An automated technique for identifying and measuring activities of short-lived radionuclides

An automated measuring system capable of determining decay constants and activities of radionuclides in a sample is described. The technique used in it is aimed at identifying radionuclides produced in a sample under fast-neutron irradiation. The advantage of this technique is the procedure for measuring the time dependence of the activity decay after the end of irradiation, which provides a means for acquiring the maximum statistics at a fixed detection efficiency by minimizing pauses between measurements. The developed technique has been tested by calibrating the monitor of neutron fluxes from the HΓ-150 neutron generator. A copper foil with a high chemical purity and a natural isotopic composition has been used as a test sample (an activation detector).