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MEASUREMENTS
A. DRAGI, V. UDOVII, R. BANJANAC, D. JOKOVI, I. ANIIN* and J. PUZOVI*
Institute of Physics, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, yokovic@phy.bg.ac.yu
*Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
ABSTRACT
Spectra contents of the low radioactivity measurements were determined using Bayesian
inference. The method was performed on the simulated spectra, and on the spectra of
samples with low counting rates, acquisited by X-ray spectrometer in the low-level
underground laboratory. Results of the analysis were compared with results of standard
APTEC program for spectra analysis.
Keywords: Bayesian inference, parameter estimation, spectra analysis.
1. Introduction
Bayesian inference is often used in estimating the amplitude of a signal in the presence of a
background. Simple, idealised situation is represented with background being constant in all range and
the signal of interest being Gaussian shaped line with known position of a peak in spectrum x0 and
width . Parameters to be derived are background magnitude B and amplitude of the peak A. In
general, the x axis is divided in channels and in ideal case the datum in k-th channel is
Dk = n0 Ae ( xk x0 )
/ 2 2
( Dk ) N
e Dk
Nk!
k
(1)
(2)
where prob( A, B | I ) is the prior probability distribution function; it is a constant for A0 and B0,
and equal to zero otherwise. A set of experimental data is involved through the likelihood function
prob({Nk}| A, B, I ). It modifies the prior function to the posterior probability distribution function
prob( A, B | {Nk}, I ); its logarithm L is a function of A and B via Nk and Dk:
M
L = ln[prob(A,B|{Nk},I)] = const +
[ N ln( D ) D ] ,
k =1
(3)
161
where M is a number of data. The derivation of latter equation may be found in [1]. Maximum of the
posterior function Lmax for variables A and B gives the best estimated values of A and B.
18
18
16
Gauss =6
Chan num = 300
Net count = 100
16
14
14
12
12
Count
10
Count
10
8
8
6
0
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
500
1000
Channel
Channel
a)
b)
1500
2000
The program for Bayesian analysis, wrote in Delphi, then was applied on these simulated spectra. It
gave posterior probability distribution function L as a function of A and B and the best estimated
values of the amplitude A0 and the background B0 as coordinates of maximum Lmax of the posterior
function. These posterior functions are displayed using contours, which are lines joining points of
equal probability density. Lmax lies in the narrowest contour. The contours of the posterior functions for
simulated spectra are shown in fig 2. The picture on the left in fig 2. is a result of Bayesian inference
of the contents of spectrum that contains line. Likewise, the picture on the right in fig 2. refers to the
spectrum with no line. In the spectrum 1a one line was found, with peak amplitude and background
magnitude lying in interval of the narrowest contour. No line was found in the spectrum 1b, but
background magnitude is approximately 7.1. For confidence level of 67 %, where are A = A0 and
B = B0 , error bars are defined by L = Lmax
1
[1]. Difference between neighbouring contours
2
is 0.25; two contours around Lmax determine error bars for C.L. of 67 %
162
7.5
5.500
7.4
5.375
7.3
5.250
7.2
Background
Background
5.125
5.000
4.875
7.1
7.0
4.750
6.9
4.625
6.8
4.500
5.25
6.7
5.50
5.75
6.00
6.25
6.50
6.75
7.00
0.5
7.25
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
Amplitude
Amplitude
a)
b)
Fig 2. Contours of the posterior probability distribution function for simulated spectra.
Table 1. presents results of the Bayesian method applied on simulated spectra with error bars. Here,
peak integral is calculated as N = 2 A0 . Peak integrals calculated by Bayesian analysis of the
simulated spectra are as they are expected to be (95 8, 0.00.4), but background level is little
higher; perhaps the Poisson generator adds a few more counts than assumed.
Table 1. Results of Bayesian inference of the simulated spectra.
Background
magnitude (counts)
Peak amplitude
(counts)
Peak integral
(counts)
Spectrum 1a.
5.15(5)
6.3(5)
95(8)
Spectrum 1b.
7.1(5)
0.0(4)
0.0(4)
a)
b)
Fig 3. Spectra of low activity samples.
163
The low counting rates spectra were acquisited by X-spectrometer in the low-level background
laboratory measuring the uranium originated activity of natural samples. The activity was determined
by observing the line of 63.3 keV in U-238 spectrum. Such two spectra are shown in fig 3. The relative
activities were calculated using APTEC program; net count of the 63.3 keV line in each spectrum is of
interest. The same spectral line was analysed by Bayesian inference with peak in bin 312 (63.3 keV)
and width 1.14 (0.54 keV); part of the spectrum containing only this line (bins 291 to 340) was
analysed. The posterior probability distribution functions are shown in fig 4. (fig 4a refers to fig. 3a
and fig. 4b refers to fig. 3b). It can be seen that the line was found in both spectra. Comparative net
counts calculated by the Bayesian and APTEC analysis are presented in table 2; the results are similar.
Also, as a criterium of validity of program for the Bayesian inference, ratio of net counts spectrum 3a
vs. spectrum 3b are same for both the Bayesian and APTEC analysis.
18
14
17
13
16
Background
Background
15
14
13
12
11
10
12
11
10
25
30
35
40
18
45
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
Amplitude
Amplitude
a)
b)
Fig 4. Contour of the posterior probability distribution function for spectra of low counting rates.
Table 2. Results of Bayesian inference of the low counting rates spectra.
Background
magnitude (counts)
Peak amplitude
(counts)
Peak integral
(counts)
Peak integral by
APTEC (counts)
Spectrum 3a
13.5(7)
32(5)
91(14)
80(20)
Spectrum 3b
11(5)
26(4)
74(11)
65(17)
Work has been partially financed by Ministry of Science, Technologies and Development of the
Republic of Serbia, project no. 1461.
4. References
[1] D. S. Sivia, Data Analysis A Bayesian Tutorial, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1997.
164