Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Characterization of Recombination Effects in a Liquid Ionization Chamber Used for the Dosimetry of a Radiosurgical Accelerator
Published on: May 9, 2014
Comparison of measured and calculated emission probabilities for K and L X-rays following radioactive disintegration
1Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany. eckart.schoenfeld@ptb.de
Abstract:
The program EMISSION has been developed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). It allows emission probabilities to be calculated for K and L X-rays following radioactive disintegration processes. This program was already applied to the calculation of total K X-ray emission probabilities for six radionuclides. The results are found to be in reasonable agreement with measured values. In order to check the validity of this program also for the individual components of K and L X-rays, calculated emission probabilities of K X-ray components (139Ce, 203Hg) and L X-ray components (139Ce, 203Hg, 241Am) were compared with remeasured (139Ce, 203Hg) and already available (241Am) emission probabilities, measured earlier at the PTB. In most cases there is an agreement within the standard uncertainties of the measured and calculated values, usually within 1-5%. Larger deviations, not covered by three times the standard uncertainty have been found for some weak lines.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Radioactivity
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
Biological Effects of Radiation
Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Overview
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab

