Self-absorption effects on alpha-induced atmospheric nitrogen fluorescence yield

Nitrogen fluorescence induced by radiation can be used to detect the presence of radioactive contamination in the environment. Contamination quantification from the fluorescence signal requires: the source’s effective alpha spectrum; the specific radiation quantum fluorescence efficiency; optical attenuation length in air of the fluorescence signal; the absolute throughput and quantum efficiency of the optical instrumentation; calibration of the instrumentation; and radiation transport modeling of the “effective” array exposure rate given the alpha particle spectrum. Field testing conducted on optical instrumentation measured the nitrogen fluorescence yield generated by 241Am alpha emissions. Laboratory studies of 241Am via alpha spectrometry determined whether the presence of solids on source surfaces produced sufficient self-absorption to decrease fluorescence. Results from the laboratory studies provided correction to the effective alpha-source activity values in a model of the earlier optical-sensor field measurements, and determined the air fluorescence efficiency of alpha particles generated by the 241Am sources used in the field experiments.