Investigation of induced radioactivity in the copper coils of a quadrupole magnet from the cyclotron beamline at The Svedberg Laboratory

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Investigation of induced radioactivity in the copper coils of a quadrupole magnet from the cyclotron beamline at

The Svedberg Laboratory

by Johannes Eriksson Supervisor: Johan Nyberg

The Svedberg Laboratory

Project in Physics and Astronomy, 1FA195, 15 hp

1FA195 Johannes Eriksson, 2021

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Abstract

This report investigates the induced radioactivity in the copper coils of a quadrupole magnet from the beamline of the Gustav Werner Cyclotron at the The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden. The purpose is to determine the level and distribution of radioactive nuclides in the coils in order to handle the waste according to regulations during the decommissioning process.

Out of 49 identical quadrupole magnets, one was disassembled, its four coils were measured, one of which was split in to 6 separate samples for further measuring. The coils and samples were measured with an HPGe detector for nuclide identification and with a hand-held probe (Geiger-Müller counter) to determine the distribution of activity. The activity of the γ-ray emitting radionuclides was determined with the Genie2000/ISOCS software. Three radioactive nuclides were identified in the coils:

Co,

Co and

Na, with

Co being the most abundant.

Keywords

Cyclotron, quadrupole magnets, induced radioactivity, nuclide specific measurements, pulse-

rate measurements, decommissioning, gamma-ray spectroscopy, HPGe detector.