Neutron activation analysis is a powerful technique for detecting trace elements in various materials. By bombarding samples with neutrons, scientists can induce radioactivity and measure the resulting gamma rays to identify and quantify elements with incredible precision.

This method has wide-ranging applications in fields like archaeology, environmental science, and forensics. Understanding the factors that affect neutron activation, such as nuclear properties and irradiation conditions, is crucial for accurate analysis and interpretation of results.

Neutron Activation Analysis Techniques

Neutron Irradiation and Gamma-Ray Detection

• Neutron activation involves bombarding a sample with neutrons to induce radioactivity in the target elements
• Prompt gamma-ray analysis measures the characteristic gamma-rays emitted immediately after neutron capture, allowing for rapid identification of elements (boron, cadmium)
• Delayed gamma-ray analysis measures the gamma-rays emitted by the radioactive decay of activation products, providing higher sensitivity for many elements (gold, silver)
• Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) directly measures the gamma-rays emitted by the irradiated sample without chemical separation, simplifying the procedure but potentially leading to spectral interferences
• Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) involves chemical separation of the activation products before gamma-ray measurement, reducing interferences and improving detection limits for specific elements (rare earth elements)

Factors Affecting Neutron Activation Analysis

Nuclear Properties and Irradiation Conditions

• Cross-section, the probability of a neutron interacting with a target nucleus, determines the activation efficiency for each element (uranium-235 has a high cross-section for thermal neutrons)
• Flux, the number of neutrons passing through a unit area per unit time, directly affects the activation rate and sensitivity of the analysis (higher flux leads to higher activity)
• Matrix effects arise from the composition of the sample, as neutron scattering and absorption by other elements can influence the activation of the target elements (high concentrations of boron or cadmium can suppress activation)

Analytical Performance and Limitations

• Interference from overlapping gamma-ray energies of different activation products can complicate the interpretation of spectra and reduce the accuracy of quantification (sodium-24 and magnesium-27 have similar gamma-ray energies)
• Sensitivity, the minimum detectable concentration of an element, depends on the cross-section, flux, and detection efficiency (INAA can detect parts per billion levels of many elements)
• Detection limits, the lowest concentration of an element that can be reliably measured, are influenced by the background radiation, counting time, and sample size (RNAA can achieve lower detection limits than INAA for some elements by reducing interferences)