Specific activity after intermittent irradiation

Abstract

To SIMPLIFY CALCULATION of the final specific activity obtained when samples are activated by intermittent irradiation in a research reactor, we have developed a graphical method that uses "normalized" growth and decay curves. These curves coupled with a sheet of transparent graph paper and a bit of arithmetic are all the tools one needs. If flux is constant for all irradiation periods (and constant throughout each irradiation period) the theory aliows a. direct graphical solution, but when irradiations are made at several flux levels, one must find from the graph a component of the total activity for each irradiation and then sum the components to get the total normalized specific activity.