Webinar on Overview of Approach for Estimating Activity in a Package Using a Portable High Purity Germanium (HPGe) Detector

Date and Time

Tuesday, 15 June 2021

09:00, Vienna, Austria time

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Background

When a package1 emitting radiation is discovered as part of a nuclear security detection activity, additional information is required in order to determine an appropriate course of action. This information includes identification of the isotope(s) present and an estimation of the activity. In the field, identification of isotopes is most accurately performed using a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. However, using a HPGe detector to estimate the total activity adds complexity to the use and analysis of the detector data, and may require additional software and hardware.

This webinar will provide an overview of the general approach to estimating activity in a package containing radioactive material, discuss the uncertainty in the estimation, and demonstrate the process using an example HPGe detector and the relevant software.

Additionally, a second webinar (date/time TBC) will also have a special focus on HPGe detectors and will provide an opportunity to discuss this topic in greater detail and demonstrate an activity estimation process using freely available software.

Objectives

The objective of the webinar is to provide an overview of approaches to estimating activity in a package using measurements from a portable HPGe detector.

This webinar will include an introduction to and demonstration of in-situ object measurement techniques using a portable HPGe detector, and will cover:

• description of typical hardware configuration
• system setup
• energy and efficiency calibration procedures
• field measurement requirements; and
• data analysis (reporting), including the presentation of uncertainties.

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