US 4,228,512 AGranted

Nuclear pulse counting apparatus and technique

AssigneeThe Dow Chemical Company

InventorsJohn W. Thompson, Arthur J. Kamp, Edward R. Sederlund

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Abstract

A nuclear pulse counting experiment, such as typified by the art of X-ray fluorescence empolys a multichannel analog to digital converter (ADC) which is interfaced with a microprocessor to yield sample/matrix concentration data, as an illustrative example, with a precision which is given by the theoretical nuclear decay statistical limits. In specific regard to X-ray fluorescence analysis, the ADC characterizes each pulse or count according to magnitude without conventional backscatter peak gain stabilization. The data is transferred through a buffer to the microprocessor, which scans the higher energy characterizations for maximum count, identifies that characterization as the peak, .+-. 1 characterization, and interpolates to develop a refined backscatter peak, stated to at least 1/10 of a characterization, and from which data base all ensuing calculations are predicated.

Claims5

Dependent claims

In a nuclear pulse counting experiment wherein pulse charges are developed pursuant to a detection step, and converted to amplified voltage pulses proportional to the magnitude of the pulse charges, the method of tabulating such voltage pulses, occurring in a specified energy range, and defining the energy peak center, comprising the steps of:

sorting the voltage pulses into at least 128 characterizations according to magnitude, said sorting function being performed essentially without compensation for meandering amplification gain shifts, discontinuing the experiment based on a statistically reliable counting of a numerically sufficient sample of pulse charges, determining that characterization containing the maximum count, .+-.1 characterization, and defining that characterization as the energy peak center, interpolating to refine the energy peak center to an accuracy of at least 1/10 of a characterization, and tabulating the numerical count of the pulse charges based on the refined energy peak center.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.