Measurement of Beta Radiation Mass Attenuation Coefficients Duilio Espinoza Project Mentor(s): Michael Braunstein, PhD
The goal of this project was to develop methods for measuring the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) of materials for beta radiation emitting sources. The two sources used were a 14 C source with a mean beta energy of 49.47 keV; and a 90 Sr source that emitted beta radiation from the 90 Sr itself and its daughter product 90 Y with mean beta energies of 195.7 keV and 932.3 keV respectively. The measurements were done with two instruments, a Nuclear- Chicago Geiger counter and an ORTEC Alpha Aria detector. Measurements for the MAC of aluminum were collected by varying the number of layers of aluminum foil between the source and detector. We wil l report our results. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: mass attenuation coefficient, beta radiation, Geiger counter, ORTEC Alpha Aria SOURCE Form ID: 136 Development of an Undergraduate Laboratory Apparatus for the Study of Single- Bubble Sonoluminescence ‡ Brett Gibson Project Mentor(s) : Andy Piacsek Single Bubble Sonoluminescence (SSBL) is the production of light from an acoustically driven cavitating bubble in a liquid. Just three ingredients, water, sound and air, can make light. It is a topic of ongoing academic research, with applications including chemistry, medical therapy, and alternative energy. The knowledge areas and skills related to the study of SSBL include acoustics, fluid dynamics, spectroscopy, atomic and computational physics thermodynamics, and electronic circuits. The goal of this project is to design and construct a laboratory apparatus that can be used by CWU students as part of an advanced laboratory curriculum or independent research. The project is ongoing, so the presentation will describe the progress that has been made and the lessons learned. The evolution of acoustic resonator cells and the development of a drive circuit for the system will be highlighted. The author, Brett Gibson, is a post-baccalaureate student with experience in SSBL as a senior research and independent study project while pursuing a General Science BAEd at Western Washington University. Faculty mentor, Dr. Andy Piacsek, is a Professor of Physics with expertise in acoustics (the physics of sound and vibration).
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation (May 20, 9:30am–5:00pm) Keywords: Undergraduate Research, Physics, Sound, Electronics SOURCE Form ID: 92
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