[en] Short note

[en] Short note

[en] A technical description is given of an apparatus for remote sensing of the activity distribution along a radioactive source, which is based on gamma scanning. Test results with extended sources are reported and recommendations are made on improving the equipment. The apparatus was tested with line sources of californium-252, curium-244, and americium-241. The amount of californium-252 was determined by a relative method involving comparison of the neutron count rates from the test source and a standard one. The amounts of curium and americium in the sources were determined by a radiometric method after dissolution

[en] Technical description and main parameters of the facility for distant control of irradiator distribution along the length of radioactive sources using the method of gamma-scanning is presented. The results of its tests with extended sources on the basis of ²⁵²Cf, ²⁴⁴Cm and ²⁴¹Am are presented, recommendations on improvementof the facility are given

[en] A study was made on methods for preparation of radioactive materials of californium neutron sources on the basis of ²⁵²Cf isotope: impregnation of porous materials, sorption on inorganic and organic sorbents, thermal destruction of extracts, electrochemical precipitation and fabrication of intermetallic compounds with metals of platinum groups. It was established that, technological losses of californium, when using these methods, didn't exceed 5-10 %, nonuniformity of californium distribution along the length of stretched sources - 10-15 %. The highest mass concentration of radionuclides in radioactive material is provided by the method of porous material impregnation (up to 0.45 mg/mm³). Only the method of fabrication of intermetallic compounds with platinum group metals enables to prepare nonleached radioactive material (californium leachability equals less than 0.01%). Regions of method application in production of different types of sources were determined. 19 refs.; 3 tabs

[en] Data on production and use in the USSR of ²⁵²Cf-base neutron sources are presented. Certain problems of the sources preparation technique and their quality testing are described. A list of source types produced, their technical and service properties, as well as consolidated data on californium sources application in different fields of national economy, are provided. 8 refs.; 1 tab

[en] Short note

[en] Results of comparative investigation into main indications of quality and technical level of sealed radionuclide neutron sources of IMK-3 type (the USSR) and CVN-5 type (britain company ''Amersham'') are given. The comparative analysis was performed according to the OST 9510017-83 technique using calculating and expert methods. A generalized complex indicator for the INK-3 type source exceeds a unit with respect to the CVN-5 source taken as a base version. This permits to conclude that native sources are inferior to the best analogous foreign sources with respect to the quality and technical level

[en] The method for the preparation of the active part of radionuclide sources of monochromatic α-radiation of high intensity has been developed. For the preparation of sources with total activity of 3x10⁸ Bq/cm² and half width of α-line ΔE≤120 KeV curium-244, platinum and steel Kh18N10T were chosen as components of the composition. The time of the composition heating in hydrogen at 1150-1250 deg C is within 10-30 min. Platinum is taken in 10-50-fold excess as to curium 244

[en] Two types of open alpha sources on the basis of curium-244 for furnishing Alpha-X apparatus, designed for the landing on the Phoebos (Mars's satellite) surface and for conducting analysis of its rocks, have been developed, manufactured and tested. Sources of A type were produced by electrochemical method of platinum deposition on the Kh18N10T steel sublayer, and then of curium one. Sources of type B were produced during annealing in hydrogen of platinum sublayer with curium oxide layer applied upon its surface. Stability of the sources and their spectrometric characteristics was studied, varying physicochemical parameters of atmosphere, which imitated real conditions of storage and operation. The tests have shown the applicability of the sources described for the experiments on the Phoebus using the Al'fa-X apparatus