Process / pipelineAnalytical chemistry with nuclear methods

Neutron Activation Analysis

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is an analytical technique for determining elemental composition by bombarding samples with neutrons to produce radioactive isotopes, invented by de Hevesy and Levi in 1936. By measuring decay gamma rays from irradiated samples, NAA quantifies trace and major elements with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy without requiring destructive dissolution or complex sample preparation.

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Sources

  1. Chadwick, J. (1932). Possible Existence of a Neutron. Nature, 129(3252), 312. DOI: 10.1038/129312a0
  2. Knoll, G. F. (2010). Radiation Detection and Measurement (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. DOI: 10.1002/9781118021668

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Referenced by

ScholarGateNeutron Activation Analysis (Neutron Activation Analysis and Elemental Quantification). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/nuclear-physics/activation-analysis