Automated multispectra alpha spectrometer and data reduction system

A complete hardware and software package for the accumulation and rapid analysis of multiple alpha pulse height spectra has been developed. The system utilizes a 4096-channel analyzer capable of accepting up to sixteen inputs from solid-state surface barrier detectors via mixer-router modules. The analyzer is interfaced to a desk-top programmable calculator and thermal line printer. A chained software package including spectrum printout, peak analysis, plutonium- 238 and plutonium-239 data reduction, and automatic energy calibration routines was written. With the chained program a complete printout, peak analysis, and plutonium data reduction of a 512-channel alpha spectrum are obtained in about three minutes with an accuracy within five percent of hand analyses. (auth