TECHNICAL NOTE CYCLIC ACTIVATION LOGGING By W. W, GIVENS, RL. CALDWELL, and W, R. MILLS, JR. Mobil Research & Development Corporation EDITOR'S NOTE: In this technical note, Givens INTRODUCTION Caldwell and Mills present some of the furdamental ideas and potentialities of cyclic neatean activation as a pos- “Cyclic activation” analysis utilizing « pulsed source sible logging device. It should be of most interest to of neutrons was first proposed by Caldwell, et al'!) as ‘hose in Formation Evaluation not aleeady fanilior vith part of a combination neutron experiment for the remote this promising technique for identifying rock constituents, elemental anelysis of lunar and planetary surfaces. wer Timing Condit = iB tn.p) Aes iming Conditions: . Haif Life - 2.3 min. Period T - 5000 sec 4 ~ Neutron Burst t, - 100 psec 1 L78NeV y Delay t,, - 2000 psec Count {, - 2500 see 2 : ol in,pi nl® aL ® Half Life - 7.35 sec. 10" ps3 2 2s wo? a 1 CHANNEL NUMBER wo ® a i) 10 20 7H CYCLIC ACTIVATION GAMMA RAYS FROM GRANITE, (Notural Background Subtrocted) FIGURE 1Caléwell, et al, show 14 MeV induced activation gemma- ray spectra from granite, which were obtained by both cyclic and conventional methods. Only a cursory compari- son of the spectza shows some of the potential inherent in the cyclic activation method. Mills end Givens'2) have utilized cyclic activation in combination with otker pulsed-aeutron methods to analyze large rock models Tepresentstive of the several possible compositions of the lunar surface, A typical cyclic activation spectsum obtained on the susface of a large granite model by Mills and Givens is shows in Pigare 1, The mast prominent activation gamma-rays in the spectrum differ greatly in helf life ond ate due to 14 MeV neutron interactions with the most abundant clomests in granite, cilicon and oxygen. The quality of the spectrum is good considering the geometry of their experiment war that of @ neutron source and dectector lying, on the surface of ar effective: ly somi-infinite model Cyelie activation analysis, whether it be applied to the surface analysis of the moon or planets, or earth strata penetrated by a borehole, should be exploited in such a way as to fully achieve the capabilities of the method. For this to be realized, a minimum understanding of elemental analysis by the cyelie activation method is necessary in order to make a reasorable evaluation of the utility and quality of several possible eyclic activation logs. WHAT IS CYCLIC ACTIVATION ANALYSIS? Elenestal analysie by the conventional neutton acti vation methed is an established analytical technique by Which an elemental isotope can be identified according to specie and quantity by a study of the radiations from a radioisotope produced by a nuclear reaction with the Parent isatope of interest. A radioisctope decays by emitting characteristic radiations and at a characteristic rate. Identification of the radioisotope is often possible by measurement only of the characteristic radiations or the half-life, The half-life is a measure of the rate of decay of the radioisotope and is the time required for a quantity of the radioisotope to decay onehalf of sone initial value, A measurement of both tadiation character- istics and of hali-life uniquely identifies the radioiso- tope. Once the radioisotope is identified, the stable element or elements giving rise to the radioisotope are deduced from a knowledge of the type and energy of the bombarding nuclear particles, and hence of the nuclear reactions possible. Quantitative measurement of the amount of an element is more difficult tkan elemental identification alone. In the well logging application, cyclic activation analysis will probably be linited to clenenial identification and to relative changes in the quantity of elements in the strata penetrated by @ bore- hole. Cyclic activation and conventional activetion differ only in technique, The most important feature of eyelic activation analysis is that radioactivities with very short half-lives can be atilized in making an analysis. Conven- tional sctivation analysis generally utilizes radioactive ities with half-lives ranging ftom a few seconds to days. Cyelic activation utilizes radioactivities with half-lives in the range of tenths of milliseconds to a few minutes. As a consequence of such short half-lives, a continuous cyclic activation log may be possible whereas conven- tional activation anslysis generally would yield only a point by point Log. A qore complete understanding of cyclic activation and how it differs from conventional activation may be had with the aid of the cyclic activation timing diagram shown in Figure 2. The interval t, is the bombardment or ittadistion potiod, the interval tis 4 waiting period, the interval t, is a counting period, and the interval T is the time between successive intadiation intervals ty. Herein lies the real difference between cyelic activa- tion aad conventional activation. In conventional activation analysis a single bombardment peried t,, @ single waiting penod t., and a single counting period t, of Ihe radiations emmitted by the radioisotope produced during the bombardment period are utilized. In conven tional activation the duration of ty, and t, are optinized in terms of the helf-Life of the radioisoiope under study and are generally of more than one half-life duration. The waiting period iy is generally dictated by both the half Life and the intensity of interfering radiations emanating Timing Diagram for Cyclic Activation FIGURE 2from radioizotapes having shorter half-lives than that of the radioisotope of interest. On the other hand, evelic activation utilizes many consecutive bombard-wait-count cyeles, often several hund:ed such cyclas per second. The time length of the intervals t,, ty, t. and T, except in the case of very short lived radicactivities, are usually very small fractions of the half-lives of the induced activities of interest. How these intervals may be optimized in cyclic activation vill be discussed in terms of the [orulations that follow. The total number of interactions o: courts in a de- tector due to radiations emitted by a radioisotope pro- duced by the conventional activation analysis method is given by the following: che ke ne Yeon ~ RE ec De Yee where W = weight of elenent of interest in grams N = Avogstdio's number A= atomic weight of element of interest f= flux of neutrons (neutrons/em?/second) 7 = isotopic reuetion cross-section efficiency of the counter for the radiation detected percentage isotopic abundance decay constant - 0.693/TH, where Tis is the hall-life of the radioisotope produced ty = the duration of a single irradiation period, tu = the duration of a single waiting peried, 1g — the duration of a aingle count period. Givens, et all3) have shown that under the conditions of eyelic activation, the corresponding amber of inter: actions in the datector during a total tine t, and st a pulse-repetition rate 1/T is given by. enc NS and the count rate is given by where W,N,H, fo ¢,m, and J are the same as previous. ly defined, and ty = duration of neutron burst, tw= waiting period, t. = counting period, T = period of neutron burst repetition and is greater than or equal to ty + ty + toy te = some total time aT, where n is the total number of bombard-wait-count eycles. Clearly cyclic activation is mathematically more com- plicated than conventional activation and, therefore, optimizations will exist for any particular cyclic activa- tioa log. For example, Givens, et al) in their general formulation of cyclic activation analysis have shown that for a given decay constent A there is an optimum peried 'T, and that for a given period T, optinum or otherwise, there are optimum periods t, ty, and te. Such optimum considerations stould be taken into account in evaluating cyclic activation as a method of well logging. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Cyclic wctivation analysis shows considerable pronise 28 @ logging method for elemental identification. The en hascement of very short-lived activities should make possible continuous rather than point-by-point logs. A basic understanding of cyclic activation and of the criteria for evaluating the covoral possible oselic activation loge ie essential for its propor application. For example, undar borckole conditions the waitiog period t, is vory important hocauso of the capture gamma rays thet exit for considerable tine following the end of the neutron barst. In some formations *, may need to be as long as 1,000 microseconds or more. If t is not ong enough to allow for complete die-away of the cap- ture gamme rays before the counting period t. is bezur, then the best cyclic activation log cannot be realized. Another consideration is interference due to natural ganma tays. If a given cyclic activation log is based upon the messurement of gamme rays having energies less than 2,6 MeV, the log could te greatly influenced by natural radioactivity. In such cases, the way in which natural activity is taken into sccoust will affect the quality of the cyclic activation logs. Elemental identification by cyclic activation could be a very significant contribution to well logging if the known principles of the method are properly applied.1 RL, Coldwell, W. R Mills, Le S.A: RL. Heath, “Combination Neutron Experiment for Remora REFERENCES Analysis," Science 152, No. 3721 (1908). 2. W. R Mille and WW. Givens, tion Died Analysis, RL. Celdwets, W. W. Givers, K. Preewlocki, W. Re Mills, G. W. “Cyclic Activation Analysis,” (to be suse way Expetiment for Lanar mitted for publication) ABOUT THE AUTHORS en, PLR, Rell, ana Mobil OM Corpoartion, “neu sad Planotary Surface Phase T'* 25 July 1956-26 March 1007, Final Report for the Netlonal Aeronautics end Space Admin sie Richard L. Celdveli received 8.8. and MS. degrees in physic# from Lovistane State Ualversity ang a PhD. degree fom the “University of Misaver His these Fesearch was carried out at the Argonne National Labecatory in Chicago, where he held an Atomic Energy Commission fellow: ship. During 1941-1945, he served a a Physicist at the Naval Grdnance Lube oratory in Washington, D.C. Since 1649, he bes Been with Mobil Research snd Development Corporation st the Field Research Laboratory in Dallas, Tense, Where he is presently supervisor wf the Nuclear Physics and Well Loeeing Ree Search Section, He 49 author of more than 30 technics! papera and holds IS US. Ho is a member of many scientific gocioties including American Nuclear Society, American Physical Society, Re Search ‘Socioty of America, Netropotiten Philosophical Society, end is listed. in “Who's Who in Atoms" im “Arerican Ben of Seionca” W. W, Givens is a Senior Research Physicist on the staff of the Mobil Re Renrch ond Development Corperation Field Research Laboratory. Ho received BA, and M.A. degrees from North Texas Stote University io 1956 and 1957, respectively. He sos associated with Mebit's Field Research Laboratory during. 4987, ond 1959, where he engaged in research on the application of nuclear lechniques to cil ex- Plovation. He entered the Rice University raduate school(Depertment of Physics) ta 1955 snd received an M.A. in 1960 nnd tie PhD. in 1963. Since returning to Mebil's Field Research Leborstory in 1962, he hee sf nuctoat well lowing and mase receatin, 4s studying the reuton die-away and cyclic setivation analysis as methods of Taner and Hanetery surface analysis under contract With the National Aeronsutice wad: Sonce Administestion Br. Givens isa member of the American Physica! Society, American Nuclear Ser ciety, RESA, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and i listed ‘American Mea of Science, W. R, Mills received @ B.A. desree in Physics fom the Rice Institute in 1061 anc a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the Californie tastiute of Technology ia 1955. During 1958-56, he was employed by the Knolls Atomic Laboratory and worked on time-of-flight measoremerts of slow neutron cross sections usine the Generel Electric 100-Mev betatron. in 1955, ne joined the Field Research La ratory of the Socany Mobil Oil Company (iow called Mobit Revearch ant Develop, Penet ent Corporation) and hae since been engeged in research on the application of fuclear techniques to oil well lopging which involves gamma-ray spectroscopy snd neutron physics, He is @ member of the American Phys col Society, The Research Society of Americs, and is listed in “"Who'g Who sa Atos"