Gamma Spectrometers

Gamma Spectrometers

Gamma Spectrometers and Multi channel Analyzers (MCA)

Analogue and digital gamma spectrometers for Educational institutions, scientists and students. Our spectrometers will work with any PMT based scintillation detector. If in doubt, please check with us first. Gammaspectacular is the new way to analyse gamma radiation without the need for expensive nuclear instrument modules (NIM based systems) or MCA's. The results are excellent and your research budget will stretch a lot further. Every physics lab needs at least one Gammaspectacular

FAQ's:

1. What is a gamma spectrometer?

A gamma spectrometer is a specialised detector for ionising radiation that not only detects gamma rays but also measures their specific energies. The pulses from the detector are processed by a multi channel analyzer, which sorts them into a histogram. The resulting energy peaks enable experienced users to identify radioactive isotopes.

2. How does a gamma ray spectrometer work?

A gamma ray spectrometer captures high-energy electromagnetic gamma rays and converts them into electronic pulses with much longer wavelengths, while still maintaining proportional energy. A common method involves using a scintillation crystal coupled with a photomultiplier tube. The scintillation crystal absorbs the gamma energy, causing electrons to move within the crystal lattice and emit multiple lower-energy photons. These photons are then converted into electrical pulses by the photomultiplier tube. The electronic pulses are amplified and fed into a multichannel analyzer.

3. What are the applications of a gamma spectrometer?

Gamma spectrometers provide valuable insights into the structure of atoms and are essential teaching aids in advanced physics. They are also widely used in industry for isotope identification and metrology. In some parts of the world, gamma spectrometry is used to certify food safety by ensuring that radioactive contaminants are below regulatory limits. Additionally, geologists use gamma ray spectrometers to quantify minerals containing uranium, thorium, and potassium. Astronomers also utilize gamma spectrometry to study the universe, analyzing gamma rays from cosmic sources to understand astrophysical phenomena.

4. What is the difference, analogue sound card spectrometer vs. digital spectrometer ?

The analogue spectrometer sometimes called a Theremino spectrometer or sound card spectrometer is essentially a microphone, it takes the electronic signal from a photomultiplier tube and digitises it using a PC sound card. The digitised pulse is typically read by open source free software on a PC or Mac, where the pulse filtering, pulse height calculation and binning into a histogram is done by the software. Pulse height resolution is excellent and since almost all sound cards are stereo it has the added benefit of a second channel for coincidence counting. Typical sound cards sample at 48 kHz which places an upper limit on data collection of around 2500 counts per second, which is usually more than enough when working with low activity sources.

Digital spectrometers are more sophisticated and have an integral high speed microprocessor which is pre-programmed with custom software for analysing gamma detector pulses and outputting a complete histogram. Most digital spectrometers come with or have a built in temperature compensation probe and can sample up to 100,000 counts per second. Digital MCA's are great for work environments where you want quick results with a minimum amount of adjusting. The current range of digital multichannel analysers (MCA) are not suitable for coincidence counting.

5. Do you sell a portable gamma spectrometer ?

Most of our radiation spectrometer instruments are small, portable and will work at room temperature. Some are even compatible with smart phone apps which means you don't need to carry a laptop computer around. Instruments like the ATOM-NANO is a professional grade portable spectrometer.