A common problem in analytical chemistry is the determination of the elemental content of materials without destroying or damaging them.
Most methods are specific to only a few elements.
NAA generally requires a reactor and usually causes radiological contamination. PGAA takes advantage of the fact that cold or thermal neutrons are captured on all elements producing a unique spectrum of prompt gamma rays for each element. Although PGAA was known for decades, its implementation has been limited by insufficient calibration data and availability of suitable neutron sources. The development of neutron beams now allows us to analyze samples far from the high gamma-ray backrounds near a reactor core. We have measured capture gamma-ray data for all elements at the Budapest Reactor and are developing a precise PGAA calibration database.