RESUMEN
Digital ratemeter that operates according to a self-adjusting algorithm, which at low rates automatically switches from a preset count to the preset time method, is proposed. It combines the good properties of both methods concerning the accuracy of the measured average counting rate and the response time to sudden changes of rate.
RESUMEN
We suggest that radioactive food contamination, as determined solely by a quantitative gamma-ray spectroscopic measurement, may, apart from the total activity per unit mass, be for quick reference conveniently characterized by another single figure which we call the "Gamma Contamination Food Factor" (GCFF). This factor may be defined as the ratio of the total specific activity of gamma-ray-emitting radionuclides in the food sample (except that of 40K) to the specific activity of 40K either in the sample itself or in an "average man". We discuss briefly the meaning and advantages of these definitions.