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This thesis describes an investigation of the complex gamma-ray spectra accompanying the decay of iridium 192 and iridium 194. Precision energy measurements of twenty-one gamma-rays in Ir 192 and fourteen gamma-rays in Ir 194 have been made using the 50 cm. double focusing beta-ray spectrometer. In addition, the angular correlation function for the cascade gamma-rays of Ir 194 has been determined. A number of new radiations have been found In each spectrum and decay schemes are proposed for each nuclide. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

The doublet level at E_p = 504 kev excited in the reaction Al²⁷(p, γ)Si²⁸ was investigated using a technique of nuclear resonance fluorescence. A silicon absorber was placed in a collimated beam of gamma rays from the reaction. The direction of collimation with reference to the direction of the bombarding protons governs the exact energy of the ground state games available for absorption. The energy deficit which appears in emission and absorption is made up by the kinetic energy of the compound nucleus recoiling from the proton bombardment. Variation of the angle between the collimator and the proton beam allows the measurement of the transmission of the absorber as a function of energy. Though the energy variation is small absorption by excitation of the energy levels mentioned was covered in the range of angle chosen. For the above transmission experiment measurement of the ratio of the number of transmitted ground state gamma rays and of the number of decaying nuclei is necessary. This was accomplished in one counter. The entire spectrum from the reaction was observed at each angle. The number of ground state games was stripped from each such spectrum and the number of gammas decaying to excited states thus determined. Thus the number of ground state gammas was normalized to the number of lower energy gammas. The low cross section of the reaction, the collimation and absorption all lead to an extremely low counting rate even though a thick target with proton energy just above resonance was used. The V.P.I. Van de Graaff was used as a source of protons. Detection of gammas was by a 3 x 3 Na I crystal giving spectra on a 512 channel analyser. The analysis of the data was accomplished on an IBM 1620 computer. The resulting transmission versus energy data were fit to a straight line (i.e. no resonant absorption) and a more complicated assumption of some eight closely spaced levels. The straight line fit is considerably poorer but a result of no resonant absorption seems the more likely. / Ph. D.

Les sursauts gamma sont des sources astrophysiques parmi les plus brillantes du ciel. Dans le modèle standard actuel, leur émission prompte (X et gamma) est due à des particules chargées accélérées au sein de jets relativistes émis à la formation de trous noirs de masses stellaire. L'émission rémanente observée de la radio aux X serait due à l'interaction de ces jets avec le milieu interstellaire. Le LAT, détecteur à création de paire du télescope spatial Fermi, permet depuis juin 2008 l'étude du ciel gamma de 20 MeV à plus de 300 GeV avec des performances inégalées. Le GBM, détecteur de sources transitoires de Fermi (8 keV à 40 MeV) a observé ~450 sursauts gamma, dont ~18 ont été observés jusqu'au domaine du GeV. Une localisation précise de ces sursauts et la synergie de Fermi avec les autres observatoires permettent l'étude des rémanences associées et une meilleure interprétation des observations. L'étude de sursauts gamma de 8 keV au domaine du GeV est présentée. Les localisations obtenues avec le LAT sont étudiées ainsi que leurs erreurs. Des analyses spectrales des émissions promptes combinant les données du GBM et du LAT sont exposées, ainsi que leur interprétation. Une analyse alternative basée sur une sélection relâchée des données LAT est présentée et caractérisée. L'utilisation des événements d'énergies inférieures à 100 MeV améliore l'analyse temporelle et spectrale des émissions promptes. La recherche d'émission gamma prolongée est présentée, ainsi que l'étude de l'émission rémanente de GRB 090510 observé des UV au GeV par Fermi et Swift. Enfin, un modèle d'émission prompte par les chocs internes, développé à l'IAP, est comparé aux observations de Fermi. / Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB) are among the brightest gamma-ray sources in the sky. The current standard framework associates their prompt gamma-ray emission to charged particles accelerated in relativistic jets issued by newly-formed stellar-mass black holes. The radio to X-ray afterglow emission is due to the interaction between these jets and the interstellar medium.The LAT, pair-creation instrument onboard Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, performs unprecedented observation of the gamma-ray sky at energies of 20 MeV to over 300 GeV since its launch in june 2008. Fermi's transient sources detector, GBM, observed prompt emissions of ~450 GRB between 8 keV and 40 MeV. ~18 of these GRB were also studied up to GeV energies with the LAT. Accurate GRB localizations and Fermi's synergy with other observatories allows the study of GRB afterglows, and therefore a better interpretation of these observations.The analyses of GRB emissions between 8 keV to GeV energies is presented here. Localizations based on LAT data and their biases are studied. Spectral analyses of combined GBM and LAT data are shown, and their theoretical interpretations explained.An alternative analysis based on a relaxed selection of LAT data is presented and fully characterized. It allows to recover and use low-energy LAT statistics in temporal and spectral analyses of GRB prompt emission.Searches for long-lived high-energy emission from GRB are presented. The analysis of GRB 090510 afterglow emission from eV to GeV energies is described.Finally, Fermi bright GRB prompt emissions are compared to an internal shock model developed at IAP.

O Laboratório de Análise por Ativação com Nêutrons (LAN) do Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN), utiliza esta técnica analítica multielementar, baseada na irradiação de uma amostra por um feixe de nêutrons oriundos de um reator nuclear, que induz a radioatividade; que é medida em um espectrômetro de raios gama, para a obtenção dos espectros de raios gama. Neste trabalho é implementado um software denominado de SAANI (Software Análise por Ativação com Nêutrons Instrumental) para análise de espectros de raios gama, desenvolvido para os usuários do laboratório LAN-IPEN, com a filosofia de software livre, para a substituição do software existente VISPECT/VERSÃO 2, e tem como características principais: tornar a interface mais amigável; facilitar a padronização dos procedimentos realizados pelos pesquisadores, estudantes e técnicos; ser extensível com a utilização da tecnologia de plugins; multiplataforma; código livre. O software foi desenvolvido utilizando a linguagem de programação Python, a biblioteca gráfica Trolltech Qt e algumas de suas extensões científicas. Os resultados preliminares obtidos utilizando o software SAANI foram comparados aos obtidos com o software existente e foram considerados bons. Algumas diferenças encontradas foram verificadas oriundas de erros de precisão na implementação do software. O software SAANI está instalado nos computadores de usuários selecionados para a execução de rotinas de análise para uma maior verificação de sua robustez, precisão e usabilidade. / This study developed a specific software for gamma ray spectra analysis for researchers of the Neutron Activation Laboratory (LAN), which was named SAANI (Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis Software). The LAN laboratory of the Institute for Research and Nuclear Energy (IPEN-CNEN/SP), uses a multielementar analytical technique, based on irradiation of a sample by a flux of neutrons from a nuclear reactor, which induces radioactivity. The sample is then placed in a gamma-ray spectrometer, to obtain the spectrum. With free software philosophy in mind, this software will replace the existing software VISPECT / VERSION 2. The new software´s main features are: a friendlier interface; easier standardization procedure carried out by LAN staff and researchers; adapted to the use of plug technology; multiplatform and code free. The software was developed using the programming Python language, the library Trolltech Qt graphics and some of their scientific extensions. Preliminary results using the SANNI software were compared to those obtained with the existing software and were considered good. There were some errors in accuracy during the implementation of the software. The SAANI software has been installed in selected computers to be used for routine analysis in order to verify its strength, accuracy and usability.

O Laboratório de Análise por Ativação com Nêutrons (LAN) do Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN), utiliza esta técnica analítica multielementar, baseada na irradiação de uma amostra por um feixe de nêutrons oriundos de um reator nuclear, que induz a radioatividade; que é medida em um espectrômetro de raios gama, para a obtenção dos espectros de raios gama. Neste trabalho é implementado um software denominado de SAANI (Software Análise por Ativação com Nêutrons Instrumental) para análise de espectros de raios gama, desenvolvido para os usuários do laboratório LAN-IPEN, com a filosofia de software livre, para a substituição do software existente VISPECT/VERSÃO 2, e tem como características principais: tornar a interface mais amigável; facilitar a padronização dos procedimentos realizados pelos pesquisadores, estudantes e técnicos; ser extensível com a utilização da tecnologia de plugins; multiplataforma; código livre. O software foi desenvolvido utilizando a linguagem de programação Python, a biblioteca gráfica Trolltech Qt e algumas de suas extensões científicas. Os resultados preliminares obtidos utilizando o software SAANI foram comparados aos obtidos com o software existente e foram considerados bons. Algumas diferenças encontradas foram verificadas oriundas de erros de precisão na implementação do software. O software SAANI está instalado nos computadores de usuários selecionados para a execução de rotinas de análise para uma maior verificação de sua robustez, precisão e usabilidade. / This study developed a specific software for gamma ray spectra analysis for researchers of the Neutron Activation Laboratory (LAN), which was named SAANI (Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis Software). The LAN laboratory of the Institute for Research and Nuclear Energy (IPEN-CNEN/SP), uses a multielementar analytical technique, based on irradiation of a sample by a flux of neutrons from a nuclear reactor, which induces radioactivity. The sample is then placed in a gamma-ray spectrometer, to obtain the spectrum. With free software philosophy in mind, this software will replace the existing software VISPECT / VERSION 2. The new software´s main features are: a friendlier interface; easier standardization procedure carried out by LAN staff and researchers; adapted to the use of plug technology; multiplatform and code free. The software was developed using the programming Python language, the library Trolltech Qt graphics and some of their scientific extensions. Preliminary results using the SANNI software were compared to those obtained with the existing software and were considered good. There were some errors in accuracy during the implementation of the software. The SAANI software has been installed in selected computers to be used for routine analysis in order to verify its strength, accuracy and usability.

Bibliography: p. 157-167. / ii, 180 p. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Presents results of searches made with the Buckland Park and SUGAR data sets for Ultra High Energy gamma-ray emission from certain astrophysical objects. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics and Mathematical Physics, 1994

In recent years, the United States Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been charged with the task of scanning every cargo container crossing domestic borders for illicit radioactive material. This is accomplished by using gamma-ray detection systems capable of discriminating between non-threatening radioisotopes, such as Cs-137, which is often used in nuclear medicine, and fissile material, such as U-238, that can be used to make nuclear weapons or "dirty" bombs. Scintillation detector systems, specifically thallium-doped sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)) single crystals, are by far the most popular choice for this purpose because they are inexpensive relative to other types of detectors, but are still able to identify isotopes with reasonable accuracy. However, increased demand for these systems has served as a catalyst for the research and development of new scintillator materials with potential to surpass NaI(Tl). The focus of a majority of recent scintillator materials research has centered on sintered transparent ceramics, phosphor-doped organic matrices, and the development of novel single crystal compositions. Some of the most promising new materials are glass-ceramic nanocomposites. By precipitating a dense array of nano-scale scintillating crystals rather than growing a single monolith, novel compositions such as LaBr₃(Ce) may be fabricated to useful sizes, and their potential to supersede the energy resolution of NaI(Tl) can be fully explored. Also, because glass-ceramic synthesis begins by casting a homogeneous glass melt, a broad range of geometries beyond the ubiquitous cylinder can be fabricated and characterized. Finally, the glass matrix ensures environmental isolation of the hygroscopic scintillating crystals, and so glass-ceramic scintillators show potential to serve as viable detectors in alpha- and neutron-spectroscopy in addition to gamma-rays. However, for the improvements promised by glass-ceramics to become reality, several material properties must be considered. These include the degree of control over precipitated crystallite size, the solubility limit of the glass matrix with respect to the scintillating compounds, the variation in maximum achievable light yield with composition, and the peak wavelength of emitted photons. Studies will focus on three base glass systems, sodium-aluminosilicate (NAS), sodium-borosilicate (NBS), and alumino-borosilicate (ABS), into which a cerium-doped gadolinium bromide (GdBr₃(Ce)) scintillating phase will be incorporated. Scintillator volumes of 50 cubic centimeters or greater will be fabricated to facilitate comparison with NaI(Tl) crystals currently available.

Traditional approaches in gamma-ray spectroscopy for determining the absolute full-energy peak efficiencies of germanium detectors are primarily either too time consuming or not economically viable. In addition, these approaches are difficult to use for arbitrary source shapes and counting geometries. An open source software package, KMESS (Kevin's Mesh Efficiency Simulator Software), was developed to address these problems. KMESS uses a new semi-empirical mesh-grid method to predict the absolute full-energy peak efficiencies of n- and p-type germanium detectors in both coaxial and closed-ended configurations. The model assumes that any gamma-ray source shape can be treated as a collection of point sources. The code was written in a modular form, making it easy to adapt for other detector configurations and materials. A suite of webbased graphical front-end tools was also developed to make the execution of KMESS user-friendly. KMESS can predict most full-energy peak efficiencies to within 10% accuracy for the energy range 100-1800 keV in less than 10 minutes. / text

Gamma-ray bursts are still not fully understood events. However, their exploration could pro- vide a useful tool for a better understanding of the early Universe because they belong to the most distant and violent objects that astronomers know. This thesis tries to bring more information about a so-called group of intermediate-duration bursts claimed by different authors employing dif- ferent data samples. Firstly, duration and spectral hardness properties of bursts from the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager are statistically analysed. The obtained results bring a suspicion that these intermediate bursts gather into a separate group. Secondly, these bursts are investigated in more detail with respect to their spectral lags, peak count rates, red- shifts, supernova observations, and so forth. Thirdly, long-duration bursts with known redshifts and with derived pseudo-redshifts detected by The Burst and Transient Source Experiment, Swift and Fermi bursts with known redshifts, are used to study the cosmological effects on the observed flux and fluence distributions.