Application of pulse mixing method in software coincidence counting

Area of Science:

• Metrology
• Nuclear Instrumentation
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Accurate absolute activity measurement is crucial for radioactivity standardization.
• Traditional coincidence counting methods rely on resolving time, introducing potential uncertainties.
• Development of advanced software-based systems is needed to improve measurement precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a newly developed software coincidence counting system for absolute activity measurement.
• To compare two distinct methods for calculating true coincidence count rates within this system.
• To validate the accuracy and reliability of the developed system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a software coincidence counting system processing time and amplitude data of individual pulses.
• Implemented two calculation methods: one using coincidence resolving time, the other employing pulse mixing formulae.
• Conducted comparative analysis using 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence measurements of Cobalt-60 sources.

Main Results:

• Both calculation methods applied to the same measurement data yielded results with a difference not exceeding 0.015%.
• The pulse mixing method successfully determined true coincidence rates without using resolving time or correcting for accidental coincidences.
• The developed software system demonstrated high precision in absolute activity measurements.

Conclusions:

• The newly developed software coincidence counting system provides accurate absolute activity measurements.
• The two distinct calculation methods within the system are in excellent agreement, confirming its reliability.
• This system offers a robust alternative for radioactivity standardization, minimizing uncertainties associated with traditional methods.