Gamma Ray Spectroscopy - 97 keV Peak for U238 Metal

[Developer_CM]

I recently acquired a 39 gram sample of U-238 metal. I ran a gamma spectrum on the sample and found a major peak around 97 keV. I couldn't find any documents that mentioned this peak for U-238, but it is very prominent.

I ran a gamma ray spectrum on a 5 gram Uranium Oxide sample and it also exhibits the gamma ray peak around 97 keV.

Does anyone know how this gamma-ray peak is being generated? I've looked at the decay chain for U-238, but could not find any references to a 97 keV peak.

 

[drvrm]

Does anyone know how this gamma-ray peak is being generated? I've looked at the decay chain for U-238, but could not find any references to a 97 keV peak.

well i became curious also and a google search gave me an spectra of uranium soil sample and there was a good peak at around 100 keV
you may see the following
http://www.stratamodel.com/gamma.htm
i will look further to elicit more info ;thanks

 

[Developer_CM]

Thanks,

I will visit the link and review the information.

 

[drvrm]

Thanks,

I will visit the link and review the information.

try this one which quotes decay mode U-238 to Th 234 and several gamma emission lines in your range of energy is there.Well it may be useful.
Ref:
http://www.radiochemistry.org/periodictable/gamma_spectra/pdf/u238.pdf

 

[Ibrahim Hany]

Well, let me ask a little basic question, how did you perform the experiment?

I could not stop the speculation that this may be just the X-Ray characteristic curve for U.

Check the Uranium total transition energies (It does not matter which isotope because this is just electrons' transitions): http://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/XrayTrans/search.pl?element=U&trans=All&lower=&upper=&units=eV

 

[Developer_CM]

Indeed. These K transitions appear to be right near the measured 97 keV peak. Thanks for the reply.