NUCLEAR-REACTION ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN IN LI-CONTAINING MATERIAL

For clarifying the nature of the gamma-ray background observed in H pr ofiling measurements of a Li-Al-silicate glass with the N-15 nuclear r eaction technique, a gamma-ray spectroscopy study was carried out usin g a Ge(Li) detector and (LiF)-Li-6,7 targets. The energies of a great number of gamma-ray transitions arising from Li-6,Li-7 + N-15 reaction s were determined and the gamma-ray emitting product nuclei Ne-20,Ne-2 1, F-18,F-19,F-20,F-21, O-16,O-17,O-18 and C-13 were identified. The e xcitation functions of gamma-transitions, measured in the N-15 energy range 6.0 MeV to 13.4 MeV, were found to vary smoothly with energy and to rise by about three orders of magnitude in this range. Based on th ese data, a procedure for background correction in spectra taken with a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector could be set up and was used for H pr ofiling of glass samples containing up to 7 at.% lithium.