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From: lundsga@stolaf.UUCP (Soren K. Lundsgaard)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: fitting program for neutron activation experiment.
Message-ID: <1619@stolaf.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Apr-84 21:45:03 EST
Article-I.D.: stolaf.1619
Posted: Thu Apr  5 21:45:03 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Apr-84 04:15:51 EST
Organization: St. Olaf College, Northfield MN
Lines: 18

Does anyone have a fitting algorithm for the neutron experiment that
*everyone* has done in college.  This is the experiment where a piece of
silver is exposed to a neutron source, then is taken out of the source,
and counts of its activity are taken over intervals of time.

The equation that this should fit to is 

	a1 * exp( a2 * t ) + a3 * exp( a4 * t ) + a5

where a1 is the coefficient for one of the silver isotopes, a3 is the
coefficient for the other isotope, a2 and a4 are the rate of decay
corresponding to the half lives of the isotopes, and a5 is the
background radiation.

Please respond by mail.

Soren K. Lundsgaard, St. Olaf College, Northfield MN.
ihnp4!stolaf!lundsga