Analytical Estimation of the Emitted Gamma Ray Spectrum in the PGNAA Method for Bauxite Ore of Jajarm Mine

Articles in Press

Authors

1 Nuclear Physics Department. Faculty of Physics and nuclear engineering. shahrood university of technolog. shahrood. Iran

2 Nuclear Physics Department. Faculty of Physics and nuclear engineering. Shahrood University of technology. Shahrood. Iran

3 Nuclear Physics Department. Faculty of Physics and Nuclear engineering. Shahrood University of Technology.Shahrood. Iran

10.22044/jrag.2026.17279.1381

Abstract

The Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) method is a rapid, non-destructive, and well-established technique for Quantitative and qualitative elemental analysis, widely used in pharmaceuticals, industry, and mining. A critical part of PGNAA is the analysis of the resulting gamma-ray spectrum, which can currently be obtained or analyzed using four approaches: direct experimental measurement, Monte Carlo simulation, neural networks, and analytical estimation. This research focuses on the analytical estimation method, which simulates the spectrum based on the physical principles governing the interaction of thermal neutrons with the nuclei of elements in the sample, and the interaction of prompt gamma photons emitted from the activated sample with the The material inside the detector is of interest. Advantages of this method include accurate determination of elemental peak positions—including main, single-escape, and double-escape peaks—identification of smaller peaks overlapping with larger ones, and determination of the main components shaping the spectrum due to multiple overlapping peaks. Another goal of this study is to identify a suitable detector for gamma spectroscopy in PGNAA testing of a bauxite ore sample from the Jajarm mine, to determine Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ percentages. Analytical spectra for the sample were acquired using three detectors—NaI, HPGe, and BGO—and compared. Examination of these spectra showed that the NaI detector is the most suitable for this application, providing reliable spectral information for elemental analysis of the bauxite sample.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 12 April 2026

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