NATS 1575 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Neutron Activation Analysis, Neutron Activation, Emission Spectrum
16 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
Many manufactured products and even most natural materials contain small quantities of elements, knows as trace elements, present in concentrations of less than 1%. For the criminalist, the presence of these trace elements is particularly useful, because they provide invisible markers that may establish the source of a material or at least provide additional points for comparison. Nuclear chemistry provides a new tool for identifying and quantitating the elements. To identify the radioactive isotope, it is necessary to measure the energy of the gamma rays emitted as radioactivity. Neutron activation analysis measures the gamma-ray frequencies of specimens that have been. bombarded with neutrons. This method provides a highly sensitive and nondestructive analysis for simultaneously identifying and quantifying 20 to 30 trace elements. Forensic analysis has employed neutron activation on find trace elements in metals, drugs, paint, soil, gunpowder residue, and hair.
