• Close the VDM Service Manager applet (this will not stop the VDM service)

Note: The shield icon on the Control menu item indicates that control functions
require Windows Vista administrative user privilege.

Figure 3 The VDM Service Manager Context Menu

Viewing VDM Information

Selecting About VDM… menu item will display a dialog window with information
about the VDM version (including the 4-digit build number), release date, copyright
notice and short description (see Figure 4).

3
Using the VDM Data Manager

Note: The VDM version and release date are available only when VDM is run-
ning.

Figure 4 The VDM Service Manager About Dialog

Controlling VDM Service

The VDM's status is indicated and user control are accessed by an icon found in the
Windows system tray. Control menu item allows users to stop or restart the VDM ser-
vice. If the control command has completed successfully the VDM Service Manager
will display a notification balloon reporting the result of the operation. Start-up of the
VDM may take several seconds from when the user selects Restart Service.

4
 Controlling VDM Service

If the current user does not have administrative privileges, the VDM Service Manager
will present the Run As dialog allowing the user to enter password for one of the ad-
ministrative accounts in order to complete the operation (see Figure 5).

Figure 5 Entering the User Account Password

Failure to provide correct password for the administrative account will abort the con-
trol operation and following error message is displayed.

5
Using the VDM Data Manager

Closing VDM Service Manager

Select Close menu item to terminate the VDM Service Manager applet. Please note,
that this operation does not stop the VDM Service therefore if the VDM Service is
running the Genie 2000 applications will be able to continue their normal operation. It
is recommended to leave the VDM Service Manager applet running to provide user
with visual identification of the current state of the VDM Service.

Starting VDM Service Manager

If the VDM Service Manager applet is not running or was accidentally closed, it can
be launched manually from Start | Programs | GENIE-2000 program group by
clicking on the VDM Service Manager shortcut (see Figure 6).

Figure 6 Starting the VDM Service Manager

Alternatively, the VDM Service Manager application can be launched directly from
the \GENIE2K\EXEFILES\VDMServiceManager.exe location.

6
 The Top Four Lines

3. The User Interface

The Acquisition and Analysis window (Figure 7) is Genie™ 2000’s user interface for
acquiring and analyzing nuclear spectra. Since the Gamma A&A window (GAA) is
similar to other Genie 2000 application windows, it’ll be used as a quick introduction
to the parts of the window.

It consists of the Title Bar, the Menu Bar, the Toolbar and the Display Status Line at
the top of the screen, the Control Panel, the Spectral Display, the Status Pages, and the
Report Window in the main part of the window, and, at the bottom of the screen, the
Analysis Status Line.

Control
Panel Spectral Display

Status Page

Report Window

Figure 7 The Basic Acquisition and Analysis Window

The Top Four Lines

The four lines at the top of the screen are the Title Bar, the Menu Bar, the Toolbar and
the Display Status Line.

7
The User Interface

The Title Bar

The Title Bar, at the top of the screen, always shows the application’s name. If a
datasource has been opened, the datasource’s file name will also be displayed
(Nbsstd.cnf in Figure 8). If more than one datasource is open, the name of the current
one is displayed.

Figure 8 The Title Bar

The Menu Bar

The Menu Bar, just below the Title Bar, presents you with a choice of top-level menu
functions (Figure 9). Each of the submenus’ functions is covered in detail in your
Gamma Acquisition and Analysis chapter or Alpha Analysis Manual.

Figure 9 The Menu Bar

The Toolbar
The Toolbar (Figure 10), directly under the Menu Bar, contains buttons corresponding
to common menu commands. Throughout these tutorials, you’ll find examples of us-
ing Toolbar buttons, each with an illustration of its icon. If you rest the mouse cursor
(page 18) on an icon for a short time, you’ll see a tooltip describing its action.

Figure 10 The Toolbar

If you don’t see the tooltips, select the “Show Tooltips” checkbox in Display | Prefer-
ences | Toolbar Setup | Toolbars. Before closing the Toolbar Setup page, check or
uncheck the “Cool Look” checkbox. You’ll immediately see another way of display-
ing the Toolbar. Figure 10 shows the Toolbar with the “Cool Look” box unchecked.

8
 How to Use the Control Panel

Display Status Line

The Display Status Line (Figure 11) is between the Menu Bar and the spectrum. It dis-
plays the current status, such as Idle, Busy or Done, and the position of the spectrum
cursor (page 18) in terms of both channel and energy, and the total counts at that loca-
tion. The Preset at the right shows 2000/1826.00, the values for the preset setting and
the elapsed preset.

Figure 11 The Display Status Line

How to Use the Control Panel

The Control Panel (Figure 12), on the left-hand side of the screen, provides easy ac-
cess to the functions used in daily operations: Acquire Start/Stop, Expand On/Off,
Clear data and time, ROI Indexing, and moving forward/backward through the list of
all open datasources.

Figure 12 The Control Panel

9
The User Interface

You can make the spectral display area larger by hiding the Control Panel: select Dis-
play | Preferences, then remove the check from the Control Panel Shown check box.

Acquire Start/Stop
Clicking on these buttons starts or stops data acquisition. The buttons are disabled for
files and for detector datasources that are opened as Read Only.

Expand On
Clicking on this button toggles the state of the Expanded Display. See “Expand” on
page 21 for more information.

Clear
Clicking the Clear button, which is enabled only for detector datasources, clears all
spectral data and time information from the currently displayed datasource.

ROI Index
To quickly move the markers through the spectrum, from one ROI (Region of Interest)
to the next, you can:

• Click one of the Control Panel’s ROI Index buttons. The (+) button moves one
ROI to the right and the (–) button moves one ROI to the left.
• Use the keypad’s (+) and (–) keys.

• Click one of the ROI Index buttons in the Toolbar.

Datasource
If more than one datasource is open, you can click on Next or press the F6 key to
change the display to the next datasource in the list of all open datasource. If you click
on Prev or press SHIFT+F6, you’ll display the previous datasource.

If less than two datasources are open, these buttons will be disabled (grayed out).

Up to 48 Detector and File Inputs in any combination may be opened and up to eight
can be displayed simultaneously.

Similarly, other open Detector Inputs or File Inputs (as well as multiple memory
groups) can be selected for display from the list of currently open Detector Inputs or
File Inputs.

10
 How to Use the Spectral Display

How to Use the Spectral Display

The Spectral Display (Figure 13) shows the current spectrum. The upper right corner
of this area will show the display’s current VFS (vertical full scale) setting.

Changing the VFS

The scroll bar on the right side of this area lets you manually adjust the VFS.

Figure 13 The Spectral Display

How to Use the Status Pages

Detailed information about the current datasource can be seen in the Status Pages dis-
played below the spectrum.

You can move through the pages by selecting the Next or Prev button in the Status
Page area or by pressing keyboard’s PG DN or PG UP key. You can make the spectral
display area larger by hiding the Status Pages: select Display | Preferences, then re-
move the check from the Status Page Shown check box. In addition, you can chose
which status pages to display by selecting Display | Preferences, then the Status
Pages button.

Note that some of the data shown on the Status Pages is the result of a rough calcula-
tion for the region between the markers. This means that this displayed data may not
agree with the data you see in a report generated by your analysis application.

Only the four default Status Pages are described here. For information on the other
pages, refer to the “Display Menu | Screen | Status Pages” section of your Gamma Ac-
quisition and Analysis chapter or Alpha Analysis Manual.

11
The User Interface

The Time Info Page

The Time Info status page (Figure 14) includes: acquire start time, percent dead time,
computational preset region, and elapsed and preset values.

Figure 14 The Time Info Page

The Sample Info Page

The Sample Info status page (Figure 15) includes sample-related information: Title,
ID, sample type, quantity and units, sample geometry, geometry id, and buildup type.

Figure 15 The Sample Info Page

The Nuclide Info Page

The Nuclide Info status page (Figure 16) includes estimated nuclide information for
the location of the spectrum cursor (page 18): Nuclide, Energy, Half-life, and percent
Yield. If the cursor is within an ROI then the FWHM, Area, and estimated Activity are
also displayed.

Figure 16 The Nuclide Info Page

12
 How to Use the Report Window

The Marker Info Page

The Marker Info status page includes data related to the current Region of Interest
(ROI): left and right marker channel and energy, centroid channel and energy, area
and percent error, FWHM and FWTM, Gaussian ratio, ROI type, and integral.

Figure 17 The Marker Info Page

How to Use the Report Window

The Report Window (Figure 18) displays reports that have been created either interac-
tively or automatically by the system.

Figure 18 The Report Window

Select the Options menu item, then Report Window to see commands to copy the data
to the clipboard, to clear the data from the window, and to change the size of the win-
dow for easier report viewing.

Copy (Highlighted) Data to Clipboard

To copy the entire report, select Options | Report Window | Copy Contents to
Clipboard.

To copy just the highlighted portion, created by dragging your mouse cursor (page 18)
over the data of interest, select Options | Report Window | Copy Highlighted to
Clipboard.

13
The User Interface

Printing the Report Window

To print the data in the Report Window, select File | Print Report Window.

Clearing the Report Window

You’ll have to clear the Report Window if you want to display the next report’s data
by itself. If you don’t clear the Report Window, the next report will be appended to the
current report.
There are two ways to clear the window:

• Select the menu’s Options | Report Window | Clear Contents command.

• Click the Toolbar’s “trash can”.

Resizing the Report Window

There are two ways to make the Report Window larger or smaller or reset it to its de-
fault size:

• Select the menu’s Options | Report Window | Minimize or Maximize or De-

fault Size command.
• Click one of the Toolbar’s report window icons.

How to Use the Analysis Status Line

The Analysis Status Line at the bottom of the screen (Figure 19) displays the execu-
tion status during various phases of an analysis.

Figure 19 The Analysis Status Line

How to Use the the Menu Commands

The Gamma Acquisition and Analysis window’s Menu Bar contains the title of each
of eight main command groups: File, MCA, Calibrate, Display, Analyze, Edit, Options
and Datasource, as well as Help.

The File Menu

The File menu lets you open, close or save a datasource, save it under another name
(save as), access print options for the current spectrum and Report Window, access
workspace files, and exit the program.

14
 How to Use the the Menu Commands

The MCA Menu

The MCA Menu’s commands include starting and stopping data acquisition, setting up
the acquisition parameters, clearing the spectral display, adjusting the hardware
datasource’s programmable controls, checking the status of all MCA devices, advanc-
ing to the next sample in a sample changer, and loading a data file into the current
datasource.

The Calibrate Menu

The Calibrate Menu lets you set up calibration preferences, perform energy, efficiency
and peak-to-total calibrations, show the results of a calibration graphically, and load a
calibration file into the current datasource or store the datasource’s calibration as a
file.

The Display Menu

In the Display Menu, you’ll find commands for expanding and scaling the display,
comparing two datasources, entering or deleting ROIs (regions of interest), and setting
display preferences.

The Analyze Menu

The Analyze Menu’s commands let you execute a single analysis step or a sequence of
analysis steps. Every Genie 2000 system includes the acquisition, peak locate, peak
area, reporting, post-NID processing and datasource saving steps.

If your system includes the Model S501 Gamma Analysis option, the area correction,
efficiency correction, nuclide identification and detection limits steps are added. Any
other installed options will add their own steps.

The Edit Menu

The Edit Menu allows you to enter and edit Sample Information and define and edit
Analysis Sequences.

The Options Menu

The Options Menu lets you change the operator’s name, initiate interactive NID,
launch the geometry composer, perform strip and smooth, and work with the report
window.

The Datasource Menu

The Datasource Menu lets you display up to eight of the currently open datasources. If
the datasource is a multi-memory group input, you’ll be able to move from one group
to another.

15
Basic Genie 2000 Operations

4. Basic Genie 2000 Operations

For the procedures covered in this chapter, the Model S500/502/504 Basic Spectros-
copy Software must be running.

This tutorial is intended to be a brief overview of the basic Gamma Spectroscopy

Analysis window and of some of its functions. The Alpha Spectroscopy Analysis win-
dow is very similar, so Alpha users can benefit from this tutorial as well.

The first step in learning how to use Gamma Spectroscopy Analysis is to get some
data to work with. This process is called opening a datasource, where the source for
the data can be a Detector or a data file. For this tutorial, we’ll open a data file.

How to Open a Datasource

There are two ways to open a datasource:

• Select the menu’s File | Open Datasource command.

• Click the Toolbar’s open datasource icon.

Either way, the dialog box in Figure 20 will be displayed.

Figure 20 Opening a Datasource

16
 How to View the Data

1. Source: If it’s not already highlighted, select the File button.

2. Type: Select CAM File. CAM stands for Configuration Access Method, a
type of data file which contains a spectrum, its Regions of Interest (ROIs), its
calibration information, etc.

3. Read Only: This checkbox should not be checked.

4. Look in: Navigate to C:\GENIE2K\CAMFILES and select Nbsstd.cnf, the

NBS Standard spectrum file.

5. Click Open.

How to View the Data

The name of the datasource you just opened can be seen in the window’s Title Bar,
and the data itself in the window’s Spectral Display area as seen in Figure 21.

Figure 21 A Typical Gamma Display

17
Basic Genie 2000 Operations

A. The Display’s Vertical Full Scale

The spectral display’s Vertical Full Scale (VFS) defaults to Linear Autoranging. That
is, the vertical scale is linear rather than logarithmic, and the smallest VFS which will
contain the tallest peak in the data is automatically picked for you.

The VFS being used is always displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the spectral
display as either VFS=nnnn for a Linear scale or LOG=nnnn for a Logarithmic scale,
where nnnn is the vertical full scale value.

How to Change the Scale Manually

There are several ways to change the Vertical Full Scale by a factor of two (1024,
2048, 4096, etc.):
• Click on the upper or lower part scroll bar at right of the data display.
• Drag the scroll bar’s slider up or down.
• Use the keyboard’s up and down arrow keys. Each press of an arrow key is the
same as clicking once on the corresponding end of the scroll bar.

To toggle between Auto and Manual, press the keyboard’s F5 key.

Linear or Log Mode

There are two ways to change between Linear and Log data display:

• Select the menu’s Display | Scale | Linear or Log command.

• Click one of the Toolbar’s display mode icons.

How to Use the Cursors

Genie 2000 uses two kinds of cursor:

• The mouse cursor.

• The spectrum cursor.

Move the mouse cursor to the middle of the spectrum, hold down the left mouse
button and move the cursor to the left and right. You’ll see a short vertical bar, the
spectrum cursor, following your mouse’s movement.

Moving the Spectrum Cursor

Any time you point and click within the data display, the spectrum cursor will imme-
diately jump to the channel which corresponds to the horizontal location of the mouse
cursor. In addition, you can also move the spectrum cursor by:
• Dragging it across the data by holding the left mouse button down while you
move the mouse.

18
 How to Use the Markers

• Using the keyboard’s left and right arrow keys to move the spectrum cursor
through the data.

As you move the spectrum cursor, watch the Display Status Line (Figure 22). You’ll
see the information displayed there, the current channel number, its energy, and the
number of counts in that channel, change with the cursor’s movement. The word Idle
at the far left lets you know that no data acquisition is under way.

Figure 22 The Display Status Line

How to Use the Markers

In addition to the spectrum cursor, which is used to examine individual channels of
data, the spectrum also includes a pair of region markers that are used to measure
things like peak areas and centroids. These are initially located on either side of the
first ROI (Region of Interest), if there is one. If there is no ROI, they are at either end
of the full spectrum.

The region markers look like an “upside down L”, with the horizontal part pointing to
the left for the left marker, and right for the right marker. Figure 23 on page 20 illus-
trates the region markers.

Moving the Region Markers

The region markers can be moved independently by either of two methods:

1. With the mouse: Move the spectrum cursor to the outside edge of the marker
you want to move. When the cursor turns into a vertical bar with an arrow
attached to it (see Figure 23 on page 20), dragging with the mouse will move
the region marker.

2. From the keyboard: First, use the keypad’s arrow keys to move the spectrum
cursor to the new location for a region marker. Press CTRL+L for the Left
marker or CTRL+R for the Right marker and the selected marker will jump to
the cursor location.

In addition, a keyboard command, CTRL+M, is available to the markers from where

ever they happen to be in the Reference (lower) Spectrum to the edges of the Ex-
panded Spectrum. The Expand Mode is covered in detail in “Expanding the Display”
on page 21.

19
Basic Genie 2000 Operations

While the region markers can be moved individually, we’ve found the following to be
the easiest way to quickly place the markers on either side of a peak of interest when
the markers are close together:

1. Move the mouse cursor (not the spectrum cursor) to the region markers.
When it reaches a marker, it will change into a vertical bar with an arrow
attached to it. Dragging the mouse will move that marker.

Figure 23 shows the mouse cursor on the left (with an arrow), the two region
markers and the spectrum cursor, the vertical line at the top of the peak.

Figure 23 The Mouse Cursor, the Two Region

Markers and the Spectrum Cursor

2. When the mouse cursor has a left-pointing arrow, it means that you have
selected the left marker for movement. Similarly, a right-pointing arrow
affects only the right marker.

3. Drag the left marker toward the right until it is just to the right of the peak
you want to analyze. You’ll notice that both markers will move together
when you do this, because the left marker will “push” the right marker along
in front of it.

4. Now drag the left marker back to the left until it is at the left edge of the
region you want to analyze. When you do that the right marker will stay
where it was; the markers are now bracketing the region.

20
 How to Add, Use and Delete ROIs

How to Add, Use and Delete ROIs

Since Genie 2000 has the ability to create and use Regions of Interest (ROIs), let’s
take a look at them.

Creating an ROI
In the previous section, you moved the markers so that they would bracket a peak,
which is the first step in creating an ROI. The second step is to press the keyboard’s
INS key to create an ROI between the two markers.

Using the ROIs

When there are ROIs in your spectrum, you can quickly move the markers to the re-
gion you want to examine by:

• Clicking one of the Control Panel’s ROI Index buttons. The (+) button moves
one ROI to the right and the (–) button moves one ROI to the left.

• Using the keypad’s (+) and (–) keys.

• Clicking one of the ROI Index buttons in the Toolbar.

Deleting an ROI
Deleting an ROI is just as easy as entering one. Just Index the markers to the ROI you
want to remove, then press the keyboard’s DEL key.

How to Expand the Display

To create ROIs accurately, you really need to take a closer look at the data, and for
that, we use the expand mode.

Turning Expand On and Off

There are three ways to turn the expand mode on:

• Click on the Control Panel’s Expand On button.

• Press the F8 key on the keyboard.
• Click the Toolbar’s expand icon.

The result will be a display like the one in Figure 24. The Reference Spectrum, the
lower half of the display, contains the full spectrum and the Expanded Region, the
upper half of the display, shows the expanded data.

Turning the expand mode on changes the button’s name to Expand Off, so the next
time you click on it (or press F8), the display will change back to normal.

21
Basic Genie 2000 Operations

Figure 24 Expand Has Been Turned On

The Expand Rectangle

At the spectrum cursor’s location in the Reference Spectrum, you’ll see a large rectan-
gle in the spectrum (Figure 24). What you see in the Expanded Region is the data
within the rectangle.

Moving the Rectangle

To view a different portion of the Reference Spectrum in the Expanded Region, all
you have to do is move the rectangle to a new section of the data. To do that:

1. Move the mouse cursor into the rectangle; it will change into the four-headed
arrow shown inside the Expand Rectangle in Figure 24.

2. Press the left mouse button and drag the rectangle to the new location. The
Expanded Region will track the movement so you can view the data as the
Expand Rectangle is moved.

Viewing the Data in ROIs

You can to move to and examine the ROIs in the Expanded Display by using any of
the methods described in “Using the ROIs” on page 21.

Changing the Size of the Rectangle

To change the amount of data shown in the Expanded Region all you have to do is
change the size and shape of the rectangle. This is done by stretching or shrinking the
rectangle.

22
 How to Expand the Display

To change one side of the rectangle:

1. Move the mouse cursor to the side you want to change until it changes into a
horizontal or vertical double-headed arrow (Figure 25).

2. Click and drag the side to the new position.

Figure 25 Stretching the Expand Rectangle

To change two adjacent sides at the same time:

1. Move the mouse cursor to any corner of the rectangle until it changes into a
diagonal double-headed arrow.

2. Click and drag with the mouse, which moves the rectangle’s corner,
changing the size of the rectangle in two directions at once.

Using either of these two methods you can change the size and shape until the data
you want to view is displayed in the Expanded Region.

Using the Expanded Region

The spectrum cursor, the markers, and adding and clearing ROIs all work in the usual
way in the Expanded Region, allowing you to examine individual data channels and
“fine tune” your ROI locations. When you’ve finished working with the expanded dis-
play, click Expand Off and you’ll be ready to continue.

23
Basic Genie 2000 Operations

How to Describe the Data

When you’ve acquired a spectrum, the next step is to enter some descriptive informa-
tion before saving it for later analysis.

Editing the Sample Information

There are two ways to open the Sample Information dialog box shown in Figure 26:

• Select the menu’s Edit | Sample info command.

• Click the Toolbar’s edit sample information icon.

The Sample Information editor lets you add a description of the sample to the data file.
Note this information does not have to be entered at this time; it can be added at
analysis time.

Figure 26 Editing Sample Information

Most of the fields in this dialog box are for descriptive purposes only. That is, the text
you type in is stored with the data and will be included with the analysis reports to
provide a better description of the sample.

You can also enter information in the sample Quantity, Uncertainty, Units, Sample
Geometry, percent Random Error and percent Systematic Error fields, all of which are
used during sample analysis. Their use is beyond the scope of this tutorial; for com-
plete information, refer to “The Information Fields” in your Gamma Acquisition and
Analysis chapter or Alpha Analysis Manual.

Viewing the Sample Information

To see the Sample Information for the current datasource, click on the Next button in
the window’s Status Page area until the SAMPLE INFO page appears. You’ll find a
summary of the information you’ve entered displayed there.

24
 How to Save the Data

If the Sample Info page is not available, you can enable it through the Display | Pref-
erences menu selection.

How to Save the Data

There are three ways to save the data and its description:

• Select either the menu’s File | Save command or the Toolbar’s save icon ,
which will save directly to an existing file.
• If there is no existing file, you’ll see the “Save as” dialog box shown in Figure
27, which lets you save to a new file name

• Select the menu’s File | Save as command. You’ll see the “Save as” dialog box
(Figure 27).

Figure 27 The Save As Dialog

Description
For CAM files, you can enter an optional description of up to 32 characters, making it
easier to identify this data file at a later date.

Save as Type
Use the default file type: CAM Files (*.CNF).

File Name
All you need to do is type in the file’s name. The dot and the extension (file type) will
be automatically added by Genie 2000 when you click Save.

25
Basic Energy Calibration Techniques

5. Basic Energy Calibration Techniques

Energy calibration establishes a linear relationship between the spectrum’s channels
and their energy levels. By calibrating two peaks, one at each end of the spectrum, the
energy of any other peak can be estimated fairly accurately.

Though Genie 2000 Spectroscopy Analysis includes several methods for Energy Cali-
brating a spectrum, we’ll use only one of these methods in the tutorial.

Calibration Setup
Before we create a new energy calibration, we’ll take a look at a system-wide parame-
ter used in energy calibration. Select Calibrate | Setup to see the screen in Figure 28.

You can see two Tolerance parameters in the upper right corner of the window. The
first parameter, Energy Cal, is used in Energy Calibration, discussed below; the
second parameter, Eff Match, is used in Efficiency Calibration (page 31).

Figure 28 Calibration Setup

Energy Cal Tolerance

During energy calibration, the spectrum’s peaks are matched with the energies speci-
fied in the selected certificate file, plus or minus this tolerance value. The default value
of 1.50 keV means that if a spectrum’s peak is within 1.50 keV of a matching energy
in the certificate file, it will be accepted as valid.

26
 How to Create a New Energy Calibration

If you use a higher value, more of the spectrum’s peaks will be seen, which could lead
to false peaks being accepted. On the other hand, using a lower value may cause valid
peaks to be overlooked. Determining the best setting for a given spectrum is beyond
the scope of this tutorial, so we’ll leave the parameter set to its default value.

How to Create a New Energy Calibration

To create a new Energy Calibration, we’ll look at calibration by Certificate File. A
mixed radionuclide calibration source includes a certificate that defines the source’s
radionuclides, their peak energies, the calibrated activity for each, and so forth. A Cer-
tificate File is this information stored in a computer file.

• For details on the other Energy Calibration methods, refer to the “Energy Only
Calibration”, “Energy Full”, and “Energy Calibration | Full” subsections of the
“Calibrate Menu” section in your Gamma Acquisition and Analysis chapter of,
or the Alpha Analysis Manual in, the Genie 2000 Operations Manual.

• For information on how Certificate Files are created and maintained, refer to the
Using the Certificate File Editor chapter in your Genie 2000 Operations Man-
ual.

A. Starting the Calibration

Since we’ve already opened a datasource (page 16), we’ll calibrate its spectrum by en-
tering peak locations and their corresponding energies.

1. Click on Calibrate | Energy Full | By Certificate File.

2. In the Open Certificate File box, double click on Nbsstd.ctf.

The energies of the peaks in the datasource will be loaded into the calibration list for
you (Figure 29).

Figure 29 The Energy Calibration – Full Dialog

27
Basic Energy Calibration Techniques

To establish an energy calibration, we have to locate at least two of the datasource’s

peaks, one at the low end of the spectrum and one at the high end, which correspond to
the energy of the entries in the calibration file, ±1.50 keV, the Energy Calibration Tol-
erance value.

B. Entering the Peak Locations

The first energy line in Figure 29 is 88.04, which is the line for 109Cd. To enter that
peak, place the spectrum cursor on the 88 keV peak at the low end of the spectrum,
then click the Cursor button to add the cursor’s channel position to the Channel col-
umn. The FWHM and Low Tail values will be calculated and added to the list.

Now scroll down the list in Figure 29 to the 1836 line (88Y), place the spectrum cursor
on the 88Y peak at the high end of the spectrum, then click the Cursor button to add
the cursor’s channel position.

C. Viewing the Energy Calibration

To view the new calibration, click the Show button to see the display in Figure 30.

Figure 30 A Two-Point Energy Calibration Graph

Below the graph, you’ll see the Datasource’s file name and the equation’s values for
Energy, FWHM and Low Tail.

To return to the Energy Calibration screen, click OK or Cancel.

28
 How to Create a New Energy Calibration

D. Accepting the Energy Calibration

When you are satisfied with the calibration, click OK to have this calibration become
your current calibration.

E. Labeling the Peaks

When the spectrum is calibrated, select Display | Preferences. On the left side of the
Display Preferences dialog (Figure 31), check the Display Nuclide ID on Spectrum
and Display Peak Information checkboxes.

Figure 31 The Display Preferences Dialog

29
Basic Energy Calibration Techniques

This will add two kinds of peak information to the spectral display: Peak Labels, iden-
tifying the nuclide for each peak, and a Peak Information Bubble for the current peak,
listing the peak’s: Nuclide ID, Energy, Net Area with percent error and the nuclide’s
Activity (optional).

60
Figure 32 Nuclide IDs and Co Peak Information

30
 How to Create a New Energy Calibration

6. Basic Efficiency Calibration Techniques

Put very simply, a detector’s efficiency changes at different levels of gamma-ray en-
ergy. The efficiency calibration allows us to compensate for these changes.

Assuming you’ve gone through the procedures on Energy Calibration and the use of
Certificate Files, you’ll find Efficiency Calibration to be a similar process.

To create an efficiency calibration, your spectrum must be energy calibrated. If you

haven’t done that yet, go back to page 27 and follow the procedure in “How to Create
a New Energy Calibration”.

Eff Match Tolerance

The Efficiency Match Tolerance parameter (Eff Match in Figure 33) is used during ef-
ficiency calibration to match calculated peaks with the peaks in the specified certifi-
cate file, plus or minus the specified tolerance value.

Figure 33 Calibration Setup

The default value of 1.00 keV means that if a spectrum’s peak is within 1.00 keV of a
matching energy in the certificate file, it will be accepted as valid.

If you use a higher value, more of the spectrum’s peaks will be seen, which could lead
to false peaks being accepted. On the other hand, using a lower value may cause valid

31
Basic Efficiency Calibration Techniques

peaks to be overlooked. Determining the best setting for a given spectrum is beyond
the scope of this tutorial, so we’ll leave the parameter set to its default value

How to Create a New Efficiency Calibration

To create a new Efficiency Calibration, we’ll use calibration by Certificate File, which
is similar to the Energy Calibration by Certificate File process.

• For details on the other Efficiency Calibration methods, refer to the “Calibrate
Menu | Efficiency” section in your Gamma Acquisition and Analysis chapter or
Alpha Analysis Manual.

• For information on how Certificate Files are created and maintained, refer to the
Using the Certificate File Editor chapter in your Genie 2000 Operations Man-
ual.

A. Starting the Calibration

To calibrate the spectrum, we have to enter peak locations and their corresponding en-
ergies.

1. Click on Calibrate | Efficiency | By Certificate File.

2. In the Open Certificate File box, double click on Nbsstd.ctf (the same
Certificate File we used in Energy Calibration).

The energy lines in this file will populate the list box, as shown in Figure 34.

Figure 34 Efficiency Calibration

32
 How to Create a New Efficiency Calibration

B. Adding the Efficiency Data

The next step is to add efficiency and percent error values to each energy in the list.
There are two ways to do this:

• If you know that the current datasource contains peak area analysis results, you
can click the Use-results button to populate the list box with that data. If you’re
not sure whether the current datasource contains peak area data, you’ll have to
use the second method.

• Click the Auto button to have the system automatically perform a Peak Locate
and Peak Area analysis, then calculate and display the efficiency and percent er-
ror values for each energy in the list box.

With either method, for each peak found that matches one in the list box, ±1.00 keV,
the Efficiency Match Tolerance value, an efficiency is calculated based on the peak
net area and the calibration data contained in the Certificate File.

Dual Polynomial Curve

For the dual polynomial curve, the overall Efficiency Curve can be a combination of
two curves, one for the lower energies and a second for the higher energies (above
150–200 keV or so).

To use two curves, highlight an energy, then click the Cross-over button to specify
the point where you want the low energy curve to end and the high energy curve to
start. If no crossover point is specified, a single equation is used across the entire en-
ergy range.

1, Click on the 165.85 keV line in the list to select it.

2. Click the Cross-over button to put an X to the right of the peak in the list.
This will mark it as the energy used as the crossover point.

Peak Edits
The Peak Edits section lets you enter or change the Energy, Efficiency, and Error
(%) data by hand. You can use up to 45 calibration triplets; any more than that will be
ignored. The Accept button verifies the entered values and displays them in the list
box; the Delete button deletes the highlighted entry from the list box.

Cascade Correction
The Cascade Correction function, which is enabled only under certain conditions, pro-
duces an efficiency calibration that is free from cascade summing effects. Its use is be-
yond the scope of this tutorial. You’ll find a full description of this function in the
Correcting for Cascade Summing appendix of the Genie 2000 Operations Manual.

33
Basic Efficiency Calibration Techniques

C. Viewing the Efficiency Calibration

To check the results of the Efficiency Calibration, click on the Show button, which
will display the dual efficiency curves and the fit to the data points.

The Dual Energy Curves

The low energy curve, a second order equation, is shown in red (white in Figure 35);
the high energy curve, a fourth order equation, is shown in blue (black in the figure).
The two share the data point at 165.85 keV to ensure continuity from one curve to the
other.

Figure 35 Show Efficiency Calibration

In addition to the default Dual Curve, you can display the calibration as an Empirical
Curve, a Linear Curve or an Interpolated Curve by selecting the appropriate button in
the Curve section of the data window.

To return to the Efficiency Calibration screen, click OK or Cancel.

D. Accepting the Efficiency Calibration

When you are satisfied with the calibration, click OK to have this calibration become
your current calibration.

34
 What Are Analysis Modules?

7. Basic Spectroscopy Analysis Techniques

Now that we have a calibrated system let’s look at Genie 2000’s analysis and report-
ing routines. We’ll also find that the reports generated by the basic routines can
include the calibration used during the analysis.

What Are Analysis Modules?

Before we discuss the analysis modules, such as peak locate and area measurements,
we’ll examine the philosophy behind them.

All of the Genie 2000 analyses use modules: programs that take one data set – such as
spectral data – perform a process on it, then output the results – such as peak centroid
locations. Depending on the options installed on your system, you’ll find modules for
functions like Peak Location, Peak Area Measurement and Nuclide Identification.

All of these modules share the following general features:

• All look to the datasource for their input data.

• All (with one exception) place their results back into the datasource so other
modules can use that data. For example, the output from the Peak Location
Module – Peak Centroids – is used as input data by the Peak Net Area and Nu-
clide ID Modules. Their outputs, in turn, are used as inputs to other modules.

• None, with the one exception, are capable of generating a printed report; all
they can do is get data from a datasource, process it, and send results back to
that datasource.

• The one exception is the Report Module. It doesn’t analyze data; it uses the data
generated by the other modules to create a report.

These modules can be run interactively, as demonstrated in the next section, or stored
as an Analysis Sequence File (ASF) that lets you automatically implement a sequence
of analysis modules as discussed in “Executing an Analysis Sequence” on page 38.

How Are the Modules Used?

The modules are the building blocks from which you create analysis procedures. For
example, consider the following spectroscopy questions.

• Is Nuclide ‘X’ present in my spectrum?

For this you would use the Peak Locate Module, the Peak Area Module, the Ef-
ficiency Correction Module, the Nuclide ID Module, and the Report Module.

35
Basic Spectroscopy Analysis Techniques

• Several days (weeks, months) later you’re asked “Since Nuclide X did
not appear to be present, what was its Minimum Detectable Activity
(MDA)?”.
The results from step 1 were stored in the datasource with the data, so all you
have to do is apply the MDA Module to the datasource and run the Report
Module again.

• Are you sure that’s right? What calibration did you use?
Since the calibration equations are also stored in the datasource, all you need to
do is use the Report Module to generate a Calibration Report.

In short, by running the modules you need in the order you need them, you can easily
tailor your analyses to answer your questions. And, as you’ll see in “Editing an Analy-
sis Sequence” on page 40, a module’s parameters can easily be modified to refine the
results.

As we just learned, performing an analysis consists of running a series of analysis

modules one after the other, then generating a report. This sequence of events can be
stored as an Analysis Sequence File (ASF). Executing the ASF file automatically per-
forms the stored sequence of events.

Depending on which modules you use and how you modify them, you might have sev-
eral automatic analysis sequences for various types of analyses.

How to Execute a Module Interactively

Before you start defining your own custom analysis sequences, you might ask, “How
do I know just which steps to use and which parameters must be modified to get a par-
ticular job done?”

For this, we’ll look at an individual module, which you can interactively modify and
execute so you can see just what their impact will be. We’ll see how this works by
modifying the Peak Locate module.

Locating the Peaks

You can run the Peak Locate module interactively by selecting Analyze | Peak Lo-
cate | Unidentified 2nd Diff. You’ll see the dialog box in Figure 36.

36
 How to Execute a Module Interactively

Figure 36 The Peak Locate Module

The Significance Threshold

The Significance Threshold determines how large a peak must be (relative to the back-
ground) to be recognized as a peak. For instance, if the Threshold is set to 5.00, as in
the figure, running the Peak Locate module will result in 26 peaks being found in the
Nbsstd.cnf spectrum.

To see the effects of a higher setting (less sensitivity), change the Significance Thresh-
old value to 12.00, check the Generate Report checkbox, then click on Execute. When
you look at the results in the Report Window (Figure 37), you’ll see that a higher
threshold (12.00) results in a lower sensitivity: only 17 peaks have been found, nine
less than with a Threshold setting of 5.00.

Figure 37 Threshold Set to 12

37
Basic Spectroscopy Analysis Techniques

The Report Window Option

This is a good time to take a look at the Report Window options. There are commands
to copy the data to the clipboard, to clear the data from the window, and to change the
size of the window for easier report viewing.

Clearing the Report Window

You’ll have to clear the Report Window if you want to display the next report’s data
by itself. If you don’t clear the Report Window, the next report will be appended to the
current report.
There are two ways to clear the window:

• Select the menu’s Options | Report Window | Clear Contents command.

• Click the Toolbar’s clear report icon.

Creating a Printed Report

There are two ways to create a printed record of this report:

• Select the menu’s File | Print Report Window command.

• Click the Toolbar’s print report icon.

How to Execute an Analysis Sequence

As we’ll see in “How to Edit an Analysis Sequence” on page 40, Genie 2000 includes
an editor both for changing a module’s parameters and for custom-assembling the
analysis modules into any type of sequence you may need.

In addition, your custom sequences can be added to the Analyze Menu, allowing you
to tailor your system’s automatic analysis to your specific application needs.

To gain an understanding of what an analysis sequence can do, we’ll examine a se-
quence that’s included with Genie 2000. It automatically executes three analysis mod-
ules in a specified order.

When you select Analyze | Execute Sequence, you’ll see a list of the sequences in-
stalled on your system (Figure 38).

Remember that this tutorial assumes that the Model S501 Gamma Analysis option is
installed on your system, so the list in Figure 38 includes the option’s sequences, as
well as those for the Basic Spectroscopy software.

38
 How to Execute an Analysis Sequence

To use any sequence, there must be a spectrum in the Gamma window. If a spectrum
is not displayed, open C:\GENIE2K\CAMFILES\Nbsstd.cnf.

Figure 38 Execute Sequence Menu

Running the Peak Analysis w/Report Sequence

The fourth sequence in the list, Peak Analysis w/Report, runs four modules, or steps,
sequentially. To run the sequence, click on Analyze | Execute Sequence | Peak Anal-
ysis w/Report.

The Report Window will display a report of the Peak Analysis of the spectrum (at the
bottom of Figure 39).

Figure 39 A Peak Analysis Report

39
Basic Spectroscopy Analysis Techniques

Creating a Printed Report

There are two ways to create a printed record of this report:

• Select the menu’s File | Print Report Window command.

• Click the Toolbar’s print report icon.

How to Edit an Analysis Sequence

If the standard Peak Analysis sequence isn’t quite what you want, you can edit it. You
can even define entirely new sequences. To open the Analysis Sequence Editor, select
Edit | Analysis Sequence. You’ll see the dialog box in Figure 40.

Figure 40 The Edit Analysis Sequence Dialog

As an example of how to use this editor, we’ll modify the standard Peak Analysis
w/Report sequence to make it less sensitive, just as we did interactively.

A. Load the Sequence

To select the sequence to be edited, click on the Load button. You’ll see the dialog
box in Figure 41, which lets you pick the sequence to be loaded into the editor.

40
 How to Edit an Analysis Sequence

Figure 41 Loading a Sequence

The Seq. Descriptions list in Figure 41 shows all of the Sequences in the Analyze
Menu. The one we want to change is Peak Analysis w/Report. Double click on its
name to load its steps into the Edit Analysis Sequence window’s Current Steps list, as
shown in Figure 42.

Figure 42 Editing the Peak Report Sequence

In the Current Steps window, you’ll see the four steps in this sequence:
• Reporting – Standard
• Peak Locate – Unidentified 2nd Difference

41
Basic Spectroscopy Analysis Techniques

• Peak Area – Sum/Non-linear LSQ Fit

• Reporting – Standard.

The report module is run twice because each instance uses a different section of the
Analysis template to create its part of the report. When the first instance runs, the
report Header is created. When the second instance runs, the Peak Analysis report is
sent to the Report Window.

The second step in the sequence is the Peak Locate module we ran interactively. Since
we already know how to use this module interactively, we’ll use it again as to see how
it can be modified and run in a sequence.

B. Modify the Peak Locate Step

To modify the step’s parameters, double click on Peak Locate – Unidentified 2nd
Diff in the Current Steps list to open the Peak Locate Setup dialog in Figure 43.

Figure 43 Modifying Peak Locate

Since we want to change the sensitivity, we’ll edit the Significance Threshold param-
eter to show 12.00 as the new value, as we did for the interactive version. When
you’re finished, click on OK to return to the Edit Analysis Sequence dialog box.

C. Store the Modified Sequence

You have two options here: Save the changes to the original ASF file or save the
changes to a new ASF file.

Saving to the Original File

To save the changed Significance Threshold value to the original file:

42
 How to Edit an Analysis Sequence

1. Click the Edit Analysis Sequence screen’s Store button. You’ll see the Store
Analysis Sequence dialog box in Figure 44.

2. Click OK to save the changed definition.

Figure 44 Storing the Modified Sequence

3. Since you are writing back to the original file, a confirmation box will appear
to confirm overwriting the existing file. Click Yes to complete saving the
file.

Saving to a New File

To save the changed Significance Threshold value to a new file:

1. Click the Edit Analysis Sequence screen’s Store button.

2. Type a new file name, such as Peak_NEW, in the File name box (Figure 45).

Figure 45 Renaming the Modified Sequence

43
 3. Type a new description in the Seq. Description box. Since this description
will be the sequence’s name in your Execute Sequence Menu, it should be
both meaningful and fairly short. For this example, the revised sequence has
been named Peak Analysis w/Less Sensitivity.

4. After you’ve completed your entries, click on OK to save the definition.

Using the procedures we’ve just covered, you can create any number of custom se-
quences or edit existing sequences. For further information on defining a sequence, re-
fer to the “Edit Menu | Analysis Sequence” section of your Gamma Acquisition and
Analysis chapter or Alpha Analysis Manual.

D. Use the Modified Sequence

To use the new definition file, click on OK in the Edit Analysis Sequence dialog box
to close it, then click on Analyze | Execute Sequence in the Menu Bar. Your new se-
quence will be at the end of the list (Figure 46).

Figure 46 New Execute Sequence

Creating Your Own Sequence

Creating a sequence isn’t any more complicated than modifying the parameters of the
Peak Locate – Unidentified 2nd Difference step. The only difference is that you’ll be
modifying the parameters of several modules instead of just one.

Of course, it’ll take a little study to determine which modules will be best for your se-
quence. You’ll find that referring to either of the following documents will be very
useful for that study.

All of the modules are fully described in the “Analyze Menu” section of your Gamma
Acquisition and Analysis chapter or Alpha Analysis Manual.

44
Glossary
Underlined terms are defined elsewhere in this glossary. These terms and their cross refer -
ences can also be researched online at http://www.canberra.com.

A ALPHA PARTICLE [Symbol: ] A particle

made up of two neutrons and two protons; it
ABSORBED DOSE Absorbed dose is the is identical to a helium nucleus and is the
amount of energy deposited in any material least penetrating of the three common types
by ionizing radiation. It is a measure of en- of radiation (the other two are beta particles
ergy absorbed per gram of material. The SI and gamma rays), being stopped by a sheet
unit of absorbed dose is the gray. The spe- of paper or a few centimeters of air. An al-
cial unit of absorbed dose is the rad. pha-emitting substance is generally not dan-
gerous to a biological system, such as the
ACCURACY The degree of agreement be- human body, unless the substance has en-
tween an individual measurement or aver- tered the system. See decay.
age of measurements and the accepted
reference value of the quantity being mea- AMPLIFICATION The process by which weak
sured. See also precision. signals, such as those from a detector are
magnified to a degree suitable for measure-
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS A method of chemi- ment.
cal analysis (for small traces of material)
based on the detection of characteristic ANALOG MULTIPLEXER An electronic instru-
radionuclides in a sample after it has been ment that accepts several inputs and stores
subjected to nuclear bombardment. each one in a separate section of MCA
memory. Also called a mixer/router.
ADC Analog to Digital Converter. A device
which changes an analog signal to a digital ANNIHILATION RADIATION Radiation pro-
signal. duced by the annihilation of a positron and
an electron. For particles at rest, two pho-
AIM Acquisition Interface Module: a type of mul- tons with an energy of 511 keV each are
tichannel analyzer. produced.

ALGORITHM A set of well-defined rules for ANTICOINCIDENCE CIRCUIT A circuit with

solving a problem. two inputs. The circuit delivers an output
pulse if one input receives a pulse within a
ALARA Since exposure to radiation always car- predetermined time interval, usually on the
ries some risk, the exposure should be kept order of milliseconds, but not if both inputs
"As Low As Reasonably Achievable", as de- receive a pulse. A principle used in pulse
fined by 10 CFR 20. height analysis. See also coincidence cir-
cuit.

AREA The number of counts in a given region

of a spectrum that are above the continuum
level.

45
ASCII An acronym for American Standard Code BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE [Symbol: Tb] The
for Information Interchange, a method for time required for a biological system to elimi-
encoding alphabetical, numeric, and punctu- nate half of the amount of a substance (such
ation characters and some computer control as radioactive material) by natural pro-
characters. cesses. Compare effective half-life and
half-life.
ATTENUATION CORRECTION Correction to
the observed signal for the attenuation of ra- BREMSSTRAHLUNG Radiation produced by
diation in a material between the sample the sudden deceleration of an electrically
and the detector or within the sample itself. charged particle when passing through an
intense electrical field.

B
BACKGROUND RADIATION Radiation due to
sources other than the sample, such as cos-
C
mic rays, radioactive materials in the vicinity
of a detector or radioactive components of CASCADE SUMMING Also referred to as true
the detection system other than the sample. coincidence summing, it occurs when two or
more pulses from the same decay are
BACKGROUND SUBTRACTION The statisti- summed because they deposit energy in the
cal process of subtracting the background detector at the same time. It is a function of
level of radiation from a sample count. the measurement efficiencies and occurs
only with susceptible cascading nuclides
60 88 152 133
BACKSCATTERING The process of scattering ( Co, Y, Eu, Ba, etc.)
or deflecting into the sensitive volume of a
measuring instrument radiation that origi- CENTROID The center of a peak; usually not
nally had no motion in that direction. The an exact channel number.
process is dependent on the nature of the
mounting material, the shield surrounding CHANNEL One of an MCA’s memory locations
the sample and the detector, the nature of for storage of a specific level of energy or di-
the sample, the type of energy of the radia- vision of time.
tion, and the geometry. See also scattering.
CHERENKOV RADIATION Photons emitted
BASELINE In biology, a known base state from from polarized molecules when returning to
which changes are measured. In electron- their ground state following excitation by
ics, a voltage state (usually zero volts) from charged particles traveling faster than the
which a pulse excursion varies. speed of light in a transparent medium.

BECQUEREL [Symbol: Bq] The SI unit of ac- CHI-SQUARE TEST A general procedure for
tivity, defined as one disintegration per sec- determining the probability that two different
ond (dps). distributions are actually samples of the
same population. In nuclear counting mea-
BETA PARTICLE [Symbol: ] An elementary surements, this test is frequently used to
particle emitted from a nucleus during radio- compare the observed variations in repeat
active decay with a single electrical charge counts of a radioactive sample to the varia-
and a mass equal to 1/1837 that of a proton. tion predicted by statistical theory.
A negatively charged beta particle is identi-
cal to an electron. A positively-charged beta COINCIDENCE CIRCUIT A circuit with two in-
particle is called a positron. puts. The circuit delivers an output pulse if
both inputs receive a pulse within a prede-
termined time interval, usually on the order
of milliseconds, but not if just one input re-
ceives a pulse. A principle used in pulse
height analysis. See also anticoincidence
circuit.

46
COINCIDENCE SUMMING A process where CRITICAL LEVEL (Lc) The level below which a
the signal from two or more gamma rays net signal cannot reliably be detected. See
emitted by a single decay of a single also detection level.
radionuclide occur within the resolving time
of the detector end up being recorded to- CROSSOVER ENERGY In some efficiency cali-
gether as a single event so that the recorded bration models, the energy at which one cal-
event is not representative of the original de- ibration curve is changed into a second
cay. Typically causes counts to be lost from calibration curve. This is used in the Dual Ef-
the full energy peaks, but may also cause ficiency Calibration in Genie software.
addition to the full energy peaks. Coinci-
dence summing is a function of the sam- CURIE [Symbol: Ci] The (approximate) rate of
ple-to-detector geometry, and the nuclide’s decay of 1 gram of radium; by definition
decay scheme. It is not a function of the 10
equal to 3.7 x 10 becquerels (or disintegra-
overall count rate. tions per second). Also, a quantity of any nu-
clide having 1 curie of radioactivity.
COLLECT An MCA function that causes stor-
age of data in memory.

COMPTON SCATTERING Elastic scattering of D

photons in materials, resulting in a loss of
some of the photon’s energy. DATASOURCE A hardware device or a file
which stores data acquisition parameters
CONFIDENCE FACTOR It is common practice and spectral data.
when reporting results to assign them a con-
fidence level: the value plus or minus one DAUGHTER NUCLIDE A radionuclide pro-
standard deviation. radiation protection mea- duced by the decay of a parent nuclide.
surements are usually reported at the 95%
confidence level, meaning that the results DEAD TIME The time that the instrument is
would be expected to be within plus or mi- busy processing an input signal and is not
nus that range 95 out of 100 times. Also able to accept another input; often ex-
called Confidence Level. pressed as a percentage. See also live time.

CONTINUUM A smooth distribution of energy DECAY The disintegration of the nucleus of an

deposited in a gamma detector caused by unstable atom by spontaneous fission, by
the partial absorption of energy from pro- the spontaneous emission of an alpha parti-
cesses such as Compton scattering or cle or beta particle, isomeric transitions, or
bremsstrahlung. by electron capture.

CONVERSION GAIN The number of discrete DEFAULT The value of a parameter used by a
voltage levels (or channels) that the ADC’s program in the absence of a user-supplied
full scale input is divided into. value.

CONVERSION TIME The time required to DERIVED AIR CONCENTRATION (DAC) The
change an input signal from one format to 3
concentration (Bq/m ) of a radionuclide in air
another, such as analog to digital, or time that if breathed by Reference Man for a
difference to pulse amplitude; contributes to working year (2000 hours) under light activ-
dead time. ity conditions would result in the annual limit
on intake (ALI) by inhalation.
COSMIC RAYS Radiation, both particulate and
electromagnetic, that originates outside the DETECTION LEVEL The level of net signal that
earth’s atmosphere. can be predicted to be detectable. See also
critical level.
COUNT A single detected event or the total
number of events registered by a detection
system.

47
DETECTOR A device sensitive to radiation EFFICIENCY CALIBRATION A function, a
which produces a current or voltage pulse lookup table, or series of functions, which
which may or may not correspond to the en- correlate the number of counts seen by the
ergy deposited by an individual photon or detection system in specific peaks with
particle. known activity corresponding to such emis-
sion energies in a radioactive sample.
DIGITAL STABILIZATION The monitoring of
one or two reference peaks in a spectrum, ELASTIC SCATTERING See scattering.
one for gain and one for zero, to correct for
drift in the system electronics. ELECTRODEPOSITION A process for coating
the surface of samples being prepared for
DISCRIMINATOR An electronic circuit which alpha spectroscopy and alpha/beta count-
distinguishes signal pulses according to ing.
their pulse height or voltage so that un-
wanted counts can be excluded. ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION A general
term to describe an interacting electric and
DISINTEGRATION See decay. magnetic wave that propagates through vac-
uum at the speed of light. It includes radio
DPM Disintegrations per minute. One DPM waves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet
equals 1/60 becquerel. light, X rays and gamma rays.

DOSE The radiation delivered to the whole hu- ELECTRON [Symbol: e¯] An elementary parti-
man body or to a specified area or organ of cle with a unit negative electrical charge and
the body. This term is used frequently in a mass 1/1837 that of the proton. Electrons
whole body counting applications. surround the positively charged nucleus and
determine the chemical properties of the
DOUBLE ESCAPE PEAK See escape peak. atom.

ELECTRON VOLT [Symbol: eV] The amount

of kinetic energy gained by an electron as it
E passes through a potential difference of 1
-19
volt. It is equivalent to 1.602 x 10 joules
EFFECTIVE HALF-LIFE [Symbol: Teff] The per second. It is a unit of energy, or work,
time required for a radioactive element in a not of voltage.
biological system, such as the human body,
to be reduced by one-half as a result of the ENERGY CALIBRATION A function which cor-
combined action of radioactive decay and relates each channel in the displayed spec-
biological elimination. Compare half-life and trum with a specific unit of energy. Allows
biological half-life. peaks to be identified by their location in the
calibrated spectrum.
EFFICIENCY The fraction of decay events from
a standard sample seen by a detector in the ESCAPE PEAK A peak in a gamma ray spec-
peak corresponding to the gamma ray en- trum resulting from the pair production pro-
ergy of the emission, and stored by a detec- cess, the subsequent annihilation of the
tion system. Also called Peak Efficiency. photons produced, and escape from the de-
Used to calibrate the system for quantitative tector of the annihilation photons. If both an-
analyses. Also used to specify germanium nihilation photons escape, and the rest of
detectors, where the relative efficiency of the the original gamma energy is fully absorbed,
germanium detector is compared to a stan- a double escape peak is produced at an en-
dard (3 x 3 in.) NaI(Tl) detector. Compare to- ergy equal to the original gamma ray energy
tal efficiency. minus 1.022 MeV. If only one of the photons
escapes, a single escape peak is produced
at an energy equal to the original gamma
ray energy minus 511 keV.

48
EXCITED STATE The state of molecule, atom, GAMMA RAY [Symbol: ] A photon or
or nucleus when it possesses more than its high-energy quantum emitted from the nu-
ground state energy. Excess molecular or cleus of a radioactive atom. Gamma rays
atomic energy may be reduced through are the most penetrating of the three com-
emission of photons or heat. Excess nuclear mon types of radiation (the other two are al-
energy may be reduced through emission of pha particles and beta particles) and are
gamma rays or conversion electrons or by best stopped by dense materials such as
further decay of a radionuclide. lead.

eV See electron volt. GAUSSIAN FIT Calculating the parameters of a

Gaussian (or Normal) function to best match
a set of empirical data (in spectroscopy, the
acquired photopeak histogram). This calcu-
F lation is typically performed using a least
squares method after subtracting the
FACTORS The parameters used by an algo- Compton continuum underlying the peak.
rithm for its calculations.
GAUSSIAN PULSE SHAPE A pulse shape re-
FULL ENERGY ABSORPTION The absorption sembling a statistical bell-curve, with little or
and detection of all of the energy of an inci- no distortion.
dent photon. May take place as a direct
photoabsorption or as a result of multiple GEOMETRY The detector to sample distance,
Compton scatterings of the incident photons the sizes and shapes of the detector, the
within the resolving time of the detection sample, and any shielding, all of which affect
system. the radiation seen by the detector. The ge-
ometry helps define the efficiency of the de-
FULL ENERGY PEAK The peak in an energy tector.
spectrum of X-ray or gamma-ray photons
that occurs when the full energy of the inci- GRAY [Symbol: Gy] The SI unit of absorbed
dent photon is absorbed by the detector. dose, defined as one joule per kilogram of
absorbing medium.
FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) The full
width of a peak measured at one-half of its GROUND STATE The state of a nucleus, atom
maximum amplitude with the continuum re- or molecule at its lowest energy level.
moved. Defines the resolution of a spectros-
copy system.

G H
GAIN, ADC See conversion gain. HALF-LIFE [Symbol: Tl/2] The time in which
one half of the atoms of a particular radioac-
GAIN, AMPLIFIER The ratio of the amplifier’s tive substance decay to another nuclear
output signal to its input signal. form. Half-lives vary from millionths of a sec-
ond to billions of years.
GAIN CONTROL A control used to adjust the
height of a pulse received from the detecting HISTOGRAM A representation of data by verti-
system. cal bars, the heights of which indicate the
frequency of energy or time events.

I
INELASTIC SCATTERING See scattering.

49
ION An atom or molecule that has become IONIZING EVENT Any process whereby an ion
electrically charged by having lost or gained or group of ions is produced. As applied to
one or more electrons. Examples of an ion nuclear spectroscopy, this refers to the
are an alpha particle, which is a helium atom passing of radiation through a gas, a crystal,
minus its two electrons, and a proton, which or a semiconductor.
is a hydrogen atom minus its single electron.
ISOMERIC TRANSITION The de-excitation of
INDEX An MCA function that jumps the cursor an elevated energy level of a nucleus to the
from one region of interest to another. ground state of the same nucleus by the
emission of a gamma ray or a conversion
INPUT/OUTPUT The process of loading data electron.
into or copying data from an MCA or com-
puter using a peripheral device, such as a ISOTOPE One of two or more atoms with the
computer, a floppy disk, or a printer. same atomic number (the same chemical el-
ement) but with different atomic weights. An
IN SITU COUNTING Measurement and analy- equivalent statement is that the nuclei of iso-
sis of radioactivity performed at the sample’s topes have the same number of protons
location. (thus the same chemical element) but differ-
ent numbers of neutrons (thus the different
INTEGRAL The total sum of counts in the re- atomic weight). Isotopes usually have very
gion of interest. nearly the same chemical properties, but
somewhat different physical properties. See
INTENSIFY To change the contrast of a dis- also nuclide and stable isotope.
played region of interest to set it off from
data regions of lesser importance.

INTERACTIVE PEAK FIT The process of refin-

K
ing and verifying the quality of a peak fit.
The fitting parameters, such as the centroid keV (kiloelectron volt) One thousand electron
location and the way the continuum is de- volts.
fined, can be changed. The change in the
quality of the fit is displayed. KEY LINE Designated in nuclide libraries for re-
porting purposes only. It is intended to indi-
INTERFERING PEAK A peak due to back- cate the highest abundance photopeak
ground radiation which is produced at the lo- energy for nuclides with multiple energy
cation of a peak in the sample spectrum or lines, or the line that is the least likely to
due to a peak produced by a radionuclide in have interferences.
the sample at the location of another
radionuclide’s peak.

IN VIVO COUNTING In vivo counting refers to

L
directly measuring and analyzing
radionuclide activity levels in a living body. LAN Local area network: a network of two or
more computers connected together.
IN VITRO COUNTING In vitro counting refers to
samples, such as tissue or blood, being an- Lc See critical level.
alyzed for radionuclide activity levels in an
artificial environment (outside of a living
body).

I/O See input/output.

IONIZATION The process by which an electri-

cally neutral atom acquires a charge (either
positive or negative).

50
LIBRARY DIRECTED PEAK SEARCH Method MASS NUMBER The sum of the neutrons and
of designating the location of peaks using all protons in a nucleus. It is the nearest whole
of the lines from the specified nuclide library. number to an atom’s atomic weight. For in-
235
All of the nuclide library energies are as- stance, the mass number of U is 235.
sumed to have photopeaks present and the
peak analysis is typically required to verify MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION
or reject each peak. This limits the peak (MPC) The concentration limit for a given
search to the nuclides in the library but al- radionuclide in air or water in determining
lows for greater sensitivity than with typical possible inhalation, ingestion or absorption
unknown peak searches. See also second for health physics controls.
difference peak search.
MCA See multichannel analyzer.
LIMIT OF DETECTION The minimum amount
of the characteristic property being mea- MCS See multichannel scaling.
sured that can be detected with reasonable
certainty by the analytical procedure being MDA Minimum detectable activity. See lower
used under specific measuring conditions. If limit of detection.
the conditions change, the limit of detection
will also change, even if the analytical proce- MEAN The average of a group of numbers.
dure remains the same. See also lower limit
of detection.
METASTABLE ISOTOPE A long-lived energy
state of a particular nuclide that is not its
LIVE TIME The time that the ADC is not busy ground state. Some nuclides have more
processing a signal. See also dead time and than one isomeric state. An isomeric state
real time. has the same mass number and atomic
number as the ground state, but possesses
LIVE TIME CORRECTION In an MCA, the pro- different radioactive properties.
cess of stopping the live time clock when-
ever the processing circuits are busy and MeV (megaelectron volt) One million electron
cannot accept further information. Com- volts.
monly used to extend the collection time by
accounting for the dead time.
MIXER/ROUTER See analog multiplexer.
LOWER LIMIT OF DETECTION (LLD) The
MONITORING, PERSONNEL Periodic or con-
smallest net signal that can reliably be quan-
tinuous observation of the amount of radia-
tified. LLD is a measure of the performance
tion or radioactive contamination present in
of a system in terms of activity.
or on an individual.
LOWER LEVEL DISCRIMINATOR (LLD) An
MULTICHANNEL ANALYZER (MCA) An in-
SCA’s minimum acceptable energy level. In-
strument which collects, stores and ana-
coming pulse amplitudes below this limit will
lyzes time-correlated or energy-correlated
not be passed. See also upper level
events. See also multichannel scaling and
discriminator.
pulse height analysis.

MULTICHANNEL SCALING (MCS) The acqui-

M sition of time-correlated data in an MCA.
Each channel is sequentially allocated a
dwell time (a specified time period) for accu-
MARINELLI BEAKER A standard sample con-
mulating counts until all the memory has
tainer that fits securely over a detector
been addressed. MCS is useful for studying
cryostat’s endcap and is used when calibrat-
rapidly decaying radioactive sources.
ing voluminous samples (usually soil or wa-
ter solutions).

51
MULTISPECTRAL SCALING Multispectral NUCLEUS The positively charged core of an
scaling acquisition mode, also called atom, which contains nearly all of the atom’s
“ping-pong” mode, alternately collects data mass. All nuclei contain both protons and
in two separate memory regions, quickly col- neutrons, except the nucleus of ordinary hy-
lecting many spectra with extremely low la- drogen, which consists of a single proton.
tency between acquisitions.
NUCLIDE A general term applicable to the iso-
MULTIPLET Peaks in a spectrum which over- topes of all elements, including both stable
lap each other. Compare singlet. and radioactive forms (radionuclides).

NUCLIDE LIBRARY A file listing nuclides, their

names, half-lives, types, energies/lines, and
N line abundances. These files are used with
library directed peak searches, nuclide iden-
NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIOACTIVE MA- tification (NID) and as aids in performing cal-
TERIAL (NORM) Radioactivity that is naturally ibrations.
present in the earth.

NEUTRON [Symbol: n] An uncharged elemen-

tary particle with mass slightly greater than
that of the proton, and found in the nucleus
O
of every atom heavier than hydrogen.
OFFSET, ADC A digitally performed shift in the
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS (NAA) ADC’s channel zero. Shifts the entire spec-
The process of activating materials by neu- trum by the selected amount.
tron absorption then measuring the emission
of characteristic photons on decay to deter- OVERLAP An MCA function allowing one sec-
mine the relative abundance of elements in tion of memory to be displayed over another.
an object.

NID Nuclide Identification, the process of identi-

fying radionuclides by comparing peak ener-
gies detected with entries in a nuclide
P
library.
PAIR PRODUCTION Creation of an elec-
NIM Nuclear Instrumentation Module. A nuclear tron-positron pair by gamma ray interaction
instrument conforming to the in the field of a nucleus. For this process to
DOE/ER-00457T standard. be possible, the gamma ray’s energy must
exceed 1.022 MeV, twice the rest mass of
NOISE Unwanted signals on or with a useful an electron.
signal which can distort its information con-
tent. PARAMETER A variable that is given a con-
stant value for a specific application.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE ASSAY An analysis
method that does not destroy the sample. PARENT NUCLIDE A radionuclide that pro-
For example: gamma spectroscopy, X-ray duces a daughter nuclide during decay.
fluorescence and neutron activation.
PASSIVE NON-DESTRUCTIVE ASSAY A
NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS The general topic of method that uses radiation emitted by the
maintaining control and accountability of sample itself, without increasing the emis-
special nuclear materials. sion by bombarding the sample with some-
thing, such as neutrons. The sample itself is
not changed in any way in the course of
passive assay.

PEAK A statistical distribution of digitized

energy data for a single energy.

52
 +
PEAK CHANNEL The channel number closest POSITRON[Symbol: ] An elementary parti-
to the centroid of a peak. cle, an “anti-electron”; with the mass of an
electron but having a positive charge. It is
PEAK FIT The optimization of parameters to emitted by some radionuclides and is also
match an expected model shape to empiri- created in pair production by the interaction
cal data (see also gaussian fit). This optimi- of high-energy gamma rays with matter.
zation is typically performed using a least
squares method. POSITRON ANNIHILATION A process where a
positron combines with an electron, produc-
PEAK-TO-TOTAL RATIO The ratio of the ob- ing two annihilation photons of 511 keV
served counts in a full energy peak to the each.
counts in the entire spectrum, caused by the
interaction of radiation with the detector at PRECISION The degree of agreement between
that emission energy only. several measurements of the same quantity
under specific conditions. See also accu-
PERCENT SIGMA [Symbol: ] An expression racy.
of the standard deviation as a percentage. It
is numerically equal to 100 times the stan- PRIMORDIAL NUCLIDE A nuclide as it exists
dard deviation divided by the mean. in its original state.
PHA See pulse height analysis. PROGENY See daughter nuclide.
PHOTOELECTRIC ABSORPTION The process PROMPT GAMMA ANALYSIS A form of neu-
in which a photon interacts with an absorber tron activation analysis where gammas,
atom, the photon disappears completely, emitted during capture of neutrons, are used
and the atom ejects a photoelectron (from for analysis instead of gammas of subse-
one of its bound shells) in place of the pho- quent beta decay.
ton.
PROTON An elementary particle with a single
PHOTOELECTRON An electron released from positive electrical charge and a mass ap-
an atom or molecule by means of energy proximately 1837 times that of the electron.
supplied by radiation, especially light. The atomic number (Z) of an atom is equal
to the number of protons in its nucleus.
PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBE (PMT) A device
for amplifying the flashes of light produced PROTON INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION (PIXE)
by a scintillator. The emission of X ray when a sample is
bombarded by protons. The X rays emitted
PHOTON In quantum theory, light is propa- are characteristic of the elements present in
gated in discrete packets of energy called the sample. Used for trace analysis.
photons. The quantity of energy in each
packet is called a quantum.
PULSE HEIGHT ANALYSIS (PHA) The acqui-
PHOTOPEAK See Peak. sition of energy-correlated data in the MCA.
Each channel, defined as an energy win-
dow, is incremented by one count for each
PHYSICAL HALF-LIFE See half-life.
event that falls within the window, producing
a spectrum which correlates the number of
POLE/ZERO A method of compensating the energy events as a function of their ampli-
preamplifier’s output signal fall-time and the tude.
amplifier’s shaping time constant. Its use im-
proves the amplifier’s high count rate resolu-
PULSE PAIR RESOLUTION The ability to dis-
tion and overload recovery.
criminate between two pulses close together
in time.
PMT See photomultiplier tube.
PULSE PILEUP A condition, where two energy
pulses arrive at nearly the same time, which
could produce false data in the spectrum.

53
PULSE PILEUP REJECTOR (PUR) An elec- RANGE, ADC The full-scale address (number
tronic circuit for sensing the pulse pileup of channels) of the ADC’s assigned memory
condition and rejecting these pulses so that segment.
only single pulses are counted.
REAL TIME Elapsed clock time; also called true
time. Compare live time.

Q RECOILING NUCLEUS A nucleus that gains

significant kinetic energy from its decay.
QUANTUM The unit quantity of energy accord-
ing to quantum theory. It is equal to the REGION OF INTEREST (ROI) A user-defined
product of the frequency of the electromag- area of the spectrum which contains data of
netic radiation and Planck’s constant (6.626 particular interest, such as a peak.
-34
x 10 J/s).
REM (Roentgen Equivalent Man) A unit of
dose equivalency; equal to 0.01 sievert. See
also Roentgen.
R RESOLUTION The ability of a spectroscopy
system to differentiate between two peaks
RAD A special unit of absorbed dose. Equal to that are close together in energy. Thus, the
0.01 gray. narrower the peak, the better the resolution
capability. Measured as FWHM.
RADIATION The emission or propagation of
energy through matter or space by electro- ROENTGEN The Roentgen, the international
magnetic disturbances which display both unit of X radiation or gamma radiation, is the
wave-like and particle-like behavior. Though amount of radiation producing, under ideal
in this context the “particles”; are known as conditions in one cc ionization of either sign
photons, the term radiation has been ex- equal to one electrostatic unit of charge.
tended to include streams of fast-moving
particles. Nuclear radiation includes alpha ROI See region of interest.
particles, beta particles, gamma rays and
free neutrons emitted from an atomic nu-
cleus during decay.
S
RADIOACTIVITY The emission of radiation
from the spontaneous disintegration (decay) SCA Single Channel Analyzer. A device which
of an unstable nuclide. recognizes events (pulses) occurring be-
tween the settings of the lower level
RADIONUCLIDE A radioactive isotope. See discriminator and the upper level
also nuclide. discriminator. In an MCA, each event within
these limits is counted; events outside of
RANDOM SUMMING A process where the sig- these limits are discarded.
nal from two or more separate decays of the
same radionuclide or different radionuclides SCATTERING A process that changes a parti-
that occur within the resolving time of the cle’s trajectory. Scattering is caused by par-
detector end up being recorded together as ticle collisions with atoms, nuclei and other
a single event so that the recorded event is particles or by interactions with electric or
not representative of the original decays. magnetic fields. If there is no change in the
Typically causes counts to be lost from the total kinetic energy of the system, the pro-
full energy peaks. Random summing is a cess is called elastic scattering. If the total
function of the overall count rate, or the ac- kinetic energy changes due to a change in
tivity of the sample being measured. internal energy, the process is called inelas-
tic scattering. See also backscattering.
RANDOM SUMMING LOSS The loss of counts
from the full energy peaks due to random
summing.

54
SCINTILLATOR A type of detector which pro- SPECIFIC ACTIVITY The quantity of radioactiv-
duces a flash of light as the result of an ion- ity per unit mass; for example, dpm/g or
izing event. See also photomultiplier tube. Bq</A>/g.

SECOND DIFFERENCE PEAK SEARCH A SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL (SNM) Mate-

technique for locating photopeaks by calcu- rial containing fissionable isotopes suitable
lating the second difference for each chan- for nuclear weapons.
nel in a spectrum, then locating areas of
negative concavity. See also library directed SPECTRUM A distribution of radiation intensity
peak search. as a function of energy or time.

SEGMENTED GAMMA SCANNER A gamma SPECTROMETER A device used to count an

spectroscopy system that analyzes a sam- emission of radiation of a specific energy or
ple by counting it in discrete segments. range of energies to the exclusion of all
other energies. See also multichannel ana-
SELF ABSORPTION Absorption of the photons lyzer.
emitted by the radioactive nuclides in the
sample by the sample material itself. STABLE ISOTOPE An isotope that does not
undergo radioactive decay.
SHADOW SHIELD An attenuating enclosure
that shields the detector from direct back- STANDARD DEVIATION [Symbol: ] A mea-
ground radiation without being a 4π; shield. sure of the dispersion about the mean value
Typically used in whole body counting. of a series of observations expressed in the
same units as the mean value.
SHAPE CALIBRATION The process of estab-
lishing a relationship between the expected STRIPPING Subtracting a specified fractional
peak shape and energy. A shape calibration part of the data in one section of memory
can be established by using two or more from the data in another section of memory.
peak FWHM/energy (or FWHM/ channel)
pairs or by using a least squares fit algo- SYSTEM BUSY TIME The dead time of an en-
rithm. tire spectroscopy system.
SIEVERT [Symbol: Sv] The SI unit of dose
equivalency (a quantity used in radiation
protection). The sievert is the dose equiva-
lent when the absorbed dose of ionizing ra- T
diation multiplied by the dimensionless
factor Q (quality factor) and N (product of
any other multiplying factors) stipulated by TOTAL DETECTOR EFFICIENCY All pulses
the International Commission on Radiologi- from the detector are accepted, and all inter-
cal Protection is one joule per kilogram. actions (regardless of how low in energy)
are assumed counted.
SINGLE CHANNEL ANALYZER See SCA.
TOTAL EFFICIENCY The ratio of all pulses re-
SINGLE ESCAPE PEAK See escape peak. corded in the MCA memory (in all channels)
to the gamma quanta emitted by the sample.
Compare efficiency.
SINGLET A single peak in a spectrum, well
separated from other peaks. Compare
multiplet. TRANSURANIC (TRU) Possessing an atomic
number higher than that of uranium (92).
SMOOTHING To decrease the effects of statis-
tical uncertainties in computerized spectrum TRUE COINCIDENCE SUM PEAK A spectral
analysis, the content of each channel is re- peak, the energy of which equals the sum of
placed by a weighted average over a num- the energies of two or more gamma rays or
ber of adjacent channels. X ray from a single nuclear event.

TRUE TIME See real time.

55
 WINDOW A term describing the upper and
U lower limits of radiation energy accepted for
counting by a spectrometer.
UNCERTAINTY In a nuclear decay measure-
ment, uncertainty refers to the lack of com-
plete knowledge of a sample’s decay rate
due to the random nature of the decay pro-
cess and the finite length of time used to X
count the sample.
X RAY A penetrating form of electromagnetic
UPPER LEVEL DISCRIMINATOR (ULD) An
radiation emitted during electron transitions
SCA’s maximum acceptable energy level.
in an atom to a lower energy state; usually
Incoming pulse amplitudes above this limit
when outer orbital electrons give up some
will not be passed. See also lower level
energy to replace missing inner orbital elec-
discriminator.
trons.

W
WHOLE BODY COUNTING (WBC) In vivo de-
Z
termination of radionuclide activity levels in
the human body. Used to determine compli- ZERO, ADC An ADC control which aligns its
ance with the regulations of various govern- zero energy output with a specific channel in
mental bodies regarding radiation exposure. the MCA’s memory (usually channel zero).

56
 Canberra (we, us, our) warrants to the customer (you, your) that for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of
shipment, software provided by us in connection with equipment manufactured by us shall operate in accordance
with applicable specifications when used with equipment manufactured by us and that the media on which the
software is provided shall be free from defects. We also warrant that (A) equipment manufactured by us shall be
free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of shipment of such
equipment, and (B) services performed by us in connection with such equipment, such as site supervision and
installation services relating to the equipment, shall be free from defects for a period of one (1) year from the date of
performance of such services.

If defects in materials or workmanship are discovered within the applicable warranty period as set forth above, we
shall, at our option and cost, (A) in the case of defective software or equipment, either repair or replace the
software or equipment, or (B) in the case of defective services, reperform such services.

LIMITATIONS
EXCEPT AS SET FORTH HEREIN, NO OTHER WARRANTIES OR REMEDIES, WHETHER STATUTORY,
WRITTEN, ORAL, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) OR OTHERWISE, SHALL APPLY. IN NO
EVENT SHALL CANBERRA HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT
OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSSES OR DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, WHETHER AS A RESULT
OF BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT LIABILITY (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR
OTHERWISE. REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF THE SOFTWARE OR EQUIPMENT DURING THE
APPLICABLE WARRANTY PERIOD AT CANBERRA'S COST, OR, IN THE CASE OF DEFECTIVE SERVICES,
REPERFORMANCE AT CANBERRA'S COST, IS YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY UNDER THIS
WARRANTY.

EXCLUSIONS
Our warranty does not cover damage to equipment which has been altered or modified without our written
permission or damage which has been caused by abuse, misuse, accident, neglect or unusual physical or
electrical stress, as determined by our Service Personnel.

We are under no obligation to provide warranty service if adjustment or repair is required because of damage
caused by other than ordinary use or if the equipment is serviced or repaired, or if an attempt is made to service or
repair the equipment, by other than our Service Personnel without our prior approval.

Our warranty does not cover detector damage due to neutrons or heavy charged particles. Failure of beryllium,
carbon composite, or polymer windows, or of windowless detectors caused by physical or chemical damage from
the environment is not covered by warranty.

We are not responsible for damage sustained in transit. You should examine shipments upon receipt for evidence
of damage caused in transit. If damage is found, notify us and the carrier immediately. Keep all packages,
materials and documents, including the freight bill, invoice and packing list.

When purchasing our software, you have purchased a license to use the software, not the software itself. Because
title to the software remains with us, you may not sell, distribute or otherwise transfer the software. This license
allows you to use the software on only one computer at a time. You must get our written permission for any
exception to this limited license.

BACKUP COPIES
Our software is protected by United States Copyright Law and by International Copyright Treaties. You have our
express permission to make one archival copy of the software for backup protection. You may not copy our
software or any part of it for any other purpose.
Revised 1 Apr 03