Automatic device for measuring β-emitting sources: P.A.P.A. β-meters

The apparatus described is designed for measuring β-emitting elements by the absorption method; it is suitable for carrying out a large number of routine analyses. A mechanical device pushes an aluminium absorption set automatically between the source and the detector; the movement is programmed for cutting on and off by a transistorized electronic unit, with printing out and punching of the results on tape; then this can be mathematically processed by a computer (tracing of absorption spectra, extrapolation and calculation of the activity). The detector is either a β-probe or a proportional counter with a specially designed loop. For routine measurements, the accuracy obtained, with all corrections made, is from 5 to 8 per cent; the reproducibility is about 2 per cent. (authors)