Intrinsic germanium detector used in borehole sonde for uranium exploration
Nuclear Instruments and Methods
By: F. E. Senftle, R.M. Moxham, A.B. Tanner, G. R. Boynton, P. W. Philbin, and J.A. Baicker
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Abstract
A borehole sonde (~1.7 m long; 7.3 cm diameter) using a 200 mm2 planar intrinsic germanium detector, mounted in a cryostat cooled by removable canisters of frozen propane, has been constructed and tested. The sonde is especially useful in measuring X- and low-energy gamma-ray spectra (40–400 keV). Laboratory tests in an artificial borehole facility indicate its potential for in-situ uranium analyses in boreholes irrespective of the state of equilibrium in the uranium series. Both natural gamma-ray and neutron-activation gamma-ray spectra have been measured with the sonde. Although the neutron-activation technique yields greater sensitivity, improvements being made in the resolution and efficiency of intrinsic germanium detectors suggest that it will soon be possible to use a similar sonde in the passive mode for measurement of uranium in a borehole down to about 0.1% with acceptable accuracy. Using a similar detector and neutron activation, the sonde can be used to measure uranium down to 0.01%.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Intrinsic germanium detector used in borehole sonde for uranium exploration |
| Series title | Nuclear Instruments and Methods |
| DOI | 10.1016/0029-554X(76)90047-1 |
| Volume | 138 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 1976 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Contributing office(s) | Mineral Resources Program |
| Description | 10 p. |
| First page | 371 |
| Last page | 380 |
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