Radionuclide Standardization by Primary Methods: An Overview

Published

February 17, 2009

Author(s)

Ronald Colle

Abstract

Primary methods of radionuclidic standardization serve as the underlying basis of the physical measurement standards of activity that are needed in virtually every sub-discipline of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry. Primary methods refer to the direct measurement of the number of nuclear transformations that occur per unit time, without recourse to other calibrations or standards. Such measurements, leading to the development and dissemination of radioactivity standards, are primarily performed under the purview of national metrology laboratories, like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S.A. This paper briefly reviews some of the various primary methods that have been developed by many such laboratories over many years. Their features and their role in ensuring the quality of radioactivity measurements are highlighted by several primary standardizations that have been recently performed at NIST.

Citation

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

primary standards, radioactivity measurements, radionuclide

Citation

Colle, R. (2009), Radionuclide Standardization by Primary Methods: An Overview, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=842477 (Accessed October 8, 2025)