A fence line noble gas monitoring system for nuclear power plants

A noble gas monitoring system has been installed at Ontario Power Generation's Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS) near Toronto, Canada. This monitoring system allows a direct measure of air kerma from external radiation instead of calculating this based on plant emission data and meteorological models. This has resulted in a reduction in the reported effective dose from external radiation by a factor of at least ten. The system consists of nine self-contained units, each with a 7.6 cm x 7.6 cm (3 inch x 3 inch) NaI(TI) detector that is calibrated for air kerma. The 512-channel gamma ray spectral information is downloaded daily from each unit to a central computer where the data are stored and processed. A spectral stripping procedure is used to remove natural background variations from the spectral windows used to monitor xenon-133 (133Xe), xenon-135 (135Xe), argon-41 (41Ar), and skyshine radiation from the use of radiography sources. Typical monthly minimum detection limits in air kerma are 0.3 nGy for 133Xe, 0.7 nGy for 35Xe, 3 nGy for 41Ar and 2 nGy for skyshine radiation. Based on 9 months of continuous operation, the annualised air kerma due to 133Xe, 135Xe and 41Ar and skyshine radiation were 7 nGy, 8 nGy, 26 nGy and 107 nGy respectively.     

硅光电二极管探测器在低能X射线辐射场上的标定

在同步辐射X射线能量标定前,需要对作为传递探测器的硅光电二极管进行标定。利用低能X射线10~50kV空气比释动能基准装置,研究硅光电二极管的辐射响应并用它测量辐射场的均匀野大小。将硅光电二级管AXUV-100G置于低能X射线基准辐射场中,测得AXUV-100G作为传递探测器在10～40keV能量范围的能量响应较高,在各个辐射质条件下复现空气比释动能的不确定度均为0.57%。AXUV-100G在距离光机焦斑1m处测量得到均匀性优于99%的辐射野直径约为61mm,优于95%时约为96mm,满足次级传递标准量值复现与传递的要求。     

Air kerma rate constants for gamma emitters used most often in practice

It is often required to estimate the dose rate at a distance from radionuclides that are sources of X rays and gamma rays. Such calculations may be required for planning radiation protection measures in the vicinity of radioactive sources or patients containing radionuclides, calibrations of radiation instruments or for estimating the absorbed dose rate to patients receiving brachytherapy. The factor relating activity and air kerma rate is called air kerma rate constant--gamma(delta). In this paper, the results of recalculation of this quantity for unfiltered point sources of radionuclides in practice used most often are given. The calculations included corrections for internal conversion of X rays and gamma rays and detailed accounting of the generation of the K and L series X rays from internal conversion and electron capture. Particular air kerma rate constants were calculated for each discrete line in the photon spectrum of radionuclide with a yield per decay event >0.01% and the energy >20 keV. Since the energy structure of the photon spectra and accessible discrete numerical values of the mass energy-transfer coefficient for air are not the same, the cubic spline interpolation was used to obtained the coefficient, where the photon spectrum data are available. In the calculation, the latest gamma ray spectral data for all radionuclides and latest data for the mass energy-transfer coefficient for air are used. Air kerma rate constants for the following 35 radionuclides are calculated: 11C, 13N, 15O, 18F, 24Na, 42K, 43K, 51Cr, 52Fe, 59Fe, 57Co, 58Co, 60Co, 67Ga, 68Ga, 75Se, 99Mo, 99mTc, 111In, 113mIn, 123I, 125I, 131I, 127Xe, 133Xe, 137Cs, 152Eu, 154Eu, 170Tm, 182Ta, 192Ir, 197Hg, 198Au, 201Tl and 241Am.     

高剂量率近距离192Ir治疗源的井型电离室仪器的校准

针对后装治疗用192Ir放射源的参考空气比释动能率的量值急需进行溯源。参考国际通例,由指型电离室(PTW-30013)在60Co γ射线和250kV X射线下的空气比释动能校准因子推导得出192Ir γ射线的空气比释动能校准因子,从而测定192Ir放射源参考空气比释动能率标准值,进而完成对井型电离室的参考空气比释动能率校准。通过不确定度评定得出:192Ir放射源的参考空气比释动能率的不确定度为3.6%,井型电离室校准因子的不确定度为3.8%。     

Differential absorbed dose distributions in lineal energy for neutrons and gamma rays at the mono-energetic neutron calibration facility

Absorbed dose distributions in lineal energy for neutrons and gamma rays of mono-energetic neutron sources from 140 keV to 15 MeV were measured in the Fast Neutron Laboratory at Tohoku University. By using both a tissue-equivalent plastic walled counter and a graphite-walled low-pressure proportional counter, absorbed dose distributions in lineal energy for neutrons were obtained separately from those for gamma rays. This method needs no knowledge of energy spectra and dose distributions for gamma rays. The gamma-ray contribution in this neutron calibration field >1 MeV neutron was <3%, while for <550 keV it was >40%. The measured neutron absolute absorbed doses per unit neutron fluence agreed with the LA150 evaluated kerma factors. By using this method, absorbed dose distributions in lineal energy for neutrons and gamma rays in an unknown neutron field can be obtained separately.     

使用单能X射线辐射装置对CdTe探测效率的实验刻度

CdTe探测器对单能平行光子源的绝对测量之前,需要进行效率刻度。利用MCNP5蒙特卡罗模拟程序建立CdTe探测器物理模型,模拟计算了10~260keV能量段能点的本征探测效率,在10~60keV能量段探测效率高于75%。用单能X射线装置和HPGe探测器对CdTe探测器本征探测效率进行了实验刻度。结果表明,在10~100keV能量范围内CdTe探测器的模拟效率与实验效率趋势一致,最大误差不超过5.6%。因为Te元素在27keV和32keV处会产生逃逸峰,导致探测效率在这2个能量处有明显下降趋势。用241Am和133Ba放射源对CdTe探测器进行效率刻度验证,在能量为59.54keV和81keV放射源标定的探测效率与单能X射线辐射装置测量值相符。     

The response of lif thermoluminescence dosemeters to photon beams in the energy range from 30 kV x rays to 60Co gamma rays

The energy response of standard (TLD-100) and high-sensitivity (TLD-100H) LiF thermoluminescence dosemeters (TLDs) has been studied for photon beams with mean energies from about 25 keV to 1100 keV. Canadian primary standards for air kerma were used to establish the air kerma rates for each of the photon beams. TLDs were mounted in a PMMA holder and the air kerma response was measured as a function of energy. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo code was used to model the TLD holder and calculate the absorbed dose to the TLD chip per unit air kerma for each beam. The measured and calculated results were combined to obtain the intrinsic dose response of the TLD chip. Broadly, our results are consistent with existing data, which show a marked difference in the energy dependence of the two materials. However, the precision of our measurements (standard uncertainty of about 0.6%) has permitted the identification of features that have not been noted before. In particular, the energy dependence of the two materials is quite different in the important energy region delimited by 137Cs and 60Co gamma rays.     

防护水平X射线电离室的校准及不确定度分析

防护水平电离室剂量计是辐射防护的主要计量器具,需要在窄谱参考辐射质下进行检定和校准。利用EGSnrc软件模拟了参考辐射质X射线能谱,分析得到的能谱分辨率和平均能量与ISO 4037-1推荐值的最大偏差分别为7.1％和1.04％,均满足规范要求。依托60~250kV X射线空气比释动能国家基准装置,在窄谱系列参考辐射质下完成了距离X光机1m处参考点的空气比释动能量值复现;然后通过替代法对两个传递电离室进行校准并完成量值传递;最后利用传递电离室复现的2.25m处的空气比释动能率对PTW-32002球形电离室进行校准,获得相应的校准因子,校准因子相对扩展不确定度为2.2%(k=2)。     

The calibration of dosimetry instruments used in interventional radiology

No general agreement about the definition of the patient dose exists. As regards the radiation health risk, the doses to specific organs, Hi, are the ultimate measures for a patient dose. Values of the calibration measured, Hi, are provided only by calculational means. Out of the whole process of patient dose determination, the instruments to measure X ray spectra, FSD, field dimensions and Ka can be calibrated, X ray quality is derived from the total filtration and kV value. The actual dynamic and X ray quality ranges shall be considered when air kerma and DAP meters are calibrated. A DAP meter measurement averages the uniform radiation field specific for the X ray tube assembly used and for the beam shaping technique performed. Therefore, a DAP meter calibrated on site is preferable for patient dosimetry in interventional radiology.     

Corrections to air kerma and exposure measured with free air ionisation chambers for charge of photoelectrons, Compton electrons and Auger electrons

The signal charge from a free air ionisation chamber for the measurement of air kerma and exposure consists of not only the charge of ion pairs produced by secondary electrons (i.e. photoelectrons, Compton electrons and Auger electrons), but also the charge of the secondary electrons and single and multiple charged ions formed by the release of the secondary electrons. In the present work, correction factors for air kerma and exposure for the charge of the secondary electrons and ions were calculated for photons with energies in the range from 1 to 400 keV. The effects of an increase in the W value of air for low-energy electrons were also taken into consideration. It was found that the correction factors for air kerma and exposure have a maximum value near a photon energy of 30 keV; in the lower energy region, the correction factor for exposure monotonically decreases with a decrease in photon energy except for a small dip due to K-edge absorption by argon atoms in air. The values of the correction factors were found to be 0.9951 and 0.9892, respectively, for a spectrum with a mean energy of 7.5 keV, the reference X-ray spectrum with the lowest mean energy in ISO 4037-1. The air kerma correction is smaller than that for exposure, because for air kerma the signal due to the charge of secondary electrons and ions is partly compensated by the decrease in the number of ion pairs produced by the secondary electrons due to the increase of the W value of air for lower energy electrons.     

Consideration on calibration and correction factors of an Hp10 chamber for different radiation qualities and angles of incidence

This paper presents the characterisation performed at IRSN (France) of an H(p)(10) chamber in terms of calibration coefficient and correction factors for the radiation qualities of ISO narrow spectrum series. The chamber response, expressed in H(p)(10) using conversion coefficients h(p)(K)(10; N, alpha) listed in ISO 4037-3 in the energy range from 30 to 1250 keV and for angles of incidence between 0 and 70 degrees, was found to be within approximately 10%. However, for photon energies <30 keV, an overresponse of the chamber that could reach 100% was observed. Nevertheless, this overresponse was reduced to 25% using the conversion coefficients estimated at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). This implies that the X-ray spectra produced by the IRSN X-ray units are very similar to those produced by PTB, both containing a little bit more high-energy photons than the spectra used in ISO 4037-3. The dose rate dependence of the chamber tested by gamma radiation from (60)Co sources was found to be within 2% in the range of 0.3 mSv h(-1) to 1 Sv h(-1). The H(p)(10) chamber can measure directly the conventional true value of H(p)(10) after calibration by a reference laboratory, and can be used for transferring H(p)(10) reference quantities from a reference laboratory.     

30~160keV单能X射线装置的单色性实验研究

单能X射线光源是由X射线光机、双晶单色器、标准探测器以及准直系统组成。X射线光机产生的连续X射线,通过与双晶单色器发生布拉格衍射完成单色化,调节不同的特定布拉格角度得到能量范围30~160keV的单能X射线。为了研究标定装置的能量展宽,需要对该装置产生的单能X射线的能量分辨率进行研究。结果表明Si(220)晶体产生的单能X射线的能量分辨率为0.91%@30keV和2.3%@70.6keV,Si(551)晶体为1.97%@80.1keV和3.45%@142.6keV。使用这套装置对溴化镧晶体探测器的能量响应进行校准验证,实验发现该装置的能量分辨率良好,可以应用在多种类型探测器的标定实验、X射线质量衰减系数测量以及多层膜反射率测量等领域。     

Efficiency calibration of a Si(Li) detector in the low-energy region using electron bremsstrahlung

In the low-energy region the determination of the detector efficiency is complicated by the fact of nonavailability of certificated calibration sources. To solve this problem the use of electron bremsstrahlung for determining the relative photon detection efficiency of a Si(Li) detector in the low-energy range 0.5–19 keV is proposed. The calibration is based on energy dispersive measurements of electron bremsstrahlung emitted by an X-ray tube. Model spectra are computed from thick-target bremsstrahlung spectra in a semiclassical approximation and from a physical model for the detector response. Model spectra are fitted to the measured spectra using a parametric adaptor term. Thereby, the error of the determined detector efficiency is approximately 5%.     

6～70keV同步辐射X射线能量标定

为建立高注量率同步辐射X射线计量领域相关的国家标准,对同步辐射X射线能量标定方法进行研究。在北京同步辐射装置上选择6、10和20keV三个能量点进行实验,得到的传递探测器校准因子与辐射能量的关系曲线近似直线,变化趋势呈线性递减;在20keV能量点,不同直径光阑条件下进行的标定实验验证了传递探测器的校准因子与光源照射到基准电离室与传递探测器的光子通量有关。在上海光源上进行10～70keV能量标定实验,得到传递探测器的校准因子拟合曲线;10～20keV能量段的变化趋势与在北京同步辐射装置得到的校准因子变化趋势一致,30～70keV能量段的校准因子随着能量的增加而平稳缓慢增大。对各个能量点标定产生的A类不确定度进行评定,为后续建立国家计量标准同步辐射X射线空气比释动能量值传递体系提供了技术数据。     

An accurate redetermination of the Sn binding energy

The energy of well-known strong γ line from ¹⁹⁸Au, the “gold standard”, has been modified in the light of new adjustments in the fundamental constants and the value of 411.80176(12) keV was determined, which is 0.29 eV lower than the latest 1999 value. An energy calibration procedure for determining the neutron binding energy, B_n, from complicated (n, γ) spectra has been developed. A mathematically simple minimization function consisting only of terms having as parameters the coefficients of the energy calibration curve (polynomial) is used. A priori information about the relationships among the energies of different peaks on the spectrum is taken into account by a Monte-Carlo simulation. The procedure was used in obtaining B_n for ¹¹⁸Sn. The γ-ray spectrum from thermal neutron radiative capture by ¹¹⁷Sn has been measured on the IBR-2 pulsed reactor. γ-rays were detected by a 72 cm³ HPGe detector. For a better determination of B_n it was important to determine B_n for ⁶⁴Cu. This value was obtained from two γ-spectra. One spectrum was measured on the IBR-2 by the same detector. The other spectrum was measured with a pair spectrometer at the Brookhaven High Flux Beam Reactor. From these two spectra, B_n for ⁶⁴Cu was determined to be equal to 7915.52(8) keV. This result essentially differs from the previous value of 7915.96(11) keV. The mean value of the two most precise results of the B_n for ¹¹⁸Sn, was determined to be 9326.35(9) keV. The B_n for ⁵⁷Fe was determined to be 7646.08(9) keV.     

SIMULATE Program: a gamma ray spectroscopy tool

A software package which simulates the virtual creation of gamma ray spectra emitted from a combination of radioactive sources, as seen by a semiconductor or scintillation detector, is presented . It partially utilizes Monte Carlo techniques based on the physics of gamma ray spectroscopy. In addition, certain algorithms are used to compensate for the premature termination of the fate of the detected photons of any particular energy.     

A Metallic Magnetic Calorimeter for Hard X-Ray and Gamma Ray Spectrometry

The CEA/LNHB is responsible for the determination and publication of atomic and nuclear data such as X-ray and gamma ray emission probabilities. In order to reduce uncertainties on the determination of these data, a high energy resolution associated with a good intrinsic detection efficiency is required. Hence taking into account these two aspects, we are developing cryogenic detectors, especially metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) for photon spectrometry from few keV up to 200 keV. A MMC using a meander pick-up coil made of niobium thin films has been optimized. The gold absorber (diameter: 1.1 mm, thickness: 335 μm) has an intrinsic detection efficiency larger than 70% for photons from few keV up to 100 keV. From an energy spectrum obtained with a ¹³³Ba multi-gamma source, we have characterized this first detector. The energy resolution is 320 eV and 560 eV respectively at 30 keV and 357 keV. Possible improvements of the performance of the detector are discussed.     

低本底环境低能X射线参考辐射场的研究

在平均γ射线剂量率为9.9 nSv/h的环境下进行10 ～50 keV低能X射线参考辐射场研究.利用电离室RC6M测量辐射野的均匀性,使用9种材料的K荧光刻度碲化镉探测器,测量了微型X光机能谱,并计算了空气比释动能率.结果显示:在距X射线出口55 cm处水平方向均匀性好于95％辐射野尺寸约为14 cm,竖直方向辐射野尺寸为16 cm,按窄谱系列附加过滤后能谱与ISO4037中标准模拟谱基本吻合.     

Ultra low-level gamma ray spectrometry of thorium in human bone samples

Following the use of in vivo measurements of 210Pb to estimate retrospectively radon exposure, interest has been expressed in the use of in vivo measurements of 208Tl to estimate thorium intake. To aid with calibration and to determine the optimum part of the body on which in vivo measurements should be made, the distribution of 208Tl and 228Ac amongst different human bones was measured in the underground laboratory HADES. The 208Tl activity was determined by the 2614.5 keV and the 583.2 keV gamma ray lines. The 225Ac activity was determined by the 911.2 keV and the 969.0 keV gamma ray lines. The background under those peaks when measured on the 106% relative efficiency coaxial HPGe detector in HADES is of the order of 1 d(-1), resulting in detection limits in the order of 1 mBq for both radionuclides for a typical 10 g bone sample and for a measuring time of I week.     

Comparison Between the NIST and the KEBS for the Determination of Air Kerma Calibration Coefficients for Narrow X-Ray Spectra and 137Cs Gamma-Ray Beams

Air kerma calibration coefficients for a reference class ionization chamber from narrow x-ray spectra and cesium 137 gamma-ray beams were compared between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). A NIST reference-class transfer ionization chamber was calibrated by each laboratory in terms of the quantity air kerma in four x-ray reference radiation beams of energies between 80 kV and 150 kV and in a cesium 137 gamma-ray beam. The reference radiation qualities used for this comparison are described in detail in the ISO 4037 publication.[1]The comparison began in September 2008 and was completed in March 2009. The results reveal the degree to which the participating calibration facility can demonstrate proficiency in transferring air kerma calibrations under the conditions of the said facility at the time of the measurements. The comparison of the calibration coefficients is based on the average ratios of calibration coefficients.