Measurements of scatter peaks in 137Cs and 60Co sources

Abstract

The results of the testing of radiation detection instruments with radionuclide identification capabilities will depended on the sources used for the tests. High resolution spectra need to be acquired to determine all the observable peaks in the source spectra. These peaks may be due to impurities and/or scatter peaks in the sources. This paper discusses the issue encountered with the response of a radioisotope identification device due to scatter peaks in one type of source used for testing. In addition, it provides spectra for different source types to compare the difference in scatter allowing for a better source type selection for instrument testing.