Bremsstrahlung versus Monoenergetic Photon Dose and Photonuclear Stimulation Comparisons at Long Standoff Distances

Journal Article · Wed Dec 02 04:00:00 EST 2009 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3275665· OSTI ID:21371343

Jones, J L; Sterbentz, J W; Yoon, W Y; Norman, D R ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, MS 2802, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-2802 (United States)

Energetic photon sources with energies greater than 6 MeV continue to be recognized as viable source for various types of inspection applications, especially those related to nuclear and/or explosive material detection. These energetic photons can be produced as a continuum of energies (i.e., bremsstrahlung) or as a set of one or more discrete photon energies (i.e., monoenergetic). This paper will provide a follow-on extension of the photon dose comparison presented at the 9th International Conference on Applications of Nuclear Techniques (June 2008). Our previous paper showed the comparative advantages and disadvantages of the photon doses provided by these two energetic interrogation sources and highlighted the higher energy advantage of the bremsstrahlung source, especially at long standoff distances (i.e., distance from source to the inspected object). This paper will pursue higher energy photon inspection advantage (up to 100 MeV) by providing dose and stimulated photonuclear interaction predictions in air and for an infinitely dilute interrogated material (used for comparative interaction rate assessments since it excludes material self-shielding) as the interrogation object positioned forward on the inspection beam axis at increasing standoff distances. In addition to the direct energetic photon-induced stimulation, the predictions will identify the importance of secondary downscattered/attenuated source-term effects arising from the photon transport in the intervening air environment.

• OSTI ID: 21371343
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1194; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
AIR
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BEAMS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPTON EFFECT
DISTANCE
DOSES
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY RANGE
EVALUATION
FLUIDS
GASES
GIANT RESONANCE
INTERACTIONS
MEV RANGE
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PHOTON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
PHOTON BEAMS
PHOTON TRANSPORT
PHOTONUCLEAR REACTIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RADIATIONS
RESONANCE
SCATTERING