ICRM activities are largely the responsibility of its working groups. Each group is guided by a coordinator who acts as a centre for ideas and communications and may organize conferences and workshops. There are now six working groups with the following fields of interest and assigned coordinators:
- Alpha-Particle Spectrometry:
E. García-Toraño, Metrología de Radiaciones Ionizantes,
Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas
(CIEMAT), Avenida Complutense 22, E-28040 Madrid, Spain,
e-mail:E.garciatorano@ciemat.es - Gamma-Ray and Beta-Particle Spectrometry:
M.C. Lépy, Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel,
LNE-LNHB, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette cedex, France,
e-mail: marie-christine.lepy@cea.fr -
Liquid Scintillation Techniques:
B. Zimmerman, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Gaithersburg, Maryland,
20899-8462, U.S.A.,
e-mail: bez@nist.gov - Low-Level Measurement Techniques:
D. Arnold, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Bundesalle 100,
D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany,
e-mail: dirk.arnold@ptb.de - Non-Neutron Nuclear Data:
M.-M. Bé, Laboratoire National Henri
Becquerel (LNE-LNHB), CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France,
e-mail: Marie-Martine.BE@cea.fr - Life Sciences:
J. Cessna, National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Maryland,
20899-8462, U.S.A.,
e-mail: jeffrey.cessna@nist.gov - Radionuclide Metrology Techniques:
J. Keightley, National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex,
TW11 0LW, UK
e-mail: John.Keightley@npl.co.uk
M. Unterweger, Ionizing Radiation Division, Physics Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-8462, U.S.A.,
e-mail: michael.unterweger@nist.gov
Note: This information is made available through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) facilities. However, the views expressed and the decisions reported do not necessarily connote NIST agreement with, or endorsement of them. Further, NIST does not endorse any commercial products that may be mentioned. Any comments that you provide by e-mail or by submitting an on-line form may be sent to members of the ICRM who may not follow the same NIST privacy practices.
Alpha-Particle Spectrometry Working Group
Working Group's Web Page at CIEMAT
Within the last years, the development of new techniques for the fabrication of Si detectors and the design of new measurement chambers, has produced considerable advances in the field of alpha-particle spectrometry with semiconductor detectors. Peak resolutions are now close to 8.5 keV, approaching the theoretical limit attainable with this kind of detectors. From the side of numerical analysis of spectra, a major effort has been dedicated by several laboratories to produce reliable fitting programs. Although it is difficult to give a comprehensive listing of activities, the following items describe the main areas of research.
- Development of new measurement techniques
- Improvement of fitting programs
- Measurement of nuclear data with emphasis on alpha-particle emission probabilities
- Computer simulation of the physical processes in the detector and source
Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Working Group
| The GSWG is devoted to the development of the metrological aspects of gamma-ray spectrometry and its applications. This includes, but is not restricted to: measurement techniques and equipment, determination of photon emission intensities, detector efficiency calibrations (including Monte Carlo methods), coincidence-summing corrections, uncertainties, correlations, new instrumentation, and X-ray spectrometry. Following the ICRM 2005 conference, an exercise to compare Monte Carlo simulation codes, as applied to detector calibrations, is in progress. A workshop dedicated to this effort is planned for autumn 2006. In addition, a forum (laraweb.free.fr/GRS_forum/) has been recently created to facilitate exchanges among working group members. The purpose of this forum is to report on recent studies and results, discuss about in progress exercise or set out specific problems, etc. |
Liquid Scintillation Working Group
| This working group is devoted to the development of liquid-scintillation counting (LSC) techniques, especially in the field of radionuclide standardization. This concerns especially LS-sources data, the CIEMAT/NIST and the Triple to Double Coincidence Ratio (TDCR) methods, the theory and practice of LSC techniques, new measurement methods (e.g., HPMT), the modification and construction of new LS arrangements, the commercial LS spectrometers and the counting techniques). | 
|
Low Level Techniques Working Group
The Low Level Techniques Working Group provides a platform
for all ICRM members interested in the measurement of low levels of
radioactivity in whatever area, but with a particular emphasis on environmental
measurements. Furthermore, by organising conferences and workshops on
either general (the next, ICRM-LLRMT'08, to be held in September 2008 in Braunschweig, Germany) or specific matters
of interest, the Working Group
facilitates the opportunity for radionuclide metrologists and scientists
making low level measurements to meet and to discuss common problems and
to disseminate information.
Non-Neutron Nuclear Data Working Group
The Non-Neutron Nuclear Data Working Group (3NDWG) facilitates awareness and communications between ICRM members interested in the measurement, calculation, compilation and evaluation of decay data, and the maintenance of computer-based decay data files (e.g., half-lives; energies and emission probabilities of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, x-rays, conversion electrons and Auger electrons; internal conversion coefficients; transition types; and other relevant parameters, including uncertainties).
Members of the 3NDWG are encouraged to use the Working Group to communicate experimental and theoretical work, relevant evaluation procedures, their decay data problems, and to establish methodologies that are fully consistent with the satisfactory production of recommended decay data.
The 3NDWG Coordinator strives to maintain satisfactory links between all active members to achieve the primary aim (see above), and to inform them of all relevant activities identified with the creation and maintenance of decay-data files.
Life Sciences Working Group
The purpose of the Life Sciences Working Group is to provide a forum for ICRM
members to address radionuclide metrology issues as they relate to the life
sciences. Issues may include, but are not limited to: development of
methodologies to calibrate short-lived radionuclides of interest in nuclear
medicine, measurement of decay properties (half-lives, decay energies and
probabilities, etc.) of radionuclides used in nuclear medicine and biological
research, development of measurement methodologies for transferring National
Measurement Standards to the clinic and research laboratory, and development of
methods to perform radioactivity assays of brachytherapy sources. The Working
Group will facilitate finding solutions to these problems through workshops,
publications, electronic communications (i.e., email), and collaborative work.
The Coordinator will maintain communication links between the members and will
periodically report to the group new issues and advancements in the field.
Coordinator's Annual Report
(37 kB) 
Radionuclide Metrology Techniques Working Group
Following the ICRM 2001 conference in Braunschweig, the ICRM RMT working group was reactivated after some years of stagnation. Two immediate tasks were proposed for the working group: development of digitally recorded pulse train analysis software for radionuclide standardisation organise an intercomparison of tritiated water standards The RMT sessions at each of the subsequent ICRM conferences have included papers on a much wider range of topics than those currently being addressed by the working group. Indeed, the scope of the RMT working is so wide that is extremely difficult for the working group coordinators to arrange projects which address the needs of the members. It is hoped that members of the working group are willing to take a more proactive role in both the instigation and coordination of future collaborative projects.