ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses different mechanisms for the detection or measurement of radiation and identifies the types of radiation detection devices commonly used for NORM work. It describes a gas-filled detector and explains the gas amplification curve. The chapter examines a scintillation detector and presents a thermoluminescent dosimeter. Scintillation Radiation may impart some of its energy to certain materials, causing them to emit a flash of light. Radiation detection devices can be either active or passive. All the radiation survey instruments that are used for radiation surveying in the oil industry are active devices, their output is dependent upon modification, processing, and/or amplification of the direct effect caused by the radiation they measure. Passive devices measure radiation without the need for external power. Scintillation detectors measure radiation by the amount of light given off by radiation interacting with a crystalline scintillant. Scintillation is the mechanism by which a material emits light upon interaction with ionizing radiation.
