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Resolving Time, Mass Absorption Coefficient and Water Content with Gamma‐Ray Attenuation
Author(s) -
Fritton D. D.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1969.03615995003300050012x
Subject(s) - attenuation , gravimetric analysis , intensity (physics) , attenuation coefficient , mass attenuation coefficient , gamma ray , content (measure theory) , absorption (acoustics) , water content , analytical chemistry (journal) , absorption of water , optics , materials science , physics , mathematics , chemistry , nuclear physics , geology , chromatography , mathematical analysis , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , composite material
A method is described that was used to experimentally determine an intensity correction for gamma‐ray attenuation. The correction is determined by using the minute nonlinearity of a semi‐log plot of gamma‐ray intensity versus the thickness or the product of thickness and density of a material. The experimentally determined correction is expressed in terms of resolving time and varied with both material and counting rate. A correction of 5.0 µsec/count was determined experimentally as the best resolving time to correct the observed counting rates for water content determination. Part of the 5.0 µsec/count correction was evidently due to causes other than resolving time. Mass absorption coefficients of water and soil were 0.08105 and 0.07309 cm 2 /g, respectively, with no correction and were 0.0871 and 0.0773 cm 2 /g with a 5.0 µsec/count correction. The difference between gravimetric water content and gamma‐ray water content dropped from 3.02% to 0.60% when this correction was used.