Spectroscopic noble gas stack monitor with continuous unattended operation and analysis

A spectroscopic stack monitoring system for the measurement of noble gasses discharged from medical isotope production facility and nuclear power plant stacks has been designed and a prototype constructed. The prototype is based on a Marinelli beaker style HPGe measurement operating in a continuous acquisition mode. Continuous acquisition is accomplished with novel software and hardware which allows for unattended acquisition, analysis, and storage of data over multiple workflow definitions. As a direct result of the multiple averaging times and the use of the transistor reset preamplifier, the dynamic range of the system covers nearly 8 orders of magnitude. (author)