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Fluence-to-dose equivalent conversion factors for 20- to 180-MeV neutrons

Conference · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)
OSTI ID:6707201
;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Texas, Austin (United States)

The determination of dose equivalent quantities in the vicinity of high-energy accelerators is difficult because of the complexity and variety of radiation environments. Studies at high-energy facilities have shown that the major contribution to the dose equivalent can be due to particles above 20 MeV under certain conditions. In addition, data on particle spectra behind primary shields show that the neutron component is often significant from thermal energies up to [approximately]200 MeV. It has been 20 yr since calculations of high-energy dose equivalent conversion factors have been taken. Even then, the computed factors were widely dispersed over neutron energy and not addressed in a definitive or unified manner. Moreover, all existing data for high-energy neutron dose equivalent quantities had been obtained using a semi-infinite slab with tissuelike materials that do not correspond to the composition of the International Commission on radiological Units and Measurements (ICRU) sphere. The present work undertakes the computation of such quantities using the ICRU sphere as a phantom. The LAHET code, the Los Alamos National Laboratory version of the high-energy transport code (HETC), was utilized in this work to perform absorbed dose calculations inside the ICRU sphere.

OSTI ID:
6707201
Report Number(s):
CONF-921102--
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 66; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English