Frank
Laboratory
of Neutron Physics

Mobile menu

"Application of mass multi-element activation analysis on instantaneous gamma quanta to determine the elemental composition of archaeological and other samples" S.B. Borzakov, A.Zh. Zhomartova, A.Yu. Dmitriev

Тип события: DNP Seminar
Тип события (для фильтра): Лабораторные семинары

DNP Seminar

04-21-2021 11:00 Online

In FLNP JINR, for the first time in Russia for the study of archaeological ceramics, the method of activation analysis on prompt gamma quanta (AAPGQ) was applied.

AAMGC is a completely non-destructive analytical method for the qualitative and quantitative simultaneous determination with different sensitivities of several tens of elements in samples weighing from about 100 mg to several grams or more. The method is suitable for studying homogeneous samples of large sizes; it can be used to analyze samples with matrices of light elements that are poorly detected by other methods.

The IBR-2 pulsed reactor is used as a neutron source. The channel is equipped with a curved neutron guide. Gamma quanta are recorded by a Canberra radiation-resistant HPGe detector with a resolution of 2.3 keV for the 60Co gamma line with an energy of 1332.5 keV and a relative efficiency of 70%. The detector is calibrated for energy and efficiency in the energy range from 50 keV to 8 MeV. The thermal neutron flux density is about 6·105 n·cm-2·s-1.

The resulting spectra are processed using the Genie-2000 program, for which a special library of instantaneous gamma lines was written. Calculations of mass fractions are automated, for which special software and a library of nuclear constants were created.

Fragments of ceramic vessels made of red-clay ceramics of the 15th-16th centuries, discovered during excavations in the Moscow Kremlin and in Bolgar, an archaeological alloy of gold and silver (presumably electrum) and a rare astrophysical object - the Chelyabinsk meteorite were studied. The results were compared with the data of other methods - neutron activation and X-ray fluorescence analysis and showed good agreement - within 2-3 standard deviations. The data obtained were used by scientists from the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences to solve urgent problems in the field of archeology.

You can connect to the online seminar of the NUF by following the link

Meeting number: 137 242 2103

Password: 3mkDCUwwM38