Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) has the characteristics of high sensitivity and non-destructive analysis. At the same time, compared with neutron activation analysis, prompt gamma activation analysis requires less neutron flux and causes lower induced radioactivity to the sample. After a period of time, the radioactivity of the sample will be reduced to a natural level and can be used for other studies. Therefore, PGAA is also a suitable choice for some precious samples. PGAA has been applied in various fields, especially for the determination of light elements such as hydrogen, boron and other elements in large samples. At the same time, it also has non-destructive testing properties. It can be applied in various fields and has broad development prospects. Therefore, this paper summarizes the facilities and research profiles of PGAA system at home and abroad and its application profiles, understands the current development status of PGAA system, and lays a certain foundation for future research. The emphasis of this review is on laboratory measurements based on reactor neutron beam. The application of on-site prompt gamma activation analysis is not discussed in this paper. It is found that although PGAA can detect most of the elements on the periodic table, the detection sensitivity is lower than that of neutron activation analysis. The detection ability of the system can be improved by modifying the experimental facilities, such as shielding the background and using the anti-Kang spectrometer.
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