Neutron detection based on superheated materials

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/23.106734· OSTI ID:5078084

Sisk, D R; Stroud, C M; Swinth, K L ^[1]; Apfel, R E ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
2. Apfel Enterprises, Inc. (USA)

The environmental and radiation responses of the Active Personnel Dosimeter/Superheated Drop Detector (APD/SDD) combination have been evaluated at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy's Neutron Measurement and Evaluation Program. This paper provides results of the evaluation and discusses possible improvements for the current system. Radiation detection based on the radiation sensitivity of superheated liquids has been studied for some time. A liquid is superheated if it exists as a liquid at a temperature-pressure state normally associated with the vapor phase of that material. The liquid does not vaporize because there are no bubble nucleation sites in the sample. These sites usually exist (1) in microscopic cracks on solid container surfaces, (2) in crevices of imperfectly wetted solid particles suspended in the liquid, or (3) as a result of the radiation-matter interaction producing a microbubble that is large enough for bubble growth to be thermodynamically favorable. By suspending small drops of superheated liquid in an immiscible, inert, impurity-free medium, potential for bubble nucleation by the first two mechanisms is eliminated. Therefore, each drop becomes a miniature radiation detector.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/EH
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5078084
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-17137; CONF-900143--14; ON: DE90006124
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440102* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- Radiation Dosemeters
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
BUBBLE GROWTH
COLLOIDS
DETECTION
DISPERSIONS
DOSIMETRY
DROPLETS
EVALUATION
GELS
HEATING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NEUTRON DETECTION
NEUTRON DOSIMETRY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
RADIATION DETECTION
SUPERHEATING
WATER