METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION AND STABILIZATION OF RADIATION DETECTION DEVICES

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The rare earth metal Lutetium in compound form is used in check sources of various shapes and sizes to calibrate and tune radiation detection devices. Radioactive Lutetium-176, a naturally occurring (non man-made) isotope forming part of the Lutetium compound, produces gamma energies of approximately 90, 200, and 300 kilo-electron Volts which are used in the calibration. Such gamma energies are close to the predominant spectral lines of special nuclear materials such as U-235 and Pu-239, which is to be monitored by radiation detection devices. Lutetium in a radioactive calibration source (which is either integrated into the radiation detection device or positioned close to it during calibration) provides benefits including that no reactor or accelerator is required during production or use, for the creation of man-made radioactivity, no dangerous radiation exposure occurs and (because of the long half-life of Lu-176) the radioactive calibration source essentially never needs to be replaced. Moreover, the handling of such a source is much less restrictive and costly than that of a conventional man-made radioactive isotope.