Radiopurity of a CeBr3 crystal used as scintillation detector

Cerium bromide (CeBr3) has recently been shown to exhibit several properties making it a suitable material as a scintillation detector in nuclear physics applications. The intrinsic activity of gamma-ray emitting radionuclides in a 38.1 mm x 38.1 mm (diameter x height) crystal of CeBr3 was investigated. The measurements were carried out in the HADES underground laboratory located 225 m underground. Two primordial radionuclides were detected; Ac-227 (and its daughters) with massic activity of 0.30 +/- 0.02 Bq/kg and La-138 with massic activity of 7.4 +/- 1.0 mBq/kg. Two activation products were also detected; Ce-139 and Br-82. Their massic activities (assuming a homogeneous distribution in the crystal) just before taking the CeBr3 crystal underground were 4.3 +/- 0.3 mBq/kg and 18 +/- 4 mBq/kg correspondingly. None of the other common primordial radionuclides (K-49, Ra-226, Ra-228, Th-228, and U-235) were detected and their detection limits were below 2 mBq/kg except for U-238 for which the upper limit was 135 mBq/kg and Pb-210 with an upper limit of 600 mBq/kg. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.