Field calibration studies for ionisation chambers in mixed high-energy radiation fields

The monitoring of ambient doses at work places around high-energy accelerators is a challenging task due the complexity of the mixed stray radiation fields encountered. At CERN, mainly Centronics IG5 high-pressure ionisation chambers are used to monitor radiation exposure in mixed fields. The monitors are calibrated in the operational quantity ambient dose equivalent H*(10) using standard, source-generated photon- and neutron fields. However, the relationship between ionisation chamber reading and ambient dose equivalent in a mixed high-energy radiation field can only be assessed if the spectral response to every component and the field composition is known. Therefore, comprehensive studies were performed at the CERN-EU high-energy reference field facility where the spectral fluence for each particle type has been assessed with Monte Carlo simulations. Moreover, studies have been performed in an accessible controlled radiation area in the vicinity of a beam loss point of CERN's proton synchrotron. The comparison of measurements and calculations has shown reasonable agreement for most exposure conditions. The results indicate that conventionally calibrated ionisation chambers can give satisfactory response in terms of ambient dose equivalent in stray radiation fields at high-energy accelerators in many cases. These studies are one step towards establishing a method of 'field calibration' of radiation protection instruments in which Monte Carlo simulations will be used to establish a correct correlation between the response of specific detectors to a given high-energy radiation field.     

Simulation and measurements of the response of an air ionisation chamber exposed to a mixed high-energy radiation field

CERN's radiation protection group operates a network of simple and robust ionisation chambers that are installed inside CERN's accelerator tunnels. These ionisation chambers are used for the remote reading of ambient dose rate equivalents inside the machines during beam-off periods. This Radiation Protection Monitor for dose rates due to Induced Radioactivity ('PMI', trade name: PTW, Type 34031) is a non-confined air ionisation plastic chamber which is operated under atmospheric pressure. Besides its current field of operation it is planned to extend the use of this detector in the Large Hadron Collider to measure radiation under beam operation conditions to obtain an indication of the machine performance. Until now, studies of the PMI detector have been limited to the response to photons. In order to evaluate its response to other radiation components, this chamber type was tested at CERF, the high-energy reference field facility at CERN. Six PMI detectors were installed around a copper target being irradiated by a mixed hadron beam with a momentum of 120 GeV c(-1). Each of the chosen detector positions was defined by a different radiation field, varying in type and energy of the incident particles. For all positions, detailed measurements and FLUKA simulations of the detector response were performed. This paper presents the promising comparison between the measurements and simulations and analyses the influence of the different particle types on the resulting detector response.     

Characterisation of ionisation chambers for a mixed radiation field and investigation of their suitability as radiation monitors for the LHC

Monitoring of the radiation environment is one of the key tasks in operating a high-energy accelerator such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The radiation fields consist of neutrons, charged hadrons as well as photons and electrons with energy spectra extending from those of thermal neutrons up to several hundreds of GeV. The requirements for measuring the dose equivalent in such a field are different from standard uses and it is thus necessary to investigate the response of monitoring devices thoroughly before the implementation of a monitoring system can be conducted. For the LHC, it is currently foreseen to install argon- and hydrogen-filled high-pressure ionisation chambers as radiation monitors of mixed fields. So far their response to these fields was poorly understood and, therefore, further investigation was necessary to prove that they can serve their function well enough. In this study, ionisation chambers of type IG5 (Centronic Ltd) were characterised by simulating their response functions by means of detailed FLUKA calculations as well as by calibration measurements for photons and neutrons at fixed energies. The latter results were used to obtain a better understanding and validation of the FLUKA simulations. Tests were also conducted at the CERF facility at CERN in order to compare the results with simulations of the response in a mixed radiation field. It is demonstrated that these detectors can be characterised sufficiently enough to serve their function as radiation monitors for the LHC.     

A mobile TEPC-based system to measure the contributions to H*(10) at flight altitudes

A very promising method to measure the ambient dose equivalent H*(10) at flight altitudes is to use Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (TEPC). The measured quantity is the lineal energy, y, which can be converted into equivalent dose as a good estimate of H*(10). According to the lineal energy transfer (LET) spectra one may even extract information about the composition of the radiation field. A new system was developed by adding a surrounding coincidence detector (CACS: Coincidence/Anti-Coincidence Shield) that allows one to identify the primary particle, which deposits energy in the TEPC, as neutral or charged. The entire system was calibrated in the neutron and high-energy photon reference fields at PTB. One of the results of these measurements is, the use of low- and high-LET calibration factors when performing measurements in mixed radiation fields. The TEPC/CACS system is now operated on-board aircrafts as a fixed or mobile dosimetry system.     

A comparison of different recombination methods in mixed radiation fields at high energy accelerators

Recombination chambers and different recombination methods have been used for dosimetry of mixed radiation fields at high-energy accelerators for over 40 years. This paper gives a short overview of 11 selected recombination methods used for the determination of H*(10) in mixed radiation fields at high-energy accelerators. A new correction factor is proposed, mainly in order to take into account the dependence of the chamber sensitivity on radiation quality. This factor depends only on the measurable index of radiation quality and can be determined for a particular chamber during the calibration in a reference field of neutron radiation. A comparison of the results obtained at high-energy accelerators showed that all the methods gave the same values of H(10), within a specified accuracy of about 20%, so all of them are suitable for monitoring complex mixed radiation fields at workplaces.     

Validating a MCNPX model of Mg(Ar) and TE(TE) ionisation chambers exposed to 60CO gamma rays

For an accurate determination of the absorbed doses in complex radiation fields (e.g. mixed neutron-gamma fields), a better interpretation of the response of ionisation chambers is required. This study investigates a model of the ionisation chambers using a different approach, analysing the collected charge per minute as a response of the detector instead of the dose. The MCNPX Monte Carlo code is used. In this paper, the model is validated using a well-known irradiation field only: a (60)Co source. The detailed MCNPX models of a Mg(Ar) and TE(TE) ionisation chamber is investigated comparing the measured charge per minute obtained free-in-air and in a water phantom with the simulated results. The difference between the calculations and the measurements for the TE(TE) chamber is within +/-2% whereas for the Mg(Ar) chamber is around +7%. The systematic discrepancy in the case of Mg(Ar) chamber is expected to be caused by an overestimation of the sensitive volume.     

Measurements of radiation fields around high-energy proton accelerators

Monitoring of ionising radiation around high-energy particle accelerators is a difficult task due to the complexity of the radiation field, which is made up of neutrons, charged hadrons, muons, photons and electrons, with energy spectra extending over a wide energy range. The dose-equivalent outside a thick shield is mainly owing to neutrons, with some contribution from photons and, to a minor extent, the other particles. Neutron dosimetry and spectrometry are thus of primary importance to correctly evaluate the exposure of personnel. This paper reviews the relevant techniques and instrumentation employed for monitoring radiation fields around high-energy proton accelerators, with particular emphasis on the recent development to increase the response of neutron measuring devices > 20 MeV. Rem-counters, pressurised ionisation chambers, superheated emulsions, tissue-equivalent proportional counters and Bonner sphere spectrometers are discussed.     

Optimisation of a secondary standard chamber for the measurement of the ambient dose equivalent, H*(10), for low photon energies

A secondary standard ionisation chamber for photon radiation for measuring an ionisation current, which is directly proportional to the conventionally true value of the ambient dose equivalent, H*(10), was optimised. The chamber was developed in the Austrian Research Centers Seibersdorf and is used successfully worldwide by dosimetry laboratories. The chamber response with respect to H*(10) for photon energies from 40 to 1,250 keV is nearly constant. For lower photon energies the response is strongly energy-dependent and does not fulfil the requirements concerning the quality of a secondary standard given in ISO 4,037-2, i.e. for energies for which the determination of the conventionally true value of H*(10) is very difficult. Considering the dose limits defined in the Directive 96/29/Euratom, in the case of whole-body irradiation the knowledge of the personal dose equivalent is of importance down to energies of approximately 12 keV. For area dosimetry, this means that the knowledge of H*(10) for energies approximately >or=12 keV is necessary. To get one secondary standard chamber for H*(10) for the whole photon energy range and to close the gap for low energies in the dissemination of the conventionally true value of H*(10), the chamber was optimised for a flat response for energies from approximately 12 to 1,250 keV.     

Dosimetry with a transportable water calorimeter in neutron, proton and heavy-ion radiation fields

A compact and transportable water calorimeter has been developed and extensively tested in the intensive, collimated neutron field of the PTB. It has been applied for absorbed dose to water measurements in the neutron therapy field of the University of Essen, in the proton therapy fields of the HMI in Berlin and at the iThemba therapy centre near Cape Town, South Africa, as well as in the (12)C-beam of the therapy facility at GSI in Darmstadt, Germany. Absolute dosimetry with relative standard uncertainties of less than 1.8% was achieved in all radiation fields. The results obtained using the water calorimeter are compared with the ionisation chamber measurements in the same radiation fields. The heat defect for the water in the calorimeter core was determined separately in independent measurements by irradiation with different charged particle beams covering a wide range of linear energy transfer.     

Variations observed in environmental radiation at ground level

To investigate and monitor environmental radiation at ground level, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) has installed several dosemeters and particle detectors at the new Ambient Radiation Dosimetry Site. The separation of the total ambient dose equivalent rate H*10(env) of environmental radiation into the different contributions is achieved by comparing the data of different detectors: the muon detector MUDOS, a modified neutron dosemeter, proportional counters and ionisation chambers. The response of the latter two dosemeter systems to cosmic radiation was determined at the Cosmic Radiation Dosimetry Site on a lake near PTB. Besides the increase of the ambient dose equivalent rate during rainfall, variations owing to air pressure, solar activity and temperature changes in the upper atmosphere are observed. Without rain and solar effects, smooth variations of the cosmic component at ground level of +/-6.9 nSv h(-1) should be treated as naturally occurring variations during an entire year.     

Method for determination of gamma and neutron dose components in mixed radiation fields using a high-pressure recombination chamber

A new method is proposed for the determination of dose components in mixed radiation fields (gamma + neutrons) using a recombination chamber. The method involves the determination of the ratio of ionisation currents measured at two different voltages applied to the chamber without the need of determining the saturation current, neither in the radiation field investigated nor during calibration. Therefore, the chamber can be filled with a gas under a pressure much higher than that used in presently available recombination chambers. This paper presents theoretically derived formulae supporting the method and the experimental results of dose component measurements using a high-pressure recombination chamber filled with methane. The method can be used for determining neutron and gamma dose components in the environment, especially in the vicinity of nuclear centres.     

Dosimetry with a recombination chamber in outdoor conditions and at low dose rates

A system with a recombination chamber for outdoor dosimetry in mixed radiation fields is proposed. The chamber works as a passive detector, with polarising electrodes supplied from capacitors permanently connected to the electrodes. Ions, collected on the measuring electrode, charge a measuring capacitor, also permanently connected to the electrode. A special procedure, including recharging of the supplying capacitors, was introduced in order to compensate the side charge caused by changes of ambient temperature and leakage of the electrical charge from the supplying capacitors. Experimental tests indicated that the chamber of REM-2 type or a specially designed KR-20 chamber could also be used at low dose rates. It was possible to measure the ambient dose of a fraction of μGy with accuracy of about 10%, and the H*(10) of about 1 μSv, with accuracy better than 25%, in any field of penetrating radiation, provided the time of charge collection is less than 24 h.     

Response of alanine and radio-photo-luminescence dosemeters to mixed high-energy radiation fields

Alanine and Radio-Photo-Luminescence (RPL) dosemeters are passive dosemeters used to monitor absorbed dose in all kind of radiation fields. However, up to now both dosemeter types are calibrated to photon sources only. In order to study the response of RPL and alanine dosemeters to mixed high-energy particle fields like those occurring at CERN's accelerators, an irradiation campaign at the CERN-EC High-Energy Reference field Facility (CERF-field) was performed. In this facility a copper target is irradiated by hadrons with a momentum of 120 GeV/c. Dosemeters were exposed to various mixed radiation fields by placing them at various positions on the surface of the target. In addition to the experiment FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations were carried out, which provide information concerning the energy deposition at the dosemeter locations. This paper compares the measurements with the simulation results and discusses the radiation field compositions present at the various dosemeter positions on the target.     

Measurements of photon spectra in mixed fields at a nuclear installation

This paper describes the measurements of photon spectra in mixed neutron/photon radiation fields at a few locations in a nuclear reactor. The measurements were performed inside the containment of reactor 4 at the Swedish reactor site Ringhals, with a Ge-detector (4%). The measurements were carried out as a part of a EURADOS project in co-operation with the Swedish authorities and the reactor operating company. The measurements showed that a large fraction of the photons are high-energy photons (up to 7.6 MeV). This implies that GM-based photon detectors will overread in these fields since this type of detector generally overestimates the ambient dose equivalent in 6–7 MeV photon fields. The measurements also indicated that the photon field was almost isotropic, which in turn implies that the effective dose as well as the personal dose equivalent will be lower than the ambient dose equivalent.     

Dose equivalent measurements in a strongly pulsed high-energy radiation field

The stray radiation field outside the shielding of high-energy accelerators comprises neutrons, photons and charged particles with a wide range of energies. Often, accelerators operate by accelerating and ejecting short pulses of particles, creating an analogue, pulsed radiation field. The pulses can be as short as 10 micros with high instantaneous fluence rates and dose rates. Measurements of average dose equivalent (rate) for radiation protection purposes in these fields present a challenge for instrumentation. The performance of three instruments (i.e. a recombination chamber, the Sievert Instrument and a HANDI-TEPC) measuring total dose equivalent is compared in a high-energy reference radiation field (CERF) and a strongly pulsed, high-energy radiation field at the CERN proton synchrotron (PS).     

Photon contribution to ambient dose equivalent H(10) in the wide-spectrum neutron reference fields of the IRSN

The photon contribution to ambient dose equivalent in several wide-spectrum reference neutrons fields of the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety were measured using a Geiger-Müller counter. For the investigated fields, the ratio of photon to neutron ambient dose equivalent ranged between 0.03 and 0.20. The results show that the Geiger-Müller tube is a versatile instrument for dosimetry in mixed photon-neutron fields if sufficient information for the calculation of corrections is available.     

Measurement of the fluence response of the GSI neutron ball dosemeter in the energy range from thermal to 19 MeV

At high-energy particle accelerators, area monitoring needs to be performed in a wide range of neutron energies. In principle, neutrons occur from thermal energies up to the energy of the accelerated ions, which is for the present GSI (Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung) accelerator facility approximately 1-2 GeV per nucleon. There are no passive dosemeters available, which are designed for the use at high-energy accelerators. At GSI, a neutron dosemeter was developed, which is suitable for the measurement of high-energy neutron radiation by the insertion of a lead layer around Thermoluminescence (TL) detection elements (pairs of TL 600/700) at the centre of the dosemeter. The design of the sphere was derived from the construction of the extended range rem-counters for the measurement of ambient dose equivalent H(10). In this work, the dosemeter fluence response was measured in the quasi-monoenergetic neutron fields of the accelerator facility of the PTB in Braunschweig and in the thermal neutron field of the GKSS research reactor FRG-1 in Geesthacht. For the accelerator measurements, the reactions (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be, (3)H(p,n)(3)He and (2)H(d,n)(3)He were used to produce neutron fields with energy peaks between 144 keV and 19 MeV. The measured fluence responses are 27% too low for thermal energies and show an agreement with approximately 14% for the accelerator produced neutron fields related to the computed fluence responses (MCNP, FLUKA calculations). The measured as well as the computed fluence responses of the dosemeter are compared with the corresponding conversion coefficients.     

Investigations of recombination chambers for BNCT beam dosimetry

A set of cylindrical recombination chambers, including a tissue-equivalent chamber and three graphite chambers filled with different gases-CO(2), N(2) and (10)BF(3), was designed for the dosimetry of therapeutic neutron radiation beams used for BNCT. The separation of the dose components is based on differences of the shape of the saturation curve depending on the LET spectrum of the investigated radiation. The measurements using all the chambers were performed in a reactor beam of NRI ReZ (Czech Republic) and in the reference radiation fields of a (252)Cf radiation source free in air or in filters.     

Hp(0.07) photon irradiations at Seibersdorf for the EURADOS extremity dosemeter intercomparison 2009

In August 2009, almost 1000 passive extremity dosemeters were irradiated at the Dosimetry Laboratory Seibersdorf as part of the EURADOS intercomparison IC2009. Forty-four European individual monitoring services participated, with a total of 59 dosimetry systems (46 finger ring, 4 finger tip and 9 wrist/ankle dosemeter systems). Additionally, finger-ring dosemeters from the Dosimetry Service Seibersdorf were irradiated in a non-competitive manner. Dosemeter irradiations on rod and pillar phantoms in four photon-radiation fields complying with the ISO standard 4037 were performed with personal dose equivalent values (H(p)(0.07)) ranging from 4 to 480 mSv. Traceability was established by using an air-kerma-calibrated monitor ionisation chamber together with the X-ray facility as well as a calibrated (137)Cs gamma radiation field with a collimated beam geometry. The ISO-tabulated conversion coefficients from air kerma free-in-air to H(p)(0.07) were applied, resulting in the main contribution to the expanded measurement uncertainties.