14 MeV Neutron Activation Analysis of Geological and Lunar Samples
14 MeV neutron activation analysis (NAA) is ideal for accurately determining Oxygen and Silicon contents in geological and lunar materials. It is fast, nondestructive, economical, and can be used on a routine basis in a laboratory. Although 14 MeV NAA is particularly suited to light elements, its use has been extended to measure other elements as well such as Aluminum, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Titanium, Strontium, Nickel, Yttrium, Zirconium, Niobium and Cerium. Thus, the use of 14 MeV neutrons is of considerable importance in NAA. The disadvantages of the method are that interference reactions are common because of high neutron energy; the flux is nonuniform in longer irradiation due to depletion of the target in the neutron generator. Overall, 14 MeV NAA is ideal for short irradiations and when supplemented with thermal NAA provides the maximum elemental information in small aliquants of geological and lunar materials.