Application of the Long-Range Alpha Detector (LRAD) to the detection of Natural-Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)

摘要

Standard fieldable alpha detectors are severely limited when monitoring alpha contamination on equipment, large surfaces, or the inside surfaces of pipes. New regulations are driving a need for new technologies to address these problem areas. The Long-Range Alpha Detector (LRAD) technology addresses these problems by detecting ion pairs created by an alpha particle in ambient air, rather than the alpha particle directly. These ion pairs, whose lifetime is several seconds, are transported to a collection grid by using either an airflow or an electric field. When collected, these ion pairs create a small electric current (typically 10(sup (minus)13) to 10(sup (minus)14) A) that is read by an electrometer and displayed on a data acquisition system. This method of detection is also being used to create monitoring systems for health physics, environmental site characterization decontamination characterization, and it is adaptable to cover the new needs of the power industry.