{"id":1489,"date":"2019-06-07T12:11:02","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T18:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crpa-acrp-bulletin.ca\/?p=1489"},"modified":"2020-02-18T20:01:38","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T02:01:38","slug":"crpar-prep-june-2019-preparation-a-la-designation-aacrp-juin-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crpa-acrp-bulletin.ca\/fr\/2019\/06\/07\/crpar-prep-june-2019-preparation-a-la-designation-aacrp-juin-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"CRPA(R) Prep, June 2019 \/ Pr\u00e9paration \u00e0 la d\u00e9signation (A)ACRP, juin 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

In this section of the Bulletin<\/em>, we introduce a question or two similar to the questions on the CRPA(R) exam. In the next issue, we will provide the solution. The intention is to give people an idea of the types of questions that we use on the CRPA(R) exam and perhaps convince more members to challenge the exam.<\/p>\n

If you already have your CRPA(R) designation, we invite you to\u00a0submit questions<\/a> to earn points for your registration maintenance!<\/p>\n

Question from the last issue:<\/h1>\n

So, let\u2019s take a look at the solution to the question from the last issue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The amount of light emitted by a scintillation phosphor is proportional to what feature of photon energy?<\/p>\n

a. Absorbed
\nb. Attenuated
\nc. Scattered
\nd. Transmitted<\/p>\n

Proposed solution:<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the CRPA Professional Registration Process<\/a> document shows, an entire section of the CRPA(R) exam is dedicated to instrumentation and equipment. Obviously, when we are testing knowledge in this area, we can\u2019t ask you to work out a mathematical solution. Instead, we try to gauge whether you have the knowledge that is expected of someone who is a CRPA(R).<\/p>\n

The Registration Process document also includes a suggested reading list with many reputable sources for information about radiation detection and instrumentation. One of the references is the book Radiation Detection and Measurement<\/em> by Glenn Knoll.[1<\/a>] (I used this book to prepare for the CRPA(R) exam.) In the book, Knoll describes ideal scintillation material as having specific helpful properties for radiation detection. One of the more important properties of scintillating material is that it should convert the kinetic energy of charged particles into detectable light with high scintillation efficiency, and the light yield should be proportional to deposited energy.<\/p>\n

Another suggested reference in the Registration Process document is the Cember classic Introduction to Health Physics<\/em>.[2<\/a>] In this book, Cember talks about the ability of scintillating material to convert energy absorbed to light. When this light strikes a photocathode, electrons are released to a photomultiplier tube, after which the signal is measured.<\/p>\n

So, armed with what we learned from studying the suggested reference material, we know that the amount of light emitted is proportional to the energy deposited in (and, for the most part, absorbed by) a scintillating material. That leads us to the answer to the question from the last issue:<\/p>\n

a. Absorbed<\/p>\n

New question:<\/h1>\n

What is the net count rate in counts per minute (cpm) given the following information?<\/p>\n