A light weight multichannel analyser and γ-ray spectroscopy system: Application to estimate ⁴⁰K content in some potassium salts and building materials

A γ -ray spectroscopy system based on a 1'X1' NaI(Tl) detector and 1.5' photomultiplier tube has been developed at IUAC for teaching laboratory applications involving radioactive sources. Following along the lines of the Phoenix and Expeyes hardware developed in the laboratory earlier, a low-cost, light weight multichannel analyser also has been developed. Here the details about the same are presented. The detector-analyser system has been used as a part of the postgraduate curriculum for measuring ⁴⁰K content in some potassium salts and common building materials like brick, cement, concrete and sand. (author)