My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the sanctions, I was surprised to see it made it. After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low level background radiation. This is shown in the photo at https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and quick drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays? Thanks -- MRM
Low Level Gamma Radiation
Started by ●June 5, 2022
Reply by ●June 5, 20222022-06-05
On 6/5/2022 7:07 PM, Mike Monett wrote:> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the sanctions, I > was surprised to see it made it. > > After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low level > background radiation. This is shown in the photo at > > https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG > > I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and quick > drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that > explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays? > > ThanksWhat does the X axis represent? There's a long decay chain from naturally-occurring thallium 232 and uranium 238 down to stable lead, and a number of steps in the chain produce a gamma photon
Reply by ●June 5, 20222022-06-05
On 6/5/2022 9:24 PM, bitrex wrote:> On 6/5/2022 7:07 PM, Mike Monett wrote: >> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the >> sanctions, I >> was surprised to see it made it. >> >> After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low >> level >> background radiation. This is shown in the photo at >> >> https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG >> >> I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and >> quick >> drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that >> explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays? >> >> Thanks > > What does the X axis represent? > > There's a long decay chain from naturally-occurring thallium 232Er, Thorium 232, not thallium
Reply by ●June 5, 20222022-06-05
On Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 7:07:22 PM UTC-4, Mike Monett wrote:> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the sanctions, I > was surprised to see it made it. > > After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low level > background radiation. This is shown in the photo at > > https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG > > I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and quick > drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that > explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays?What do you know of the calibration of the unit itself? Does it have the equivalent of frequency response? -- Rick C. - Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging - Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
Reply by ●June 5, 20222022-06-05
On Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 9:25:18 PM UTC-4, bitrex wrote:> On 6/5/2022 9:24 PM, bitrex wrote: > > On 6/5/2022 7:07 PM, Mike Monett wrote: > >> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the > >> sanctions, I > >> was surprised to see it made it. > >> > >> After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low > >> level > >> background radiation. This is shown in the photo at > >> > >> https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG > >> > >> I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and > >> quick > >> drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that > >> explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays? > >> > >> Thanks > > > > What does the X axis represent? > > > > There's a long decay chain from naturally-occurring thallium 232 > Er, Thorium 232, not thalliumWhen I look at the decay chain, I don't see any gamma emissions. Is this in a more rare decay event? -- Rick C. + Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging + Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
Reply by ●June 5, 20222022-06-05
On 6/5/2022 10:12 PM, Ricky wrote:> On Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 9:25:18 PM UTC-4, bitrex wrote: >> On 6/5/2022 9:24 PM, bitrex wrote: >>> On 6/5/2022 7:07 PM, Mike Monett wrote: >>>> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the >>>> sanctions, I >>>> was surprised to see it made it. >>>> >>>> After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low >>>> level >>>> background radiation. This is shown in the photo at >>>> >>>> https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG >>>> >>>> I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and >>>> quick >>>> drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that >>>> explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays? >>>> >>>> Thanks >>> >>> What does the X axis represent? >>> >>> There's a long decay chain from naturally-occurring thallium 232 >> Er, Thorium 232, not thallium > > When I look at the decay chain, I don't see any gamma emissions. Is this in a more rare decay event? >For thorium the gory details are here: <https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1050/thorium.htm>
Reply by ●June 5, 20222022-06-05
On 6/5/2022 9:56 PM, Ricky wrote:> On Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 7:07:22 PM UTC-4, Mike Monett wrote: >> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the sanctions, I >> was surprised to see it made it. >> >> After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low level >> background radiation. This is shown in the photo at >> >> https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG >> >> I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and quick >> drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that >> explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays? > > What do you know of the calibration of the unit itself? Does it have the equivalent of frequency response? >For his device it looks like the plot is a histogram of absorbed energy, and can be set on the 1 MeV, 2 MeV and 3 MeV scales, see top of page 19: <https://scan-electronics.com/files/EN/RadiaCode/SFX/RC-101_Device_Manual.pdf> If the widget is set on the 1 MeV scale and the left extreme of the X axis is about 100 keV and the right hand extreme is about 1 MeV, and the amplitude on a log plot it seems somewhat congruent with page 4 here: <https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1305/1305.2572.pdf> Seems to be detecting background radiation if that's how it's set up, situation normal I think?
Reply by ●June 6, 20222022-06-06
On Monday, June 6, 2022 at 1:07:22 AM UTC+2, Mike Monett wrote:> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the sanctions, I > was surprised to see it made it. > > After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low level > background radiation. This is shown in the photo at > > https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG > > I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and quick > drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that > explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays?How about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium-40 I seem to remember that it is the most important gamma ray source in regular terrestrial environments. -- Bill Sloman, Sydney
Reply by ●June 6, 20222022-06-06
On Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 4:07:22 PM UTC-7, Mike Monett wrote:> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the sanctions, I > was surprised to see it made it. > > After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low level > background radiation. This is shown in the photo at > > https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG > > I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and quick > drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source that > explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or x-rays?As a general rule, X-rays excite fluorescences in lots of materials; unless you have only low-atomic-number elements around, some of those fluuorescences will be in the low X-ray region, and would presumably be a low-energy high-count source that penetrates the window of your sensor (whatever the sensor is). For some sources, secondary radiation is the easiest to detect (a detector can be transparent to high energy photons).
Reply by ●June 6, 20222022-06-06
whit3rd <whit3rd@gmail.com> wrote:> On Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 4:07:22 PM UTC-7, Mike Monett wrote: >> My Radiascan Radiacode finally arrived from Russia. After the >> sanctions, I was surprised to see it made it. >> >> After learning how to operate it, I began to be curious about the low >> level background radiation. This is shown in the photo at >> >> https://www.mrmonett.com/RADIACOD.JPG >> >> I wonder what the spectrum curve is saying, particularly the rise and >> quick drop near zero. Scouring google, I was unable to find any source >> that explained it. What mechanism could produce such weak gamma or >> x-rays? > > As a general rule, X-rays excite fluorescences in lots of materials; > unless you have only low-atomic-number elements around, some of those > fluuorescences will be in the low X-ray region, and would presumably be > a low-energy high-count source that penetrates the window of your > sensor (whatever the sensor is). For some sources, secondary radiation > is the easiest to detect (a detector can be transparent to high energy > photons).Thanks for your reply. As a beginner, it is easy to get confused. I'm confused. To get more information, I decided to get the spectrum of Potassium-40 by extending the scale of the Radiacode to 3MV, and sitting it on 3 jars of Windsor Salt Free shown here: https://windsorsalt.com/product/salt-free/ Wikipedia gives the following information on Potassium-40 decay: Potassium-40 is a rare example of a nuclide that undergoes both types of beta decay. In about 89.28% of events, it decays to calcium-40 (40Ca) with emission of a beta particle (an electron) with a maximum energy of 1.31 MeV and an antineutrino. In about 10.72% of events, it decays to argon-40 (40Ar) by electron capture (EC), with the emission of a neutrino and then a 1.460 MeV gamma ray.[1] The radioactive decay of this particular isotope explains the large abundance of argon (nearly 1%) in the Earth's atmosphere, as well as prevalence of 40Ar over other isotopes. Very rarely (0.001% of events), it decays to 40Ar by emitting a positron (?+) and a neutrino.[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium-40 The detector in the Radiacode is a 1 cm cube of Thallium Doped Caesium Iodide (CsI:TI). This is a very popular scintillation detector and has good performance when coupled to a avalanch diode. The Potassium-40 spectrum is here: https://www.mrmonett.com/POTASS40.JPG You can see a slight hump at 1.31 MeV and a clearer hump at 1.46 MeV. This is very satisfying, but it's not clear how the hump at 1.31 MeV is produced. Is the Radiacode sensitive to beta decay? Also notice the shelf extending back to zero energy. Where does this come from? You mentioned above "X-rays excite fluorescences in lots of materials". But the sources are presumably beta and gamma. Where is the fluorescence coming from? Thanks for your help! -- MRM
