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Feasibility study and prototype design of a NaI gamma-ray densitometer for use in LOFT

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7227160· OSTI ID:7227160
The performance of a gamma-ray densitometer system using computer modeling techniques is predicted. The system studied consists of a /sup 60/Co calibration source, a pipe containing a variable amount of water absorber where the water contains radioactive /sup 16/N, and a shielded and collimated NaI detector system. The basic question is: Can one detect the change in signal from the collimated /sup 60/Co calibration source caused by a water density change when the detector system is subject to an adjacent background source equivalent to about 30 Ci of high energy (avg. 6 MeV, pk. 10 MeV) gamma rays. The first report indicated that excessive (saturation) detector count rates could easily occur from this high energy, high intensity background and the second basic question is: How much lead shielding is required for typical NaI detectors to keep the detector count rate from this source below 50 kcps (50,000 counts per second). The importance of this question is borne out by the results that indicate that the weight of lead shielding required is about 1000 lbs.
Research Organization:
California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
7227160
Report Number(s):
UCID-17365
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English