Neutron activation buildup and decay ($\dot{\overline{N}}=R-\lambda \overline{N}$)

Let $\overline{N}$ be the expected value of the number of radioactive product atomic nuclei, initially zero, produced at constant rate $R$. Let their nuclear decay constant be $\lambda >0$. Assume one product species, negligible target depletion and negligible capture by the product. During irradiation, production adds $Rdt$ while radioactive decay removes $\lambda \overline{N}dt$ in expectation. Multiplying the resulting ordinary differential equation by $e^{\lambda t}$ givesThe expected radioactive activity $\overline{A}=\lambda \overline{N}$ tends to the production rate $R$. This saturation is a balance of continuing production and radioactive decay, not exhaustion of target atomic nuclei.

If irradiation ends at $t_i$, let $s$ denote elapsed time afterward. Setting the production term to zero givesFor detection efficiency $\epsilon$, constant background count rate $b$, delay $d$ and counting-window duration $\Delta$, integrating the expected count rate givesThis assumes at most one recorded pulse per product transformation and negligible counter losses. Detector response, branching fractions and background must be calibrated independently. Subtracting an estimated background does not remove its counting uncertainty. Several products give a sum of these terms with distinct nuclear decay constants; a single exponential decay fit can then mislead.

For a wholly stipulated example, choose $R=120{\min }^{-1}$, half-life $2\min$ and $t_i=4\min$. Then $\lambda =\log 2/(2\min )$, $\overline{A}(t_i)=90{\min }^{-1}$ and $\overline{N}(t_i)\simeq 259.69$. Choose $\epsilon =0.25$, $b=2{\min }^{-1}$ and $d=\Delta =2\min$. The result isThe background contributes four expected counts. Multiplying the initial net count rate in that window by its duration would give $22.5$ net counts, overestimating the integrated $16.23$ because the product decays appreciably during counting. All these values and the following curves are original examples, not measured historical data or parameters assigned to a particular silver isotope.