Company History of Dr. Westmeier GmbH

1981      
Founding of the Company   “Dr. Westmeier, Kernspektrometrie – Beratung & Software”

Development on demand of the high-precision spectrum analysis software ELEGANT for the European Research Center IRMM in Geel (Belgium). The program analyses spectra from alpha particles, conversion electrons and gamma-rays, where peaks from CE and gammas may be mixed and even overlapping in a spectrum

since 1982  
Development of programs for spectrum analysis using personal computers (PC)
         MEDIGAM:  fast integrating analysis of Ge(Li) and HPGe spectra
         GAMMA-W:  high-precision analysis of Ge(Li) and HPGe spectra
         SODIGAM:   high-precision analysis of NaI(Tl) spectra

since 1983 
         ALPS:  high-precision analysis of alpha spectra from semiconductor detectors and gridded ionisation chambers
Publication of the Gamma-Catalog: U. Reus and W. Westmeier, “Catalog of Gamma-Rays from Radioactive Decay”, Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, Vol. 29, Nos. 1 & 2, 1983

since 1984  
Re-sale and service of detectors, multichannel-analyzers and any other instrumentation for nuclear measurements. The enterprise does not limit itself to one specific producer or brandname, but it selects from the best suitable and most favourable instruments

since 1985 
Development of specialized software according to user’s specifications and needs

Publication of the Alpha-Catalog: “Catalog of Alpha Particles from Radioactive Decay”, Physik Daten / Physics Data
No. 29-1 (1985)  Fachinformationszentrum Energie – Physik – Mathematik GmbH, Karlsruhe

since May 1986
Systematic measurements of environmental contamination after the Tschernobyl-accident. Cost-free measurements were provided for citizens in collaboration with the Institute for Nuclear Chemistry of the Philipps-Universität in Marburg. The most important experiences and results from these measurements were published in a book:
D. Molzahn, “Marburg nach Tschernobyl”, Dr. W. Hitzeroth Verlag, Marburg  (1987), ISBN: 3-925944-35-4

1987     
Change of legal Company status :  “Dr. Westmeier, Gesellschaft für Kernspektrometrie mbH”

since 1988  
Collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna as an expert and lecturer for:
g-spectrometry, a-spectrometry, applications of nuclear methods and instruments, dosimetry,
nuclear safety, statistical data analysis, quality-assurance and -control, nuclear electronics,
radiation detectors (especially semiconductors and scintillators)

since 1990  
Development of special measuring devices and systems, such as e.g. for the on-line measurement in nuclear power plants (especially for SIPPING analyses), for QC-measurements of radioactive stents, for the measurement of trans-uranium nuclides contents in sealed containers, or for the quantitative a-spectrometry of powder samples.
All work was conducted in close collaboration with customers

since 1995 
Development of on-line systems for the measurement of the nuclide inventory in tanks or containers, using submerged, embedded detectors

since 1997
Member of german and international gremiums for development of norms;
IEC/TC45 WG9 (Radiation detectors and systems) and german mirror-gremium
DKE/K967 (Mess-, Steuer- und Regelungstechnik im Zusammenhang mit ionisierender Strahlung)

since 1999 
Research on demand on the transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste nuclides by neutron induced nuclear reactions

Development of algorithms for quantitative analysis of nuclear radiation spectra which are closely following physical occurrences in the interaction of radiation with matter (NO numerology approach).
Improved algorithms provide significantly enhanced analyses:
- automatic and correct analysis of very small g-ray peaks on high background
- analysis of g-ray peaks below detection limit
- quantitative analysis of a-spectra from powder samples and filters

since 2006
Research for spectral characteristics of scintillator spectra (NaI(Tl) and LaBr₃(Ce)).
Development of peakshape and baseline descriptions and improved fit-algorithms

since 2010
Coordinator of an international collaboration working on transmutation of long-lived radioactive waste in Dubna (Russia).
Works for a new edition of the Gamma-Ray Catalog.

The Dr. Westmeier GmbH has always conducted its own R&D work mostly focussed on:

• Characteristics and systematics in nuclear radiation spectra from various detectors, and in TOF-spectra
• Development of Software, in particular for Windows
• Data collection and evaluation for the g- and a-catalogs
• Destruction of radioactive waste by transmutation and incineration
• Measurement of radon in houses

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