Health Physics Laboratory

With the Health Physics Laboratory we want that the students have:
1. a deepen knowledge of the interaction of radiation with matter;
2. become autonomous in the use of instrumentation and detection techniques and their use for dosimetric and radiation protection purposes,
using tools and methodologies, which allow them to master some techniques normally employed in the field of Health Physics: high-resolution gamma, X and alpha spectrometry, liquid scintillation, other radiometric instrumentation (ionization chambers, neutron monitors, Geiger); instrumentation for determining the radon-222 indoor concentration.

The student at the end of the Laboratory will have acquired the following skills in measurements and evaluations:
a. as regards gamma spectrometry with the characterization of instrumentation for HPGe detectors by:
· linearity and stability analysis of each component of the electronic chain (preamplifier, amplifier, analog-digital converter);
· calibration in energy and efficiency of the detector;
· analysis of the dead time of the chain;
· measurements on samples of interest of the students.
b. for the determination of environmental radioactivity and in particular the concentration of radon-222 radioactive gas:
· characterization of different measuring instruments both active (semiconductors and Luca's cells) and passive (active carbon charcoal, CR39);
· calibration of the instrumentation;
· measures in specific environments chosen by the students.