Study of Gamma Spectra

Photonuclear & Compton Scattering Cross-Section

Batch # 09
Name of the Experiment
Study of Gamma spectra of given radioactive
source
Determination of Photonuclear and Compton
scattering cross-section

 Participants
1. KHONDAKER TANVIR MAHMUD (Introduction & Overview)
2. MD. AMIN THANDAR (-ray interaction with matter)
3. AB. MD. FAISAL RAHMAN (Gamma Spectra)
4. SHYAMSUNDAR PAUL (Nuclear Cross-Section)
Objectives
Objectives
Measurement of the -spectra of 22Na, 137
Cs, using a
Scintillation detector.

Determination of the ratio of the specific effective cross-

sections due to the Compton effect and Photoelectric
effect in Photons having energy values of 511, 662, 1275
keV.
Instruments
Apparatus
Briefly Procedures
Radioactive source is introduced to the scintillation
detector which is connected to gamma detector and power
supply through multi channel analyzer.

The energy spectrum determined with a pulse height

analyzer. The fractions of the spectra caused by Compton
scattering and those caused by the photoelectric effect are
determined on the basis of their areas.
Scintillation
Scintillation
Scintillation detector is a radiation detector which
uses the effect known as scintillation.

Scintillation is a flash of light produced in a transparent

material (scintillator) by the passage of a particle. A
scintillator generates photons in response to incident
radiation.
How Scintillation Detector works

100 v 300 v 500 v 700 v 900 v 1100 v

Scintillation
Photo Multiplier Tube
Material
(PMT)
NaI(Tl)
200 v 400 v 600 v 800 v 1000 v 1200 v

fig: Scintillation Detector

A sensitive photo detector known as PMT which converts

the light to an electrical signal to process it.
How Scintillation Detector works

fig: Scintillation Detector

Ionizing radiation enters the Scintillator and interact with it. This cause
electron to be raised to an excited state.
How Scintillation Detector works
 The excited atoms of the scintillator material rapidly emit a
photon in the visible or near visible light range. The light
created in the scintillator strikes the photo-cathode of the
photomultiplier tube.

 A group of primary electrons is electro-statically accelerated, so

they strike the first dynode with enough energy to release
additional electrons. The primary signal is multiplied and this
amplification continues throughout the stages.

 The last stage produces enough pulses which carries

information about the energy of the orginal incident radiation.
The no. of such pulses per unit time also gives information
about the intensity of the radiation.
Terms of Physics
Terms of Physics
Gamma ray interaction with matter
Photoelectric Effect
Compton Effect

Gamma spectra

Nuclear Cross-Section
Gamma Ray Interaction
Gamma Ray Interaction
Gamma-rays have many modes of interaction with matter.
We will deal with only

Photoelectric Effect
&
Compton Effect

since these are relevant to this experiment.

Photoelectric Effect
Photoelectric Effect
When a gamma-ray collides with an orbital electron of an atom
of the material through which it is passing it can transfer all its
energy to the electron and cease to exist

On the basis of the Principle of Conservation of Energy It can

be deduced that the electron will leave the atom with a kinetic
energy equal to the energy of the gamma-ray less that of the
orbital binding energy. This electron is called a photoelectron.
Photoelectric Effect

Photoelectron
-ray
Compton Effect
Compton Effect
If Gamma ray transfers only part of its energy to a valance
(free) electron, the electron leaves the atom and may act like a
beta-particle and that the gamma-ray deflects off in a different
direction to that with which it approached the atom.

This deflected or scattered gamma-ray can undergo further

Compton Effects within the material.

This effect is sometimes called Compton Scattering.

Compton Effect -ray

-ray

e-
Gamma Spectra
Gamma Spectra
If it was possible to confine the interactions to only photoelectric interactions
Gamma Spectra
In practical case, Compton effect and other interactions are detected.
 Photoelectric Peak
Number of Photons

Back Scatter Peak

Compton Background
Compton Edge
High Energy
Background Gamma
Low Energy Raise
Compton Valley

Energy ------ >

 Photoelectric Peak
Number of Photons

Compton Background

Compton Valley

Energy ------ >

 Additional case ( Na) 22

22Na decays emitting a

positron (β+ decay) into stable
22
Ne

A very small part (0.06 %) of

the decays leads directly to
the ground state of neon.

The rest leads to an excited

state of neon,
-- partly via electron capture
(9.5 %) from the inner atomic
shell,
-- but mainly (90.4%) via
positron emission .
 Additional case ( Na) 22

The emitted positrons

react with the electrons of
the surrounding matter
and lead to a
characteristic annihilation
radiation at 511 keV.

The excited neon state

passes into the ground
state whereby a 1275 keV
 quantum is emitted.
Additional case ( Na) 22

That’s why there are two Compton-Photoelectric fraction area

in the -spectra of 22Na

Photoelectric
Compton Peak (1)
Background (1)
(Annihilation)

Photoelectric Peak (2)(2)

Compton Background
Nuclear Cross-Sections
Nuclear Cross-Sections
The nuclear cross-section of a nucleus is used to describe the
probability that a nuclear reaction will occur.

The concept of a nuclear cross section can be quantified

physically in terms of "characteristic area" where a larger area
means a larger probability of interaction.

 The standard unit for measuring a nuclear cross section

(denoted as σ) is the barn, which is equal to 10−28 m², 10−24 cm²
or 100 fm².
Nuclear Cross-Sections
Nuclear interaction cross-sections are calculated from the
Gamma Spectra detected by the Scintillation detector.

The Photoelectric fraction in the -spectra is determined by the

area of the Peak.

The Compton-scattered fraction is determined by the

rectangular area before the Photoelectric peak. It has an energy
limit Ec shown in the plot.
Number of Photons

Photoelectric Peak, AF

Ec
Compton Background, AC

E0
Energy (MeV) 
Photoelectric peak have an approximately
Gaussian shape, so their area AF is obtained
from the

• Peak height, 

• Half width,  
in accordance with the following formula
 
AF      ln(2)
2
Nuclear Cross-Sections
The peak at the lower end is ignored, since it’s the
noise amplified by the detector’s electronics.

The ratio of Photoelectric fraction, AF to Compton-

scatted fraction, Ac
( AF / AC ) Vs Energy (KeV) is plotted
Energy
(KeV) AF / AC

(22Na) 511 0.6022

(137Cs) 662 0.3706

(22Na) 1275 0.0643

Nuclear Cross-Sections
The effective cross-section σc for the Compton effect is
obtained only from a quantum-electro-dynamic
calculation, which yields the Klein-Nishina equation.

The specific cross sections for the photoelectric effect σF

are obtained by inserting the numerical values for the
cross-section in the case of the Compton effect σc from the
given σc Vs Energy plot.
AF
F   C
AC
σc Effective Cross-Section
barn

Energy (MeV)
Energy
(KeV) σF

(22Na) 511 0.15

(137Cs) 662 0.11

(22Na) 1275 0.01

Conclusions
Conclusions
The probability of pulling out electrons from the outer
layer (Photoelectric effect) decreases in turn until the
photon energy exceeds the binding energy of electrons
from the second inner shell.

As Photon energy increases, it interacts with deeper

and deeper atom layers. The two deepest K-
shell electrons, the closest to the nucleus, constitute
somehow the ultimate cartridge of the process . After a
last jump, the cross section decreases inexorably.
 Conclusions
 The Compton scattering is
always a factor.

 At low energy, it can be

related to
the Photoelectric effect

 When it's energy is

increased, it competes with
pair production.
 Conclusions
Compton-effect becomes
more dominant if the
energy of the induced
-ray increases.

Pair production doesn’t

occur in this particular
experiment since it
requires higher energy
-ray
 The End

Thank You