Determination of naturalα-radionuclides related to millisecond order lives in environmental samples using the time interval analysis (TIA) method

The time files due to radioactive decay events were analyzed for the selective extraction of successive alpha-decay pulse events in millisecond orders, such as216Po (145 ms, thorium series),217At (32.3 ms, neptunium series), and215Po (1.78 ms, actinium series) after respective preceding parents decay, using a multiple time interval analysis (TIA-MTA) technique from both theoretical and experimental viewpoints. In the theoretical treatments, the detection sensitivities of each correlated event in natural decay series was compared with more generalized conditions. It was noteworthy that the evaluated detection sensitivity had increased proportionally with shorter half-lives in the following order:214Po>215Po>217At>216Po.