Accuracy and Uncertainty in Radiochemical Measurements: Learning from Errors in Nuclear Analytical Chemistry

Abstract

A characteristic that sets radioactivity measurements apart from most spectrometries is that the precision of a single determination can be estimated from Poisson statistics. This easily calculated counting uncertainty permits the detection of other sources of uncertainty by comparing observed with a priori precision. A good way to test the many underlying assumptions in radiochemical measurements is to strive for high accuracy. For example, a measurement by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of gold film thickness in our laboratory revealed the need for pulse pileup correction even at modest dead times. Recently, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and other international bodies have formalized the quantitative determination and statement of uncertainty so that the weaknesses of each measurement are exposed for improvement. In the INAA certification measurement of ion-implanted arsenic in silicon (Standard Reference Material 2134), we recently achieved an expanded (95% confidence) relative uncertainty of 0.38% for 90 ng of arsenic per sample. A complete quantitative error analysis was performed. This measurement meets the CCQM definition of a primary ratio method.