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Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid
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Alpha Radiation-Induced Luminescence by Am-241 in Aqueous Nitric Acid Solution
Thomas Kerst1,2, Rikard Malmbeck3, Nidhu Lal Banik4
1Photonics Laboratory, Physics Unit, Tampere University, P.O. Box 692, 33101 Tampere, Finland. thomas.kerst@tuni.fi.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 17, 2019
Summary
Radioluminescence in liquids, unlike in air, is not well understood. This study characterizes alpha-induced radioluminescence in aqueous solutions, revealing its potential for optical detection of radioactive contamination.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Physics
- Optical Sensing
- Radiochemistry
Background:
- Alpha particles excite surrounding molecules, producing radioluminescence (light) detectable optically.
- Understanding liquid radioluminescence is crucial for detecting radioactive liquid contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and characterize alpha-induced radioluminescence in aqueous solutions.
- To determine the spectral properties and intensity of radioluminescence in liquids.
Main Methods:
- Dissolving Americium-241 (Am-241) in aqueous nitric acid solutions.
- Capturing radioluminescence images and spectra.
- Analyzing light intensity relative to alpha source concentration and nitric acid concentration.
Main Results:
- Observed radioluminescence spectrum with a peak between 350-400 nm, characteristic of luminescence.
- Light production in liquid is ~150 times less intense than in air.
- Radioluminescence intensity scales linearly with Am-241 concentration, independent of nitric acid concentration.
Conclusions:
- The observed spectrum suggests a luminescence mechanism, not Cerenkov radiation or bremsstrahlung.
- Liquid radioluminescence is a viable, albeit weaker, optical detection method for alpha emitters.
- Am-241 radioluminescence in aqueous nitric acid is concentration-dependent and predictable.
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