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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #324434
Title: Application of Geant4 simulation for analysis of soil carbon inelastic neutron scattering measurements

Author
item Yakubova, Galina
item KAVETSKIY, ALEKSANDR - Auburn University
item Prior, Stephen - Steve
item Torbert, Henry - Allen

Submitted to: Applied Radiation And Isotopes
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/19/2016
Publication Date: 4/20/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62484
Citation: Yakubova, G.N., Kavetskiy, A., Prior, S.A., Torbert III, H.A. 2016. Application of Geant4 simulation for analysis of soil carbon inelastic neutron scattering measurements. Applied Radiation And Isotopes. 113:33-39. doi 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.04.013.

Interpretive Summary: The capture of atmospheric CO2 via plant growth and the transfer of this carbon to soil may help mitigate global change through soil carbon storage. A rapid, non-invasive method of measuring soil C called a mobile inelastic neutron scattering system (requires no soil sampling) is being investigated. INS gamma spectra of soil models (consisting of uniform sand-carbon mixtures) were simulated using the Geant4 toolkit to create calibration lines. INS measured gamma spectra using these calibration data were found to accurately measure the average carbon weight percent in upper ~10 cm soil layer.

Technical Abstract: Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) was applied to determine soil carbon content. Due to non-uniform soil carbon depth distribution, the correlation between INS signals with some soil carbon content parameter is not obvious; however, a proportionality between INS signals and average carbon weight percent in ~10 cm layer for any carbon depth profile is demonstrated using Monte-Carlo simulation (Geant4). Comparison of INS and dry combustion measurements confirms this conclusion. Thus, the INS measurements give the value of this soil carbon parameter.