Measurements of scatter peaks in137Cs and60Co sources

Abstract

Results from tests of radiation detection instruments with radionuclide identification capabilities will depend on the sources used for the tests. Radionuclide identification detectors are designed to measure photons and provide an identification of the source being measured. High-resolution spectra need to be acquired to determine all the observable peaks in the source spectra before testing these types of instruments. These peaks may be due to impurities and/or scatter peaks in the sources. This paper discusses the issues encountered with the response of a radioisotope identification device due to scatter peaks in one type of source used for testing. In addition, it provides spectra for different source types and source constructions to compare the differences in scatter, allowing for a better source type selection for instrument testing.