Calibration Model Development and Performance Evaluation of Portable Multichannel Analyzer for In-Situ Nuclear Forensics

M S. F. Husein (1. Master of Physics Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia 2. Directorate of Nuclear Facility Management, National Research and Innovation Agency, Serpong 15314, Indonesia)
S Sihana (Department of Nuclear and Physics Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia)
R. M. Subekti (Directorate of Nuclear Facility Management, National Research and Innovation Agency, Serpong 15314, Indonesia)
K. Indriana (Badan Riset dan Inovasi nasional)
E. Noerpitasari (Research Center for Nuclear Materials and Radioactive Waste Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Serpong 15314, Indonesia)
S Susanto (Directorate of Nuclear Facility Management, National Research and Innovation Agency, Serpong 15314, Indonesia)
L. N. Thanh (Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Hanoi, 112300, Vietnam)

Atom Indonesia
Vol 52, No 2 (2026): AUGUST 2026

The rapid response to nuclear security incidents necessitates precise, field-deployable instrumentation capable of quantifying nuclear material. This study evaluated the Portable Multichannel Analyzer (PMCA) equipped with a NaI(Tl) detector as a first-responding tool for nuclear forensics. Tertiary standards of natural and depleted uranium (0.5–30 g) were measured under varying acquisition times (60–1200 s) to establish calibration curves and determine performance metrics. Key performance indicators, including Relative Standard Deviation (RSD), uncertainty, and detection limits, were compared across linear and polynomial models. The PMCA demonstrated high precision with RSDs 3 g. Polynomial calibration curves achieved superior accuracy (R² > 0.99), significantly reducing uncertainty compared to linear models. Benchmark comparisons with HPGe spectrometry and destructive potentiometric titration validated PMCA measurements, showing