- Email: [email protected]
Applied gamma-ray spectrometry
NUCLEAR
INSTRUMENTS
AND
METHODS
94 (I97I)
203;
<;¢~ N O R T H - H O L L A N D
PUBLISHING
CO.
BOOK REVIEW Applied Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, C. E. CROUTHAMEL, F. ADAMS a n d R. DAMS ( P e r g a m o n Press, L o n d o n , 1970) pp. 752, £ 12. This book is a revised a n d m u c h enlarged version o f the m o n o g r a p h edited by C. E. C r o u t h a m e l in 1960. It is primarily intended to fit the needs o f chemists, biologists a n d others, who apply g a m m a - r a y spectroscopy as a tool in their research, but most of the presented material is also of interest to nuclear spectroscopists as an up-to-date reference. T h e introductory chapter deals with the basic properties o f g a m m a - , beta- a n d X-ray radiations a n d their interaction processes with matter, with regard to the c o r r e s p o n d i n g significance in p r o d u c i n g signals in g a m m a - r a y detectors. T h e three following chapters deal exhaustively with the principles o f detection in scintillation crystals, solid state detectors a n d proportional cotlnters a n d the operating characteristics o f these devices. Detailed i n f o r m a t i o n is also given a b o u t fabrication a n d assembling m e t h o d s for obtaining optimal detection systems o f various types. T h e electronics o f the spectrometer systems is treated in Ch. 5 and special e m p h a s i s is put on the techniques employed in high resolution spectroscopy with Ge(Li)-detectors. T h e principles o f amplification and analyzing a n d the characteristics o f the associated e q u i p m e n t is discussed in s o m e detail. Coincidence
203
spectroscopy a n d special a r r a n g e m e n t s , as e.g. the pair a n d the C o m p t o n spectrometers, are also treated. O n e chapter is devoted to a discussion o f the factors determ i n i n g the energy and time resolution for different detector systems a n d one to the m e t h o d s o f accurate detection efficiency calibration. C h a p t e r 8 deals with isotope identification problems and in this connection m e t h o d s for energy calibration a n d a u t o m a t i c data processing are presented. For m a n y readers a more detailed survey o f the latter subject would probably have been a benefit in view of the increasing use o f compttters in the evaluation of spectra. In the last c h a p t e r special m e t h o d s in the field of radiochemical analysis are treated. T h e main topics are tracer applications and activation analysis a n d in the latter case extensive surveys of activation a n d m e a s u r e m e n t m e t h o d s are given. T h r o u g h o u t the text n u m e r o u s references are quoted. More than half o f the book consists o f standard nuclear spectroscopy tables a n d a compilation of g a m m a - r a y spectra taken with Nal and Ge(Li)-detectors. T h e book is undottbtedly o f considerable value as a comprehensive reference in all laboratories where g a m m a - r a y spectrometry is performed. B. NYMAN
INSTRUMENTS
AND
METHODS
94 (I97I)
203;
<;¢~ N O R T H - H O L L A N D
PUBLISHING
CO.
BOOK REVIEW Applied Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, C. E. CROUTHAMEL, F. ADAMS a n d R. DAMS ( P e r g a m o n Press, L o n d o n , 1970) pp. 752, £ 12. This book is a revised a n d m u c h enlarged version o f the m o n o g r a p h edited by C. E. C r o u t h a m e l in 1960. It is primarily intended to fit the needs o f chemists, biologists a n d others, who apply g a m m a - r a y spectroscopy as a tool in their research, but most of the presented material is also of interest to nuclear spectroscopists as an up-to-date reference. T h e introductory chapter deals with the basic properties o f g a m m a - , beta- a n d X-ray radiations a n d their interaction processes with matter, with regard to the c o r r e s p o n d i n g significance in p r o d u c i n g signals in g a m m a - r a y detectors. T h e three following chapters deal exhaustively with the principles o f detection in scintillation crystals, solid state detectors a n d proportional cotlnters a n d the operating characteristics o f these devices. Detailed i n f o r m a t i o n is also given a b o u t fabrication a n d assembling m e t h o d s for obtaining optimal detection systems o f various types. T h e electronics o f the spectrometer systems is treated in Ch. 5 and special e m p h a s i s is put on the techniques employed in high resolution spectroscopy with Ge(Li)-detectors. T h e principles o f amplification and analyzing a n d the characteristics o f the associated e q u i p m e n t is discussed in s o m e detail. Coincidence
203
spectroscopy a n d special a r r a n g e m e n t s , as e.g. the pair a n d the C o m p t o n spectrometers, are also treated. O n e chapter is devoted to a discussion o f the factors determ i n i n g the energy and time resolution for different detector systems a n d one to the m e t h o d s o f accurate detection efficiency calibration. C h a p t e r 8 deals with isotope identification problems and in this connection m e t h o d s for energy calibration a n d a u t o m a t i c data processing are presented. For m a n y readers a more detailed survey o f the latter subject would probably have been a benefit in view of the increasing use o f compttters in the evaluation of spectra. In the last c h a p t e r special m e t h o d s in the field of radiochemical analysis are treated. T h e main topics are tracer applications and activation analysis a n d in the latter case extensive surveys of activation a n d m e a s u r e m e n t m e t h o d s are given. T h r o u g h o u t the text n u m e r o u s references are quoted. More than half o f the book consists o f standard nuclear spectroscopy tables a n d a compilation of g a m m a - r a y spectra taken with Nal and Ge(Li)-detectors. T h e book is undottbtedly o f considerable value as a comprehensive reference in all laboratories where g a m m a - r a y spectrometry is performed. B. NYMAN