The experimental internal bremsstrahlung spectrum of \({}^{14}\)C isotope

Abstract

The continuous internal bremsstrahlung spectrum accompanying a beta and neutrino from the \(^{14}\hbox {C}\) isotope was measured by magnetic deflection method in the region of 10–150 keV using a \(7.62 \,\hbox {cm}\times 7.62 \,\hbox {cm}\) NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer. The NaI(Tl) detector was calibrated by the standard radioactive sources. The detector response functions are generated for single-energy gamma photons with the help of experimental detector parameters and the Monte Carlo method. The experimental set-up and the geometry were adjusted carefully to minimise the external bremsstrahlung effect and the undesirable gamma counts from the surroundings in the detector. The raw experimental data were unfolded from the detector response effects by applying the singular value decomposition method. The experimental spectrum was compared with both theoretical and Monte Carlo calculation spectra.