This is really an extension of an earlier thread started under the Strontium Iodide [SrI2(Eu)] topic. But there was some discussion about my newly acquired LaBr3 detector. Steven made this for me in the Fall of 2020 and I have been playing with this and other detectors.
I will show some of the energy calibration data that I have obtained using various detectors, pulse acquisition hardware, and software. In particular I was looking at the energy calibration of the LaBr3 detector.
The astute observer will notice a bit of an unusual source used in the calibration set, namely I-131. My cat had to be treated for a thyroid issue and I-131 was used. When my cat came back from the vet I collected a small (~30 g) sample of her solidified urine (from litter box). This sample was double bagged and has been used as a source for the past month. I-131 has an 8 day half-life and I use a store and decay method with the balance of the litter box contents.
The first set of data shows four detectors used. All detectors are contained in a lead box comprised of 2-inch thick (~ 5 cm) lead. I did not use Cd, Sn, or Cu to block lead x-rays. The detectors used were NaI, CZT, SrI2(Eu), and LaBr3. In each instance I will provide in tabular form the data collected from each source, next will be a plot of the channel (or bin) vs energy with a polynomial fit. In the initial calibration the LaBr3 was used with the most recently purchased GS-USB-Pro and the Theremino v7.3 software. The LaBr3 energy calibration is quite similar to that of the Strontium Iodide detector which used entirely different hardware and software. The CZT detector used the Kromek Kspect software and the NaI detector (obtained from Spectrum Techniques) was used with a Spectrum Techniques UCS-30 MCA and the associated software.
