PAA Sage
PAA_Research PAA on Sage Brush
Motivation
The volatile oil content of sage brush is known to be a strong indicator of both the flammability of sagebrush as well as its forage value for open range livestock<ref name="Sage1968">File:SageBrushMg-vs-VolOil Powell.pdf </ref>. The volatile oils in sagebrush leaves impede the growth of rumen micro-organisms thereby decreasing an animal's appetite. The amount of Magnesium in sagebrush leaves has been shown to be strongly correlated with the volatile oil content of sagebrush. We studied the potential to use Photon Activation Analysis at the Idaho Accelerator Center as a means to measure the Magnesium content of sagebrush. The figure below illustrates our ability to identify the presence of Magnesium in sagebrush leaves. With further work, this method has the potential to provide ranchers and fire prevention services with a means of monitoring the forage value and fire risk of Idaho's sagebrush population.
Preliminary results
5/23/19
Calibration Detect A
| Source | Energy (keV0 | Channel |
| Th Rod | 238.8 (highest peak) | 548.152 |
| Ba-133 | 276.398 | 632.9 |
| Th Rod | 338.8 (4th highest) | 772.106 |
| Ba-133 | 356 | 811.78 |
| Na-22 | 511 | 1159.92 |
| Th Rod | 583.4 (2nd highest peak) | 1322.244 |
| Cs-137 | 661.7 | 1497.84 |
| Th Rod | 911.2 (3rd highest) | 2059.4 |
| Na-22 | 1274.5 | 2875.50 |
| Th Rod | 2614.6 | 5886.485 |
MPA Fit: (-5.74857) + (0.445818)*x + (-2.04348e-7)*x^2
Calibration Detect D
| Source | Energy (keV | Channel |
| Th Rod | 238.8 (highest peak) | 531.303 |
| Ba-133 | 276.398 | 615.556 |
| Th Rod | 338.8 (4th highest) | 253.581 |
| Ba-133 | 356 | 792.917 |
| Na-22 | 511 | 1138.136 |
| Th Rod | 583.4 (2nd highest peak) | 1298.982 |
| Cs-137 | 661.7 | 1473.827 |
| Th Rod | 911.2 (3rd highest) | 2029.758 |
| Na-22 | 1274.5 | 2839.048 |
| Th Rod | 2614.6 | 5824.23 |
MPA Fit: (0.0122021) + (0.449001)*x + (-3.08126e-8)*x^2
Run list
data/Dan-May 2019 Gallium run
thorium002.mpa: Thorium on A & D
cs-127-003.mpa: Thorium on A & Cs on D
Na-22-004.mpa: Thorium on A and Na-22
Ba-133-005.mpa: Thorium on A & Ba-133 on D
run list
30 MeV electrons at 120 Hz rep rate with 0.12 A and 2.1 microsec width
Irradiation began at 7:44 am Irradiation ended at 10:15 am
at 11:59 am beam off time was 1 hr 44 min
Sage Brush Ash sample ID = 190028-01 Pure Selenium sample ID = 190028-02 Nickel sample ID = 190028-03
Samples are placed 11 cm from front face of Detector D
Mn was placed 10 cm in front of detector A
| run # | Filename | Sample in Det A | Sample In Det D | Time since Beam Off |
| 6 | SeInDMnInA_006.mpa | Mn | Se (Se-75:264 & 279 keV, 119 day half life) | 1hr 52 min 20 sec |
| Mn | CS-137 (661 keV) | Se out at 400, Cs in at 430 | ||
| Mn | Sage Ash | Cs out at 500, Ash in at 530 | ||
| Cs | Ash out at 930, Cs in at 950 | |||
| Se (Se-81:276 & 290 keV, 57 min half life) | Cs out at 1000 , Se in at 1040 | |||
| Cs | Se out at 1440 , Cs in at 1460 | |||
| Ni | Cs out at 1500 , Ni in at 1550 (5% deadtime during measurement) | |||
| Cs | Ni out at 1650 , Cs in at 1675 | |||
| Ash | Cs out at 1700 , Ash in at 1725 | |||
| Cs | Ash out at 2325 , Cs in at 2350 | |||
| Se | Cs out at 2390 , Se in at 2400 (beam off 2 hr 33 min ago) | |||
| Cs | Se out at 2800 , Cs in at 2850 | |||
| Ash | Cs out at 2900 , Ash in at 2918 (2 hr 41 min after irradiation) | |||
| Cs | Ash out at 3350 , Cs in at 3367 | |||
| Se | Cs out at 3410 , Se in at 3440 | |||
| Cs | Se out at 3840 , Cs in at 3850 | |||
| Ash | Cs out at 3900 , Ash in at 3920 | |||
| Cs | Ash out at 4320 , Cs in at | |||
| Se | Cs out at , Se in at | |||
| Cs | Se out at , Cs in at | |||
| Ash | Cs out at , Ash in at |
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