Relativistic nonlinear electrodynamics the QED vacuum and matter in super-strong radiation fields

CERN Document Server

Avetissian, Hamlet K

2016-01-01

This revised edition of the author’s classic 2006 text offers a comprehensively updated review of the field of relativistic nonlinear electrodynamics. It explores the interaction of strong and super-strong electromagnetic/laser radiation with the electromagnetic quantum vacuum and diverse types of matter – including free charged particles and antiparticles, acceleration beams, plasma and plasmous media.  The appearance of laser sources of relativistic and ultra-relativistic intensities over the last decade has stimulated investigation of a large class of processes under such super-strong radiation fields. Revisions for this second edition reflect these developments and the book includes new chapters on Bremsstrahlung and nonlinear absorption of superintense radiation in plasmas, the nonlinear interaction of relativistic atoms with intense laser radiation, nonlinear interaction of strong laser radiation with Graphene, and relativistic nonlinear phenomena in solid-plasma targets under supershort laser pul...

Matter and Radiation in Strong Magnetic Fields of Neutron Stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, D

2006-01-01

Neutron stars are found to possess magnetic fields ranging from 10 8 G to 10 15 G, much larger than achievable in terrestrial laboratories. Understanding the properties of matter and radiative transfer in strong magnetic fields is essential for the proper interpretation of various observations of magnetic neutron stars, including radio pulsars and magnetars. This paper reviews the atomic/molecular physics and condensed matter physics in strong magnetic fields, as well as recent works on modeling radiation from magnetized neutron star atmospheres/surface layers

The quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects with strong system-environment coupling.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhry, Adam Zaman

2017-05-11

To date, studies of the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects focus on quantum systems that are weakly interacting with their environment. In this paper, we investigate what happens to a quantum system under the action of repeated measurements if the quantum system is strongly interacting with its environment. We consider as the quantum system a single two-level system coupled strongly to a collection of harmonic oscillators. A so-called polaron transformation is then used to make the problem in the strong system-environment coupling regime tractable. We find that the strong coupling case exhibits quantitative and qualitative differences as compared with the weak coupling case. In particular, the effective decay rate does not depend linearly on the spectral density of the environment. This then means that, in the strong coupling regime that we investigate, increasing the system-environment coupling strength can actually decrease the effective decay rate. We also consider a collection of two-level atoms coupled strongly with a common environment. In this case, we find that there are further differences between the weak and strong coupling cases since the two-level atoms can now indirectly interact with one another due to the common environment.

Radiation Environment of Phobos

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, John F.; Clark, John H.; Sturner, Steven J.; Stubbs, Timothy; Wang, Yongli; Glenar, David A.; Schwadron, Nathan A.; Joyce, Colin J.; Spence, Harlan E.; Farrell, William M.

2017-10-01

The innermost Martian moon Phobos is a potential way station for the human exploration of Mars and the solar system beyond the orbit of Mars. It has a similar radiation environment to that at 1 AU for hot plasma and more energetic particles from solar, heliospheric and galactic sources. In the past two decades there have been many spacecraft measurements at 1 AU, and occasionally in the Mars orbital region around the Sun, that can be used to define a reference model for the time-averaged and time-variable radiation environments at Mars and Phobos. Yearly to hourly variance comes from the eleven-year solar activity cycle and its impact on solar energetic, heliospheric, and solar-modulated galactic cosmic ray particles. We report progress on compilation of the reference model from U.S. and international spacecraft data sources of the NASA Space Physics Data Facility and the Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory (VEPO), and from tissue-equivalent dosage rate measurements by the CRaTER instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Observer spacecraft now in lunar orbit. Similar dosage rate data are also available from the Mars surface via the NASA Planetary Data System archive from the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover. The sub-Mars surface hemisphere of Phobos is slightly blocked from energetic particle irradiation by the body of Mars but there is a greater global variance of interplanetary radiation exposure as we have calculated from the known topography of this irregularly shaped moon. Phobos receives a relatively small flux of secondary radiation from galactic cosmic ray interactions with the Mars surface and atmosphere, and at plasma energies from pickup ions escaping out of the Mars atmosphere. The greater secondary radiation source is from cosmic ray interactions with the moon surface, which we have simulated with the GEANT radiation transport code for various cases of the surface regolith

Radiation, photon orbits, and torsion in strongly curved spacetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandberg, V.D.

1975-01-01

Four topics on the strong field aspects of general relativity are presented. These are the role of constraining forces for ultrarelativistic particle motion as a source of gravitational radiation, the study of electromagnetic radiation due to space-time oscillations, the light scattering properties of a class of naked singularities, and the relation of gravitation theories with torsion to general relativity. The astrophysical implications and unusual physical phenomena associated with very intense gravitational fields are discussed for these four topics

Radiation environment in space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goka, Tateo; Koga, Kiyokazu; Matsumoto, Haruhisa; Komiyama, Tatsuo; Yasuda, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) had been build into the International Space Station (ISS), which is a multipurpose manned facility and laboratory and is operated in orbit at about 400 km in altitude. Two Japanese astronauts stayed in the ISS for long time (4.5 and 5.5 months) for the first time. Space radiation exposure is one of the biggest safety issues for astronauts to stay for such a long duration in space. This special paper is presenting commentary on space radiation environment in ISS, neutrons measurements and light particles (protons and electrons) measurements, the instruments, radiation exposure management for Japanese astronauts and some comments in view of health physics. (author)

Assessment of radiation awareness training in immersive virtual environments

Science.gov (United States)

Whisker, Vaughn E., III

The prospect of new nuclear power plant orders in the near future and the graying of the current workforce create a need to train new personnel faster and better. Immersive virtual reality (VR) may offer a solution to the training challenge. VR technology presented in a CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) provides a high-fidelity, one-to-one scale environment where areas of the power plant can be recreated and virtual radiation environments can be simulated, making it possible to safely expose workers to virtual radiation in the context of the actual work environment. The use of virtual reality for training is supported by many educational theories; constructivism and discovery learning, in particular. Educational theory describes the importance of matching the training to the task. Plant access training and radiation worker training, common forms of training in the nuclear industry, rely on computer-based training methods in most cases, which effectively transfer declarative knowledge, but are poor at transferring skills. If an activity were to be added, the training would provide personnel with the opportunity to develop skills and apply their knowledge so they could be more effective when working in the radiation environment. An experiment was developed to test immersive virtual reality's suitability for training radiation awareness. Using a mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative measures, the subjects' performances before and after training were assessed. First, subjects completed a pre-test to measure their knowledge prior to completing any training. Next they completed unsupervised computer-based training, which consisted of a PowerPoint presentation and a PDF document. After completing a brief orientation activity in the virtual environment, one group of participants received supplemental radiation awareness training in a simulated radiation environment presented in the CAVE, while a second group, the control group, moved directly to the

Development of environment radiation database management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Jong Gyu; Chung, Chang Hwa; Ryu, Chan Ho; Lee, Jin Yeong; Kim, Dong Hui; Lee, Hun Sun [Daeduk College, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1999-03-15

In this development, we constructed a database for efficient data processing and operating of radiation-environment related data. Se developed the source documents retrieval system and the current status printing system that supports a radiation environment dta collection, pre-processing and analysis. And, we designed and implemented the user interfaces and DB access routines based on WWW service policies on KINS Intranet. It is expected that the developed system, which organizes the information related to environmental radiation data systematically can be utilize for the accurate interpretation, analysis and evaluation.

Development of environment radiation database management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Jong Gyu; Chung, Chang Hwa; Ryu, Chan Ho; Lee, Jin Yeong; Kim, Dong Hui; Lee, Hun Sun

1999-03-01

In this development, we constructed a database for efficient data processing and operating of radiation-environment related data. Se developed the source documents retrieval system and the current status printing system that supports a radiation environment dta collection, pre-processing and analysis. And, we designed and implemented the user interfaces and DB access routines based on WWW service policies on KINS Intranet. It is expected that the developed system, which organizes the information related to environmental radiation data systematically can be utilize for the accurate interpretation, analysis and evaluation

Natural radiation environment III. [Lead Abstract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gesell, T.F.; Lowder, W.M. (eds.)

1980-01-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for the 52 research papers presented at this symposium in April 1978. The major topics in this volume deal with penetrating radiation measurements, radiation surveys and population exposure, radioactivity in the indoor environment, and technologically enhanced natural radioactivity. (KRM)

The ionizing radiation environment in space and its effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, Jim; Falconer, David; Fry, Dan

2012-01-01

The ionizing radiation environment in space poses a hazard for spacecraft and space crews. The hazardous components of this environment are reviewed and those which contribute to radiation hazards and effects identified. Avoiding the adverse effects of space radiation requires design, planning, monitoring and management. Radiation effects on spacecraft are avoided largely though spacecraft design. Managing radiation exposures of space crews involves not only protective spacecraft design and careful mission planning. Exposures must be managed in real time. The now-casting and forecasting needed to effectively manage crew exposures is presented. The techniques used and the space environment modeling needed to implement these techniques are discussed.

Radiation sources, radiation environment and risk level at Dubna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komochkov, M.M.

1991-01-01

The overall information about ionizing radiation sources, which form radiation environment and risk at Dubna, is introduced. Systematization of the measurement results is performed on the basis of the effective dose and losses of life expectancy. The contribution of different sources to total harm of Dubna inhabitants has been revealed. JINR sources carry in ∼ 4% from the total effective dose of natural and medicine radiation sources; the harm from them is much less than the harm from cigarette smoking. 18 refs.; 2 tabs

Radiative transfer in a strongly magnetized plasma. I. Effects of Anisotropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagel, W.

1981-01-01

We present results of radiative transfer calculations for radiating slabs and columns of strongly magnetized plasma. The angular dependence of the escaping radiation was found numerically by Feautrier's method, using the differential scattering cross sections derived by Ventura. We also give an approximate analytical expression for the anisotropy of the outgoing radiation, based on a system of two coupled diffusion equations for ordinary and extraordinary photons. Giving the polarization dependence of the beaming pattern of radiating slabs as well as columns, we generalize previous results of Basko and Kanno. Some implications for models of the pulsating X-ray source Her X-1 are discussed

Radiation effects on materials in high-radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, W.J.; Mansur, L.K.; Clinard, F.W. Jr.; Parkin, D.M.

1991-01-01

A workshop on Radiation Effects on Materials in High-Radiation Environments was held in Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) from August 13 to 15, 1990 under the auspices of the Division of Materials Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, US Department of Energy. The workshop focused on ceramics, alloys, and intermetallics and covered research needs and capabilities, recent experimental data, theory, and computer simulations. It was concluded that there is clearly a continuing scientific and technological need for fundamental knowledge on the underlying causes of radiation-induced property changes in materials. Furthermore, the success of many current and emerging nuclear-related technologies critically depend on renewed support for basic radiation-effects research, irradiation facilities, and training of scientists. The highlights of the workshop are reviewed and specific recommendations are made regarding research needs. (orig.)

The case against protecting the environment from ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.T.

2004-01-01

The objective of this paper is to present the (rarely heard) argument in favour of retention of the present system of radiation protection of the environment. There has been a recent trend in the radioecological and radiation protection community towards greater regulation of the effects of ionising radiations on biota. In particular, the often quoted International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) hypothesis that: If humans are protected from the effects of ionising radiation, then flora and fauna are also adequately protected has been criticised as being too anthropocentric and not adequate for protection of the environment. In this paper I will challenge this view, arguing firstly that this statement is almost always quoted out of its proper context, and secondly that the ICRP hypothesis does adequately protect the environment from the effects of ionising radiations. In view of the relatively insignificant effect of regulated releases of ionising radiation on the environment, the economic cost of further regulation will not result in a significant environmental benefit. Whilst empirical research to test the ICRP hypothesis should continue, until there is clear evidence against it, this simple and cost-effective approach should be retained. This would benefit the environment by directing scarce resources to more urgent environmental problems. (author)

The Ionizing Radiation Environment on the Moon

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, J. H., Jr.; Bhattacharya, M.; Lin, Zi-Wei; Pendleton, G.

2006-01-01

The ionizing radiation environment on the moon that contributes to the radiation hazard for astronauts consists of galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles and albedo particles from the lunar surface. We will present calculations of the absorbed dose and the dose equivalent to various organs in this environment during quiet times and during large solar particle events. We will evaluate the contribution of solar particles other than protons and the contributions of the various forms of albedo. We will use the results to determine which particle fluxes must be known in order to estimate the radiation hazard.

Radiative properties of strongly magnetized plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weisheit, J.C.

1993-11-01

The influence of strong magnetic fields on quantum phenomena continues to be a topic of much interest to physicists and astronomers investigating a wide array of problems - the formation of high energy-density plasmas in pulsed power experiments, the crustal structure and radiative properties of neutron stars, transport coefficients of matter irradiated by subpicosecond lasers, the spectroscopy of magnetic white dwarf stars, the quantum Hall effect, etc. The passage of time finds more questions being asked than being answered in this subject, where even the hydrogen atom open-quotes paradigmclose quotes remains a major challenge. This theoretical program consists of two distinct parts: (1) investigation into the structure and transport properties of many-electron atoms in fields B > 10 8 Gauss; and (2) extension of spectral lineshape methods for diagnosing fields in strongly magnetized plasmas. Research during the past year continued to be focused on the first topic, primarily because of the interest and skills of Dr. E.P. Lief, the postdoctoral research associate who was hired to work on the proposal

Radiation in living environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichikawa, R.

1991-01-01

Aside from the atomic bomb attacks in 1945, the experience of radioactive contamination of human environment was the exposure of a tuna fishing boat to the radioactive fallout of a hydrogen bomb test explosion at Bikini atoll in March, 1954. Thereafter, radioactivity was frequently detected in fishes in central Pacific Ocean. Radioactivity was also detected in rain, which resulted in the contamination of agricultural products. Due to the great concern of general public for the radioactivity in food materials, the government initiated the national program of radioactivity surveillance. Since then, the fallout radioactivity due to nuclear test explosions was the main object surveillance in 1950s and 1960s, but the program was gradually expanded to include natural radiation, the artificial radioactivity due to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and other special programs. The history of the radioactive contamination of environment, natural radiation, medical exposure, the radioactive fallout due to nuclear tests, nuclear power generation and the Chernobyl accident are reported. (K.I.)

Radiations in space and global environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oguti, Takasi

1994-01-01

It has been well known that the global environment of the earth is basically determined by the radiation equilibrium of the earth atmosphere system embedded in the solar radiation. However, the surface temperature of about 15 degC on average is much higher than that determined by the radiation equilibrium. This is due to the so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and others. Also the global environment has evolved by interacting with the living things on the earth, for example, tree oxygen by photosynthesis, and a small amount of ozone protecting living things from the fetal damage due to solar ultraviolet radiation. The solar radiation of short wavelength, that is, ultraviolet to X-ray influences atmospheric constituents, and the thermal structure and dynamics of the atmosphere through chemical reaction. The solar energetic particles produced by solar flares precipitate in the polar regions, and the nitric oxides are produced by auroral X-ray. Auroral activities accelerate particles in the magnetosphere. All these radiations cause significant global changes. Human activities increase greenhouse gases rapidly and cause global warming, and atmospheric chloro-fluoro-carbon (CFC) makes the ozone hole. Now, human activities must be modified to match the natural cycle of materials. (K.I.)

Radiation environment of fusion experimental reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Seiji; Seki, Yasushi

1988-01-01

Next step device (experimental reactor), which is planned to succeed the large plasma experimental devices such as JT-60, JET and TFTR, generates radiation (neutron + gamma ray) during its operation. Radiation (neutronic) properties of the material are basis for the study on neutron utilization (energy recovery and tritium breeding), material selection (irradiation damage and lifetime evaluation) and radiation safety (personnel exposure and radiation waste). It is necessary, therefore, to predict radiation behaviour in the reactor correctly for the engineering design of the reactor. This report describes the outline of the radiation environment of the reactor based on the information obtained by the neutronic and shielding design calculation of the fusion experimental reactor (FER). (author)

Radiation environment of proton accelerators and storage rings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevenson, G R

1976-03-08

These lecture notes survey the physical processes that give rise to the stray-radiation environment of proton synchrotrons and storage rings, with emphasis on their importance for radiation protection. The origins of the prompt radiation field (which disappears when the accelerator is switched off) are described in some detail: proton-nucleus interactions, extranuclear cascades, muon generation and transport. The effects of induced radioactivity in the accelerator structure and surroundings, notably in iron, concrete, air, and water, are discussed, and methods for monitoring hadrons in the radiation environment outside the accelerator are listed. Seventy-six references to the literature are included.

Status Report of Simulated Space Radiation Environment Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Phil Hyun; Nho, Young Chang; Jeun, Joon Pyo; Choi, Jae Hak; Lim, Youn Mook; Jung, Chan Hee; Jeon, Young Kyu

2007-11-15

The technology for performance testing and improvement of materials which are durable at space environment is a military related technology and veiled and securely regulated in advanced countries such as US and Russia. This core technology cannot be easily transferred to other country too. Therefore, this technology is the most fundamental and necessary research area for the successful establishment of space environment system. Since the task for evaluating the effects of space materials and components by space radiation plays important role in satellite lifetime extension and running failure percentage decrease, it is necessary to establish simulated space radiation facility and systematic testing procedure. This report has dealt with the status of the technology to enable the simulation of space environment effects, including the effect of space radiation on space materials. This information such as the fundamental knowledge of space environment and research status of various countries as to the simulation of space environment effects of space materials will be useful for the research on radiation hardiness of the materials. Furthermore, it will be helpful for developer of space material on deriving a better choice of materials, reducing the design cycle time, and improving safety.

Status Report of Simulated Space Radiation Environment Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Phil Hyun; Nho, Young Chang; Jeun, Joon Pyo; Choi, Jae Hak; Lim, Youn Mook; Jung, Chan Hee; Jeon, Young Kyu

2007-11-01

The technology for performance testing and improvement of materials which are durable at space environment is a military related technology and veiled and securely regulated in advanced countries such as US and Russia. This core technology cannot be easily transferred to other country too. Therefore, this technology is the most fundamental and necessary research area for the successful establishment of space environment system. Since the task for evaluating the effects of space materials and components by space radiation plays important role in satellite lifetime extension and running failure percentage decrease, it is necessary to establish simulated space radiation facility and systematic testing procedure. This report has dealt with the status of the technology to enable the simulation of space environment effects, including the effect of space radiation on space materials. This information such as the fundamental knowledge of space environment and research status of various countries as to the simulation of space environment effects of space materials will be useful for the research on radiation hardiness of the materials. Furthermore, it will be helpful for developer of space material on deriving a better choice of materials, reducing the design cycle time, and improving safety

The dynamic radiation environment assimilation model (DREAM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reeves, Geoffrey D.; Koller, Josef; Tokar, Robert L.; Chen, Yue; Henderson, Michael G.; Friedel, Reiner H.

2010-01-01

The Dynamic Radiation Environment Assimilation Model (DREAM) is a 3-year effort sponsored by the US Department of Energy to provide global, retrospective, or real-time specification of the natural and potential nuclear radiation environments. The DREAM model uses Kalman filtering techniques that combine the strengths of new physical models of the radiation belts with electron observations from long-term satellite systems such as GPS and geosynchronous systems. DREAM includes a physics model for the production and long-term evolution of artificial radiation belts from high altitude nuclear explosions. DREAM has been validated against satellites in arbitrary orbits and consistently produces more accurate results than existing models. Tools for user-specific applications and graphical displays are in beta testing and a real-time version of DREAM has been in continuous operation since November 2009.

Strong and radiative decays of the Ds0*(2317) and Ds1(2460)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleven, Martin; Griesshammer, Harald W.; Guo, Feng-Kun; Hanhart, Christoph; Meissner, Ulf G.

2014-01-01

Since their discovery in 2003, the open charm states D s0 * and D s1 (2460) provide a challenge to the conventional quark model. In recent years, theoretical evidence has been accumulated for both states in favor of a predominantly DK and D * K molecular nature, respectively. However, a direct experimental proof of this hypothesis still needs to be found. Since radiative decays are generally believed to be sensitive to the inner structure of the decaying particles, we study in this work the radiative and strong decays of both the D s0 * (2317) and D s1 (2460), as well as of their counterparts in the bottom sector. While the strong decays are indeed strongly enhanced for molecular states, the radiative decays are of similar order of magnitude in different pictures. Thus, the experimental observable that allows one to conclusively quantify the molecular components of the D s0 * (2317) and D s1 (2460) is the hadronic width, and not the radiative one, in contradistinction to common belief. We also find that radiative decays of the sibling states in the bottom sector are significantly more frequent than the hadronic ones. Based on this, we identify their most promising discovery channels. (orig.)

Utilization of SRNL-developed radiation-resistant polymer in high radiation environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skibo, A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-09-27

The radiation-resistant polymer developed by the Savannah River National Laboratory is adaptable for multiple applications to enhance polymer endurance and effectiveness in radiation environments. SRNL offers to collaborate with TEPCO in evaluation, testing, and utilization of SRNL’s radiation-resistant polymer in the D&D of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. Refinement of the scope and associated costs will be conducted in consultation with TECPO.

Assessing the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the photosynthetic potential in Archean marine environments

Science.gov (United States)

Avila-Alonso, Dailé; Baetens, Jan M.; Cardenas, Rolando; de Baets, Bernard

2017-07-01

In this work, the photosynthesis model presented by Avila et al. in 2013 is extended and more scenarios inhabited by ancient cyanobacteria are investigated to quantify the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on their photosynthetic potential in marine environments of the Archean eon. We consider ferrous ions as blockers of UV during the Early Archean, while the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll a is used to quantify the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by photosynthetic organisms. UV could have induced photoinhibition at the water surface, thereby strongly affecting the species with low light use efficiency. A higher photosynthetic potential in early marine environments was shown than in the Late Archean as a consequence of the attenuation of UVC and UVB by iron ions, which probably played an important role in the protection of ancient free-floating bacteria from high-intensity UV radiation. Photosynthetic organisms in Archean coastal and ocean environments were probably abundant in the first 5 and 25 m of the water column, respectively. However, species with a relatively high efficiency in the use of light could have inhabited ocean waters up to a depth of 200 m and show a Deep Chlorophyll Maximum near 60 m depth. We show that the electromagnetic radiation from the Sun, both UV and visible light, could have determined the vertical distribution of Archean marine photosynthetic organisms.

Standardization of ionizing radiation in industry and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-03-01

In this account a new standardization system is described. This system is intended for the protection of environment, people and employees against the harmful consequences of ionizing radiation. This new system is based upon the actual knowledge of the harmful effects of ionizing radiation and joins to the starting points and objectives of the environment- and industry-protectional policies and is explained for both policies separately. The starting points and objectives are presented of the actual environment- and industry-protectional policies and of the radiation-protection policy pursued up till now. The harmful effects of radiation, the importance of the of the most recent scientific developments and the results of the investigation performed in the framework of this account, are described. Conclusions about these harmful affects are given. The systematics of the standardization are described. Subsequently are considered the radiation sources, their classification, the risk limits for regular situations and for large accidents, the justification principle and the ALARA-principle, emission- and product requirements, objectives for environment quality, standards for combat of the consequences of accidents, the policy with regard to 'building and dwelling' and finally standards for protection of employees. The consequences of the systematics of standardization, which are described in this account, are indicated for environment- as well as industry-protectional policy. Per radiation-source category the corresponding risks are indicated and at which term which continuation activities are necessary. The consequences for the set of instruments and some international aspects are considered. Finally the activity list gives a survey of the continuation activities and the terms at which these have to be carried out. (H.W.). 4 figs.; 1 tab

Evaluation of the Radiation Environment of the LHCb Experiment

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00341385; Corti, Gloria

The unprecedented radiation levels of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) during high-energy proton-proton collisions will have an impact on the operation of its experiments’ detectors and electronics. LHCb, one of the 4 major LHC experiments, has started operation in 2009 and from 2011 onward it has been collecting data at and above its design luminosity. Detectors and associated detector electronics are prone to damage if the radiation levels exceed the expected values. It is essential to monitor the radiation environment of the experimental area and compare it with predictions obtained from simulation studies in order to assess the situation and take corrective action in case of need. Understanding the existing radiation environment will also provide important input to the planning of maintenance and for operation at upgrade luminosity. A set of radiation detectors has been installed in the LHCb experimental area to measure different aspects of its radiation environment. Passive dosimeters including Thermo-L...

Effect of radiation environment on radiation use efficiency and growth of sunflower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bange, M.P.; Hammer, G.L.; Rickert, K.G.

1997-01-01

The level of incident radiation and the proportion of radiation that is diffuse affects radiation use efficiency (RUE) in crops. However, the degree of this effect, and its importance to growth and yield of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) have not been established. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of radiation environment on RUE, growth, and yield of sunflower. A fully irrigated crop was sown on an alluvial-prairie soil (Fluventic Haplustoll) and was exposed to three distinct radiation environments. In two treatments, the level of incident radiation was reduced by 14 and 20% by suspending two different types of polyethylene plastic films well above the crop. In addition to the reductions in incident radiation, the proportion of radiation that was diffuse was increased by about 14% in these treatments. Lower incident radiation and increased proportion of diffuse radiation had no effect on total biomass, phenology, leaf area, and the canopy light extinction coefficient (k = 0.89). However, yield was reduced in shaded treatments due to smaller grain size and lower harvest index. Although crop RUE measured over the entire crop cycle (1.25 g/MJ) did not differ significantly among treatments, there was a trend where RUE compensated for less intercepted incident radiation. Theoretical derivations of the response of RUE to different levels of incident radiation supported this finding. Shaded sunflower crops have the ability to produce biomass similar to unshaded crops by increasing RUE, but have lower harvest indices

Natural radiation environment III

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gesell, T.F.; Lowder, W.M.

1980-01-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for the 57 research papers presented at this symposium in April 1978 at Houston, Texas. This symposium provided a common forum for scientists in several disciplines that deal with natural radiation because there is an increasing interest in the environment as it pertains to human health and the competition for scarce energy and material resources

Optimized Radiator Geometries for Hot Lunar Thermal Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ochoa, Dustin

2013-01-01

The optimum radiator configuration in hot lunar thermal environments is one in which the radiator is parallel to the ground and has no view to the hot lunar surface. However, typical spacecraft configurations have limited real estate available for top-mounted radiators, resulting in a desire to use the spacecraft's vertically oriented sides. Vertically oriented, flat panel radiators will have a large view factor to the lunar surface, and thus will be subjected to significant incident lunar infrared heat. Consequently, radiator fluid temperatures will need to exceed approximately 325 K (assuming standard spacecraft radiator optical properties) in order to provide positive heat rejection at lunar noon. Such temperatures are too high for crewed spacecraft applications in which a heat pump is to be avoided. A recent study of vertically oriented radiator configurations subjected to lunar noon thermal environments led to the discovery of a novel radiator concept that yielded positive heat rejection at lower fluid temperatures. This radiator configuration, called the Intense Thermal Infrared Reflector (ITIR), has exhibited superior performance to all previously analyzed concepts in terms of heat rejection in the lunar noon thermal environment. A key benefit of ITIR is the absence of louvers or other moving parts and its simple geometry (no parabolic shapes). ITIR consists of a specularly reflective shielding surface and a diffuse radiating surface joined to form a horizontally oriented V-shape (shielding surface on top). The point of intersection of these surfaces is defined by two angles, those which define the tilt of each surface with respect to the local horizontal. The optimum set of these angles is determined on a case-by-case basis. The idea assumes minimal conductive heat transfer between shielding and radiating surfaces, and a practical design would likely stack sets of these surfaces on top of one another to reduce radiator thickness.

Radiation and global environment. Consideration for the influence on ecosystems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muramatsu, Yasuyuki; Doi, Masahiro; Yoshida, Satoshi

2003-09-01

This book is based on presentations at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) symposium of the same title held by the NIRS Research Center for Radiation Safety in December, 2002, is edited with somehow enlightening intention as well, and is composed from 6 parts of; 1. Reasons for concern for influence on ecosystems, 2. Behavior of substances in ecosystems, 3. Changes of global environments and life, 4. Various environmental stresses and living/eco-systems, 5. New development of evaluation studies on radiation effects, and 6. For the radiation protection of environments. The 1st part involves 3 chapters concerning studies on effects on ecosystems and radiation protection of environments; 2nd part, 4 chapters concerning behavior of radioactive and/or stable cesium and iodine in forest and environmental microorganisms, and behavior and effects of acidic substances; 3rd part, 2 chapters concerning terrestrial history and evolution/adaptation of livings; 4th part, 5 chapters concerning radiation stress, active oxygen, radiodurance/radio-resistant microorganisms, ultraviolet, and environmental hormones; 5th part, 6 chapters concerning effects on cells of environmental toxic substance and radiation, environmental stress evaluation by DNA micro-array, effects on taxis, use of microcosm, simulation of computational model ecosystem, and aquatic ecosystems; 6th part, 5 chapters concerning environmental radioecology, safety measures in high-level radioactive waste disposal under the ground, radiation protection of environments from radiation biology aspect, effects of chemicals, and aspect and strategy for radiation effects on environments. (N.I.)

Radiation Damping in a Non-Abelian Strongly-Coupled Gauge Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernicoff, Mariano; Garcia, J. Antonio; Gueijosa, Alberto

2011-01-01

We study the dynamics of a 'composite' or 'dressed' quark in strongly-coupled large-N c N=4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM), making use of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We show that the standard string dynamics nicely captures the physics of the quark and its surrounding non-Abelian field configuration, making it possible to derive a relativistic equation of motion that incorporates the effects of radiation damping. From this equation one can deduce a non-standard dispersion relation for the composite quark, as well as a Lorentz covariant formula for its rate of radiation.

Radiation Damping in a Non-Abelian Strongly-Coupled Gauge Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Chernicoff, Mariano; García, J. Antonio; Güijosa, Alberto

2011-09-01

We study the dynamics of a 'composite` or 'dressed` quark in strongly-coupled large-Nc N=4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM), making use of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We show that the standard string dynamics nicely captures the physics of the quark and its surrounding non-Abelian field configuration, making it possible to derive a relativistic equation of motion that incorporates the effects of radiation damping. From this equation one can deduce a non-standard dispersion relation for the composite quark, as well as a Lorentz covariant formula for its rate of radiation.

The Radiation Environment of Exoplanet Atmospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey L. Linsky

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Exoplanets are born and evolve in the radiation and particle environment created by their host star. The host star’s optical and infrared radiation heats the exoplanet’s lower atmosphere and surface, while the ultraviolet, extreme ultraviolet and X-radiation control the photochemistry and mass loss from the exoplanet’s upper atmosphere. Stellar radiation, especially at the shorter wavelengths, changes dramatically as a host star evolves leading to changes in the planet’s atmosphere and habitability. This paper reviews the present state of our knowledge concerning the time-dependent radiation emitted by stars with convective zones, that is stars with spectral types F, G, K, and M, which comprise nearly all of the host stars of detected exoplanets.

Behaviour of organic materials in radiation environment

CERN Document Server

Tavlet, M

2000-01-01

Radiation effects in polymers are reminded together with the ageing factors. Radiation-ageing results are mainly discussed about thermosetting insulators, structural composites and cable-insulating materials. Some hints are given about high-voltage insulations, cooling fluids, organic scintillators and light-guides. Some parameters to be taken into account for the estimate of the lifetime of components in radiation environment are also shown. (23 refs).

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation. The development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. Proceedings of the third international symposium on the protection of the environment from ionising radiation (SPEIR 3). Unedited papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-05-01

In recent years, awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased, as evidenced by new and developing international policies for environmental protection, starting with the Rio Declaration of 1992. In the context of ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is largely based on providing for the protection of humans, but this is being critically reviewed in several international fora. It is in this context that the Third International Symposium on Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation (SPEIR 3) was held between 22 and 26 July 2002, in Darwin, Australia. The symposium focused on issues related to the development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. The symposium programme included sessions dedicated to: ongoing research on the effects, responses and mechanisms of the interactions of ionizing radiation with biota; policy and ethical dimensions of the development of a framework for environmental radiation protection; and the development and use of methods and models for evaluating radiation as a stressor to the environment. Three workshops were held to allow for detailed discussion of each of these subjects. This symposium was the third in a series. The first International Symposium on Ionising Radiation: Protection of the Natural Environment, was held in Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 May 1996. This symposium was organized jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI) and the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) of Canada, and the proceedings were published by the Akademitryck AB, Edsbruk, Sweden in 1996. The second International Symposium on Ionizing Radiation: Environmental Protection Approaches for Nuclear Facilities, was held in Ottawa, Canada, 10-14 May 1999, and was organized by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the Supervising Scientists Group of Environment Australia, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI). The proceedings were published in April

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation. The development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. Proceedings of the third international symposium on the protection of the environment from ionising radiation (SPEIR 3). Unedited papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

In recent years, awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased, as evidenced by new and developing international policies for environmental protection, starting with the Rio Declaration of 1992. In the context of ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is largely based on providing for the protection of humans, but this is being critically reviewed in several international fora. It is in this context that the Third International Symposium on Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation (SPEIR 3) was held between 22 and 26 July 2002, in Darwin, Australia. The symposium focused on issues related to the development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. The symposium programme included sessions dedicated to: ongoing research on the effects, responses and mechanisms of the interactions of ionizing radiation with biota; policy and ethical dimensions of the development of a framework for environmental radiation protection; and the development and use of methods and models for evaluating radiation as a stressor to the environment. Three workshops were held to allow for detailed discussion of each of these subjects. This symposium was the third in a series. The first International Symposium on Ionising Radiation: Protection of the Natural Environment, was held in Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 May 1996. This symposium was organized jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI) and the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) of Canada, and the proceedings were published by the Akademitryck AB, Edsbruk, Sweden in 1996. The second International Symposium on Ionizing Radiation: Environmental Protection Approaches for Nuclear Facilities, was held in Ottawa, Canada, 10-14 May 1999, and was organized by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the Supervising Scientists Group of Environment Australia, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI). The proceedings were published in April

Radiation, people and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, J.

2004-02-01

Radiation is a fact of life. We live in a world in which radiation is naturally present everywhere. Light and heat from nuclear reactions in the Sun are essential to our existence. Radioactive materials occur naturally throughout the environment, and our bodies contain radioactive materials such as carbon-14, potassium-40 and polonium-210 quite naturally. All life on Earth has evolved in the presence of this radiation. Since the discovery of X rays and radioactivity more than 100 years ago, we have found ways of producing radiation and radioactive materials artificially. The first use of X rays was in medical diagnosis, within six months of their discovery in 1895. So a benefit from the use of radiation was established very early on, but equally some of the potential dangers of radiation became apparent in the doctors and surgeons who unwittingly overexposed themselves to X rays in the early 1900s. Since then, many different applications of radiation and radioactive materials have been developed. We can classify radiation according to the effects it produces on matter, into ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation includes cosmic rays, X rays and the radiation from radioactive materials. Non-ionizing radiation includes ultraviolet light, radiant heat, radio waves and microwaves. This book deals with ionizing radiation, a term, which for simplicity, is often shortened to just radiation. It has been prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in co-operation with the National Radiological Protection Board (United Kingdom) as a broad overview of the subject of ionizing radiation, its effects and uses, as well as the measures in place to use it safely. As the United Nations agency for nuclear science and its peaceful applications, the IAEA offers a broad spectrum of expertise and programmes to foster the safe use of radiation internationally

Nuclear medicine and the environment: radiation interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmelter, R.F.

1986-01-01

The effect of radiation interactions on the environment may be considered from the perspective of the purely physical phenomena occurring or from the effects the interactions produce in organized biological systems. The physical processes by which radiation interacts with the environment are quite well defined. Although these processes differ depending upon the nature (either electromagnetic or particulate) of the primary radiation, the ultimate result is the production in the medium of high-speed, secondary charged particles. Some of the energy of these particles is absorbed by the medium, while a portion may be lost as bremsstrahlung. The energy that is absorbed produces excitation and ionization, which can be disruptive to biological systems. The effects produced by ionizing radiations at the biochemical, cellular, and organ level are less well defined. Nevertheless, available data indicate that certain generalizations are possible. For example, given the ubiquitous nature of water in tissues, macromolecules, regardless of their structural types, tend to serve as acceptors of the energy and products of water radiolysis. However, a deeper insight into the consequences of irradiation requires an understanding of the interplay of such parameters as the type and energy of the radiation, and the dose and rate of its application. Furthermore, at the cellular level, the type and age of the irradiated cells, the concentration of oxygen in their environment, and their cell-cycle phase are all important factors in determining the consequences of irradiation. 72 references

The radiation environment of proton accelerators and storage rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, G.R.

1976-01-01

These lecture notes survey the physical processes that give rise to the stray-radiation environment of proton synchrotrons and storage rings, with emphasis on their importance for radiation protection. The origins of the prompt radiation field (which disappears when the accelerator is switched off) are described in some detail: proton-nucleus interactions, extranuclear cascades, muon generation and transport. The effects of induced radioactivity in the accelerator structure and surroundings, notably in iron, concrete, air, and water, are discussed and methods for monitoring hadrons in the radiation environment outside the accelerator are listed. Seventy-six references to the literature are included. (Author)

Optical Fibers in Nuclear Reactor Radiation Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Holcomb, David Eugene

1992-01-01

A performance evaluation of fiber optics under radiation conditions similar to those encountered in nuclear power plants is reported. The evaluation was accomplished by the creation of an analytical model for atomic scale radiation damage in silica glass and by the execution of an extensive fiber performance measurement program. The analytic model calculates displacement and electronic damage rates for silica glass subjected to a specified nuclear reactor radiation environment. It accomplishes this by first generating the primary charged particle spectrum produced in silica irradiated in a nuclear reactor. The resultant spectra are then applied to the integral equations describing radiation damage in polyatomic solids. The experimental measurements were selected to span the range of fiber types, radiation environments, temperatures, and light powers expected to be used in nuclear power plants. The basic experimental protocol was to expose the optical fibers to either a nuclear reactor or a ^{60}Co radiation environment while simultaneously monitoring fiber light transmission. Experimental temperatures were either ~23 ^circC or ~100 ^circC and light powers were either -30 dBm or -60 dBm. Measurements were made at each of the three standard communications wavelengths (850 nm, 1300 nm, and 1550 nm). Several conclusions are made based on these performance measurements. First, even near the core of a nuclear reactor the vast majority of the dose to silica glass is due to gamma rays. Even with the much lower doses (factor of roughly 40) neutrons cause much more displacement damage than gamma rays (35 times the oxygen displacement rate and 500 times the silicon displacement rate). Even with neutrons having many times the displacement rate as compared with gamma rays, little if any difference is observed in the transmission losses for gamma only as compared to mixed neutron/gamma transmission losses. Therefore, atomic displacement is not a significant damage mechanism for

Contribution to developing the environment radiation protection methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oudalova, A. [Institute of Atomic Power Engineering NRNU MEPhI (Russian Federation); Alexakhin, R.; Dubynina, M. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology (Russian Federation)

2014-07-01

The environment sustainable development and biota protection, including the environment radiation protection are issues of nowadays interest in the society. An activity is ongoing on the development of a system of radiation protection for non-human biota. Anthropocentric and eco-centric principles are widely discussed. ICRP Publications 103, 108, 114 and many other reports and articles refer to the topic of environmental protection, reference animals and plants set, corresponding transfer parameters, dose models and derived consideration reference levels. There is still an open field for discussion of methods and approaches to get well-established procedure to assess environmental risks of radiation impacts to different organisms, populations and ecosystems. A huge work has been done by the ICRP and other organizations and research groups to develop and systematize approaches for this difficult subject. This activity, however, is not everywhere well-known and perceived, and more efforts are needed to bring ideas of eco-centric strategy in the environment radiation protection not only to public but to specialists in many countries as well. One of the main points of interest is an assessment of critical doses and doses rates for flora and fauna species. Some aspects of a possible procedure to find their estimates are studied in this work, including criteria for datasets of good quality, models of dose dependence, sensitivity of different umbrella endpoints and methods of original massive datasets treatment. Estimates are done based on information gathered in a database on radiation-induced effects in plants. Data on biological effects in plants (umbrella endpoints of reproductive potential, survival, morbidity, morphological, biochemical, and genetic effects) in dependence on dose and dose rates of ionizing radiation have been collected from reviewed publications and maintained in MS Access format. The database now contains about 7000 datasets and 25000 records

Bullying among radiation therapists: effects on job performance and work environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Trad, Megan; Johnson, Jordan

2014-01-01

To identify the effects of workplace bullying in the radiation therapy department on job performance and explore the environment and morale of individuals who work with a bully. A quantitative research study was designed to assess the prevalence and effects of bullying in the radiation therapy workplace. A total of 308 radiation therapists participated in the study for a return rate of 46%. Of those, 194 indicated that workplace bullying was present either in their current workplace or in a previous radiation therapy environment and that it negatively affected job performance and satisfaction. Findings of this study indicate a need for evaluation of the radiation therapy workplace, education on how to identify and prevent bullying behavior, and better communication among members of the radiation therapy environment. Participants indicated that working in a hostile environment led to forgetfulness, ineffective communication, and perceived discrepancies in promotion and treatment by management. Any bullying behavior contributes to an overall toxic work environment, which is unhealthy and unsafe for patients and therapists. Those who manage therapists should promote a culture of safety and embrace their staff's independence.

Gerald: a general environment for radiation analysis and design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, Ch.; Oliveira, P.I.E. de; Oliveira, C.R.E. de; Adams, M.L.; Galan, J.M.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: This paper describes the status of the GERALD interactive workbench for the analysis of radiation transport problems. GERALD basically guides the user through the various steps that are necessary to solve a radiation transport problem, and is aimed at education, research and industry. The advantages of such workbench are many: quality assurance of problem setup, interaction of the user with problem solution, preservation of theory and legacy research codes, and rapid proto-typing and testing of new methods. The environment is of general applicability catering for analytical, deterministic and stochastic analysis of the radiation problem and is not tied to one specific solution method or code. However, GERALD is being developed as a portable, modular, open source framework which renders itself quite naturally to the coupling of existing computational tools through specifically developed plug-ins. By offering a common route for setting up, solving and analyzing radiation transport problems GERALD offers the possibility of methods intercomparison and validation. Such flexible radiation transport environment will also facilitate the coupling of radiation physics methods to other physical phenomena and their application to other areas of application such as medical physics and the environment. (authors)

Radiation protection of the environment - new trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Povinec, P. P.

2006-01-01

Recent trends in the radiation protection of the environment focusing on basic changes of the protection philosophy from the egocentric to ecocentric approach are presented and discussed. The globalization of the economy is accompanied by global contamination of the environment that requires changes in the attitude of the protection of the total environment, i.e. protection of humans, fauna and flora, all ecosystems and the Earth in general, as well as the cosmic space. This complex approach is illustrated on the radiation protection of the environment that has always been in the forefront in developing protection philosophy, methodology and standards, which later has also been applied to the protection of the environment caused by non-radioactive contaminants, such as heavy metals and organic compounds. High radiation doses delivered to biota are illustrated on shellfish and fish collected in the Mururoa and Fangataufa lagoons (affected by series of nuclear weapons tests), and on fish in Novaya Zemlya bays (affected by dumping of nuclear reactors and radioactive wastes). On the methodological site an example is discussed focusing on the in situ sea-bed radionuclide mapping and seawater monitoring using submersible gamma-ray spectrometers operating with NaI(Tl) and HPGe detectors which has proved to be important pre-requisite for estimation of the spatial distribution of radionuclides in the water column and on the sea floor, as well as for optimisation of sediment sampling for studying the radionuclide distribution with depth

Integration of optical fibers in radiative environments: Advantages and limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girard, S.; Ouerdane, Y.; Boukenter, A.; Marcandella, C.; Bisutti, J.; Baggio, J.; Meunier, J. P.

2011-01-01

We review the advantages and limitations for the integration of optical fibers in radiative environments. Optical fibers present numerous advantages for applications in harsh environments such as their electromagnetic immunity. This explains the increasing interest of the radiation effects community to evaluate their vulnerability for future facilities. However, it is also well-known that optical fibers suffer from a degradation of their macroscopic properties under irradiation. We illustrate the major mechanisms and parameters that govern the degradation mechanism, mainly the radiation-induced attenuation phenomena. We focus on the fiber transient radiation responses when exposed to the pulsed and mixed environment associated with the Megajoule class lasers devoted to the fusion by inertial confinement study. (authors)

The Near-Earth Space Radiation for Electronics Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Stassinopoulos, E. G.; LaBel, K. A.

2004-01-01

The earth's space radiation environment is described in terms of: a) charged particles as relevant to effects on spacecraft electronics, b) the nature and distribution of trapped and transiting radiation, and c) their effect on electronic components.

Experimental Evaluation of Wireless Communication Channels under Radiation Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Quan; Bari, Ataul; Deng, Changjian; Li, Liquan

2014-01-01

Deployment of wireless systems in nuclear power plants has attracted a lot of attention recently. However, before wireless systems can be installed in a nuclear power plant, it is necessary to evaluate the effect of radiation environment on electromagnetic wave which is the communication media for all radio wave based wireless systems. This is particular important if the wireless systems are expected to work in a harsh and radioactive environment following a severe accident. This paper presents some results of an experiment for evaluating the effect of radiation on electromagnetic wave. The experiments involve placing transmitter antenna and receiver antenna in a hot cell with variable strength of radiation to study the attenuation effects of the radioactive media. The results indicate that radiation does not effect on the electromagnetic wave propagation. This fact should be considered during the design and deployment wireless systems in a potentially radioactive environment

A safe radiation environment. Environmental Objective 13

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

A safe radiation environment is one of the 15 environmental quality objectives that form the basis for developing a ecologically sustainable society within one generation. These objectives have been adopted by the Swedish parliament, and in the present report, the five different targets for reaching Objective 13 are defined. They are: (by year 2010) 1. The emissions of radioactive substances should be low enough to protect human beings, and the ecological diversity. 2. A generally accepted method for managing and disposing of spent nuclear fuels and radioactive waste should be available, that does not impose any risks for human beings and for the environment. 3. Hazards to the society, human beings or the environment from radiological accidents should be eradicated, or at least severely minimized. 4. Hazards from electromagnetic fields should be understood and, if necessary, actions planned for improving the e-m field environment. 5. The number of skin cancers in year 2020 from solar radiation should not exceed those in year 2000

Research in radiation biology, in the environment, and in radiation protection at CRNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marko, A.M.; Myers, D.K.; Ophel, I.L.; Cowper, G.; Newcombe, H.B.

1978-01-01

Research in radiation biology at CRNL is concerned with: evaluation of the effects of low doses of radiation upon humans and other living organisms; the development of new methods for detecting the effects of radiation exposure in large populations; the continued development of improved methods by which radiation levels can be measured accurately and reliably; and evaluation of the effects of nuclear power use upon the environment. The present report summarizes our background knowledge of radiation hazards and describes current research activities in Biology and Health Physics Division at CRNL. (author)

Design and "As Flown" Radiation Environments for Materials in Low Earth Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Minow, Joseph; McWilliams, Brett; Altstatt, Richard; Koontz, Steven

2006-01-01

A conservative design approach was adopted by the International Space Station Program for specifying total ionizing radiation dose requirements for use in selecting and qualifying materials for construction of the International Space Station. The total ionizing dose design environment included in SSP 30512 Space Station Ionizing Radiation Design Environment is based on trapped proton and electron fluence derived from the solar maximum versions of the AE-8 and AP-8 models, respectively, specified for a circular orbit at 500 km altitude and 51.7 degree inclination. Since launch, the range of altitudes utilized for Space Station operations vary from a minimum of approximately 330 km to a maximum of approximately 405 km with a mean operational altitude less than 400 km. The design environment, therefore, overestimates the radiation environment because the particle flux in the South Atlantic Anomaly is the primary contributor to radiation dose in low Earth orbit and flux within the Anomaly is altitude dependent. In addition, a 2X multiplier is often applied to the design environment to cover effects from the contributions of galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particle events, geomagnetic storms, and uncertainties in the trapped radiation models which are not explicitly included in the design environment. Application of this environment may give radiation dose overestimates on the order of 1OX to 30X for materials exposed to the space environment, suggesting that materials originally qualified for ten year exposures on orbit may be used for longer periods without replacement. In this paper we evaluate the "as flown" radiation environments derived from historical records of the ISS flight trajectory since launch and compare the results with the SSP 30512 design environment to document the magnitude of the radiation dose overestimate provided by the design environment. "As flown" environments are obtained from application of the AE-8/AP-8 trapped particle models along

Radiation environment of the earth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furukawa, Masahide

2003-01-01

The radiation environment of the earth consists of natural and artificial radiation. This paper explains the distribution and some exposure examples of natural radiation and the relation between life and natural radiation. The earth was born before about 46 hundreds of millions of years. In the present earth, there are some natural radiations with long half-life originated by the earth. They are 232 Th (141 hundreds of millions of years of half-life), 238 U (45 hundreds of millions of years of half-life) and 40 K (13 hundreds of millions of years of half-life). Natural radiation (α-, β-, and γ-ray) from natural radionuclides exists everywhere in the earth. Natural radio nuclides are heat source of the earth, which is about 0.035 μcal/g/y. γ-ray from them is called as ''the earth's crust γ-ray'', which is about 55 nGy/h average of the world and about 50 nGy/h in Japan. The distribution of γ-ray is depended on the kinds of soil and rock. 222 Rn and 230 Rn are rare gases and the concentration of them in a room is larger than outside. Natural radiations originated from the cosmos are proton, ionizing components, neutron component with muon and electron, 3 H, 14 C and 10 Be. Effect of cosmic rays on birth of life, change of temperature, amount of cloud and ultra resistant cell are stated. (S.Y.)

Effects of solar electromagnetic radiation on the terrestrial environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickinson, R.E.

1986-01-01

The general intent of this essay is to discuss the effect of solar electromagnetic radiation on the terrestrial environment. Instead of giving a systematic approach considering all environment processes where solar emission is the primary energy source and all important materials which have been generated by solar driven processes, the author sketches an impression of the range of the effects of solar radiation on the environment by surveying a number of topics of particular current interest, in varying levels of detail. These include atmospheric chemistry, some aspects of the transfer of radiation within the atmosphere, global energy balance and climate feedbacks, especially those due to clouds, impacts of fossil fuel energy use, evolution of early life processes, photosynthesis and plant productivity as it relates to photosynthesis and the global carbon cycle. (Auth.)

Radiation exposure of airline crew members to the atmospheric ionizing radiation environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Angelis, G. E-mail: gianni.deangelis@iol.it; Caldora, M.; Santaquilani, M.; Scipione, R.; Verdecchia, A

2001-06-01

A study of radiation exposures in the ionizing radiation environment of the atmosphere is currently in progress for the Italian civil aviation flight personnel. After a description of the considered data sources/ the philosophy of the study is presented/ and an overview is given of the data processing with regard to flight routes/ the computational techniques for radiation dose evaluation along the flight paths and for the exposure matrix building/ along with an indication of the results that the study should provide.

Comptonization in Ultra-Strong Magnetic Fields: Numerical Solution to the Radiative Transfer Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Ceccobello, C.; Farinelli, R.; Titarchuk, L.

2014-01-01

We consider the radiative transfer problem in a plane-parallel slab of thermal electrons in the presence of an ultra-strong magnetic field (B approximately greater than B(sub c) approx. = 4.4 x 10(exp 13) G). Under these conditions, the magnetic field behaves like a birefringent medium for the propagating photons, and the electromagnetic radiation is split into two polarization modes, ordinary and extraordinary, that have different cross-sections. When the optical depth of the slab is large, the ordinary-mode photons are strongly Comptonized and the photon field is dominated by an isotropic component. Aims. The radiative transfer problem in strong magnetic fields presents many mathematical issues and analytical or numerical solutions can be obtained only under some given approximations. We investigate this problem both from the analytical and numerical point of view, provide a test of the previous analytical estimates, and extend these results with numerical techniques. Methods. We consider here the case of low temperature black-body photons propagating in a sub-relativistic temperature plasma, which allows us to deal with a semi-Fokker-Planck approximation of the radiative transfer equation. The problem can then be treated with the variable separation method, and we use a numerical technique to find solutions to the eigenvalue problem in the case of a singular kernel of the space operator. The singularity of the space kernel is the result of the strong angular dependence of the electron cross-section in the presence of a strong magnetic field. Results. We provide the numerical solution obtained for eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the space operator, and the emerging Comptonization spectrum of the ordinary-mode photons for any eigenvalue of the space equation and for energies significantly lesser than the cyclotron energy, which is on the order of MeV for the intensity of the magnetic field here considered. Conclusions. We derived the specific intensity of the

About the training on radiation protection in health environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez Armas, J.

2007-01-01

Paper education on Radiation Protection in health environments is essential to optimise the use of radiation for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The continuous increment in the number of available radiation emitting equipment in health environments and the generalisation of procedures, which imply important radiation exposures to patients, are expected to increase the overall doses to patients. A consequence of this will be the increment of harmful effects, especially, radiation induced cancer. General concern towards this respect has produced a generalisation of the requirements considered to be needed in a proper Radiation Protection education. Norms have been created for this purpose at both national and European level. here, the European and Spanish norms are reviewed. the applications of these norms are, also reviewed. Furthermore, the objectives of various platforms and European projects, aimed at improving the formation of health personnel on Radiation Protection, are presented. A conclusion of the review is that there exist significant differences in the syllabuses proposed for various professionals at different levels. Moreover, all the legislation collected in the norms has not been implemented in common practice. (Author) 24 refs

Fifth International Symposium on the Natural Radiation Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porstendoerfer, J.; Swedjemark, G.A.; Baeverstam, U.; Lowder, W.M.; Miller, K.M.; Fisenne, I.M.

1993-01-01

The fifth International Symposium on the Natural Radiation Environment organized a series of tutorial sessions. One of the five major fields concerned with the radon issue. The tutorials dealt with important issues of the radon problem and covered the following aspects: Cosmic and Terrestrial Gamma Radiation Measurement, Properties and Behaviour of Radon and Thoron and Their Decay Products in the Air, Radon and Radon Daughters Metrology: Basic Aspects Long Lived Radionuclides in the Environment, in Food and in Human Beings, Design and Analysis of Radon Surveys with Epidemiological Utility

Verifying a nuclear weapon`s response to radiation environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dean, F.F.; Barrett, W.H.

1998-05-01

The process described in the paper is being applied as part of the design verification of a replacement component designed for a nuclear weapon currently in the active stockpile. This process is an adaptation of the process successfully used in nuclear weapon development programs. The verification process concentrates on evaluating system response to radiation environments, verifying system performance during and after exposure to radiation environments, and assessing system survivability.

Radiation studies on the microflora in a High-level radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahiera, T.S.

1988-01-01

Radiation sensitivities of microflora in the air environment of the irradiation room of the 60 CO industrial irradiation facility of NCRRT was studied. The isolated microflora was identified to be the Gram positive micrococci, and the gram positive bacilli: coagulans and laterosporous. The study of the dose-survival counts dependence of the colonies showed the existance of the combination of at least two groups of micro-organisms with different sensitivities to radiation. The value of the radiation resistant group was found to be 2.2 10kGy. A method is presented to estimate the amount of each group in the initial culture. A study of the dependence of radiation lethality on the dose rate of radiation on the aerobic dry microbes showed no significant effect in the dose-rate range from 330 down to 44 Gy.min

Ionizing radiation environment for the TOMS mission

Science.gov (United States)

Lauriente, M.; Maloy, J. O.; Vampola, A. L.

1992-01-01

The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) will fly on several different spacecraft, each having an orbit which is approximately polar and 800-980 km in altitude. A description is given of the computer-based tools used for characterizing the spacecraft interactions with the ionizing radiation environment in orbit and the susceptibility requirements for ionizing radiation compatibility. The peak flux from the model was used to derive the expected radiation-induced noise in the South Atlantic Anomaly for the new TOMS instruments intended to fly on Advanced Earth Observatory System and Earth Probe.

Mechanical reliability assessment of optical fibres in Radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Uffelen, M.

2006-01-01

After more than two decades of intensive research and even some pioneering applications in space, optical fibres are now finding their way in various radiation environments, including both fission and future fusion nuclear-power plants, and high-energy physics experiments. For example, next to distributed monitoring applications of large nuclear infrastructures, fibre-optics can also be used for data communications during maintenance operations in the reactor vessel of the future ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), or for plasma diagnostics applications during operation of the reactor. These maintenance and diagnostics tasks require the optical fibres to withstand extremely high doses of radiation, up to MGy dose levels and temperatures above 150 degrees Celsius. The reliability assessment of fibre-optic systems for their qualification in nuclear environments often requires to meet stringent radiation tolerance levels. The majority of (usually accelerated) radiation assessments have so far focused on optical properties, such as wavelength-dependent radiation induced attenuation and radio-luminescence. The relation of these radiation effects with the fabrication methods and other environmental parameters has been the subject of years of research. Only a few results are available on the long-term evolution of mechanical properties of irradiated optical fibres. As a first step towards understanding the long-term reliability of fibre-optic composite cables in hostile radiation environments, we therefore performed dynamic fatigue tests with different commercial-grade optical fibres, both multi-mode and single-mode types

Jeans instability in collisional strongly coupled dusty plasma with radiative condensation and polarization force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prajapati, R. P.; Bhakta, S.; Chhajlani, R. K.

2016-01-01

The influence of dust-neutral collisions, polarization force, and electron radiative condensation is analysed on the Jeans (gravitational) instability of partially ionized strongly coupled dusty plasma (SCDP) using linear perturbation (normal mode) analysis. The Boltzmann distributed ions, dynamics of inertialess electrons, charged dust and neutral particles are considered. Using the plane wave solutions, a general dispersion relation is derived which is modified due to the presence of dust-neutral collisions, strong coupling effect, polarization force, electron radiative condensation, and Jeans dust/neutral frequencies. In the long wavelength perturbations, the Jeans instability criterion depends upon strong coupling effect, polarization interaction parameter, and thermal loss, but it is independent of dust-neutral collision frequency. The stability of the considered configuration is analysed using the Routh–Hurwitz criterion. The growth rates of Jeans instability are illustrated, and stabilizing influence of viscoelasticity and dust-neutral collision frequency while destabilizing effect of electron radiative condensation, polarization force, and Jeans dust-neutral frequency ratio is observed. This work is applied to understand the gravitational collapse of SCDP with dust-neutral collisions.

Strong effects of ionizing radiation from Chernobyl on mutation rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Møller, Anders Pape; Mousseau, Timothy A

2015-02-10

In this paper we use a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between radiation and mutation rates in Chernobyl across 45 published studies, covering 30 species. Overall effect size of radiation on mutation rates estimated as Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient was very large (E = 0.67; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59 to 0.73), accounting for 44.3% of the total variance in an unstructured random-effects model. Fail-safe calculations reflecting the number of unpublished null results needed to eliminate this average effect size showed the extreme robustness of this finding (Rosenberg's method: 4135 at p = 0.05). Indirect tests did not provide any evidence of publication bias. The effect of radiation on mutations varied among taxa, with plants showing a larger effect than animals. Humans were shown to have intermediate sensitivity of mutations to radiation compared to other species. Effect size did not decrease over time, providing no evidence for an improvement in environmental conditions. The surprisingly high mean effect size suggests a strong impact of radioactive contamination on individual fitness in current and future generations, with potentially significant population-level consequences, even beyond the area contaminated with radioactive material.

Radiation and Internal Charging Environments for Thin Dielectrics in Interplanetary Space

Science.gov (United States)

Minow, Joseph I.; Parker, Linda Neergaard; Altstatt, Richard L.

2004-01-01

Spacecraft designs using solar sails for propulsion or thin membranes to shade instruments from the sun to achieve cryogenic operating temperatures are being considered for a number of missions in the next decades. A common feature of these designs are thin dielectric materials that will be exposed to the solar wind, solar energetic particle events, and the distant magnetotail plasma environments encountered by spacecraft in orbit about the Earth-Sun L2 point. This paper will discuss the relevant radiation and internal charging environments developed to support spacecraft design for both total dose radiation effects as well as dose rate dependent phenomenon, such as internal charging in the solar wind and distant magnetotail environments. We will describe the development of radiation and internal charging environment models based on nearly a complete solar cycle of Ulysses solar wind plasma measurements over a complete range of heliocentric latitudes and the early years of the Geotail mission where distant magnetotail plasma environments were sampled beyond X(sub GSE) = -100 Re to nearly L2 (X(sub GSE) -236 Re). Example applications of the environment models are shown to demonstrate the radiation and internal charging environments of thin materials exposed to the interplanetary space plasma environments.

Stability of semiconductor memory characteristics in a radiation environment

OpenAIRE

Fetahović, I.; Vujisić, M.; Stanković, K.; Dolićanin, E.

2015-01-01

Radiation defects in electronic device can occur in a process of its fabrication or during use. Miniaturization trends in industry and increase in level of integration of electronic components have negative affect on component's behavior in a radiation environment. The aim of this paper is to analyze radiation effects in semiconductor memories and to establish how ionizing radiation influences characteristics and functionality of semiconductor memories. Both the experimental procedure and sim...

The development of advanced robotics technology in high radiation environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yong Bum; Cho, Jaiwan; Lee, Nam Ho; Choi, Young Soo; Park, Soon Yong; Lee, Jong Min; Park, Jin Suk; Kim, Seung Ho; Kim, Byung Soo; Moon, Byung Soo

1997-07-01

In the tele-operation technology using tele-presence in high radiation environment, stereo vision target tracking by centroid method, vergence control of stereo camera by moving vector method, stereo observing system by correlation method, horizontal moving axis stereo camera, and 3 dimensional information acquisition by stereo image is developed. Also, gesture image acquisition by computer vision and construction of virtual environment for remote work in nuclear power plant. In the development of intelligent control and monitoring technology for tele-robot in hazardous environment, the characteristics and principle of robot operation. And, robot end-effector tracking algorithm by centroid method and neural network method are developed for the observation and survey in hazardous environment. 3-dimensional information acquisition algorithm by structured light is developed. In the development of radiation hardened sensor technology, radiation-hardened camera module is designed and tested. And radiation characteristics of electric components is robot system is evaluated. Also 2-dimensional radiation monitoring system is developed. These advanced critical robot technology and telepresence techniques developed in this project can be applied to nozzle-dam installation /removal robot system, can be used to realize unmanned remotelization of nozzle-dam installation / removal task in steam generator of nuclear power plant, which can be contributed for people involved in extremely hazardous high radioactivity area to eliminate their exposure to radiation, enhance their task safety, and raise their working efficiency. (author). 75 refs., 21 tabs., 15 figs.

The development of advanced robotics technology in high radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Bum; Cho, Jaiwan; Lee, Nam Ho; Choi, Young Soo; Park, Soon Yong; Lee, Jong Min; Park, Jin Suk; Kim, Seung Ho; Kim, Byung Soo; Moon, Byung Soo.

1997-07-01

In the tele-operation technology using tele-presence in high radiation environment, stereo vision target tracking by centroid method, vergence control of stereo camera by moving vector method, stereo observing system by correlation method, horizontal moving axis stereo camera, and 3 dimensional information acquisition by stereo image is developed. Also, gesture image acquisition by computer vision and construction of virtual environment for remote work in nuclear power plant. In the development of intelligent control and monitoring technology for tele-robot in hazardous environment, the characteristics and principle of robot operation. And, robot end-effector tracking algorithm by centroid method and neural network method are developed for the observation and survey in hazardous environment. 3-dimensional information acquisition algorithm by structured light is developed. In the development of radiation hardened sensor technology, radiation-hardened camera module is designed and tested. And radiation characteristics of electric components is robot system is evaluated. Also 2-dimensional radiation monitoring system is developed. These advanced critical robot technology and telepresence techniques developed in this project can be applied to nozzle-dam installation /removal robot system, can be used to realize unmanned remotelization of nozzle-dam installation / removal task in steam generator of nuclear power plant, which can be contributed for people involved in extremely hazardous high radioactivity area to eliminate their exposure to radiation, enhance their task safety, and raise their working efficiency. (author). 75 refs., 21 tabs., 15 figs

Radiation effects in the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Begay, F.; Rosen, L.; Petersen, D.F.; Mason, C.; Travis, B. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Yazzie, A. [Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ (United States). Dept. of History; Isaac, M.C.P.; Seaborg, G.T. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States); Leavitt, C.P. [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

1999-04-01

Although the Navajo possess substantial resource wealth-coal, gas, uranium, water-this potential wealth has been translated into limited permanent economic or political power. In fact, wealth or potential for wealth has often made the Navajo the victims of more powerful interests greedy for the assets under limited Navajo control. The primary focus for this education workshop on the radiation effects in the environment is to provide a forum where scientists from the nuclear science and technology community can share their knowledge toward the advancement and diffusion of nuclear science and technology issues for the Navajo public. The scientists will make an attempt to consider the following basic questions; what is science; what is mathematics; what is nuclear radiation? Seven papers are included in this report: Navajo view of radiation; Nuclear energy, national security and international stability; ABC`s of nuclear science; Nuclear medicine: 100 years in the making; Radon in the environment; Bicarbonate leaching of uranium; and Computational methods for subsurface flow and transport. The proceedings of this workshop will be used as a valuable reference materials in future workshops and K-14 classrooms in Navajo communities that need to improve basic understanding of nuclear science and technology issues. Results of the Begay-Stevens research has revealed the existence of strange and mysterious concepts in the Navajo Language of nature. With these research results Begay and Stevens prepared a lecture entitled The Physics of Laser Fusion in the Navajo language. This lecture has been delivered in numerous Navajo schools, and in universities and colleges in the US, Canada, and Alaska.

Interplanetary Radiation and Internal Charging Environment Models for Solar Sails

Science.gov (United States)

Minow, Joseph I.; Altstatt, Richard L.; NeegaardParker, Linda

2005-01-01

A Solar Sail Radiation Environment (SSRE) model has been developed for defining charged particle environments over an energy range from 0.01 keV to 1 MeV for hydrogen ions, helium ions, and electrons. The SSRE model provides the free field charged particle environment required for characterizing energy deposition per unit mass, charge deposition, and dose rate dependent conductivity processes required to evaluate radiation dose and internal (bulk) charging processes in the solar sail membrane in interplanetary space. Solar wind and energetic particle measurements from instruments aboard the Ulysses spacecraft in a solar, near-polar orbit provide the particle data over a range of heliospheric latitudes used to derive the environment that can be used for radiation and charging environments for both high inclination 0.5 AU Solar Polar Imager mission and the 1.0 AU L1 solar missions. This paper describes the techniques used to model comprehensive electron, proton, and helium spectra over the range of particle energies of significance to energy and charge deposition in thin (less than 25 micrometers) solar sail materials.

Inner-shell photoionization in weak and strong radiation fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Southworth, S.H.; Dunford, R.W.; Ederer, D.L.; Kanter, E.P.; Kraessig, B.; Young, L.

2004-01-01

The X-ray beams presently produced at synchrotron-radiation facilities interact weakly with matter, and the observation of double photoionization is due to electron-electron interactions. The intensities of future X-ray free-electron lasers are expected to produce double photoionization by absorption of two photons. The example of double K-shell photoionization of neon is discussed in the one- and two-photon cases. We also describe an experiment in which X rays photoionize the K shell of krypton in the presence of a strong AC field imposed by an optical laser

Proceeding of Radiation Safety and Environment; Prosiding Presentasi Ilmiah Keselamatan Radiasi dan Lingkungan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-07-01

Scientific Presentation of Radiation Safety and Environment was held on 20-21 august 1996 at Center of Research Atomic Energy Pasar Jum'at, Jakarta, Indonesia. Have presented 50 papers about Radiation Safety, dosimetry and standardization, environment protection and radiation effect.

Modeling of the Martian environment for radiation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Angelis, G.; Wilson, J.W.; Clowdsley, M.S.; Qualls, G.D.; Singleterry, R.C.

2006-01-01

A model for the radiation environment to be found on the planet Mars due to Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) has been developed. Solar modulated primary particles rescaled for conditions at Mars are transported through the Martian atmosphere down to the surface, with altitude and backscattering patterns taken into account. The altitude to compute the atmospheric thickness profile has been determined by using a model for the topography based on the data provided by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) instrument on board the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft. The Mars surface composition has been modeled based on averages over the measurements obtained from orbiting spacecraft and at various landing sites, taking into account the possible volatile inventory (e.g. CO 2 and H 2 O ices) along with its time variations throughout the Martian year. The Mars Radiation Environment Model has been made available worldwide through the Space Ionizing Radiation Effects and Shielding Tools (SIREST) website, a project of NASA Langley Research Center. This site has been developed to provide the scientific and engineering communities with an interactive site containing a variety of environmental models, shield evaluation codes, and radiation response models to allow a thorough assessment of ionizing radiation risk for current and future space missions

Radiation diagnostics in extremely harsh environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dona, H.; Lee, P.H.Y.; Williams, A.H.; McGurn, J.L.; Veeser, L.R.

1986-01-01

Some recent Trailmaster experiments have required to use of rather delicate radiation diagnostics in hostile environments. We have developed instrumentation for use high-explosive magnetic flux compression generators and near the noisy environment of high energy capacitor banks. These include some rather unique ''fly-away'' designs for x-ray imaging and spectroscopy, and other optical techniques for plasma temperature and field measurements. We will show some representative data and will also discuss an on-going program for the determination of magnetic field via atomic spectral line splitting and/or broadening

Designing equipment for use in gamma radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandergriff, K.U.

1990-05-01

High levels of gamma radiation are known to cause degradation in a variety of materials and components. When designing systems to operate in a high radiation environment, special precautions and procedures should be followed. This report (1) outlines steps that should be followed in designing equipment and (2) explains the general effects of radiation on various engineering materials and components. Much information exists in the literature on radiation effects upon materials. However, very little information is available to give the designer a step-by-step process for designing systems that will be subject to high levels of gamma radiation, such as those found in a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. In this report, many radiation effect references are relied upon to aid in the design of components and systems. 11 refs., 4 tabs

Radiation and environment - impact studies awareness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boniface Ekechukwu; Mohd. Zohadie Bardaie

2005-01-01

Radiation, which is simply defined as energy, that travels in the form of waves or particles has both positive and negative effects on humans. This has necessitated a careful study on how to create awareness on the 'two-edge sword'. Since radiation cannot be removed from our environment we, however, reduce our risks by controlling our exposure to it through various ways. Understanding radiation and radioactivity will help us make informed decisions about our exposure. Many difference types of radiation have range of energy that form electromagnetic spectrum. Their sources include nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons, and medicine. Others include, microwaves, radar, electrical power lines, cellular phones, and sunlight' and so on. However, the radiation used in nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and medicine has enough energy to break chemical bonds, and is referred to as 'ionizing radiation', which is dangerous to life. Because of this negative effect of radiation there is common fear and myths related to radiation, radioactivity, uranium mining and milling, and the nuclear industry. This radiation education and energy-environmental education attempt to dispel the common fears and myths relating to them in so far as there is perfect protection from harmful exposure and abuse. The design of an integrated unit of study radiation and environmental energy uses arts of language, life skills, skill designs, social studies and mathematical skills in creating understanding and abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry by the students without abuse or danger. The education unit is designed to assess materials for, factual information and appropriate language and identification of potential bias in environmental education materials and evaluate materials in perspective of cultural and ethnic upbringing. (author)

Fifth international symposium on the natural radiation environment (NRE - V). Book of abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

Most of the 219 contributions Are on radon (to a much lesser extent: thoron) and its daughter products in dwellings and in the environment; on corresponding measuring instruments and - methods; on measurements done; and on radiation doses to professional workers and to the public. The section heading give a fairly good account of the subject matters treated. Measurement Techniques and Metrology (Nrs 1-33); Exposure to Natural Radiation in Non-Domestic Environments (34-56); Natural Radionuclides and Transfer Pathways (57-107); Radioactivity and Radiation in the Human Environment (108-183); Health Effects of Natural Radiation (184-205); Industrially Modified Levels of Radiation Exposure (206-219). (Quittner)

Do we need radiation protection for the living environment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hefner, A.; Voelkle, H.

2003-01-01

The protection of the living environment, i.e. non human species or non human organisms, is a condition for the long term human survival. This certainly is true also for radioactivity and ionizing radiation. The ICRP statement that fauna und flora are sufficiently protected if man is protected is valid in many cases but not in every one. The article gives some reflections on this subject from the point of view of practical radiation protection and some suggestions on how, if necessary, protection of the living environment could be put into practice. (orig.) [de

Galileo Measurements of the Jovian Electron Radiation Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, H. B.; Jun, I.; Ratliff, J. M.; Evans, R. W.; Clough, G. A.; McEntire, R. W.

2003-12-01

The Galileo spacecraft Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) has been used to map Jupiter's trapped electron radiation in the jovian equatorial plane for the range 8 to 16 Jupiter radii (1 jovian radius = 71,400 km). The electron count rates from the instrument were averaged into 10-minute intervals over the energy range 0.2 MeV to 11 MeV to form an extensive database of observations of the jovian radiation belts between Jupiter orbit insertion (JOI) in 1995 and end of mission in 2003. These data were then used to provide differential flux estimates in the jovian equatorial plane as a function of radial distance (organized by magnetic L-shell position). These estimates provide the basis for an omni-directional, equatorial model of the jovian electron radiation environment. The comparison of these results with the original Divine model of jovian electron radiation and their implications for missions to Jupiter will be discussed. In particular, it was found that the electron dose predictions for a representative mission to Europa were about a factor of 2 lower than the Divine model estimates over the range of 100 to 1000 mils (2.54 to 25.4 mm) of aluminum shielding, but exceeded the Divine model by about 50% for thicker shielding for the assumed Europa orbiter trajectories. The findings are a significant step forward in understanding jovian electron radiation and represent a valuable tool for estimating the radiation environment to which jovian science and engineering hardware will be exposed.

CARS Measurement of Vibrational/Rotational Temperatures with Total Radiation Visualization behind Strong Shock Waves of 5-7 km/s

Science.gov (United States)

Sakurai, K.; Bindu, V. Hima; Niinomi, S.; Ota, M.; Maeno, K.

2011-05-01

In the development of aerospace technology the design of space vehicles is important in phase of reentry flight. The space vehicles reenter into the atmosphere with range of 6-8 km/s. The non-equilibrium flow with radiative heating from strongly shocked air ahead of the vehicles plays an important role on the heat flux to the wall surface structure as well as convective heating. The experimental data for re-entry analyses, however, have remained in classical level. Recent development of optical instruments enables us to have novel approach of diagnostics to the re-entry problems. We employ the CARS (Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy) method for measurement of real gas temperatures of N2 with radiation of the strong shock wave. The CARS signal can be acquired even in the strong radiation area behind the strong shock waves. In addition, we try to use the CCD camera to obtain 2D images of total radiation simultaneously. The strong shock wave in front of the reentering space vehicles is experimentally realigned by free-piston, double-diaphragm shock tube with low density test gas.

Predicted radiation environment of the Saturn baseline diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbleib, J.A.; Lee, J.R.

1987-09-01

Coupled electron/photon Monte Carlo radiation transport was used to predict the radiation environment of the Saturn accelerator for the baseline diode design. The x-ray output has been calculated, as well as energy deposition in CaF 2 thermoluminescent dosimetry and silicon. It is found that the design criteria for the radiation environment will be met and that approximately 10 kJ of x rays will be available for simulation experiments, if the diode provides a nominal beam of 2.0-MeV electrons for 20 ns with a peak current of 12.5 MA. The penalty in dose and x-ray output for operating below the nominal energy in order to obtain a softer spectrum is quantified. The penalty for using excessive electron equilibration in the standard packaging of the thermoluminescent dosimeters is shown to be negligible. An intrinsic lack of electron equilibration for silicon elements of components and subsystems is verified for Saturn environments, demonstrating the ambiguity of design criteria based on silicon deposition. Validation of an efficient next-event-estimator method for predicting energy deposition in equilibrated detectors/dosimetry is confirmed. Finally, direct-electron depositions in excess of 1 kJ/g are shown to be easily achievable. 34 refs., 30 figs

Inclusion of Radiation Environment Variability in Total Dose Hardness Assurance Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Xapsos, M. A.; Stauffer, C.; Phan, A.; McClure, S. S.; Ladbury, R. L.; Pellish, J. A.; Campola, M. J.; LaBel, K. A.

2016-01-01

Variability of the space radiation environment is investigated with regard to parts categorization for total dose hardness assurance methods. It is shown that it can have a significant impact. A modified approach is developed that uses current environment models more consistently and replaces the radiation design margin concept with one of failure probability during a mission.

The radiation environment in Sweden; Straalmiljoen i Sverige

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Paal; Carlsson, Monica; Falk, Rolf; Hubbard, Lynn; Leitz, Wolfram; Mjoenes, Lars; Moere, Hans; Nyblom, Leif; Soederman, Ann-Louise; Yuen Lasson, Katarina; Aakerblom, Gustav; Oehlen, Elisabeth

2007-01-15

The report describes, and reports data from, the monitoring of the radiation environment which has been conducted in Sweden since the 1950s. Average doses to the general public as well as to special groups of the public are also reported. Environmental monitoring concerning radiation has to a great extent focused on deposition and occurrence of radioactive elements originating from the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and the Chernobyl accident. The average dose from {sup 137}Cs is very low, although it is somewhat higher in the group 'reindeer herders'. Surveys of naturally occurring radioactive elements in soil, drinking water and indoor air show that radiation from soil and building materials constitutes, besides medical use of radiation, the main part of the average total dose to the population. The dose from drinking water from drilled wells or from radon in indoor air may dominate the total dose in certain cases. Smoking increases the risk of radon considerably. UV-radiation has increased with 10 percent over the last 22 years at the location of the monitoring station. This is mainly explained by a decreased cloudiness. The exposure for UV is however more dependent on behaviour, and approximately 25 percent of the total exposure takes place abroad. Presently there are no time series concerning electromagnetic fields in the outdoor environment. However, measurements indicate levels well below the reference values.

The radiation environment in Sweden; Straalmiljoen i Sverige

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Paal; Carlsson, Monica; Falk, Rolf; Hubbard, Lynn; Leitz, Wolfram; Mjoenes, Lars; Moere, Hans; Nyblom, Leif; Soederman, Ann-Louise; Yuen Lasson, Katarina; Aakerblom, Gustav; Oehlen, Elisabeth

2007-01-15

The report describes, and reports data from, the monitoring of the radiation environment which has been conducted in Sweden since the 1950s. Average doses to the general public as well as to special groups of the public are also reported. Environmental monitoring concerning radiation has to a great extent focused on deposition and occurrence of radioactive elements originating from the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and the Chernobyl accident. The average dose from {sup 137}Cs is very low, although it is somewhat higher in the group 'reindeer herders'. Surveys of naturally occurring radioactive elements in soil, drinking water and indoor air show that radiation from soil and building materials constitutes, besides medical use of radiation, the main part of the average total dose to the population. The dose from drinking water from drilled wells or from radon in indoor air may dominate the total dose in certain cases. Smoking increases the risk of radon considerably. UV-radiation has increased with 10 percent over the last 22 years at the location of the monitoring station. This is mainly explained by a decreased cloudiness. The exposure for UV is however more dependent on behaviour, and approximately 25 percent of the total exposure takes place abroad. Presently there are no time series concerning electromagnetic fields in the outdoor environment. However, measurements indicate levels well below the reference values.

Radiation Safety Management Guidelines for PET-CT: Focus on Behavior and Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Jin Wook; Han, Eun Ok

2011-01-01

Our purpose is to specify behavior and environmental factors aimed at reducing the exposed dosage caused by PET-CT and to develop radiation safety management guidelines adequate for domestic circumstances. We have used a multistep-multimethod as the methodological approach to design and to carry out the research both in quality and quantity, including an analysis on previous studies, professional consultations and a survey. The survey includes responses from 139 practitioners in charged of 109 PET-CTs installed throughout Korea(reported by the Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine, 2010). The research use 156 questions using Cronbach's α (alpha) coefficients which were: 0.818 for 'the necessity of setting and installing the radiation protective environment'; 0.916 for 'the necessity of radiation protection', 'setting and installing the radiation protective environment'; and 0.885 for 'radiation protection'. The check list, derived from the radiation safety management guidelines focused on behavior and environment, was composed of 20 items for the radiation protective environment: including 5 items for the patient; 4 items for the guardian; 3 items for the radiologist; and 8 items applied to everyone involved; for a total of 26 items for the radiation protective behavior including: 12 items for the patient; 1 item for the guardian, 7 items for the radiologist; and 6 items applied to everyone involved. The specific check list is shown in (Table 5-6). Since our country has no safety management guidelines of its own to reduce the exposed dosage caused by PET-CTs, we believe the guidelines developed through this study means great deal to the field as it is not only appropriate for domestic circumstances, but also contains specific check lists for each target who may be exposed to radiation in regards to behavior and environment.

Radiation Damping in a Non-Abelian Strongly-Coupled Gauge Theory

OpenAIRE

Chernicoff, Mariano; Garcia, J. Antonio; Guijosa, Alberto

2010-01-01

We study a `dressed' or `composite' quark in strongly-coupled N=4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM), making use of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We show that the standard string dynamics nicely captures the physics of the quark and its surrounding quantum non-Abelian field configuration, making it possible to derive a relativistic equation of motion that incorporates the effects of radiation damping. From this equation one can deduce a non-standard dispersion relation for the composite quark, as well as a...

Mars' Surface Radiation Environment Measured with the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity Rover

Science.gov (United States)

Hassler, Donald M.; Zeitlin, Cary; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; Ehresmann, Bent; Rafkin, Scot; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Brinza, David E.; Weigle, Gerald; Böttcher, Stephan; Böhm, Eckart; Burmeister, Soenke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; Martin, Cesar; Reitz, Guenther; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Kim, Myung-Hee; Grinspoon, David; Bullock, Mark A.; Posner, Arik; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Vasavada, Ashwin; Grotzinger, John P.; MSL Science Team; Kemppinen, Osku; Cremers, David; Bell, James F.; Edgar, Lauren; Farmer, Jack; Godber, Austin; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Wellington, Danika; McEwan, Ian; Newman, Claire; Richardson, Mark; Charpentier, Antoine; Peret, Laurent; King, Penelope; Blank, Jennifer; Schmidt, Mariek; Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph; Robertson, Kevin; Sun, Vivian; Baker, Michael; Edwards, Christopher; Ehlmann, Bethany; Farley, Kenneth; Griffes, Jennifer; Miller, Hayden; Newcombe, Megan; Pilorget, Cedric; Rice, Melissa; Siebach, Kirsten; Stack, Katie; Stolper, Edward; Brunet, Claude; Hipkin, Victoria; Léveillé, Richard; Marchand, Geneviève; Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón; Favot, Laurent; Cody, George; Steele, Andrew; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Lees, David; Nefian, Ara; Martin, Mildred; Gailhanou, Marc; Westall, Frances; Israël, Guy; Agard, Christophe; Baroukh, Julien; Donny, Christophe; Gaboriaud, Alain; Guillemot, Philippe; Lafaille, Vivian; Lorigny, Eric; Paillet, Alexis; Pérez, René; Saccoccio, Muriel; Yana, Charles; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Rodríguez, Javier Caride; Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco; Gómez, Felipe Gómez; Hettrich, Sebastian; Malvitte, Alain Lepinette; Jiménez, Mercedes Marín; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Soler, Javier; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Jurado, Antonio Molina; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Caro, Guillermo Muñoz; López, Sara Navarro; Peinado-González, Verónica; Pla-García, Jorge; Manfredi, José Antonio Rodriguez; Romeral-Planelló, Julio José; Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans; Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian; Redondo, Josefina Torres; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Mier, María-Paz Zorzano; Chipera, Steve; Lacour, Jean-Luc; Mauchien, Patrick; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Manning, Heidi; Fairén, Alberto; Hayes, Alexander; Joseph, Jonathan; Squyres, Steven; Sullivan, Robert; Thomas, Peter; Dupont, Audrey; Lundberg, Angela; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mezzacappa, Alissa; Berger, Thomas; Matthia, Daniel; Prats, Benito; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Genzer, Maria; Harri, Ari-Matti; Haukka, Harri; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kauhanen, Janne; Kemppinen, Osku; Paton, Mark; Polkko, Jouni; Schmidt, Walter; Siili, Tero; Fabre, Cécile; Wray, James; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Poitrasson, Franck; Patel, Kiran; Gorevan, Stephen; Indyk, Stephen; Paulsen, Gale; Gupta, Sanjeev; Bish, David; Schieber, Juergen; Gondet, Brigitte; Langevin, Yves; Geffroy, Claude; Baratoux, David; Berger, Gilles; Cros, Alain; d'Uston, Claude; Forni, Olivier; Gasnault, Olivier; Lasue, Jérémie; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Maurice, Sylvestre; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Pallier, Etienne; Parot, Yann; Pinet, Patrick; Schröder, Susanne; Toplis, Mike; Lewin, Éric; Brunner, Will; Heydari, Ezat; Achilles, Cherie; Oehler, Dorothy; Sutter, Brad; Cabane, Michel; Coscia, David; Israël, Guy; Szopa, Cyril; Dromart, Gilles; Robert, François; Sautter, Violaine; Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Mangold, Nicolas; Nachon, Marion; Buch, Arnaud; Stalport, Fabien; Coll, Patrice; François, Pascaline; Raulin, François; Teinturier, Samuel; Cameron, James; Clegg, Sam; Cousin, Agnès; DeLapp, Dorothea; Dingler, Robert; Jackson, Ryan Steele; Johnstone, Stephen; Lanza, Nina; Little, Cynthia; Nelson, Tony; Wiens, Roger C.; Williams, Richard B.; Jones, Andrea; Kirkland, Laurel; Treiman, Allan; Baker, Burt; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Davis, Scott; Duston, Brian; Edgett, Kenneth; Fay, Donald; Hardgrove, Craig; Harker, David; Herrera, Paul; Jensen, Elsa; Kennedy, Megan R.; Krezoski, Gillian; Krysak, Daniel; Lipkaman, Leslie; Malin, Michael; McCartney, Elaina; McNair, Sean; Nixon, Brian; Posiolova, Liliya; Ravine, Michael; Salamon, Andrew; Saper, Lee; Stoiber, Kevin; Supulver, Kimberley; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; Zimdar, Robert; French, Katherine Louise; Iagnemma, Karl; Miller, Kristen; Summons, Roger; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Hviid, Stubbe; Johnson, Micah; Lefavor, Matthew; Lyness, Eric; Breves, Elly; Dyar, M. Darby; Fassett, Caleb; Blake, David F.; Bristow, Thomas; DesMarais, David; Edwards, Laurence; Haberle, Robert; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Kahre, Melinda; Keely, Leslie; McKay, Christopher; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Bleacher, Lora; Brinckerhoff, William; Choi, David; Conrad, Pamela; Dworkin, Jason P.; Floyd, Melissa; Freissinet, Caroline; Garvin, James; Glavin, Daniel; Harpold, Daniel; Jones, Andrea; Mahaffy, Paul; Martin, David K.; McAdam, Amy; Pavlov, Alexander; Raaen, Eric; Smith, Michael D.; Stern, Jennifer; Tan, Florence; Trainer, Melissa; Meyer, Michael; Voytek, Mary; Anderson, Robert C.; Aubrey, Andrew; Beegle, Luther W.; Behar, Alberto; Blaney, Diana; Calef, Fred; Christensen, Lance; Crisp, Joy A.; DeFlores, Lauren; Ehlmann, Bethany; Feldman, Jason; Feldman, Sabrina; Flesch, Gregory; Hurowitz, Joel; Jun, Insoo; Keymeulen, Didier; Maki, Justin; Mischna, Michael; Morookian, John Michael; Parker, Timothy; Pavri, Betina; Schoppers, Marcel; Sengstacken, Aaron; Simmonds, John J.; Spanovich, Nicole; Juarez, Manuel de la Torre; Webster, Christopher R.; Yen, Albert; Archer, Paul Douglas; Jones, John H.; Ming, Douglas; Morris, Richard V.; Niles, Paul; Rampe, Elizabeth; Nolan, Thomas; Fisk, Martin; Radziemski, Leon; Barraclough, Bruce; Bender, Steve; Berman, Daniel; Dobrea, Eldar Noe; Tokar, Robert; Vaniman, David; Williams, Rebecca M. E.; Yingst, Aileen; Lewis, Kevin; Leshin, Laurie; Cleghorn, Timothy; Huntress, Wesley; Manhès, Gérard; Hudgins, Judy; Olson, Timothy; Stewart, Noel; Sarrazin, Philippe; Grant, John; Vicenzi, Edward; Wilson, Sharon A.; Hamilton, Victoria; Peterson, Joseph; Fedosov, Fedor; Golovin, Dmitry; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kozyrev, Alexander; Litvak, Maxim; Malakhov, Alexey; Mitrofanov, Igor; Mokrousov, Maxim; Nikiforov, Sergey; Prokhorov, Vasily; Sanin, Anton; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Varenikov, Alexey; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Clark, Benton; Wolff, Michael; McLennan, Scott; Botta, Oliver; Drake, Darrell; Bean, Keri; Lemmon, Mark; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Anderson, Ryan B.; Herkenhoff, Kenneth; Lee, Ella Mae; Sucharski, Robert; Hernández, Miguel Ángel de Pablo; Ávalos, Juan José Blanco; Ramos, Miguel; Malespin, Charles; Plante, Ianik; Muller, Jan-Peter; Navarro-González, Rafael; Ewing, Ryan; Boynton, William; Downs, Robert; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Harshman, Karl; Morrison, Shaunna; Dietrich, William; Kortmann, Onno; Palucis, Marisa; Sumner, Dawn Y.; Williams, Amy; Lugmair, Günter; Wilson, Michael A.; Rubin, David; Jakosky, Bruce; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Frydenvang, Jens; Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard; Kinch, Kjartan; Koefoed, Asmus; Madsen, Morten Bo; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane; Boyd, Nick; Campbell, John L.; Gellert, Ralf; Perrett, Glynis; Pradler, Irina; VanBommel, Scott; Jacob, Samantha; Owen, Tobias; Rowland, Scott; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Savijärvi, Hannu; García, César Martín; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Bridges, John C.; McConnochie, Timothy; Benna, Mehdi; Franz, Heather; Bower, Hannah; Brunner, Anna; Blau, Hannah; Boucher, Thomas; Carmosino, Marco; Atreya, Sushil; Elliott, Harvey; Halleaux, Douglas; Rennó, Nilton; Wong, Michael; Pepin, Robert; Elliott, Beverley; Spray, John; Thompson, Lucy; Gordon, Suzanne; Newsom, Horton; Ollila, Ann; Williams, Joshua; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Bentz, Jennifer; Nealson, Kenneth; Popa, Radu; Kah, Linda C.; Moersch, Jeffrey; Tate, Christopher; Day, Mackenzie; Kocurek, Gary; Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald; Francis, Raymond; McCullough, Emily; Cloutis, Ed; ten Kate, Inge Loes; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Arvidson, Raymond; Fraeman, Abigail; Scholes, Daniel; Slavney, Susan; Stein, Thomas; Ward, Jennifer; Berger, Jeffrey; Moores, John E.

2014-01-01

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover began making detailed measurements of the cosmic ray and energetic particle radiation environment on the surface of Mars on 7 August 2012. We report and discuss measurements of the absorbed dose and dose equivalent from galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles on the martian surface for ~300 days of observations during the current solar maximum. These measurements provide insight into the radiation hazards associated with a human mission to the surface of Mars and provide an anchor point with which to model the subsurface radiation environment, with implications for microbial survival times of any possible extant or past life, as well as for the preservation of potential organic biosignatures of the ancient martian environment.

Mars' surface radiation environment measured with the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassler, Donald M; Zeitlin, Cary; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F; Ehresmann, Bent; Rafkin, Scot; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L; Brinza, David E; Weigle, Gerald; Böttcher, Stephan; Böhm, Eckart; Burmeister, Soenke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; Martin, Cesar; Reitz, Guenther; Cucinotta, Francis A; Kim, Myung-Hee; Grinspoon, David; Bullock, Mark A; Posner, Arik; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Vasavada, Ashwin; Grotzinger, John P

2014-01-24

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover began making detailed measurements of the cosmic ray and energetic particle radiation environment on the surface of Mars on 7 August 2012. We report and discuss measurements of the absorbed dose and dose equivalent from galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles on the martian surface for ~300 days of observations during the current solar maximum. These measurements provide insight into the radiation hazards associated with a human mission to the surface of Mars and provide an anchor point with which to model the subsurface radiation environment, with implications for microbial survival times of any possible extant or past life, as well as for the preservation of potential organic biosignatures of the ancient martian environment.

A perspective on the ICRP approach to Radiation protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mossman, K.L.

2003-01-01

The ICRP, in response to concerns by the environmental community, has begun the process of addressing radiation protection of non-human species. Concerns have been raised that the current framework for radiation protection fails to adequately protect the environment. Although most everyone agrees that some change to the ICRP radiation protection framework is called for, the extent of the revision is debatable. In May 2000, the ICRP set up a Task Group to provide advice on the development of a policy for the protection of the environment and to suggest a framework for environmental protection based on scientific, ethical, and philosophical principles. Based on Task Group input, ICRP intends to develop a framework for protection of the environment that can be integrated into an overall system of protection. This paper explores four major issues that serve to identify questions that ICRP should consider in its 2005 recommendations regarding radiation protection of the environment: (1) the role of ICRP, (2) defining the environment and criteria for protection, (3) the framework for environmental protection, and (4) risk management. (author)

The influence of outdoor thermal environment on young Japanese females

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sakoi, Tomonori; Ishii, Jin; Kondo, Emi

2014-01-01

The influence of short wave solar radiation appears to be strong outdoors in summer, and the influence of airflow appears to be strong outdoors in winter. The purpose of this paper was to clarify the influence of the outdoor environment on young Japanese females. This research shows the relations......The influence of short wave solar radiation appears to be strong outdoors in summer, and the influence of airflow appears to be strong outdoors in winter. The purpose of this paper was to clarify the influence of the outdoor environment on young Japanese females. This research shows...

Mars Surface Ionizing Radiation Environment: Need for Validation

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J. W.; Kim, M. Y.; Clowdsley, M. S.; Heinbockel, J. H.; Tripathi, R. K.; Singleterry, R. C.; Shinn, J. L.; Suggs, R.

1999-01-01

Protection against the hazards from exposure to ionizing radiation remains an unresolved issue in the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise [1]. The major uncertainty is the lack of data on biological response to galactic cosmic ray (GCR) exposures but even a full understanding of the physical interaction of GCR with shielding and body tissues is not yet available and has a potentially large impact on mission costs. "The general opinion is that the initial flights should be short-stay missions performed as fast as possible (so-called 'Sprint' missions) to minimize crew exposure to the zero-g and space radiation environment, to ease requirements on system reliability, and to enhance the probability of mission success." The short-stay missions tend to have long transit times and may not be the best option due to the relatively long exposure to zero-g and ionizing radiation. On the other hand the short-transit missions tend to have long stays on the surface requiring an adequate knowledge of the surface radiation environment to estimate risks and to design shield configurations. Our knowledge of the surface environment is theoretically based and suffers from an incomplete understanding of the physical interactions of GCR with the Martian atmosphere, Martian surface, and intervening shield materials. An important component of Mars surface robotic exploration is the opportunity to test our understanding of the Mars surface environment. The Mars surface environment is generated by the interaction of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and Solar Particle Events (SPEs) with the Mars atmosphere and Mars surface materials. In these interactions, multiple charged ions are reduced in size and secondary particles are generated, including neutrons. Upon impact with the Martian surface, the character of the interactions changes as a result of the differing nuclear constituents of the surface materials. Among the surface environment are many neutrons diffusing from

Radiation environment assessment, measurement and its impact on health and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Pradeep; Panwar, Brijandra Singh

2012-01-01

Present paper deals with Radiation Environment Assessment, Measurement and its Impact on Health, its meaning and in particular with sustainable development perspective. Health and Environment appears to be different subjects and concepts, but in reality they are interrelated and interdependent. One cannot exist without the other. For good health hygienic environment is a sine qua non. Article 3 of Universal Declaration of Human Right 1948 incorporates the right to life. It has been interpreted by the international court that the word life does not means simply to live but it means to live with dignity and in well and pollution and radiation free environment which is a gift of nature on this universe. There is no doubt about the nuclear revolution that has taken place and has made life of human beings worth living on this earth with comfort. It is growing development of the nation. But in the process the development that has been done at the cost of human life, public health and environment which will prove fatal in the long run. So there is a need for Sustainable Development of the human and environment of the world. Precisely and concisely, the sustainable development is a process that meets the needs of the present without compromising ability of future generations to meet their own needs. A hygienic and redaction free environment will ensure the better Health of the people. Environment and nuclear power plant can coexist. The harmonization of the two needs has led to the concept of Radiation Environment Assessment and sustainable development, so much so that it has become the most significant and focal point of environmental legislation relating to the same. Sustainable development, simply put, is a process in which development can be sustained over generations effects of radiation on humans and on the environment. Finally, this paper deals with the impact of radiation on environment and the need of sustainable development for achieving a better human. (author)

Radiation protection of the environment: anthropocentric and eco-centric principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexakhin, R.M.; Fesenko, S.V.

2004-01-01

The second half of the 20. century was dominated in the field of radiation protection by the anthropocentric concept stated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). According to this concept 'if radiation standards protect man then biota are also adequately protected from ionizing radiation'. At the end of the 20. beginning of the 21. centuries in the area of radiation protection of nature an eco-centric strategy is beginning to develop where emphasis has swung to the protection of biota in their environment. Inadequacy of ICRP's anthropocentric concept is reported. Issues are discussed such as ecological dosimetry, non-equi-dose irradiation of man and biota, criteria for estimating radiation induced changes in biota and man, as well as the need to harmonize permissible exposure doses to man and biota. An urgent need is stressed to develop a single (synthetic) concept of radiation protection which simultaneously ensures protection of human health and biota well-being in their environment. This concept is to be based on the recognition of the integrity of socio-natural ecosystems where man and biota are considered as a unity. (author)

Strong suppression of radiation states in a slab waveguide sandwiched between omnidirectional mirrors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoekstra, Hugo; Yudistira, D.; Stoffer, Remco

2005-01-01

Structures in channel or slab waveguides, applied deliberately or due to imperfections, may lead to strong modal losses, corresponding to the excitation of radiation modes. As an example, losses are generally very large in slab photonic crystal (PhC) impurity waveguides (WGs) due to the combined

Radiation in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, D.W.

1995-01-01

'Radiation in the environment' includes the natural background, the release and transport of radionuclides within the atmospheric, terrestrial, aquatic and marine environments, understanding the pathways through which radionuclides gain access to humans, and the development of methods for measuring, assessing, and controlling the resulting exposures. Contributions of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to these subjects include early studies of the behaviour of radionuclides in the Columbia River and in the atmosphere and soil in the vicinity of the Hanford site, the development of methods for assessing the accompanying doses to members of the public, and the preparation of guides for the conduct of environmental surveillance activities as well as the clean-up of decommissioned facilities. An integral part of these activities has been the maintenance of close working relationships with the public, prime examples being the landmark Tri-Party Agreement and the designation of a portion of the Hanford site as the Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) Reserve. Through these efforts scientists at PNL have provided leadership in environmental activities at both the national and the international level. (author)

Role of natural radiation environment in earth sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vohra, K.G.

1980-01-01

Natural ionizing radiations play an important role in a wide spectrum of earth sciences, including meteorology, geophysics, hydrology, atmospheric physics, and atmospheric chemistry. The nature and distribution of ionizing radiation sources and natural radionuclides in the atmospheric environment are summarized. The present status of the use of natural radioactive tracers for atmospheric studies is discussed. The effect of ionization produced by natural radiation sources on atmospheric electricity, the relationship of electrical and meteorological variables, and the possible effects of man-made releases of 85 Kr are considered. Experimental evidence is presented for the production of condensation nuclei by the combined effects of radon and sulfur dioxide

Review Ionizing Radiation In The Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, K.M.

2007-01-01

Our environment is pervaded by ionizing radiation of natural origin including terrestrial radionuclides and extra-terrestrial sources but man's activities can increase radiation levels by acting on natural sources or by producing artificial radionuclides. The energy released by radionuclides can be measured. The amount of energy generated in our bodies from the radioactive decay of within- body radionuclides is called internal dose. External dose results from gamma rays emitted by terrestrial sources such as the ground, building materials and from extraterrestrial sources. The major contributors to human exposure are radon and its daughters in the air that we breathe. Ionizing radiation can penetrate into matter and thus, causing damage by interacting with the atoms and molecules of the medium. If the medium is living tissue, damage to cells can take place. Very large doses of radiation will result in serious tissue, damage that may lead to death of the organism. Lower doses may also be harmful and do not cause the immediate damage of high doses but instead act to increase the likelihood of developing cancer. So, exposure to ionizing radiation can have health consequences, which is why we are concerned about and, to a large extent, is why this review paper was written. Exposure to ionizing radiation should be kept as minimum as practically possible. People are advised to monitor the concentrations of radon in their houses. In addition, the levels of radionuclides in drinking water should also be monitored in accordance with the guidelines used in the USA

Proceedings of the Scientific Meeting on Application of Isotopes and Radiation: Book 2. Chemistry, Environment, Radiation Process, And Industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suhadi, F; Sisworo, E L; Maha, M; Ismachin, M; Hilmy, N; Sumatra, M; Mugiono,; Wandowo,; Soebianto, Y S [Center for Application of Isotopes and Radiation, National Atomic Energy Agency, Jakarta (Indonesia)

1998-07-01

The aim of the 10th Meeting of the Isotope and Radiation Application is to disseminate the result of research on application of nuclear techniques on agriculture, animal, biology, chemistry, environment, radiation process and industry. The meeting was held in Jakarta, 18-19 February 1998, and there were 6 invited papers and 52 papers indexed individually. This proceeding is divided by two volumes. Volume I and volume II consists of agriculture, animal, biology and chemistry, environment, radiation process and industry, respectively.(ID)

Proceedings of the Scientific Meeting on Application of Isotopes and Radiation: Book 2. Chemistry, Environment, Radiation Process, And Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suhadi, F.; Sisworo, E.L.; Maha, M.; Ismachin, M.; Hilmy, N.; Sumatra, M.; Mugiono; Wandowo; Soebianto, Y.S.

1998-01-01

The aim of the 10th Meeting of the Isotope and Radiation Application is to disseminate the result of research on application of nuclear techniques on agriculture, animal, biology, chemistry, environment, radiation process and industry. The meeting was held in Jakarta, 18-19 February 1998, and there were 6 invited papers and 52 papers indexed individually. This proceeding is divided by two volumes. Volume I and volume II consists of agriculture, animal, biology and chemistry, environment, radiation process and industry, respectively.(ID)

Monitoring of contamination of atmospheric environment by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ise, Hiroaki

1995-01-01

Atmospheric pollution has become a worldwide problem regardless of developed industrial nations and developing countries. In particular, the pollution due to automobile exhaust gas, the carcinogenic particles in diesel exhaust and their relation to various respiratory diseases are the problems. Nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides in exhaust gas become the cause of acid rain. Radiation began to be utilized for the measurement of the concentration of floating particles and the amount of fallout dust, the forecast of the generation and diffusion of pollutants, the elucidation of the contribution of generation sources in wide areas and so on. In this report, the circumstances that radiation became to be utilized for monitoring atmospheric environment and the present status and the perspective of the radiation utilization in the field of the preservation of atmospheric environment are described. The progress of the method of measuring floating particles in Japan is explained. The automatic measurement of floating particles by β-ray absorption method and the application of β-ray absorption method to the measurement of the amount of fallout dust, generation source particles and the exposure to floating particles of individuals for health control are described. The utilization of radiation for real time monitoring, the investigation of the generation of blown-up dust, atmospheric diffusion experiment and the elucidation of the contribution of generation sources by PIXE radioactivation analysis are reported. (K.I.)

An evaluation on environment radiation impact of pulsed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Yingwei; Pu Gongxu; Li Jian

1991-01-01

The dose regulation, assessment scope and assessment method adopted by the environment impact evaluation for the pulsed reactor are discussed. The compute model, the compute programme and the compute result of the dose adopted for the model pulsed reactor are introduced. The probable environment radiation impact under normal status and accident status are also appraised

Linear devices in combined high-level radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Vonno, N.W.

1987-01-01

The design of precision analog integrated circuits for use in combined high-level radiation environments has traditionally been on a full-custom basis. The use of semicustom design methods has become prevalent in digital devices, with standard cell libraries and gate arrays readily available from multiple vendors. This paper addresses the application of semicustom design techniques to analog parts. In all cases the emphasis is on bipolar technology, since this provides an optimal combination of precision and radiation hardness. A mixed mode analog/digital (A/D) cell family for implementing semicustom designs is described, together with the fabrication process used. Specific processing and design methods are used to provide circuit hardness against neutron, total gamma dose, and transient gamma environments. Semicustom mixed analog/digital design is seen as an appropriate methodology for implementation of medium-performance mixed mode functions for radiation-hardened applications. This leads to trade-offs in process complexity and performance. Full custom design remains necessary for demanding applications such as high-speed A/D conversion and associated sample/hold functions. An A/D cell family optimized for hardness is described, together with the bipolar process used to implement it

Adaptation of radiation shielding code to space environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuno, Koichi; Hara, Akihisa

1992-01-01

Recently, the trend to the development of space has heightened. To the development of space, many problems are related, and as one of them, there is the protection from cosmic ray. The cosmic ray is the radiation having ultrahigh energy, and there was not the radiation shielding design code that copes with cosmic ray so far. Therefore, the high energy radiation shielding design code for accelerators was improved so as to cope with the peculiarity that cosmic ray possesses. Moreover, the calculation of the radiation dose equivalent rate in the moon base to which the countermeasures against cosmic ray were taken was simulated by using the improved code. As the important countermeasures for the safety protection from radiation, the covering with regolith is carried out, and the effect of regolith was confirmed by using the improved code. Galactic cosmic ray, solar flare particles, radiation belt, the adaptation of the radiation shielding code HERMES to space environment, the improvement of the three-dimensional hadron cascade code HETCKFA-2 and the electromagnetic cascade code EGS 4-KFA, and the cosmic ray simulation are reported. (K.I.)

Radiation by a heavy quark in N=4 SYM at strong coupling

CERN Document Server

Hatta, Y; Mueller, A H; Triantafyllopoulos, D N

2011-01-01

Using the AdS/CFT correspondence in the supergravity approximation, we compute the energy density radiated by a heavy quark undergoing some arbitrary motion in the vacuum of the strongly coupled N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. We find that this energy is fully generated via backreaction from the near-boundary endpoint of the dual string attached to the heavy quark. Because of that, the energy distribution shows the same space-time localization as the classical radiation that would be produced by the heavy quark at weak coupling. We believe that this and some other unnatural features of our result (like its anisotropy and the presence of regions with negative energy density) are artifacts of the supergravity approximation, which will be corrected after including string fluctuations. For the case where the quark trajectory is bounded, we also compute the radiated power, by integrating the energy density over the surface of a sphere at infinity. For sufficiently large times, we find agreement with a previo...

Radiation-induced apoptosis in different pH environments in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyung-Sik; Park, Heon J.; Lyons, John C.; Griffin, Robert J.; Auger, Elizabeth A.; Song, Chang W.

1997-01-01

Purpose: The effect of environmental pH on the radiation-induced apoptosis in tumor cells in vitro was investigated. Methods and Materials: Mammary adenocarcinoma cells of A/J mice (SCK cells) were irradiated with γ-rays using a 137 Cs irradiator and incubated in media of different pHs. After incubation at 37 deg. C for 24-120 h the extent of apoptosis was determined using agarose gel electrophoresis, TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, flow cytometry, and release of 3 H from 3 H-thymidine labeled cells. The clonogenicity of the cells irradiated in different pH medium was determined, and the progression of cells through the cell cycle after irradiation in different pHs was also determined with flow cytometry. Results: Irradiation with 2-12 Gy of γ-rays induced apoptosis in SCK cells in pH 7.5 medium within 48 h as judged from the results of four different assays mentioned. Radiation-induced apoptosis declined as the medium pH was lowered from 7.5 to 6.4. Specifically, the radiation-induced degradation of DNA including the early DNA breaks, as determined with the TUNEL method, progressively declined as the medium pH was lowered so that little DNA fragmentation occurred 48 h after irradiation with 12 Gy in pH 6.6 medium. When the cells were irradiated and incubated for 48 h in pH 6.6 medium and the medium was replaced with pH 7.5 medium, DNA fragmentation promptly occurred. DNA fragmentation also occurred even in pH 6.6 medium when the cells were irradiated and maintained in pH 7.5 medium for 8 h or longer post-irradiation before incubation in pH 6.6 medium. The radiation-induced G 2 arrest in pH 6.6 medium lasted markedly longer than that in pH 7.5 medium. Conclusion: Radiation-induced apoptosis in SCK cells in vitro is reversibly suppressed in an acidic environment. Taking the results of four different assays together, it was concluded that early step(s) in the apoptotic pathway, probably the DNA break or upstream of DNA break, is

Ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation in educational environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzawa, Takao; Otsubo, Tomonobu; Ikke, Satoshi; Taguchi, Noriko; Takeda, Rie

2005-01-01

By chance, we measured gamma dose rates in our school, and around the JCO Tokai Plant during the criticality on September 30 in 1999, with our GM survey meter. At that time, we made sure to estimate the position of criticality reaction (source point), and the source intensity of criticality reaction, with our own data, measured along the public roads, route 6 and local road 62. The intensity of gamma dose rates along the road was analyzed as Lorentz functions. At the time, there were no environmental radiation data about the criticality accident, or all the data, especially radioactivity and dose rates around the JCO Tokai Plant, was closed to the public. Recently, we are interested in the intensity of non-ionizing radiation, especially extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field, and electric field, in our environment. We adopted the same method to analyze the source position and source intensity of an ELF magnetic field and electric behind a wall. (author)

Radiation in the human environment: health effects, safety and acceptability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, A.J.; Anderer, J.

1990-01-01

This paper reports selectively on three other aspects of radiation (used throughout to mean ionizing radiation) in the human environment: the human health effects of radiation, radiation safety policy and practices, and the acceptability of scientifically justified practices involving radiation exposures. Our argument is that the science of radiation biology, the judgemental techniques of radiation safety, and the social domain of radiation acceptability express different types of expertise that should complement - and not conflict with or substitute for - one another. Unfortunately, communication problems have arisen among these three communities and even between the various disciplines represented within a community. These problems have contributed greatly to the misperceptions many people have about radiation and which are frustrating a constructive dialogue on how radiation can be harnessed to benefit mankind. Our analysis seeks to assist those looking for a strategic perspective from which to reflect on their interaction with practices involving radiation exposures. (author)

Comparative proteomic analysis of rice after seed ground simulated radiation and spaceflight explains the radiation effects of space environment

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Shi, Jinming; Liang, Shujian; Lei, Huang; Shenyi, Zhang; Sun, Yeqing

In previous work, we compared the proteomic profiles of rice plants growing after seed space-flights with ground controls by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) and found that the protein expression profiles were changed after seed space environment exposures. Spaceflight represents a complex environmental condition in which several interacting factors such as cosmic radiation, microgravity and space magnetic fields are involved. Rice seed is in the process of dormant of plant development, showing high resistance against stresses, so the highly ionizing radiation (HZE) in space is considered as main factor causing biological effects to seeds. To further investigate the radiation effects of space environment, we performed on-ground simulated HZE particle radiation and compared between the proteomes of seed irra-diated plants and seed spaceflight (20th recoverable satellite) plants from the same rice variety. Space ionization shows low-dose but high energy particle effects, for searching the particle effects, ground radiations with the same low-dose (2mGy) but different liner energy transfer (LET) values (13.3KeV/µm-C, 30KeV/µm-C, 31KeV/µm-Ne, 62.2KeV/µm-C, 500Kev/µm-Fe) were performed; using 2-D DIGE coupled with clustering and principle component analysis (PCA) for data process and comparison, we found that the holistic protein expression patterns of plants irradiated by LET-62.2KeV/µm carbon particles were most similar to spaceflight. In addition, although space environment presents a low-dose radiation (0.177 mGy/day on the satellite), the equivalent simulated radiation dose effects should still be evaluated: radiations of LET-62.2KeV/µm carbon particles with different cumulative doses (2mGy, 20mGy, 200mGy, 2000mGy) were further carried out and resulted that the 2mGy radiation still shared most similar proteomic profiles with spaceflight, confirming the low-dose effects of space radiation. Therefore, in the protein expression level

Internal Charging Design Environments for the Earths Radiation Belts

Science.gov (United States)

Minow, Joseph I.; Edwards, David L.

2009-01-01

Relativistic electrons in the Earth's radiation belts are a widely recognized threat to spacecraft because they penetrate lightly shielded vehicle hulls and deep into insulating materials where they accumulate to sufficient levels to produce electrostatic discharges. Strategies for evaluating the magnitude of the relativistic electron flux environment and its potential for producing ESD events are varied. Simple "rule of thumb" estimates such as the widely used 10(exp 10) e-/sq cm fluence within 10 hour threshold for the onset of pulsing in dielectric materials provide a quick estimate of when to expect charging issues. More sophisticated strategies based on models of the trapped electron flux within the Earth s magnetic field provide time dependent estimates of electron flux along spacecraft orbits and orbit integrate electron flux. Finally, measurements of electron flux can be used to demonstrate mean and extreme relativistic electron environments. This presentation will evaluate strategies used to specify energetic electron flux and fluence environments along spacecraft trajectories in the Earth s radiation belts.

Behaviour of organic materials in radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavlet, M.; Ilie, S.

1999-01-01

An extensive radiation damage test program has been carried out in CERN for decades and many results have yet been published. Over the years, EPR/EPDM-based rubbers and polyolefin-based compounds used for cable insulation have been tested. Polyolefin-based compounds usually present an important dose-rate effect. This is related to the presence of oxygen, it may be combined with a temperature effect. On the other hand, it appears from many results that the degradation of cable insulations does not depend on the radiation type. Tests of insulating and structural materials after irradiation at cryogenic temperature have shown that there is no significant influence of the irradiation temperature on the radiation degradation of thermo-sets and composites, while the degradation of plastic films is even less severe as they are protected against oxidation. Some experiments about the synergy between irradiation and mechanical stress have shown that rubbers and composites under stress are more sensitive to radiation and degrade faster. Very strong synergetic effects between radiation and other parameters are observed in organic optical materials such as scintillators and optical fibres. For fluorocarbon cooling fluids, a special care must be paid to alkanes and hydro-fluoro-alkanes, which are usually present as impurities, and of which the C-H bonds content opens the way to the reactive hydrofluoric acid evolution during the radiolytic process

The report on 'effects of radiation on the environment' from UNSCEAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodhead, D.S.

1997-01-01

The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) concluded, in response to some expressions of concern, that it would be opportune to provide an independent examination of: the current situation regarding the radiation exposure of the natural environment; and the basis available for assessing the potential impact on the environment of incremental exposures from human activities. The final report is about to be published and this paper gives a brief summary of the important points and conclusions. (author)

A virtual environment for medical radiation collaborative learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Bridge, Pete; Trapp, Jamie V; Kastanis, Lazaros; Pack, Darren; Parker, Jacqui C

2015-06-01

A software-based environment was developed to provide practical training in medical radiation principles and safety. The Virtual Radiation Laboratory application allowed students to conduct virtual experiments using simulated diagnostic and radiotherapy X-ray generators. The experiments were designed to teach students about the inverse square law, half value layer and radiation protection measures and utilised genuine clinical and experimental data. Evaluation of the application was conducted in order to ascertain the impact of the software on students' understanding, satisfaction and collaborative learning skills and also to determine potential further improvements to the software and guidelines for its continued use. Feedback was gathered via an anonymous online survey consisting of a mixture of Likert-style questions and short answer open questions. Student feedback was highly positive with 80 % of students reporting increased understanding of radiation protection principles. Furthermore 72 % enjoyed using the software and 87 % of students felt that the project facilitated collaboration within small groups. The main themes arising in the qualitative feedback comments related to efficiency and effectiveness of teaching, safety of environment, collaboration and realism. Staff and students both report gains in efficiency and effectiveness associated with the virtual experiments. In addition students particularly value the visualisation of "invisible" physical principles and increased opportunity for experimentation and collaborative problem-based learning. Similar ventures will benefit from adopting an approach that allows for individual experimentation while visualizing challenging concepts.

Radiation technology for conservation of the environment. Proceedings of a symposium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-06-01

In September 1997 the IAEA held an International Symposium in Zakopane, Poland, on the applications of radiation technology in conservation of environment. The symposium attended 110 participants representing 38 Member States. The objective was to review the status of current developments and applications of radiation processing in the control of environment pollution and to discuss future developments. The scientific programme covered a wide range of different applications of radiation technology, such as purification of exhaust gases, decontamination of wastewater from industrial and municipal sources, sewage sludge treatment, disinfection and detoxication of solid waste, recycling and the treatment of plastic and solid waste. The document contains full presentations. The symposium (56 papers) was held in 10 sessions as follows: Purification of Exhaust Gases (8 papers); Radiation Chemistry and the Environment (5 papers); Purification and Decontamination of Water (10 papers); Sewage Sludge Treatment (6 papers); Biomedical Applications (5 papers); Recycling and Treatment of Plastic and Solid Wastes (4 papers); Facilities (4 papers); Quality Assurance, Quality Control (4 papers); Transfer of Technology through Technical Co-Operation (5 papers); Curing, Cross-Linking and Grafting (5 papers). A separate abstract and indexing were provided for each paper

Radiation technology for conservation of the environment. Proceedings of a symposium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-06-01

In September 1997 the IAEA held an International Symposium in Zakopane, Poland, on the applications of radiation technology in conservation of environment. The symposium attended 110 participants representing 38 Member States. The objective was to review the status of current developments and applications of radiation processing in the control of environment pollution and to discuss future developments. The scientific programme covered a wide range of different applications of radiation technology, such as purification of exhaust gases, decontamination of wastewater from industrial and municipal sources, sewage sludge treatment, disinfection and detoxication of solid waste, recycling and the treatment of plastic and solid waste. The document contains full presentations. The symposium (56 papers) was held in 10 sessions as follows: Purification of Exhaust Gases (8 papers); Radiation Chemistry and the Environment (5 papers); Purification and Decontamination of Water (10 papers); Sewage Sludge Treatment (6 papers); Biomedical Applications (5 papers); Recycling and Treatment of Plastic and Solid Wastes (4 papers); Facilities (4 papers); Quality Assurance, Quality Control (4 papers); Transfer of Technology through Technical Co-Operation (5 papers); Curing, Cross-Linking and Grafting (5 papers). A separate abstract and indexing were provided for each paper Refs, figs, tabs

Space Radiation Environment Prediction for VLSI microelectronics devices onboard a LEO Satellite using OMERE-Trad Software

Science.gov (United States)

Sajid, Muhammad

This tutorial/survey paper presents the assessment/determination of level of hazard/threat to emerging microelectronics devices in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space radiation environment with perigee at 300 Km, apogee at 600Km altitude having different orbital inclinations to predict the reliability of onboard Bulk Built-In Current Sensor (BBICS) fabricated in 350nm technology node at OptMA Lab. UFMG Brazil. In this context, the various parameters for space radiation environment have been analyzed to characterize the ionizing radiation environment effects on proposed BBICS. The Space radiation environment has been modeled in the form of particles trapped in Van-Allen radiation belts(RBs), Energetic Solar Particles Events (ESPE) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) where as its potential effects on Device- Under-Test (DUT) has been predicted in terms of Total Ionizing Dose (TID), Single-Event Effects (SEE) and Displacement Damage Dose (DDD). Finally, the required mitigation techniques including necessary shielding requirements to avoid undesirable effects of radiation environment at device level has been estimated /determined with assumed standard thickness of Aluminum shielding. In order to evaluate space radiation environment and analyze energetic particles effects on BBICS, OMERE toolkit developed by TRAD was utilized.

The radiation monitoring of environment around place of treatment and storage of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vdovina, E.D.

2001-01-01

Full text: Large success was attained in the field of radiation protection of research nuclear center, but it is necessary to carry out works in this way around place of treatment and storage of radioactive wastes too. Moreover, for protection of environment it is necessary to control radiation condition of system (radioactive wastes of nuclear center - environment). There is large amount of natural and man-made radionuclides in environment and it is important to solve problem to control individual radionuclides, polluting natural environment. Also, it is necessary to control concentrations of specific radionuclides, which are marks of definite radioactive source. The radionuclides 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 60 Co, 141 Ce, 144 Ce, 95 Zr, 95 Nb, 131 I and natural radionuclides of uranium, thorium and their products of decay are basic radionuclides. The 57 Co, 35 S, 32 P are considered also basic radionuclides taking into consideration specialization of our Institute. The basic problems of control of environment are following: observation of radioactive pollution level of environment objects; estimation of radioactive pollution level with the purpose of warning of possible negative consequences; investigation of dynamics of radioactivity and prognosis of radioactive pollution of environment objects; influence on sources of radioactive pollution. There is large volume information, characterizing radiation condition of environment around research nuclear center and around place of treatment and storage of radioactive wastes. The bank of environment object analysis result date was build for investigation of information. The system of protection around location of treatment and storage of radioactive wastes and around nuclear center consists of control of radioactive wastes, superficial and underground water, soil, plants, atmospheric precipitation. There are analysis of total β- activity, α-activity and γ-spectrometry. This control includes estimation of throw down values

SPACE RADIATION ENVIRONMENT MONITORED BY KITSAT-1 AND KITSAT-2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. H. Shin

1996-06-01

Full Text Available The results of space radiation experiments carried out on board the first two Korean technology demonstration microsatellites are presented in this paper. The first satellite, KITSAT-1, launched in August 1992, carries a radiation monitoring payload called cosmic ray experiment(CRE for characterizing the low-earth orbit(LEO radiation environment. The CRE consists of two sub-systems: the cosmic particle experiment (CPE and the total dose experiment(TDE. In addition, single event upset(SEUrates of the program memory and the RAM disk are also monitored. The second satellite, KITSAT-2, launched in September 1993, carries a newly developed 32-bit on-board computer(OBC, KASCOM(KAIST satellite computer in addition to OBC186. SEUs ocurred in the KASCOM, as well as in the program memory and RAM disk memory, have been monitored since the beginning of the satellite operation. These two satellites, which are very similar in structures but different in orbits, provide a unique opportunity to study the effects of the radiation environment characterized by the orbit.

Techniques for predicting environment electromagnetic radiation at satellite ground station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Peiji

1987-01-01

The measurement theories, techniques, and calculation methods on public exposure level of electromagnetic radiation at satellite ground station are described for the purpose of enviroment protection and research of EM compatibility. According to the results of the measurement and calculation, it is possible to predict the effects of electromagnetic radiation to environment at satellite ground station

Environments with elevated radiation levels from natural radioactive substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabi, M.

2000-01-01

Some areas in the world have elevated levels of radioactive substances in the environment forming elevated radiation areas (ERAs) where public potential annual effective doses can exceed even the dose limit of radiation workers. Such radioactive substances are either terrestrial natural radioactivity added naturally in the soil or natural and/or man-made radioactivity from human activities added into the environment. If radioactivity is added naturally, elevated natural radiation areas (ENRAs) are formed. Based on the classification criteria introduced by the author, such regions are divided into static and dynamic areas. They are also classified in accordance with their level of potential effective dose to the public. Some main ENRAs are classified. Highlights are presented of the results of activity studies carried out in selected areas. The concepts discussed can also be applied to areas formed by human activities. The author suggests some guidelines for future studies, regulatory control and decision making, bearing in mind the need for harmonization of policies for regulatory control and remedial actions at sites to protect the public from environmental chronic exposures. (author)

General impact of robotics and automation in radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meghdari, A.; Salehi, M.

1993-01-01

Robotics and automation systems in nuclear environments require special design considerations. This paper presents an overview of selected robotic systems already designed and developed for use in nuclear applications at some U.S. laboratories. It will further emphasize on tasks identification, operational constraints, special considerations in materials selection, and a general guideline for robotic systems design in radiation environments. (author). 5 refs, 5 figs

Modification of GNPS environment radiation monitoring network system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Lili; Cao Chunsheng

1999-01-01

GNPS Environment Radiation Continuous Monitoring System (KRS), the only real time on-line system of site radiation monitoring, was put into service in 1993 prior to the first loading the the plant. It is revealed through several years of operation that this system has some deficiencies such as inadequate real time monitoring means, no figure and diagram display function on the central computer, high failures, frequent failure warning signals, thus making the availability of the system at a low level. In recent years, with the rapid development of computer network technology and increasingly strict requirements on the NPP environment protection raised by the government and public, KRS modification had become necessary and urgent. In 1996, GNPS carried out modification work on the measuring geometry condition of γ radiation monitoring sub-station and lightening protection. To enhance the functions of real time monitoring and data auto-processing, further modification of the system was made in 1998, including the update of the software and hardware of KRS central processor, set-up of system computer local network and database. In this way, the system availability and monitoring quality are greatly improved and effective monitoring and analysis means are provided for gaseous release during normal operation and under accident condition

Astrobiological Effects of Stellar Radiation in Circumstellar Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Cuntz, Manfred; Gurdemir, Levent; Guinan, Edward F.; Kurucz, Robert L.

2006-10-01

The centerpiece of all life on Earth is carbon-based biochemistry. Previous scientific research has suggested that biochemistry based on carbon may also play a decisive role in extraterrestrial life forms, i.e., alien life outside of Earth, if existent. In the following, we explore if carbon-based macromolecules (such as DNA) in the environments of stars other than the Sun are able to survive the effects of energetic stellar radiation, such as UV-C in the wavelength band between 200 and 290 nm. We focus on main-sequence stars akin to the Sun, but of hotter (F-type stars) and cooler (K- and M-type stars) surface temperature. Emphasis is placed on investigating the radiative environment in stellar habitable zones (HZs). Stellar habitable zones have an important relevance in astrobiology because they constitute circumstellar regions in which a planet of suitable size can have surface temperatures for water to exist in liquid form.

Radiation exposure of airline crew members to the atmospheric ionizing radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelis, G. De; Ballard, T.; Lagorio, S.; Verdecchia, A.

2000-01-01

All risk assessment techniques for possible health effects from low dose rate radiation exposure should combine knowledge both of the radiation environment and of the biological response, whose effects (e.g. carcinogenesis) are usually evaluated through mathematical models and/or animal and cell experiments. Data on human exposure to low dose rate radiation exposure and its effects are not readily available, especially with regards to stochastic effects, related to carcinogenesis and therefore to cancer risks, for which the event probability increases with increasing radiation exposure. The largest source of such data might be airline flight personnel, if enrolled for studies on health effects induced by the cosmic-ray generated atmospheric ionizing radiation, whose total dose, increasing over the years, might cause delayed radiation-induced health effects, with the high-LET and highly ionizing neutron component typical of atmospheric radiation. In 1990 flight personnel has been given the status of 'occupationally exposed to radiation' by the International Commission for Radiation Protection (ICRP), with a received radiation dose that is at least twice larger than that of the general population. The studies performed until now were limited in scope and cohort size, and moreover no information whatsoever on radiation occupational exposure (e.g. dose, flight hours, route haul, etc.) was used in the analysis, so no correlation has been until now possible between atmospheric ionizing radiation and (possibly radiation-induced) observed health effects. Our study addresses the issues, by considering all Italian civilian airline flight personnel, both cockpit and cabin crew members, with about 10,000 people selected, whose records on work history and actual flights (route, aircraft type, date, etc. for each individual flight for each person where possible) are considered. Data on actual flight routes and profiles have been obtained for the whole time frame. The actual dose

Pion Production from Proton Synchrotron Radiation under Strong Magnetic Field in Relativistic Quantum Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maruyama Tomoyuki

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We study pion production from proton synchrotron radiation in the presence of strong magnetic fields by using the exact proton propagator in a strong magnetic field and explicitly including the anomalous magnetic moment. Results in this exact quantum-field approach do not agree with those obtained in the semi-classical approach. Furthermore, we also find that the anomalous magnetic moment of the proton greatly enhances the production rate about by two orders of magnitude, and that the polar angle of an emitted pion is the same as that of an initial proton.

Use of COTS microelectronics in radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winokur, P.S.; Lum, G.K.; Shaneyfelt, M.R.; Sexton, F.W.; Hash, G.L.; Scott, L.

1999-01-01

This paper addresses key issues for the cost-effective use of COTS (Commercially available Off The Shelf) microelectronics in radiation environments that enable circuit or system designers to manage risks and ensure mission success. They review several factors and tradeoffs affecting the successful application of COTS parts including (1) hardness assurance and qualification issues, (2) system hardening techniques, and (3) life-cycle costs. The paper also describes several experimental studies that address trends in total-dose, transient, and single-event radiation hardness as COTS technology scales to smaller feature sizes. As an example, the level at which dose-rate upset occurs in Samsung SRAMs increases from 1.4 x 10 8 rad(Si)/s for a 256K SRAM to 7.7 x 10 9 rad(Si)/s for a 4M SRAM, indicating unintentional hardening improvements in the design of process of a commercial technology. Additional experiments were performed to quantify variations in radiation hardness for COTS parts. In one study, only small (10--15%) variations were found in the dose-rate upset and latchup thresholds for Samsung 4M SRAMs from three different date codes. In another study, irradiations of 4M SRAMs from Samsung, Hitachi, and Toshiba indicate large differences in total-dose radiation hardness. The paper attempts to carefully define terms and clear up misunderstandings about the definitions of COTS and radiation-hardened (RH) technology

SEL monitoring of the earth's energetic particle radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauer, H.H.

1989-01-01

The Space Environment Laboratory (SEL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintains instruments on board the GOES series of geostationary satellites, and aboard the NOAA/TIROS series of low-altitude, polar-orbiting satellites, which provide monitoring of the energetic particle radiation environment as well as monitoring the geostationary magnetic field and the solar x-ray flux. The data are used by the SEL Space Environment Services Center (SESC) to help provide real-time monitoring and forecasting of the state of the near earth environment and its disturbances, and to maintain a source of reliable information to research and operational activities of a variety of users

Proceedings. Protection of the natural environment. International symposium on ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiro, B.; Johansson, Gunnar; Larsson, Carl-Magnus; Luening, M.

1996-01-01

The symposium was organised jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute and the Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada. The programme was organised around six major topics: Biological effects of ionising radiation; Ecological effects of ionising radiation; Behaviour and transport of radionuclides in the natural environment; Criteria for environmental protection; Assessment methodology; and Social and economic aspects. All 86 contributions (excluding the opening addresses) have been separately indexed

Radiation protection for humans and environment. 50 years competence in the professional association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucher, Benno; Wilhelm, Christoph

2016-01-01

The conference proceedings of the IRPA (International radiation protection association) annual meeting 2016 contain the contribution of invited referents, other contributions and poster contributions concerning radiation protection in nuclear facilities, radiation protection of the public and environment, radioactive waste management, uranium mining, environmental monitoring, natural radioactivity, and radiation protection laws and regulations.

THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT ON SHEAR IN STRONG GRAVITATIONAL LENSES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Kenneth C.; Zabludoff, Ann I.; Keeton, Charles R.; Williams, Kurtis A.; Momcheva, Ivelina G.

2011-01-01

Using new photometric and spectroscopic data in the fields of nine strong gravitational lenses that lie in galaxy groups, we analyze the effects of both the local group environment and line-of-sight (LOS) galaxies on the lens potential. We use Monte Carlo simulations to derive the shear directly from measurements of the complex lens environment, providing the first detailed independent check of the shear obtained from lens modeling. We account for possible tidal stripping of the group galaxies by varying the fraction of total mass apportioned between the group dark matter halo and individual group galaxies. The environment produces an average shear of γ = 0.08 (ranging from 0.02 to 0.17), significant enough to affect quantities derived from lens observables. However, the direction and magnitude of the shears do not match those obtained from lens modeling in three of the six four-image systems in our sample (B1422, RXJ1131, and WFI2033). The source of this disagreement is not clear, implying that the assumptions inherent in both the environment and lens model approaches must be reconsidered. If only the local group environment of the lens is included, the average shear is γ = 0.05 (ranging from 0.01 to 0.14), indicating that LOS contributions to the lens potential are not negligible. We isolate the effects of various theoretical and observational uncertainties on our results. Of those uncertainties, the scatter in the Faber-Jackson relation and error in the group centroid position dominate. Future surveys of lens environments should prioritize spectroscopic sampling of both the local lens environment and objects along the LOS, particularly those bright (I< 21.5) galaxies projected within 5' of the lens.

Wireless Communication Enhancement Methods for Mobile Robots in Radiation Environments

CERN Document Server

Nattanmai Parasuraman, Ramviyas; Ferre, Manuel

In hostile environments such as in scientific facilities where ionising radiation is a dominant hazard, reducing human interventions by increasing robotic operations are desirable. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has around 50 km of underground scientific facilities, where wireless mobile robots could help in the operation of the accelerator complex, e.g. in conducting remote inspections and radiation surveys in different areas. The main challenges to be considered here are not only that the robots should be able to go over long distances and operate for relatively long periods, but also the underground tunnel environment, the possible presence of electromagnetic fields, radiation effects, and the fact that the robots shall in no way interrupt the operation of the accelerators. Having a reliable and robust wireless communication system is essential for successful execution of such robotic missions and to avoid situations of manual recovery of the robots in the event that the robot runs ...

Interactive intervention planning in particle accelerator environments with ionizing radiation

CERN Document Server

Fabry, Thomas; Baudin, Mathieu; Theis, Chris; Braesch, Christian; Feral, Bruno

2013-01-01

A core issue during the planning of a maintenance intervention in a facility with ionizing radiation is the minimization of the integrated equivalent dose contracted by the maintenance workers during the intervention. In this work, we lay down the concepts for intervention planning in an irradiated environment and present a new software program for intervention planning, which provides interactive visualization of facilities and radiation levels, as well as tools for interactive trajectory planning. The software includes automatic calculation of the expected integrated equivalent radiation dose contracted during an intervention.

Interactive intervention planning in particle accelerator environments with ionizing radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fabry, Thomas, E-mail: thomas.fabry@cern.ch [European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23 (Switzerland); Vanherpe, Liesbeth [European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23 (Switzerland); Baudin, Mathieu [European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23 (Switzerland); LCPI, ENSAM ParisTech, 151 Boulevard de l' Hôpital, 75013 Paris (France); Theis, Chris [European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23 (Switzerland); Braesch, Christian [SYMME, Université de Savoie, Polytech Annecy-Chambry, 5 chemin de Bellevue, 74944 Annecy le Vieux (France); Feral, Bruno [European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23 (Switzerland)

2013-04-21

A core issue during the planning of a maintenance intervention in a facility with ionizing radiation is the minimization of the integrated equivalent dose contracted by the maintenance workers during the intervention. In this work, we lay down the concepts for intervention planning in an irradiated environment and present a new software program for intervention planning, which provides interactive visualization of facilities and radiation levels, as well as tools for interactive trajectory planning. The software includes automatic calculation of the expected integrated equivalent radiation dose contracted during an intervention.

Interactive intervention planning in particle accelerator environments with ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabry, Thomas; Vanherpe, Liesbeth; Baudin, Mathieu; Theis, Chris; Braesch, Christian; Feral, Bruno

2013-01-01

A core issue during the planning of a maintenance intervention in a facility with ionizing radiation is the minimization of the integrated equivalent dose contracted by the maintenance workers during the intervention. In this work, we lay down the concepts for intervention planning in an irradiated environment and present a new software program for intervention planning, which provides interactive visualization of facilities and radiation levels, as well as tools for interactive trajectory planning. The software includes automatic calculation of the expected integrated equivalent radiation dose contracted during an intervention

Radiation Environments for Future Human Exploration Throughout the Solar System.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwadron, N.; Gorby, M.; Linker, J.; Riley, P.; Torok, T.; Downs, C.; Spence, H. E.; Desai, M. I.; Mikic, Z.; Joyce, C. J.; Kozarev, K. A.; Townsend, L. W.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2016-12-01

Acute space radiation hazards pose one of the most serious risks to future human and robotic exploration. The ability to predict when and where large events will occur is necessary in order to mitigate their hazards. The largest events are usually associated with complex sunspot groups (also known as active regions) that harbor strong, stressed magnetic fields. Highly energetic protons accelerated very low in the corona by the passage of coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven compressions or shocks and from flares travel near the speed of light, arriving at Earth minutes after the eruptive event. Whether these particles actually reach Earth, the Moon, Mars (or any other point) depends on their transport in the interplanetary magnetic field and their magnetic connection to the shock. Recent contemporaneous observations during the largest events in almost a decade show the unique longitudinal distributions of this ionizing radiation broadly distributed from sources near the Sun and yet highly isolated during the passage of CME shocks. Over the last decade, we have observed space weather events as the solar wind exhibits extremely low densities and magnetic field strengths, representing states that have never been observed during the space age. The highly abnormal solar activity during cycles 23 and 24 has caused the longest solar minimum in over 80 years and continues into the unusually small solar maximum of cycle 24. As a result of the remarkably weak solar activity, we have also observed the highest fluxes of galactic cosmic rays in the space age and relatively small particle radiation events. We have used observations from LRO/CRaTER to examine the implications of these highly unusual solar conditions for human space exploration throughout the inner solar system. While these conditions are not a show-stopper for long-duration missions (e.g., to the Moon, an asteroid, or Mars), galactic cosmic ray radiation remains a significant and worsening factor that limits

Application of radiation and isotopes for a better environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danesi, P.R.

2000-01-01

The IAEA, working with governments and international bodies, is promoting the use of radiation technology and isotopes (nuclear techniques) in devising and implementing strategies for environmental sustainability. The number of nuclear techniques which can contribute to a better environment is very large. For practical purpose they can be schematically grouped into three categories, i.e. a) techniques for monitoring and assessing environmental pollution, b) techniques for reducing the environmental impact of increased productivity, c) techniques for the development of new resources in a more environmentally friendly manner. Examples in category a) are: the analysis of non-radioactive and radioactive pollutants, tracer techniques for pollutant transport studies, trace techniques for monitoring pesticide residues in food and the environment, climatic studies thorough isotopes in precipitation. Examples in category b) are: electron beam processing of combustion flue gases, the sterile insect technique for insect pest eradication and control, nitrogen fixation in crops and trees to optimise fertiliser use and combat desertification, tracer techniques for optimising fertiliser use, nuclear techniques for improving water management practices and reduce pollution of fresh water. Examples in category c) are : isotopes for studying the origin and flow of water, radiation mutation in plants for obtain crops with better agronomic characteristics including resistance to diseases. In this work examples and practical achievements of the most significant techniques and technologies for the improvement of the environment based on the use of radiation and isotopes are presented. (author)

Experimental checking results of mathematical modeling of the radiation environment sensor based on diamond detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gladchenkov, E V; Kolyubin, V A; Nedosekin, P G; Zaharchenko, K V; Ibragimov, R F; Kadilin, V V; Tyurin, E M

2017-01-01

Were conducted a series of experiments, the purpose of which had to verify the mathematical model of the radiation environment sensor. Theoretical values of the beta particles count rate from 90 Sr - 90 Y source registered by radiation environment sensor was compared with the experimental one. Theoretical (calculated) count rate of beta particles was found with using the developed mathematical model of the radiation environment sensor. Deviation of the calculated values of the beta particle count rate does not exceed 10% from the experimental. (paper)

Application to the conservation of RF tags in the radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teraura, Nobuyuki; Ito, Kunio; Takahashi, Naoki; Sakurai, Kouichi

2011-01-01

RF tags that are implemented RFID technology as tag has been used in various fields. Tags have been developed, such as resistance to chemicals and high temperature resistant RF tags are also used in specialized fields. The RF tag apply to the existing nuclear field, had been concerned about the effects of radiation to the RF tags. Now, since the RF tag with a goal to develop radiation-proof, we have examined, such as applying for maintenance of nuclear facilities under radiation environment. We report the results and RF tags to be radiation resistant. (author)

The radiation environment in underground workplaces of the LHC

CERN Document Server

Theis, C; Kindl, Peter

2007-01-01

Active dose-monitoring of workplaces is crucial in order to operate a high-energy particle accelerator safely. As the mixed radiation fields that are expected in the environment of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are very different from standard use-cases like in nuclear power plants, it is of highest importance to characterize and calibrate radiation monitoring equipment appropriately for their use in high energy mixed radiation fields. Due to their sensitivity to different particle types over a larger energy range high-pressure ionization chambers have already been used at CERN and they are foreseen to be included within the radiation monitoring system of the LHC. In the framework of this thesis a new method was developed which allows for appropriate field-specific calibration of these detectors using Monte Carlo simulations. Therefore, the application of common 238Pu-Be source based calibration in mixed radiation fields was studied and compared to more accurate field specific calibration based on FLUKA Mon...

The feasibility of 10 keV X-ray as radiation source in total dose response radiation test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ruoyu; Li Bin; Luo Hongwei; Shi Qian

2005-01-01

The standard radiation source utilized in traditional total dose response radiation test is 60 Co, which is environment-threatening. X-rays, as a new radiation source, has the advantages such as safety, precise control of dose rate, strong intensity, possibility of wafer-level test or even on-line test, which greatly reduce cost for package, test and transportation. This paper discussed the feasibility of X-rays replacing 60 Co as the radiation source, based on the radiation mechanism and the effects of radiation on gate oxide. (authors)

The Martian surface radiation environment – a comparison of models and MSL/RAD measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthiä Daniel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Context: The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL has been measuring the radiation environment on the surface of Mars since August 6th 2012. MSL-RAD is the first instrument to provide detailed information about charged and neutral particle spectra and dose rates on the Martian surface, and one of the primary objectives of the RAD investigation is to help improve and validate current radiation transport models. Aims: Applying different numerical transport models with boundary conditions derived from the MSL-RAD environment the goal of this work was to both provide predictions for the particle spectra and the radiation exposure on the Martian surface complementing the RAD sensitive range and, at the same time, validate the results with the experimental data, where applicable. Such validated models can be used to predict dose rates for future manned missions as well as for performing shield optimization studies. Methods: Several particle transport models (GEANT4, PHITS, HZETRN/OLTARIS were used to predict the particle flux and the corresponding radiation environment caused by galactic cosmic radiation on Mars. From the calculated particle spectra the dose rates on the surface are estimated. Results: Calculations of particle spectra and dose rates induced by galactic cosmic radiation on the Martian surface are presented. Although good agreement is found in many cases for the different transport codes, GEANT4, PHITS, and HZETRN/OLTARIS, some models still show large, sometimes order of magnitude discrepancies in certain particle spectra. We have found that RAD data is helping to make better choices of input parameters and physical models. Elements of these validated models can be applied to more detailed studies on how the radiation environment is influenced by solar modulation, Martian atmosphere and soil, and changes due to the Martian seasonal pressure cycle. By extending the range of the calculated particle

ABOUT INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT SCHEMES IMPACT RADIATION ENVIRONMENTS AND LOADS ON REINFORCED LAMELLAR STRUCTURAL MEMBERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafail B. Garibov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the model of deformation of fiber-reinforced concrete rectangular plate under the influence of radiation environments. In the calculation of the plate was considered different schemes impact of the applied external loads and radiation environments.

The Global Environment Radiation Monitoring Network (GERMON)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakheim, B.J.; Goellner, D.A.

1994-01-01

Following the Chernobyl accident in 1986, a group of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) met in France to discuss and develop the basic principles of a global environmental radiation monitoring network (GERMON). The basic functions of this network were to provide regular reports on environmental radiation levels and to be in a position to provide reliable and accurate radiation measurements on a quick and accurate radiation measurements on a quick turnaround basis in the event of a major radiation release. By 1992, although 58 countries had indicated an interest in becoming a part of the GERMON system, only 16 were providing data on a regular basis. This paper traces the history of GERMON from its inception in 1987 through its activities during 1993-4. It details the objectives of the network, describes functions, lists its participants, and presents obstacles in the current network. The paper examines the data requirements for radiological emergency preparedness and offers suggestions for the current system. The paper also describes the growing need for such a network. To add a domestic perspective, the authors present a summary of the environmental monitoring information system that was used by the NRC in 1986 in its analyses of the Chernobyl incident. Then we will use this 1986 experience to propose a method for the use of GERMON should a similar occasion arise in the future

System-Level Model for OFDM WiMAX Transceiver in Radiation Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel Alim, O.; Elboghdadly, N.; Ashour, M.M.; Elaskary, A.M.

2008-01-01

WiMAX (Worldwide Inter operability for Microwave Access), an evolving standard for point-to-multipoint wireless networking, works for the l ast mile c onnections for replacing optical fiber technology network but with no need for adding more infra structure within crowded areas. Optical fiber technology is seriously considered for communication and monitoring applications in space and around nuclear reactors. Space and nuclear environments are characterized, in particular, by the presence of ionizing radiation fields. Therefore the influence of radiation on such networks needs to be investigated. This paper has the objective of building a System level model for a WiMAX OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) based transceiver. Modeling irradiation noise as an external effect added to the Additive White Gaussian noise (AWGN). Then analyze, discuss the results based on qualitatively performance evaluation using BER calculations for radiation environment

Environmental radiation monitoring on the CERN sites and in the CERN environment during 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vojtyla, P; Wittekind, D

1999-04-15

As a consequence of changes in the administrative structure of TIS Division in 1996 and 1997, the Environmental Section was integrated into the TIS Technical Services and Environment Group that also looks after the non-radiation parameters in the CERN releases and environment. However, it remains the duty of the Radiation Protection Group (RP) to define the environmental programme for radiation and radioactivity, and of the leader of RP to report its results both inside and outside CERN. Part I of this Annual Report describes the results of measurements which are relevant for assessing the radiological impact of CERN's activities on the environment and the population living in the vicinity of the CERN sites. Measurements of radioactivity released into the atmosphere and into water, as well as measurements of stray radiation at or near the CERN site boundaries, are reported.

Radiation Mapping in Post-Disaster Environments Using an Autonomous Helicopter

OpenAIRE

Towler, Jerry; Krawiec, Bryan; Kochersberger, Kevin

2012-01-01

Recent events have highlighted the need for unmanned remote sensing in dangerous areas, particularly where structures have collapsed or explosions have occurred, to limit hazards to first responders and increase their efficiency in planning response operations. In the case of the Fukushima nuclear reactor explosion, an unmanned helicopter capable of obtaining overhead images, gathering radiation measurements, and mapping both the structural and radiation content of the environment would have ...

Electromagnetic processes in strong crystalline fields

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

We propose a number of new investigations on aspects of radiation from high energy electron and positron beams (10-300 GeV) in single crystals and amorphous targets. The common heading is radiation emission by electrons and positrons in strong electromagnetic fields, but as the setup is quite versatile, other related phenomena in radiation emission can be studied as well. The intent is to clarify the role of a number of important aspects of radiation in strong fields as e.g. observed in crystals. We propose to measure trident 'Klein-like' production in strong crystalline fields, 'crystalline undulator' radiation, 'sandwich' target phenomena, LPM suppression of pair production as well as axial and planar effects in contributions of spin to the radiation.

Materials Degradation in the Jovian Radiation Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Miloshevsky, Gennady; Caffrey, Jarvis A.; Jones, Jonathan E.; Zoladz, Thomas F.

2017-01-01

The radiation environment of Jupiter represents a significant hazard for Europa Lander deorbit stage components, and presents a significant potential mission risk. The radiolytic degradation of ammonium perchlorate (AP) oxidizer in solid propellants may affect its properties and performance. The Monte Carlo code MONSOL was used for modeling of laboratory experiments on the electron irradiation of propellant samples. An approach for flattening dose profiles along the depth of irradiated samples is proposed. Depth-dose distributions produced by Jovian electrons in multi-layer slabs of materials are calculated. It is found that the absorbed dose in a particular slab is significantly affected by backscattered electrons and photons from neighboring slabs. The dose and radiolytic decomposition of AP crystals are investigated and radiation-induced chemical yields and weight percent of radical products are reported.

Radiation effects on man health, environment, safety, security. Global Chernobyl mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bebeshko, V.; Bazyka, D.; Volovik, S.; Loganovsky, K.; Sushko, V.; Siedow, J.; Cohen, H.; Ginsburg, G.; Chao, N.; Chute, J.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Objectives: Ionizing radiation is a primordial terrestrial and extraterrestrial background and archetypal environmental stress-factor for life origin, evolution, and existence. We all live in radiation world inevitably involving nuclear energy production, nuclear weapon, nuclear navy, radioactive waste, pertinent medical diagnostics and treatment, etc with connected certain probability of relevant accidents and terrorist attack, space and jet travels, high natural background radiation, etc - actual and potential sources of radiation exposures and effects. State-of- the art integral fundamental research on radiation effects on man health, environment, safety, and security (REMHESS) is nowadays paramount necessity and challenge. Methods and results: In given generalized conceptual framework unique 20 years Chernobyl multidimensional research and databases for radiation effects on man's all organism systems represent invaluable original basis and resources for mapping Chernobyl data and REMHESS challenge. Granted by DOE brand new Chernobyl Research and Service Project based on 'Sarcophagus-II' (Object 'Shelter') workers only one in radiation history baseline cohort, corresponding biorepository prospective dynamic data, integrated conceptual database system, and 'state of the art' 'omics' (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics) analysis is designed specifically for coherent addressing global REMHESS problems. In this connection 'Sarcophagus-II' is only one unique universal model. Conclusions: The fundamental goals of novel strategic Project and global Chernobyl mapping are to determine specific 'omics' signatures of radiation for man depending of exposure peculiarity to understand ultimate molecular mechanisms of radiation effects, gene environment interactions, etiology of organisms systems disorders and diseases, and to develop new biomarkers and countermeasures to protect man health in the framework of global REMHESS challenge

Australia's proactive approach to radiation protection of the environment: how integrated is it with radiation protection of humans?

Science.gov (United States)

Hirth, G A; Grzechnik, M; Tinker, R; Larsson, C M

2018-01-01

Australia's regulatory framework has evolved over the past decade from the assumption that protection of humans implies protection of the environment to the situation now where radiological impacts on non-human species (wildlife) are considered in their own right. In an Australian context, there was a recognised need for specific national guidance on protection of non-human species, for which the uranium mining industry provides the major backdrop. National guidance supported by publications of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (Radiation Protection Series) provides clear and consistent advice to operators and regulators on protection of non-human species, including advice on specific assessment methods and models, and how these might be applied in an Australian context. These approaches and the supporting assessment tools provide a mechanism for industry to assess and demonstrate compliance with the environmental protection objectives of relevant legislation, and to meet stakeholder expectations that radiological protection of the environment is taken into consideration in accordance with international best practice. Experiences from the past 5-10 years, and examples of where the approach to radiation protection of the environment has been well integrated or presented some challenges will be discussed. Future challenges in addressing protection of the environment in existing exposure situations will also be discussed.

Pion Production from Proton Synchrotron Radiation under Strong Magnetic Field in a Relativistic Quantum Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maruyama Tomoyuki

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We study pion production from proton synchrotron radiation in the presence of strong magnetic fields by using the exact proton propagator in a strong magnetic field and explicitly including the anomalous magnetic moment. Results in this exact quantum approach do not agree with those obtained in the semi-classical approach. Then, we find that the anomalous magnetic moment of the proton greatly enhances the production rate by about two orders magnitude, and that the decay width satisfies a robust scaling law.

arXiv Strong reduction of the effective radiation length in an oriented PWO scintillator crystal

CERN Document Server

Bandiera, L.; Romagnoni, M.; Argiolas, N.; Bagli, E.; Ballerini, G.; Berra, A.; Brizzolani, C.; Camattari, R.; De Salvador, D.; Haurylavets, V.; Mascagna, V.; Mazzolari, A.; Prest, M.; Soldani, M.; Sytov, A.; Vallazza, E.

We measured a considerable increase of the emitted radiation by 120 GeV/c electrons in an axially oriented lead tungstate scintillator crystal, if compared to the case in which the sample was not aligned with the beam direction. This enhancement resulted from the interaction of particles with the strong crystalline electromagnetic field. The data collected at the external lines of CERN SPS were critically compared to Monte Carlo simulations based on the Baier Katkov quasiclassical method, highlighting a reduction of the scintillator radiation length by a factor of five in case of beam alignment with the [001] crystal axes. The observed effect opens the way to the realization of compact electromagnetic calorimeters/detectors based on oriented scintillator crystals in which the amount of material can be strongly reduced with respect to the state of the art. These devices could have relevant applications in fixed-target experiments as well as in satellite-borne gamma-telescopes.

Superior radiation-resistant nanoengineered austenitic 304L stainless steel for applications in extreme radiation environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, C; Zheng, S; Wei, C C; Wu, Y; Shao, L; Yang, Y; Hartwig, K T; Maloy, S A; Zinkle, S J; Allen, T R; Wang, H; Zhang, X

2015-01-15

Nuclear energy provides more than 10% of electrical power internationally, and the increasing engagement of nuclear energy is essential to meet the rapid worldwide increase in energy demand. A paramount challenge in the development of advanced nuclear reactors is the discovery of advanced structural materials that can endure extreme environments, such as severe neutron irradiation damage at high temperatures. It has been known for decades that high dose radiation can introduce significant void swelling accompanied by precipitation in austenitic stainless steel (SS). Here we report, however, that through nanoengineering, ultra-fine grained (UFG) 304 L SS with an average grain size of ~100 nm, can withstand Fe ion irradiation at 500 °C to 80 displacements-per-atom (dpa) with moderate grain coarsening. Compared to coarse grained (CG) counterparts, swelling resistance of UFG SS is improved by nearly an order of magnitude and swelling rate is reduced by a factor of 5. M(23)C(6) precipitates, abundant in irradiated CG SS, are largely absent in UFG SS. This study provides a nanoengineering approach to design and discover radiation tolerant metallic materials for applications in extreme radiation environments.

Natural radiation, protection against its effects and maintaining safe natural environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alhassan, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Exposure to naturally occurring radioactivity and its consequences is an issue that needs the global concern, as practices bringing such radioactive materials closer to human environment through mining, building, industrial applications and food production and preservation is continuously increasing, in addition to the daily consumption in foods such as banana, carrot, potato and drinking water. Although it has direct and indirect impacts affecting human health that in some cases lead to the loss of lives and polluting natural environment, it is an inevitable task that necessitates devising some means of its minimization and protection against its hazardous effects. This could be achieved by the use of expertise ideas and by the creation of awareness and sharing related information with the people concerned and the general public. This paper gives an overview on the radiation present in natural environment, its sources, mechanism of its effects. The paper compares the radiation dose limits with the average doses from these sources in order to raise the challenges facing researchers, governments and the general individuals with regard to this issue. The paper also proposed applicable solutions to reduce the risks due to the exposure to natural radiation to ground level. (author)

Control of the radiation environment and the worker in high-energy facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, G.R.

1993-01-01

The philosophy behind the prediction, measurement, monitoring and limitation by access control of the radiation hazard in high-energy accelerator facilities is compared with that which could be employed for controlling similar hazards due to cosmic radiation in civil aircraft flights. Special mention is made of computer simulations of the radiation environment as a means of predicting necessary control measures, of the reliability and integration of radiation measuring devices into control procedures and of the relevance of different access control procedures. (author)

Performance limit of daytime radiative cooling in warm humid environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takahiro Suichi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Daytime radiative cooling potentially offers efficient passive cooling, but the performance is naturally limited by the environment, such as the ambient temperature and humidity. Here, we investigate the performance limit of daytime radiative cooling under warm and humid conditions in Okayama, Japan. A cooling device, consisting of alternating layers of SiO2 and poly(methyl methacrylate on an Al mirror, is fabricated and characterized to demonstrate a high reflectance for sunlight and a selective thermal radiation in the mid-infrared region. In the temperature measurement under the sunlight irradiation, the device shows 3.4 °C cooler than a bare Al mirror, but 2.8 °C warmer than the ambient of 35 °C. The corresponding numerical analyses reveal that the atmospheric window in λ = 16 ∼ 25 μm is closed due to a high humidity, thereby limiting the net emission power of the device. Our study on the humidity influence on the cooling performance provides a general guide line of how one can achieve practical passive cooling in a warm humid environment.

Background radiation dose of dumpsites in Ota and Environs

Science.gov (United States)

Usikalu, M. R.; Ola, O. O.; Achuka, J. A.; Babarimisa, I. O.; Ayara, W. A.

2017-05-01

In-situ measurement of background radiation dose from selected dumpsites in Ota and its environs was done using Radialert Nuclear Radiation Monitor (Digilert 200). Ten measurements were taken from each dumpsite. The measured background radiation range between 0.015 mRhr-1 for AOD and 0.028 mRhr-1 for SUS dumpsites. The calculated annual equivalent doses vary between 1.31 mSvyr-1 for AOD and 2.28 mSv/yr for SUS dumpsites. The air absorbed dose calculated ranged from 150 nGyhr-1 to 280 nGy/hr for AOD and SUS dumpsites respectively with an average value of 217 nGyhr-1 for all the locations. All the estimated parameters were higher than permissible limit set for background radiation for the general public. Conclusively, the associated challenge and radiation burden posed by the wastes on the studied locations and scavengers is high. Therefore, there is need by the regulatory authorities to look into the way and how waste can be properly managed so as to alleviate the effects on the populace leaving and working in the dumpsites vicinity.

Travel for the 2004 American Statistical Association Biannual Radiation Meeting: "Radiation in Realistic Environments: Interactions Between Radiation and Other Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brenner, David J.

2009-07-21

The 16th ASA Conference on Radiation and Health, held June 27-30, 2004 in Beaver Creek, CO, offered a unique forum for discussing research related to the effects of radiation exposures on human health in a multidisciplinary setting. The Conference furnishes investigators in health related disciplines the opportunity to learn about new quantitative approaches to their problems and furnishes statisticians the opportunity to learn about new applications for their discipline. The Conference was attended by about 60 scientists including statisticians, epidemiologists, biologists and physicists interested in radiation research. For the first time, ten recipients of Young Investigator Awards participated in the conference. The Conference began with a debate on the question: “Do radiation doses below 1 cGy increase cancer risks?” The keynote speaker was Dr. Martin Lavin, who gave a banquet presentation on the timely topic “How important is ATM?” The focus of the 2004 Conference on Radiation and Health was Radiation in Realistic Environments: Interactions Between Radiation and Other Risk Modifiers. The sessions of the conference included: Radiation, Smoking, and Lung Cancer Interactions of Radiation with Genetic Factors: ATM Radiation, Genetics, and Epigenetics Radiotherapeutic Interactions The Conference on Radiation and Health is held bi-annually, and participants are looking forward to the 17th conference to be held in 2006.

Mars' surface radiation environment measured with the Mars science laboratory's curiosity rover

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hassler, D.M.; Zeitlin, C.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R.F.; Ehresmann, B.; Rafkin, S.; Eigenbrode, J.L.; Brinza, D.E.; Weigle, G.; Böttcher, S.; Böhm, E.; Burmeister, S.; Guo, J.; Köhler, J.; Martin, C.; Reitz, G.; Cucinotta, F.A.; Kim, M.-H.; Grinspoon, D.; Bullock, M.A.; Posner, A.; Gómez-Elvira, J.; Vasavada, A.; Grotzinger, J.P.; MSL Science Team, the|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/292012217

2014-01-01

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory’s Curiosity rover began making detailed measurements of the cosmic ray and energetic particle radiation environment on the surface of Mars on 7 August 2012. We report and discuss measurements of the absorbed dose and dose

Tunable photonic crystal for THz radiation in layered superconductors: Strong magnetic-field dependence of the transmission coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savel'ev, Sergey; Rakhmanov, A.L.; Nori, Franco

2006-01-01

Josephson plasma waves are scattered by the Josephson vortex lattice. This scattering results in a strong dependence, on the in-plane magnetic-field H ab , of the reflection and transmission of THz radiation propagating in layered superconductors. In particular, a tunable band-gap structure (THz photonic crystal) occurs in such a medium. These effects can be used, by varying H ab , for the selective frequency-filtering of THz radiation

Fast Atom Ionization in Strong Electromagnetic Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Apostol, M.

2018-05-01

The Goeppert-Mayer and Kramers-Henneberger transformations are examined for bound charges placed in electromagnetic radiation in the non-relativistic approximation. The consistent inclusion of the interaction with the radiation field provides the time evolution of the wavefunction with both structural interaction (which ensures the bound state) and electromagnetic interaction. It is shown that in a short time after switching on the high-intensity radiation the bound charges are set free. In these conditions, a statistical criterion is used to estimate the rate of atom ionization. The results correspond to a sudden application of the electromagnetic interaction, in contrast with the well-known ionization probability obtained by quasi-classical tunneling through classically unavailable non-stationary states, or other equivalent methods, where the interaction is introduced adiabatically. For low-intensity radiation the charges oscillate and emit higher-order harmonics, the charge configuration is re-arranged and the process is resumed. Tunneling ionization may appear in these circumstances. Extension of the approach to other applications involving radiation-induced charge emission from bound states is discussed, like ionization of molecules, atomic clusters or proton emission from atomic nuclei. Also, results for a static electric field are included.

Radiation Effects in the Space Telecommunications Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fleetwood, Daniel M.; Winokur, Peter S.

1999-05-17

Trapped protons and electrons in the Earth's radiation belts and cosmic rays present significant challenges for electronics that must operate reliably in the natural space environment. Single event effects (SEE) can lead to sudden device or system failure, and total dose effects can reduce the lifetime of a telecommmiications system with significant space assets. One of the greatest sources of uncertainty in developing radiation requirements for a space system is accounting for the small but finite probability that the system will be exposed to a massive solar particle event. Once specifications are decided, standard laboratory tests are available to predict the total dose response of MOS and bipolar components in space, but SEE testing of components can be more challenging. Prospects are discussed for device modeling and for the use of standard commercial electronics in space.

Radiation Effects in the Space Telecommunications Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleetwood, Daniel M.; Winokur, Peter S.

1999-01-01

Trapped protons and electrons in the Earth's radiation belts and cosmic rays present significant challenges for electronics that must operate reliably in the natural space environment. Single event effects (SEE) can lead to sudden device or system failure, and total dose effects can reduce the lifetime of a telecommmiications system with significant space assets. One of the greatest sources of uncertainty in developing radiation requirements for a space system is accounting for the small but finite probability that the system will be exposed to a massive solar particle event. Once specifications are decided, standard laboratory tests are available to predict the total dose response of MOS and bipolar components in space, but SEE testing of components can be more challenging. Prospects are discussed for device modeling and for the use of standard commercial electronics in space

Analysis on the steady-state coherent synchrotron radiation with strong shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, R.; Bohn, C.L.; Bisognano, J.J.

1997-01-01

There are several papers concerning shielding of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) emitted by a Gaussian line charge on a circular orbit centered between two parallel conducting plates. Previous asymptotic analyses in the frequency domain show that shielded steady-state CSR mainly arises from harmonics in the bunch frequency exceeding the threshold harmonic for satisfying the boundary conditions at the plates. In this paper the authors extend the frequency-domain analysis into the regime of strong shielding, in which the threshold harmonic exceeds the characteristic frequency of the bunch. The result is then compared to the shielded steady-state CSR power obtained using image charges

Monte Carlo simulations of the radiation environment for the CMS experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mallows, S., E-mail: sophie.mallows@cern.ch [KIT, Karlsruhe (Germany); Azhgirey, I.; Bayshev, I. [IHEP, Protvino (Russian Federation); Bergstrom, I.; Cooijmans, T.; Dabrowski, A.; Glöggler, L.; Guthoff, M. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland); Kurochkin, I. [IHEP, Protvino (Russian Federation); Vincke, H.; Tajeda, S. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland)

2016-07-11

Monte Carlo radiation transport codes are used by the CMS Beam Radiation Instrumentation and Luminosity (BRIL) project to estimate the radiation levels due to proton–proton collisions and machine induced background. Results are used by the CMS collaboration for various applications: comparison with detector hit rates, pile-up studies, predictions of radiation damage based on various models (Dose, NIEL, DPA), shielding design, estimations of residual dose environment. Simulation parameters, and the maintenance of the input files are summarized, and key results are presented. Furthermore, an overview of additional programs developed by the BRIL project to meet the specific needs of CMS community is given.

Development of model for assessment of radiation discharge to the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shang Zhaorong; Wu Hao; Liu Hua

2003-01-01

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) establish basic and detailed requirements for protection against the risks associated with exposure to radiation and for the safety of radiation sources that may deliver such exposure, in which, particularly emphasize to 'make an assessment of the nature, magnitude and likelihood of the exposure attributed to the source'. It is clear that the assessment of the consequential radiation exposure arising from any releases of radioactive materials to the environment will have to rely on some form of model. This paper summary recent progress in radiation protection policy and radioecology research and primary concludes the basis requirements in assessment model development

Monte Carlo simulations of the radiation environment for the CMS Experiment

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2068566; Bayshev, I.; Bergstrom, I.; Cooijmans, T.; Dabrowski, A.; Glöggler, L.; Guthoff, M.; Kurochkin, I.; Vincke, H.; Tajeda, S.

2016-01-01

Monte Carlo radiation transport codes are used by the CMS Beam Radiation Instrumentation and Luminosity (BRIL) project to estimate the radiation levels due to proton-proton collisions and machine induced background. Results are used by the CMS collaboration for various applications: comparison with detector hit rates, pile-up studies, predictions of radiation damage based on various models (Dose, NIEL, DPA), shielding design, estimations of residual dose environment. Simulation parameters, and the maintenance of the input files are summarised, and key results are presented. Furthermore, an overview of additional programs developed by the BRIL project to meet the specific needs of CMS community is given.

The Plan for Investigating the Radiation Environment around the KAERI Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Geun Sik; Lee, Chang Woo

2007-11-15

The investigation of the radiation environment is carried out broadly for the environmental radiation measurement, analyses of the environmental radioactivity and radiological assessment for the public. Environmental radiation dose is measured by a continuous and a portable environmental radiation monitor (ERM) in the range of the radius of 30 km from the sites. And the accumulated radiation dose is measured by thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD). The environmental radioactivity on gross alpha and gross beta, Uranium, Tritium, Strontium, and gamma-radionuclides are analyzed routinely in the various samples such as air particulate, air iodine, air moisture, soil, sediment, pine needle, rainwater, surface water, underground water, fallout, farm products, and stock farm products. Effective dose assessment by monitoring results is performed to obtain the public confidence.

NASA Strategy to Safely Live and Work in the Space Radiation Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Cucinotta, Francis; Wu, Honglu; Corbin, Barbara; Sulzman, Frank; Kreneck, Sam

2007-01-01

This viewgraph document reviews the radiation environment that is a significant potential hazard to NASA's goals for space exploration, of living and working in space. NASA has initiated a Peer reviewed research program that is charged with arriving at an understanding of the space radiation problem. To this end NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) was constructed to simulate the harsh cosmic and solar radiation found in space. Another piece of the work was to develop a risk modeling tool that integrates the results from research efforts into models of human risk to reduce uncertainties in predicting risk of carcinogenesis, central nervous system damage, degenerative tissue disease, and acute radiation effects acute radiation effects.

Radiation therapists' and radiation oncology medical physicists' perceptions of work and the working environment in Australia: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Halkett, G K B; McKay, J; Hegney, D G; Breen, Lauren J; Berg, M; Ebert, M A; Davis, M; Kearvell, R

2017-09-01

Workforce recruitment and retention are issues in radiation oncology. The working environment is likely to have an impact on retention; however, there is a lack of research in this area. The objectives of this study were to: investigate radiation therapists' (RTs) and radiation oncology medical physicists' (ROMPs) perceptions of work and the working environment; and determine the factors that influence the ability of RTs and ROMPs to undertake their work and how these factors affect recruitment and retention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and thematic analysis was used. Twenty-eight RTs and 21 ROMPs participated. The overarching themes were delivering care, support in work, working conditions and lifestyle. The overarching themes were mostly consistent across both groups; however, the exemplars reflected the different roles and perspectives of RTs and ROMPs. Participants described the importance they placed on treating patients and improving their lives. Working conditions were sometimes difficult with participants reporting pressure at work, large workloads and longer hours and overtime. Insufficient staff numbers impacted on the effectiveness of staff, the working environment and intentions to stay. Staff satisfaction is likely to be improved if changes are made to the working environment. We make recommendations that may assist departments to support RTs and ROMPs. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of radiation processes for better environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majali, A.B.; Sabharwal, S.; Deshpande, R.S.; Sarma, K.S.S.; Bhardwaj, Y.K.; Dhanawade, B.R.

1998-01-01

The increasing population and industrialization, worldover, is placing escalating demands for the development of newer technologies that are environment friendly and minimize the pollution associated with the development. Radiation technology can be of benefit in reducing the pollution levels associated with many processes. The sulphur vulcanization method for natural rubber latex vulcanization results in the formation of considerable amounts of nitrosoamines, both in the product as well as in the factory environment. Radiation vulcanization of natural rubber latex has emerged as a commercially viable alternative to produce sulphur and nitrosoamine free rubber. A Co-60 γ-radiation based pilot plant has been functioning since April 1993 to produce vulcanized natural rubber latex (RVNRL) using acrylate monomers as sensitizer. The role of sensitizer, viz. n-butyl acrylate in the vulcanization process has been elucidated using the pulse radiolysis technique. Emission of toxic sulphur containing gases form an inevitable part of viscose-rayon process and this industry is in search of ways to reduce the associated pollution levels. The irradiation of cellulose results in cellulose activation and reduction in the degree of polymerization (DP). These effects can reduce the solvents required to dissolve the paper pulp. There is a keen interest in utilizing radiation technology in viscose rayon production. We have utilized the electron beam (EB) accelerator for reducing the degree of polymerization (DP) of paper pulp. Laboratory scale tests have been carried out to standardize the conditions for production of pulp having the desired DP by EB irradiation. The use of irradiated paper pulp can result in ∼40% reduction in the consumption of CS 2 in the process that can be beneficial in reducing the pollution associated with the process. PTFE waste can be recycled into a low molecular weight microfine powder by irradiation. An EB based process has been standardized to produce

CONSTRAINING THE RADIATION AND PLASMA ENVIRONMENT OF THE KEPLER CIRCUMBINARY HABITABLE-ZONE PLANETS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zuluaga, Jorge I. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Mason, Paul A. [New Mexico State University—DACC, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Cuartas-Restrepo, Pablo A. [FACom—Instituto de Física—FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín (Colombia)

2016-02-20

The discovery of many planets using the Kepler telescope includes 10 planets orbiting eight binary stars. Three binaries, Kepler-16, Kepler-47, and Kepler-453, have at least one planet in the circumbinary habitable zone (BHZ). We constrain the level of high-energy radiation and the plasma environment in the BHZ of these systems. With this aim, BHZ limits in these Kepler binaries are calculated as a function of time, and the habitability lifetimes are estimated for hypothetical terrestrial planets and/or moons within the BHZ. With the time-dependent BHZ limits established, a self-consistent model is developed describing the evolution of stellar activity and radiation properties as proxies for stellar aggression toward planetary atmospheres. Modeling binary stellar rotation evolution, including the effect of tidal interaction between stars in binaries, is key to establishing the environment around these systems. We find that Kepler-16 and its binary analogs provide a plasma environment favorable for the survival of atmospheres of putative Mars-sized planets and exomoons. Tides have modified the rotation of the stars in Kepler-47, making its radiation environment less harsh in comparison to the solar system. This is a good example of the mechanism first proposed by Mason et al. Kepler-453 has an environment similar to that of the solar system with slightly better than Earth radiation conditions at the inner edge of the BHZ. These results can be reproduced and even reparameterized as stellar evolution and binary tidal models progress, using our online tool http://bhmcalc.net.

CONSTRAINING THE RADIATION AND PLASMA ENVIRONMENT OF THE KEPLER CIRCUMBINARY HABITABLE-ZONE PLANETS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuluaga, Jorge I.; Mason, Paul A.; Cuartas-Restrepo, Pablo A.

2016-01-01

The discovery of many planets using the Kepler telescope includes 10 planets orbiting eight binary stars. Three binaries, Kepler-16, Kepler-47, and Kepler-453, have at least one planet in the circumbinary habitable zone (BHZ). We constrain the level of high-energy radiation and the plasma environment in the BHZ of these systems. With this aim, BHZ limits in these Kepler binaries are calculated as a function of time, and the habitability lifetimes are estimated for hypothetical terrestrial planets and/or moons within the BHZ. With the time-dependent BHZ limits established, a self-consistent model is developed describing the evolution of stellar activity and radiation properties as proxies for stellar aggression toward planetary atmospheres. Modeling binary stellar rotation evolution, including the effect of tidal interaction between stars in binaries, is key to establishing the environment around these systems. We find that Kepler-16 and its binary analogs provide a plasma environment favorable for the survival of atmospheres of putative Mars-sized planets and exomoons. Tides have modified the rotation of the stars in Kepler-47, making its radiation environment less harsh in comparison to the solar system. This is a good example of the mechanism first proposed by Mason et al. Kepler-453 has an environment similar to that of the solar system with slightly better than Earth radiation conditions at the inner edge of the BHZ. These results can be reproduced and even reparameterized as stellar evolution and binary tidal models progress, using our online tool http://bhmcalc.net

Radiative heat transfer in strongly forward scattering media using the discrete ordinates method

Science.gov (United States)

Granate, Pedro; Coelho, Pedro J.; Roger, Maxime

2016-03-01

The discrete ordinates method (DOM) is widely used to solve the radiative transfer equation, often yielding satisfactory results. However, in the presence of strongly forward scattering media, this method does not generally conserve the scattering energy and the phase function asymmetry factor. Because of this, the normalization of the phase function has been proposed to guarantee that the scattering energy and the asymmetry factor are conserved. Various authors have used different normalization techniques. Three of these are compared in the present work, along with two other methods, one based on the finite volume method (FVM) and another one based on the spherical harmonics discrete ordinates method (SHDOM). In addition, the approximation of the Henyey-Greenstein phase function by a different one is investigated as an alternative to the phase function normalization. The approximate phase function is given by the sum of a Dirac delta function, which accounts for the forward scattering peak, and a smoother scaled phase function. In this study, these techniques are applied to three scalar radiative transfer test cases, namely a three-dimensional cubic domain with a purely scattering medium, an axisymmetric cylindrical enclosure containing an emitting-absorbing-scattering medium, and a three-dimensional transient problem with collimated irradiation. The present results show that accurate predictions are achieved for strongly forward scattering media when the phase function is normalized in such a way that both the scattered energy and the phase function asymmetry factor are conserved. The normalization of the phase function may be avoided using the FVM or the SHDOM to evaluate the in-scattering term of the radiative transfer equation. Both methods yield results whose accuracy is similar to that obtained using the DOM along with normalization of the phase function. Very satisfactory predictions were also achieved using the delta-M phase function, while the delta

PABLM: a computer program to calculate accumulated radiation doses from radionuclides in the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Napier, B.A.; Kennedy, W.E. Jr.; Soldat, J.K.

1980-03-01

A computer program, PABLM, was written to facilitate the calculation of internal radiation doses to man from radionuclides in food products and external radiation doses from radionuclides in the environment. This report contains details of mathematical models used and calculational procedures required to run the computer program. Radiation doses from radionuclides in the environment may be calculated from deposition on the soil or plants during an atmospheric or liquid release, or from exposure to residual radionuclides in the environment after the releases have ended. Radioactive decay is considered during the release of radionuclides, after they are deposited on the plants or ground, and during holdup of food after harvest. The radiation dose models consider several exposure pathways. Doses may be calculated for either a maximum-exposed individual or for a population group. The doses calculated are accumulated doses from continuous chronic exposure. A first-year committed dose is calculated as well as an integrated dose for a selected number of years. The equations for calculating internal radiation doses are derived from those given by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for body burdens and MPC's of each radionuclide. The radiation doses from external exposure to contaminated water and soil are calculated using the basic assumption that the contaminated medium is large enough to be considered an infinite volume or plane relative to the range of the emitted radiations. The equations for calculations of the radiation dose from external exposure to shoreline sediments include a correction for the finite width of the contaminated beach.

PABLM: a computer program to calculate accumulated radiation doses from radionuclides in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Napier, B.A.; Kennedy, W.E. Jr.; Soldat, J.K.

1980-03-01

A computer program, PABLM, was written to facilitate the calculation of internal radiation doses to man from radionuclides in food products and external radiation doses from radionuclides in the environment. This report contains details of mathematical models used and calculational procedures required to run the computer program. Radiation doses from radionuclides in the environment may be calculated from deposition on the soil or plants during an atmospheric or liquid release, or from exposure to residual radionuclides in the environment after the releases have ended. Radioactive decay is considered during the release of radionuclides, after they are deposited on the plants or ground, and during holdup of food after harvest. The radiation dose models consider several exposure pathways. Doses may be calculated for either a maximum-exposed individual or for a population group. The doses calculated are accumulated doses from continuous chronic exposure. A first-year committed dose is calculated as well as an integrated dose for a selected number of years. The equations for calculating internal radiation doses are derived from those given by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for body burdens and MPC's of each radionuclide. The radiation doses from external exposure to contaminated water and soil are calculated using the basic assumption that the contaminated medium is large enough to be considered an infinite volume or plane relative to the range of the emitted radiations. The equations for calculations of the radiation dose from external exposure to shoreline sediments include a correction for the finite width of the contaminated beach

Experimental Characterization of a Composite Morphing Radiator Prototype in a Relevant Thermal Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Bertagne, Christopher L.; Chong, Jorge B.; Whitcomb, John D.; Hartl, Darren J.; Erickson, Lisa R.

2017-01-01

For future long duration space missions, crewed vehicles will require advanced thermal control systems to maintain a desired internal environment temperature in spite of a large range of internal and external heat loads. Current radiators are only able to achieve turndown ratios (i.e. the ratio between the radiator's maximum and minimum heat rejection rates) of approximately 3:1. Upcoming missions will require radiators capable of 12:1 turndown ratios. A radiator with the ability to alter shape could significantly increase turndown capacity. Shape memory alloys (SMAs) offer promising qualities for this endeavor, namely their temperature-dependent phase change and capacity for work. In 2015, the first ever morphing radiator prototype was constructed in which SMA actuators passively altered the radiator shape in response to a thermal load. This work describes a follow-on endeavor to demonstrate a similar concept using highly thermally conductive composite materials. Numerous versions of this new concept were tested in a thermal vacuum environment and successfully demonstrated morphing behavior and variable heat rejection, achieving a turndown ratio of 4.84:1. A summary of these thermal experiments and their results are provided herein.

Strong gravity effects in accreting black-hole systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niedzwiecki, A.

2006-01-01

I briefly review current status of studying effects of strong gravity in X-ray astronomy. Matter accreting onto a black hole probes the relativistic region of space-time and the high-energy radiation it produces should contain signatures of strong gravity effects. Current X-ray observations provide the evidence that the observed emission originates, in some cases, at a distance of a few gravitational radii from a black hole. Moreover, certain observations invoke interpretations favouring rapid rotation of the black hole. Some observational properties of black hole systems are supposed to result from the lack of a material surface in these objects. I consider further effects, specific for the black hole environment, which can be studied in X-ray data. Bulk motion Comptonization, which would directly reveal converging flow of matter plunging into a black hole, is unlikely to be important in formation of X-ray spectra. Similarly, Penrose processes are unlikely to give observational effects, although this issue has not been thoroughly studied so far for all plausible radiative mechanisms. (author)

Radiation Protection of Environment under the Light of the New Concept of Radiation Protection of Non-Human Species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansruedi Voelkle

2006-01-01

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the question of whether radiation protection should be extended to plants and animals. Until now the recommendations of ICRP have been focused exclusively on the protection of man from ionizing radiation. It was assumed that, if man is protected, the quality of the living environment is not impaired. In recent years adequate principles, recommendations and laws have become necessary in order to protect the environment from man made toxins. These recommendations aimed to conserve plants and animals, to maintain the diversity of species, the health and status of natural habitats and the natural resources of our planet, to warrant natural evolution and selection processes in order to transmit a healthy world to future generations. Reflections have been made as to whether particular protection of fauna and flora from ionizing radiation should be included. This article presents some considerations from the point of view of operational radiation protection and some comments to the work already done by ICRP committee 5. The final purpose is to invite the audience to make its own reflections and to communicate any criticisms, comments or suggestions to committee 5 of ICRP. (author)

Radiation Protection of Environment under the Light of the New Concept of Radiation Protection of Non-Human Species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansruedi Voelkle [Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Environmental Radioactivity Section, c/o Physics Department, University of Fribourg Chemin du Musee 3, 1700 Fribourg (Switzerland)

2006-07-01

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the question of whether radiation protection should be extended to plants and animals. Until now the recommendations of ICRP have been focused exclusively on the protection of man from ionizing radiation. It was assumed that, if man is protected, the quality of the living environment is not impaired. In recent years adequate principles, recommendations and laws have become necessary in order to protect the environment from man made toxins. These recommendations aimed to conserve plants and animals, to maintain the diversity of species, the health and status of natural habitats and the natural resources of our planet, to warrant natural evolution and selection processes in order to transmit a healthy world to future generations. Reflections have been made as to whether particular protection of fauna and flora from ionizing radiation should be included. This article presents some considerations from the point of view of operational radiation protection and some comments to the work already done by ICRP committee 5. The final purpose is to invite the audience to make its own reflections and to communicate any criticisms, comments or suggestions to committee 5 of ICRP. (author)

Environmental radiation monitoring on the CERN sites and in the CERN environment during 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vojtyla, P; Wittekind, D

1998-04-10

As a consequence of changes in the administrative structure of TIS Division in 1996 and 1997, the Environmental Section was integrated into the TIS Technical Services and Environment Group that also looks after the non-radiation parameters in the CERN releases and environment. However, it remains the duty of the Radiation Protection Group to define the environmental programme for radiation and radioactivity, and to report its results both inside and outside CERN. In 1997, the environmental programme was slightly modified after discussions with the Sektion zur Ueberwachung der Radioaktivitaet (SUeR) in Fribourg. Gamma spectroscopy analyses of moss and water plants collected once per year in the rivers l'Allondon, Le Lion, Le Nant d'Avril and La Versoix were added. Moss and water plants were chosen as they are sensitive indicators of the presence of natural and man-made radioactivity in the environment. Part I of this Annual Report describes the results of measurements which are relevant for assessing the radiological impact of CERN's activities on the environment and the population living in the vicinity of the CERN sites. Measurements of radioactivity released into the atmosphere and into water, as well as measurements of stray radiation at or near the CERN site boundaries, are reported.

International news about radiation protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Garnier-Laplace, J.

2016-01-01

The new European Basic Safety Standards in Radiation Protection (2013/59/Euratom) introduce 'environmental criteria' to protect human health in the long term. This innovation results from work in progress and from the recent positioning of international organizations and authorities in charge of radiation protection and its implementation, regarding the protection of wildlife against ionizing radiation. On the basis of the international state of the art, from the current regulatory context to existing approaches, the ERICA method has been identified as fully consistent with the ICRP approach and the most operational at the moment, due to its richness, flexibility and traceability. Most of the radiological risk assessments for wildlife published in the 5 last years used part or all of the ERICA approach, generally screening the radiological risk for wildlife from the first stage of the assessment, except for a few areas among those most impacted by radioactive contamination (Chernobyl area, uranium mining sites in Central Asia, etc.). This update of the knowledge in the field at the international level and the feedback on the analysis of regulatory files presented by nuclear operators led to 10 recommendations from the IRSN on the radiation protection of the environment and its implementation. (authors)

Buckling analysis of a cylindrical shell, under neutron radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arani, A. Ghorbanpour; Ahmadi, M.; Ahmadi, A.; Rastgoo, A.; Sepyani, H.A.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The work investigates the buckling of a shell in the neutron radiation environment. ► Radiation induced porosity in elastic materials affects the material's properties. ► The data based technique was used to determine the volume fraction porosity. ► The theoretical formulations are presented based on the classical shell theory (CST). ► It was concluded that both T and neutron induced swelling have significant effects. - Abstract: This research investigates the buckling of a cylindrical shell in the neutron radiation environment, subjected to combined static and periodic axial forces. Radiation induced porosity in elastic materials affects the thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of the materials. In this study, the data based technique was used to determine the volume fraction porosity, P, of shell material. A least-squares fit of the Young's module data yielded the estimated Young's modulus. The shell assumed made of iron irradiated in the range of 2–15e−7 dPa/s at 345–650 °C and theoretical formulations are presented based on the classical shell theory (CST). The research deals with the problem theoretically; keeping in mind that one means of generating relevant design data is to investigate prototype structures. A parametric study is followed and the stability of shell is discussed. It is concluded that both temperature and neutron induced swelling have significant effects on the buckling load.

Radiation exposure of man in the indoor environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinhaeusler, F.; Pohl, E.

1982-01-01

Indoor exposure of man represents the major component of the dose from the natural radiation environment (NRE). The different sources of the NRE and their complex superposition are discussed. Due to the use of radiologically disadvantageous material in or near the building, radon-rich tap water, specific architectural styles and decreased ventilation rates NRE-levels indoors have been found to even exceed the upper limit for professional exposure. The inadequacy of the existing international regulatory framework and specific local problems resulted in the establishment of national exposure limits. In general, no remedial action is recommended at levels below 50 μR/h for external gamma radiation, 10 mWL for internal radon daughter exposure. Several technical countermeasures reducing indoor gamma dose rates and radon levels have been developed for existing buildings. However, the use of some of the techniques is limited due to low cost-effectiveness or lack of long-term stability. Different techniques in order to achieve low indoor exposures for new buildings and financial aspects associated the application of radiation protection concepts are discussed

Estimating induced-activation of SCT barrel-modules in the ATLAS radiation environment.

CERN Document Server

Buttar, C M; Dawson, I; Mandic, I; Moraes, A

2002-01-01

One of the consequences of operating detector systems in the harsh radiation environments of the ATLAS inner-detector will be radioactivation of the components. If the levels of radioactivity and corresponding dose rates are significant, then there will be implications for any access or maintenance operations. Given in this note are predictions for the radioactivation of SCT barrel-modules in the expected radiation environment of the inner-detector, based on both calculations and measurements. It is shown that both neutron-capture and high-energy hadron reactions must be taken into account. The predictions show that, from a radiological point of view, the SCT barrel-modules should not pose any serious problems.

Radiation in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-03-01

In this brochure a general survey is presented of the SAWORA (Dutch abbrevation for 'Radiation aspects of dwelling-hygiene and related radio-ecological problems') research-program and its results. In this program emphasis lay upon indoor radiation burden. Therewith a distinction has to be made between external and internal radiation burden of men. In this context the external burden is accounted for by gamma radiation while the internal burden depends predominantly upon the concentration of radon in the air and radioactive materials in the body. After a short explanation of the concept of radiation in ch. 2, attention is devoted to gamma radiation and radon concentration in the open air in ch. 3, furthermore the radionuclide concentrations of the Dutch soil are discussed. In ch. 4 the radio-ecological aspects of fly-ash powder and gypsum are treated and, in ch. 5, those of building materials. Ch. 6 deals with indoor gamma-radiation. In ch. 7 a survey is given of radon concentrations in Dutch dwellings and the observed differences in concentrations. The synthesis of the various factors which influence the indoor radiation burden, the way in which radon and radondaughters enter the lungs and their contribution to the origin of lung carcinomas are discussed in ch. 8, together with the computer model with which the radiation aspects of certain building-technical developments can be calculated. Ch. 9 finally summarizes the most important results of the SAWORA program. 34 refs.; figs

Radiation Hardened Electronics Destined For Severe Nuclear Reactor Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holbert, Keith E. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Clark, Lawrence T. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)

2016-02-19

Post nuclear accident conditions represent a harsh environment for electronics. The full station blackout experience at Fukushima shows the necessity for emergency sensing capabilities in a radiation-enhanced environment. This NEET (Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies) research project developed radiation hardened by design (RHBD) electronics using commercially available technology that employs commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices and present generation circuit fabrication techniques to improve the total ionizing dose (TID) hardness of electronics. Such technology not only has applicability to severe accident conditions but also to facilities throughout the nuclear fuel cycle in which radiation tolerance is required. For example, with TID tolerance to megarads of dose, electronics could be deployed for long-term monitoring, inspection and decontamination missions. The present work has taken a two-pronged approach, specifically, development of both board and application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) level RHBD techniques. The former path has focused on TID testing of representative microcontroller ICs with embedded flash (eFlash) memory, as well as standalone flash devices that utilize the same fabrication technologies. The standalone flash devices are less complicated, allowing better understanding of the TID response of the crucial circuits. Our TID experiments utilize biased components that are in-situ tested, and in full operation during irradiation. A potential pitfall in the qualification of memory circuits is the lack of rigorous testing of the possible memory states. For this reason, we employ test patterns that include all ones, all zeros, a checkerboard of zeros and ones, an inverse checkerboard, and random data. With experimental evidence of improved radiation response for unbiased versus biased conditions, a demonstration-level board using the COTS devices was constructed. Through a combination of redundancy and power gating, the demonstration

Organization and operation of the sixth international symposium on the natural radiation environment (NRE VI). Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopke, P.K.

1995-01-01

An important source of human exposure to radiation is the natural world including cosmic rays, cosmogonic radionuclides, natural terrestrial radionuclides, and radon isotopes and its decay products. Considerable effort is being expended on a worldwide basis to characterize the exposure to the natural radiation environment and determine the important pathways for the exposure to result in dose to tissue that leads to injury and disease. The problem of background exposure to naturally occurring radioactivity has been the subject of research since the initial discovery of the radioactivity of uranium and thorium. However, with the advent of artificial sources of radiation with both benefits (medical x-rays and nuclear medicine), and harm (Chernobyl fallout), the nature and magnitude of the natural radiation environment and the effects on various populations are important in the development of overall public health strategies as ALARA principles are applied. To facilitate the exchange of information and the review of uncertainties and scientific research priorities, a series of 5 international meetings on Natural Radiation Environment, 1963, 1987, 1991. This conference (Montreal, 1995) covers the range of natural radiation environments that give rise to human exposure and dose. This document is a program summary

Supervision of radiation environment management of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Mingyan

2013-01-01

Through literature and documents, the basis, content and implementation of the supervision of radiation environment management of nuclear facilities were defined. Such supervision was extensive and complicated with various tasks and overlapping duties, and had large social impact. Therefore, it was recommend to make further research on this supervision should be done, clarify and specify responsibilities of the executor of the supervision so as to achieve institutionalization, standardization and routinization of the supervision. (author)

Radiation effects on relativistic electrons in strong external fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, Khalid

2013-01-01

The effects of radiation of high energy electron beams are a major issue in almost all types of charged particle accelerators. The objective of this thesis is both the analytical and numerical study of radiation effects. Due to its many applications the study of the self force has become a very active and productive field of research. The main part of this thesis is devoted to the study of radiation effects in laser-based plasma accelerators. Analytical models predict the existence of radiation effects. The investigation of radiation reaction show that in laser-based plasma accelerators, the self force effects lower the energy gain and emittance for moderate energies electron beams and increase the relative energy spread. However, for relatively high energy electron beams, the self radiation and retardation (radiation effects of one electron on the other electron of the system) effects increase the transverse emittance of the beam. The energy gain decreases to even lower value and relative energy spread increases to even higher value due to high radiation losses. The second part of this thesis investigates with radiation reaction in focused laser beams. Radiation effects are very weak even for high energy electrons. The radiation-free acceleration and the simple practical setup make direct acceleration in a focused laser beam very attractive. The results presented in this thesis can be helpful for the optimization of future electron acceleration experiments, in particular in the case of laser-plasma accelerators.

Natural radiation aspects of low-monazite environment (Preprint No. IT-17)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iyengar, M A.R. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam (India). Environmental Survey Lab.

1989-01-01

This paper highlights some of the salient features of low-monazite environment of Kalpakkam and discuss their significance in the assessment of the overall radiation exposures of the general population. (author). 3 figs., 9 tabs.

Evaluating a radiation monitor for mixed-field environments based on SRAM technology

CERN Document Server

Tsiligiannis, G; Bosio, A; Girard, P; Pravossoudovitch, S; Todri, A; Virazel, A; Mekki, J; Brugger, M; Wrobel, F; Saigne, F

2014-01-01

Instruments operating in particle accelerators and colliders are exposed to radiations that are composed of particles of different types and energies. Several of these instruments often embed devices that are not hardened against radiation effects. Thus, there is a strong need for mon- itoring the levels of radiation inside the mixed-field radiation areas, throughout different positions. Different metrics exist for measuring the radiation damage induced to electronic devices, such as the Total Ionizing Dose (TID), the Displacement Damage (DD) and of course the fluence of parti- cles for estimating the error rates of the electronic devices among other applications. In this paper, we propose an SRAM based monitor, that is used to define the fluence of High Energy Hadrons (HEH) by detecting Single Event Upsets in the memory array. We evaluated the device by testing it inside the H4IRRAD area of CERN, a test area that reproduces the radiation conditions inside the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel and its shield...

Review of problems and methods for radiation risk assessment in the environment of a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grgic, M.

1966-01-01

Radiation impact on the nuclear power plant environment is a very important problem which has to be solved during design and construction. Damage that could be caused by release of radioactive material into the environment should be estimated and the magnitude of nuclear and radiation risk of the power plant should be evaluated. In general the accuracy of estimation is rather poor due to statistical fluctuations of the conditions which influence radioactivity expansion in the environment, especially in the air. Different uncertainties and unresolved problems influence the inaccuracy. Since any real risk should be extremely small compared to potential risk i.e. risk induced by nuclear power plant without any safety measures, even inaccurate estimations are very useful. Method for environmental radiation risk assessment is based on relatively simple models of radiation expansion in the environment and in the air. These models are theoretically solved but they are based on relatively limited number of experimental data. Assessment of the radiation effects on the population health and mortality is an important problem [sl

Atmospheric radiation environment analyses based-on CCD camera at various mountain altitudes and underground sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Cavoli Pierre

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to discriminate secondary atmospheric particles and identify muons by measuring the natural radiative environment in atmospheric and underground locations. A CCD camera has been used as a cosmic ray sensor. The Low Noise Underground Laboratory of Rustrel (LSBB, France gives the access to a unique low-noise scientific environment deep enough to ensure the screening from the neutron and proton radiative components. Analyses of the charge levels in pixels of the CCD camera induced by radiation events and cartographies of the charge events versus the hit pixel are proposed.

The Dynamics of the Atmospheric Radiation Environment at Aviation Altitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Stassinopoulos, Epaminondas G.

2004-01-01

Single Event Effects vulnerability of on-board computers that regulate the: navigational, flight control, communication, and life support systems has become an issue in advanced modern aircraft, especially those that may be equipped with new technology devices in terabit memory banks (low voltage, nanometer feature size, gigabit integration). To address this concern, radiation spectrometers need to fly continually on a multitude of carriers over long periods of time so as to accumulate sufficient information that will broaden our understanding of the very dynamic and complex nature of the atmospheric radiation environment regarding: composition, spectral distribution, intensity, temporal variation, and spatial variation.

Terrain and Radiation Mapping in Post-Disaster Environments Using an Autonomous Helicopter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Kochersberger

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Recent events have highlighted the need for unmanned remote sensing in dangerous areas, particularly where structures have collapsed or explosions have occurred, to limit hazards to first responders and increase their efficiency in planning response operations. In the case of the Fukushima nuclear reactor explosion, an unmanned helicopter capable of obtaining overhead images, gathering radiation measurements, and mapping both the structural and radiation content of the environment would have given the response team invaluable data early in the disaster, thereby allowing them to understand the extent of the damage and areas where dangers to personnel existed. With this motivation, the Unmanned Systems Lab at Virginia Tech has developed a remote sensing system for radiation detection and aerial imaging using a 90 kg autonomous helicopter and sensing payloads for the radiation detection and imaging operations. The radiation payload, which is the sensor of focus in this paper, consists of a scintillating type detector with associated software and novel search algorithms to rapidly and effectively map and locate sources of high radiation intensity. By incorporating this sensing technology into an unmanned aerial vehicle system, crucial situational awareness can be gathered about a post-disaster environment and response efforts can be expedited. This paper details the radiation mapping and localization capabilities of this system as well as the testing of the various search algorithms using simulated radiation data. The various components of the system have been flight tested over a several-year period and a new production flight platform has been built to enhance reliability and maintainability. The new system is based on the Aeroscout B1-100 helicopter platform, which has a one-hour flight endurance and uses a COFDM radio system that gives the helicopter an effective range of 7 km.

Research on environment monitoring of radiation emergency

CERN Document Server

Ito, Y; Otani, N

2003-01-01

In a case of a nuclear accident at nuclear facilities, strong radiation such as g-rays and neutrons might radiate at a burst in the initial stage. For the establishment of dose estimation system for such accidents, the experiments were done using the He sup + sup 2 beam accelerated by Tandem in the W-MAST. The following results were obtained. 1) Neutron measurements using a rem counter yielded that dose equivalent was about 9.4 mSv/h at a position 100 cm from the Be target when the beam current of 15 MeV He sup 2 sup + was 0.8 mu A. Neutron measurement by means of Au and In foil activation method and by use of TLD element revealed that dose equivalents were to be 16-27 mu Sv/h for thermal neutron, and 30-41 mu Sv/h for sub-fast neutron (20 keV). Therefore, it was concluded that neutron field was mainly composed by fast neutron. 2) Linearity of the rem-counter out put vs neutron flux was valid under the condition that the count rate of the rem-counter was less than 10 kcps. 3) Computer simulation using NRESP c...

The radiation environment in the ATLAS inner detector

CERN Document Server

Dawson, I

2000-01-01

The radiation environment in the inner detector has been simulated using the particle transport program FLUKA with a recent description of the ATLAS experiment. Given in this paper are particle fluences and doses at positions relevant to the three inner detector subsystems; the Pixel, SCT and TRT detectors. In addition, studies are reported on in which (1) information concerning the optimization of the inner detector neutron-moderators is obtained and (2) the impact of including additional vacuum-equipment material is assessed. (19 refs).

Radiation processing: a versatile technology for industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabalfin, E.G.

1996-01-01

Soon after the discovery of x-ray in 1895 and radioactivity in 1896, it was recognized that ionizing radiation can modify the chemical, physical and/or biological properties of materials. However, it was only in the late 50's, when large radiation sources become available, has this unique property of radiation found industrial applications in radiation processing. Today, radiation processing has been used by industry in such diverse applications, such as radiation sterilization/decontamination of medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and their raw materials; radiation cross-linking of wire and cable insulation; production of heat shrinkable materials and polymer foam; and radiation curing of coatings, adhesives and inks on a wide variety of substrates. In addition to being a clean environment-friendly technology, radiation processing can also be used for the conservation of the environment by such processes as radiation treatment of flue gases to remove SO 2 and NO x and disinfection of sewage sludge. Because of the many advantages offered by radiation processing, industry is showing strong interest in the technology as evidenced by the growing number of industrial radiation facilities in many countries. (author)

Radioactivation of silicon tracker modules in high-luminosity hadron collider radiation environments

CERN Document Server

Dawson, I; Buttar, C; Cindro, V; Mandic, I

2003-01-01

One of the consequences of operating detector systems in harsh radiation environments will be radioactivation of the components. This will certainly be true in experiments such as ATLAS and CMS, which are currently being built to exploit the physics potential at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. If the levels of radioactivity and corresponding dose rates are significant, then there will be implications for any access or maintenance operations. This paper presents predictions for the radioactivation of ATLAS's Semi- Conductor Tracker (SCT) barrel system, based on both calculations and measurements. It is shown that both neutron capture and high-energy hadron reactions must be taken into account. The predictions also show that the SCT barrel-module should not pose any serious radiological problems after operation in high radiation environments.

The natural radiation environment of marine organisms and aspects of the human food chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodhed, D.S.

1982-01-01

This article is based on a paper presented at the SRP meeting on the Natural Radiation Environment, March 1982. The concentrations of some of the natural radionuclides in various components of the marine environment are described and the contributions which these make to the radiation exposure of both marine organisms and man are discussed. It is indicated that radium-226 is a useful tracer of oceanic processes and a potential means of verifying the models being developed to predict the radiological consequences of the disposal of radioactive wastes into the deep ocean. (author)

Uranium mining and processing: their radiation impact into the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostapczuk, Peter; Zoriy, Petro; Dederichs, Herbert; Lennartz, Reinhard

2008-01-01

Based on Thorium and Uranium determination in soil and plants samples collected in the region of Aktau, Kazakhstan the distribution pattern of environmental pollution by these elements was correlated with the radiation dose. The main radiation source was the waste deposit of the equipment used by the uranium processing (dose higher than 5 μSv/h). The mining area and also the transportation way from mine to the uranium factory has also an radiation impact which is difficult to estimate. Based on the data found by plants and soil samples all the area under study has a higher pollution level by Thorium and Uranium than the control area (about 0.1μSv/h). Due to observed strong wind blowing in different directions it is possible that the particle of uranium ore has been transported for long distance and polluted the plants and upper soil layer. The further investigations should get more information about this supposition. (author)

Deposit Insurance and Risk Shifting in a Strong Regulatory Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bartholdy, Jan; Justesen, Lene Gilje

This study provides empirical evidence on the moral hazard implications of introducing deposit insurance into a strong regulatory environment. Denmark offers a unique setting because commercial banks and savings banks have different ownership structures, but are subject to the same set...... of regulations. The ownership structure in savings banks implies that they have no incentive to increase risk after the implementation of a deposit insurance scheme whereas commercial banks have. Also, at the time of introduction, Denmark had high capital requirements and a strict closure policy. Using...... a difference-in-difference framework we show that commercial banks did not increase their risk compared to savings banks when deposit insurance was introduced. The results also hold for large commercial banks, indicating that the systemic risk did not increase either. Thus for a system with high capital...

Application of γ field theory based calculation method to the monitoring of mine nuclear radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Yanjun; Liu Qingcheng; Liu Hongzhang; Qin Guoxiu

2009-01-01

In order to find the feasibility of calculating mine radiation dose based on γ field theory, this paper calculates the γ radiation dose of a mine by means of γ field theory based calculation method. The results show that the calculated radiation dose is of small error and can be used to monitor mine environment of nuclear radiation. (authors)

Reality of dielectric materials in special environment with radiation and others

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

In this report, the results of investigation by the expert committee on the title problem in the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan from April, 1989 to March, 1992 are summarized. The objectives were to collect the data on the deterioration of dielectric and insulation materials in the special environment including radiation, to investigate the deterioration mechanism, and to grasp the state of development of the materials which can withstand special environment. The actual conditions of temperature, humidity and radiation in nuclear reactors, nuclear fuel cycle facilities, spaceships, accelerator facilities and nuclear fusion experiment facilities are reported. As the new materials which can withstand special environment, the properties of aromatic engineering plastics such as polyimide, PEEK and others, no-halogen incombustible materials, thermoplastic polyurethane, ethylene propylene rubber, cross-linked polyethylene, ceramics, high temperature superconductors, fiber-reinforced composite materials, silica glass and quartz optical fibers are shown. The factors of material deterioration, the method of forecasting lifetime and the examples are explained. The new methods of measuring material properties such as ion microprobe, positron annihilation, scanning tunnel microscopes, optical detection magnetic resonance and so on are explained. (K.I.)

The biological effectiveness of heavy ion radiations in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craven, P.A.

1996-03-01

Although heavy ions are rarely encountered in the majority of terrestrial environments, the exposure of humans to this fascinating class of ionizing radiation is becoming more frequent. Long-duration spaceflight, new radiotherapeutic procedures and enhanced levels of radon, and other naturally-occurring alpha particle emitters, have all increased concern and stimulated interest recently within the radiological protection and radiobiological communities. Significant data concerning the long-term effects of low levels of heavy ions on mammalian systems are correspondingly scarce, leading to increased emphasis on modelling all aspects of the radiation-organism interaction. Contemporary radiation protection procedures reflect the need for a more fundamental understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the biological actions of such radiations. Major deficiencies exist in the current recommendations for assessment of relative effectiveness, the enhanced severity of the biological consequences instigated by heavy ions, over conventional sparsely ionizing radiations. In an attempt to remedy some of the inadequate concepts and assumptions presently employed and, simultaneously, to gain insight into the fundamental mechanisms behind the notion of radiation quality, a series of algorithms have been developed and executed as computer code, to evaluate the biological effectiveness of heavy ion radiation ''tracks'' according to a number of criteria. These include consideration of the spatial characteristics of physical energy deposition in idealised cellular structures (finite particle range, radial extension of tracks via δ-ray emission) and the likelihood of induction and mis-repair of severe molecular lesions (double-strand breaks, multiply-damaged sites). (author)

Optical fibres in the radiation environment of CERN

Science.gov (United States)

Guillermain, E.

2017-11-01

kGy). Nevertheless, the conventional optical fibres must be carefully qualified as a spread in RIA of factor 10 is observed among optical fibres of different types and dopants. In higher radiation areas, special radiation resistant optical fibres are installed. For total dose above 1 kGy, the RIA of these special optical fibres is at least 10 times lower than the conventional optical fibres RIA at same irradiation conditions. 2400 km of these special radiation resistant optical fibres were recently procured at CERN. As part of this procurement process, a quality assurance plan including the irradiation testing of all 65 produced batches was set up. This presentation will review the selection process of the appropriate optical fibre types to be installed in the radiation environment of CERN. The methodology for choosing the irradiation parameters for the laboratory tests will be discussed together with an overview of the RIA of different optical fibre types under several irradiation conditions.

Self-probing spectroscopy of XUV photo-ionization dynamics in atoms subjected to a strong-field environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Azoury, Doron; Krüger, Michael; Orenstein, Gal; Larsson, Henrik R; Bauch, Sebastian; Bruner, Barry D; Dudovich, Nirit

2017-11-13

Single-photon ionization is one of the most fundamental light matter interactions in nature, serving as a universal probe of the quantum state of matter. By probing the emitted electron, one can decode the full dynamics of the interaction. When photo-ionization is evolving in the presence of a strong laser field, the fundamental properties of the mechanism can be signicantly altered. Here we demonstrate how the liberated electron can perform a self-probing measurement of such interaction with attosecond precision. Extreme ultraviolet attosecond pulses initiate an electron wavepacket by photo-ionization, a strong infrared field controls its motion, and finally electron-ion collision maps it into re-emission of attosecond radiation bursts. Our measurements resolve the internal clock provided by the self-probing mechanism, obtaining a direct insight into the build-up of photo-ionization in the presence of the strong laser field.

Short and long term ionizing radiation effects on charge-coupled devices in radiation environment of high-intensity heavy ion accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belousov, A; Mustafin, E; Ensinger, W

2012-01-01

Radiation effects on semiconductor devices is a topical issue for high-intensity accelerator projects. In particular it concerns Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) cameras, which are widely used for beam profile monitoring and surveillance in high radiation environment. One should have a clear idea of short and long term radiation effects on such devices. To study these effects, a CCD camera was placed in positions less than half meter away from beam loss point. Primary heavy ion beam of 0.95GeV/n Uranium was dumped into a thick aluminium target creating high fluences of secondary particles (e.g., gammas, neutrons, protons). Effects of these particles on CCD camera were scored with LabView based acquisition software. Monte Carlo calculations with FLUKA code were performed to obtain fluence distributions for different particles and make relevant comparisons. Long term total ionising dose effects are represented by dark current increase, which was scored throughout experiment. Instant radiation effects are represented by creation of charge in CCD cells by ionising particles. Relation of this charge to beam intensity was obtained for different camera positions and fluences within 5 orders of magnitude ranges. With high intensities this charge is so high that it may dramatically influence data obtained from CCD camera used in high radiation environment. The linearity of described above relation confirms linear response of CCD to ionizing radiation. It gives an opportunity to find a new application to CCD cameras as beam loss monitors (BLM).

Material and cultural assets. Part of radiation protection of the environment?; Sach- und Kulturgueter. Teil eines Strahlenschutzes der Umwelt?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gellermann, R.G. [Nuclear Control and Consulting GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Loebner, W.

2015-07-01

Since several years the protection of the environment has been discussed at various international levels as part of radiation protection. ICRP has published a number of recommendations which relate primarily to the evaluation of radiation exposures to non-human species. Nevertheless, not least because of the declaratory mention of the environment in national legislative documents, the question arises how the environment can be integrated into the radiation protection or whether the radiation protection must be even expanded to new fields. A less discussed aspect here covers material and cultural assets that are classified in environmental law as objects worthy of protection. The paper describes some issues that arise in this context and outlines a framework for the consideration of material assets in radiation protection.

Evaluation of the environmental quality objective 'A Safe Radiation Environment'; Utvaerdering av miljoekvalitetsmaalet 'Saeker straalmiljoe'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asp, Helene; Brewitz, Erica; Halvarsson, Andreas; Ljungberg, Sophie; Mjoenes, Lars; Wallberg, Petra

2007-11-15

The evaluation of the environmental quality objective 'A Safe Radiation Environment' is a contribution to the Environmental Objective Council's assessment of progress towards the national environmental quality objectives. The report describes and evaluates the radiation environment in Sweden, the regulatory instruments, measures carried out and the monitoring programmes. Furthermore, the possibility of achieving the objective and its interim targets is evaluated. New measures and means of control are proposed. The proposals are directed to the government and Parliament, national authorities and other stakeholders in society. The Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI) considers it possible to achieve the objective, but additional efforts are required to ensure success. Environmental monitoring, research on health effects of radiation and supervision are still important areas. Intensified efforts will be needed to change attitudes towards suntanning. Changes in the formulation of the objective and its interim targets are suggested. Today only protection against radiation in the external environment is covered by the objective. Radiation protection work has to consider all. SSI therefore suggests that the objective should extend to include workplaces and indoor environment. For the three interim targets included in 'A Safe Radiation Environment', changes are suggested for the interim targets for radioactive substances and electromagnetic fields. No change is suggested for the interim target for skin cancer

Radiation protection of the environment. State of the art and recommendations by the IRSN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Garnier-Laplace, J.; Gilbin, R.; Simon-Cornu, M.; Baudry, M.; Deschamps, P.; Gariel, J.C.; Lecomte, J.F.; Paquet, F.; Renaud, P.; Schuler, M.

2016-01-01

This report notably aims at helping the GPRADE (Groupe permanent d'experts en radioprotection, pour les applications industrielles et de recherche des rayonnements ionisants, et en environnement - Permanent group of experts in radiation protection for industrial and research applications of ionizing radiations, and in environment) to build up its opinion on the French management of methods and technical regulations for the assessment of the radiological risk for the environment, or for the national transposition of the 2013/59/Euratom European directive. After a brief overview of the international, European and French legal context, the report proposes an overview of the state of the art: history, definitions, principles, regulation of radiation protection of the environment in different countries. It presents the main approaches and compares them: the CIPR approach, the Erica approach (the most used in Europe). It also discusses the compatibility of main approaches to the assessment of the radiological risk for ecosystems. It reports applications and returns on experience at the international level and within the frame of the IRSN commitment in planned, existing or emergency situations. Recommendations are formulated

Combined environment aging effects: radiation-thermal degradation of polyvinylchloride and polyethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clough, R.L.; Gillen, K.T.

1981-01-01

Results are presented for a case of polymer aging in which powerful synergisms are found between radiation and temperature. This effect was observed with formulations of polyvinylchloride and polyethylene and occurred in simultaneous and sequential radiation-thermal experiments. Dose rate dependencies, which appear to be mechanistically related to the synergism, were also found. The evidence indicates that these aging effects are mediated by a thermally induced breakdown of peroxides initially formed by the radiation. Similar effects could be important to material degradation in a variety of other types of combined-stress environment. A new technique, which uses PH 3 treatment of intact polymer specimens to test for the importance of peroxides in the pathway that leads to changes in macroscopic tensile properties, is described

Hazards of ionizing radiations for human beings and environment with respect to nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huebner, Felix; Jung, Jennifer Jana; Schultmann, Frank

2017-01-01

Worldwide, nuclear fission is used to produce electricity. On the one hand, the low emission of CO_2 is often mentioned as an advantage of this technology. On the other hand, warnings about the dangers of nuclear fission are mentioned. Consequently, an overview about the dangers of ionizing radiation to human beings as well as animals and the environment is important. However, the focus will be on possible health effects for humans with regards to nuclear power plants. In nuclear power plants, both natural types of radiation and artificially produced radiation occur. During normal operation, it is possible that small quantities of this ionizing radiation are released to the environment. In case of nuclear disasters or faults during decommissioning and dismantling processes the consequences of thereby emitted quantities can be even more severe. Reference nuclides vary by reactor type, operating stage and respective incident. At the beginning, different types of radiation and their characteristics and effects on the affected organism are explained. Sensitive organs are emphasized in this context. The individual risk is determined by numerous factors and therefore cannot be predicted. Based on scientific studies and medical publications the hazards of ionizing radiation are compiled. Effects of high exposure of ionizing radiation are well-investigated. Scientists are still divided over the connection between several diseases and the exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation. For this reason, the positions of different international organizations are critically contrasted in this study.

Organization and operation of the Sixth International Symposium on the Natural Radiation Environment (NRE VI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopke, P.K.

1996-01-01

An important source of human exposure to radiation is the natural world including cosmic rays, cosmogenic radionuclides, natural terrestrial radionuclides, and radon isotopes and its decay products. Considerable effort is being expended on a worldwide basis to characterize the exposure to the natural radiation environment and determine the important pathways for the exposure to result in the dose to tissue that leads to injury and disease. The problem of background exposure to naturally occurring radioactivity has been the subject of research since the initial discovery of the radioactivity of uranium and thorium. However, with the advent of artificial sources of radiation with both benefits and harm the nature and magnitude of the natural radiation environment and the effects on various populations are important in the development of overall public health strategies as ALARA principles are applied to the situation

Influence of Dust Loading on Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Norman, Ryan B.; Gronoff, Guillaume; Mertens, Christopher J.

2014-01-01

Measuring the radiation environment at the surface of Mars is the primary goal of the Radiation Assessment Detector on the NASA Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover. One of the conditions that Curiosity will likely encounter is a dust storm. The objective of this paper is to compute the cosmic ray ionization in different conditions, including dust storms, as these various conditions are likely to be encountered by Curiosity at some point. In the present work, the Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety model, recently modified for Mars, was used along with the Badhwar & O'Neill 2010 galactic cosmic ray model. In addition to galactic cosmic rays, five different solar energetic particle event spectra were considered. For all input radiation environments, radiation dose throughout the atmosphere and at the surface was investigated as a function of atmospheric dust loading. It is demonstrated that for galactic cosmic rays, the ionization depends strongly on the atmosphere profile. Moreover, it is shown that solar energetic particle events strongly increase the ionization throughout the atmosphere, including ground level, and can account for the radio blackout conditions observed by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument on the Mars Express spacecraft. These results demonstrate that the cosmic rays' influence on the Martian surface chemistry is strongly dependent on solar and atmospheric conditions that should be taken into account for future studies.

Effects of radiation on coal mine environment -a critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A.K.; Varma, N.K.; Sahay, N.; Ahmad, I.

2001-01-01

Due to mass-scale industrialization, world's environment is being polluted every day endangering the existence of living beings on the earth. This has attracted the attention of environmental engineers, medical practitioners, planners and researchers throughout the world. Attempts are being made to make air, water and atmosphere clean and to prevent likely hazards arising out of various industrial activities. In addition, the radiation from natural sources is all around us and has been here since time immemorial. Coal miners have small occupational radiation which arise from naturally occurring radioactive substance(s) underground. The predominant source of natural radiation present in coal mines is the radon gas. This paper describes the origin of radon and its radiological hazards. An attempt has been made to review the status of the problem likely to be caused by the different radioactive elements present in Indian coal, coal ash and allied coal-based industries. (author)

Cooperative effect of radiation and vapor environments on the deterioration of insulator materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusama, Yasuo; Okada, Sohei; Yagi, Toshiaki; Ito, Masayuki; Yoshida, Kenzo; Tamura, Naoyuki

1985-01-01

Experimental results and speculations are described on the cooperative effect of radiation and vapor environments for the deterioration of insulator cable cladding materials such as polyethylene chlorosulphonate, ethylene propylene rubber, cross-linked polyethylene, chloroprene and silicone rubber, by the separate, simultaneous or subsequent exposure of the above-mentioned two kinds of exposure factors. These experiment was carried out by considering main environmental factors in the LOCA (loss of coolant accident) conditions. Radiation experiment was made by employing 60 Co source of 9.7 kGy/h at a room-temperature air condition. Vapor environment exposure was conducted by the conditions of 120 to 160 deg C steam-saturated air conditions and others. With the experimental results described on the characteristics of the five kinds of the above-mentioned insulator materials in radiation and saturated vapor conditions, the following conclusions were obtained. Acceleration of deterioration by the cooperative action of radiation and saturated vapor was found for the examined materials except the cross-linked polyethylene. In the subsequent exposure of radiation and saturated vapor, deterioration behavior was dependent on insulator materials and component ratios of the insulator materials. For the cross-linked polyethylene, annealing effect by heat was found, and the effect was less significent in the simultaneous exposure. Restoration phenomenon was found in the cross-linked polyethylene even in the saturated vapor exposure stage of the subsequent exposure conditions of radiation exposure followed by saturated vapor. (Takagi, S.)

Estimating the solar radiation environment on the soil surface between rows using crop canopy architectural models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuge, K.; Haraguchi, T.; Nakano, Y.; Kuroda, M.; Funakoshi, T.

2002-01-01

The objective of this study is quantification of the solar radiation in the farmland located in the hilly and mountainous areas, considering the effect of the shelter adjacent to the field, such as the forest (This effect is called as the edge-effect in this study.). To evaluate the edge-effect on the solar radiation environment in the farmland, solar radiations are measured at the center and edge of the study site adjacent to the forest. The simulation model is composed, coupling with the fish-eye projection method and procedure for the separating direct and diffuse solar radiations. Using this model, the diurnal solar radiations are simulated at the center and edge of the study site. The simulation result showed good agreement with the observation. The spatial distribution of the solar radiation in an observational field is quantified by this method, considering the edge-effect. The simulation result indicated that the solar radiation environment on the field surface is affected by the shelter adjacent to the field and the field direction. (author)

Radiation-Induced Damage and Recovery of Ultra-Nanocrystalline Diamond: Toward Applications in Harsh Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Aiden A; Filevich, Jorge; Straw, Marcus; Randolph, Steven; Botman, Aurélien; Aharonovich, Igor; Toth, Milos

2017-11-15

Ultra-nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) is increasingly being used in the fabrication of devices and coatings due to its excellent tribological properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. Here, we study its response to irradiation with kiloelectronvolt electrons as a controlled model for extreme ionizing environments. Real time Raman spectroscopy reveals that the radiation-damage mechanism entails dehydrogenation of UNCD grain boundaries, and we show that the damage can be recovered by annealing at 883 K. Our results have significant practical implications for the implementation of UNCD in extreme environment applications, and indicate that the films can be used as radiation sensors.

Review of the Radiation Environment in the Inner Detector

CERN Document Server

Dawson, I

2000-01-01

The radiation environment in the inner detector has been simulated using the particle transport program FLUKA with a recent description of the ATLAS experiment. Given in this note are particle fluences and doses at positions relevant to the PIXEL, SCT and TRT detectors. In addition, studies are reported on in which 1) information concerning the optimisation of the inner detector neutron-moderators is obtained and 2) the impact of including additional vacuum-equipment is assessed.

Characteristics of radiation field in living environment, 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaoka, Toshi; Sakamoto, Ryuichi; Tsutsumi, Masahiro; Saito, Kimiaki; Moriuchi, Shigeru

1990-01-01

A series of environmental radiation survey was carried out on train lines within Tokyo metropolitan area to clarify the characteristics of radiation field in living environment. Eleven JR, 18 private and 10 subway lines were surveyed, which cover 97% of whole train lines in Tokyo district in terms of annual number of passengers. The characteristics of environmental radiation field on train lines were discussed. The mean absorbed dose rate in air due to γ-rays on the subway lines was higher than those on the JR and private lines. It is due to the difference in the radioactivity concentration and the distribution of surrounding materials as the γ-ray sources. On the other hand, the mean dose rate due to cosmic-rays on the subway lines was lower than those on the JR and private lines. It is due to the shielding effect of the upper materials such as soil or building materials of tunnels. The mean dose rates for the JR, private and subway lines were calculated using these obtained data. Though the ratio of mean dose rate of γ-rays to that of cosmic-rays for the subway lines was different from those for the JR and private lines, the sum of γ- and cosmic-ray dose rates for the JR, private and subway lines were comparable, 40∼50 nGy/h for any of them. These data will be useful for a precise and realistic evaluation of collective dose, considering the life style of the public and the variation characteristics of environmental radiation. (author)

Radiation environment of the LHCb Calorimeters in 2010-2013 (under review)

CERN Document Server

Corti, Gloria

2017-01-01

A set of passive and active radiation detectors has been installed around and in between the LHCb calorimeter subsystems to measure different aspects of the radiation environment. Cross calibrations between various types of measurements are performed and correlated with the evolving run conditions. Measurements are compared to FLUKA simulation estimates and an evaluation of the reliability of the simulation in different running scenarios is provided. The simulation is based on a detailed geometry of the LHCb experiment and reflects the conditions of Run1 with 7 and 8 TeV CM proton-proton collision energies. A carefully characterised simulation of radiation levels in the LHCb experiment is essential in providing input for technical choices in view of the planned upgrade of the experiment for operation at higher luminosity.

Strongly coupled radiation from moving mirrors and holography in the Karch-Randall model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pujolas, Oriol

2008-01-01

Motivated by the puzzles in understanding how Black Holes evaporate into a strongly coupled Conformal Field Theory, we study particle creation by an accelerating mirror. We model the mirror as a gravitating Domain Wall and consider a CFT coupled to it through gravity, in asymptotically Anti de Sitter space. This problem (backreaction included) can be solved exactly at one loop. At strong coupling, this is dual to a Domain Wall localized on the brane in the Karch-Randall model, which can be fully solved as well. Hence, in this case one can see how the particle production is affected by A) strong coupling and B) its own backreaction. We find that A) the amount of CFT radiation at strong coupling is not suppressed relative to the weak coupling result; and B) once the boundary conditions in the AdS 5 bulk are appropriately mapped to the conditions for the CFT on the boundary of AdS 4 , the Karch-Randall model and the CFT side agree to leading order in the backreaction. This agreement holds even for a new class of self-consistent solutions (the 'Bootstrap' Domain Wall spacetimes) that have no classical limit. This provides a quite precise check of the holographic interpretation of the Karch-Randall model. We also comment on the massive gravity interpretation. As a byproduct, we show that relativistic Cosmic Strings (pure tension codimension 2 branes) in Anti de Sitter are repulsive and generate long-range tidal forces even at classical level. This is the phenomenon dual to particle production by Domain Walls.

Use of micronucleus test in the assessment of radiation effects in aquatic environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, Edvaldo F. de; Silva, Luanna R.S.; Lima, Pedro A. de S.; Amancio, Francisco F.; Melo, Ana Maria M. de A.; Silva, Edvane B. da; Silva, Ronaldo C. da

2011-01-01

The study of the effects of radioactive substances on the environment is accomplished by radioecology. This science has played an important role in combating all forms of pollution. The uncontrolled use of physical and chemical agents has been a concern for environmental regulatory agencies, due to the serious damage to ecosystems. Aquatic organisms are exposed to a variety of pollutants harmful to aquatic systems. The mollusks Biomphalaria glabrata has been featured as a bioindicator to possess characteristics such as short reproductive cycle ease of maintenance in the laboratory and low maintenance cost. The micronucleus assay has been shown to be a great test to identify mutagenic effects caused by physical and chemical agents. In this study the frequency of micronuclei in haemocytes of Biomphalaria glabrata exposed to high doses of 60 Co gamma radiation contributing to a further standardization of this test as an indicator of the presence of radioactive contamination in aquatic environments. The young adult snails of Biomphalaria glabrata were divided into groups and subjected to a dose of 0 (control), 40 and 60 Gy of gamma radiation. The results showed that snails irradiated with 40 Gy showed a smaller number of haemocytes, whereas those exposed to 60 Gy had a greater quantity of these cells compared to control group. It can be concluded that the morphological analysis and the frequency of micronuclei in haemocytes of Biomphalaria glabrata exposed to 60 Co gamma radiation may be used in studies of the action of high doses of radiation in aquatic environments (author)

Measurement and simulation of the radiation environment in the lower atmosphere for dose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pioch, Christian Dieter

2012-01-01

Flying personnel is occupationally exposed to rather high radiation levels due to secondary cosmic radiation. Therefore, the radiation environment induced in the lower atmosphere by galactic and solar cosmic radiation was characterized by means of particle transport calculations using GEANT4. These calculations were validated with continuous measurements of the energy spectra of secondary neutrons with Bonner sphere spectrometers at the Zugspitze mountain and near the North Pole. The response of these instruments was determined with GEANT4 and for the first time experimentally verified at high neutron energies (244 and 387 MeV). Route doses for aircrews along typical long-haul flights were determined for galactic and solar cosmic radiation using most recent data on the magnetospheric field and primary cosmic radiation.

A study on the life extension of polymer materials under radiation environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, K. J.; Park, S. W.; Cho, S. H.; Hong, S. S

2000-12-01

The object of this study is to improve the stability and the economic profit by reducing the radiation-induced degradation rate of polymer material used under the radiation environment. So far, the resistance to radiation-induced oxidation of a polymer has been improved by the stabilizers. They can play an important role in the anti-oxidants that interrupt the radical-mediated oxidation chain reaction. The stabilization effect could be larger than that achieved in an inert-atmosphere irradiation. Stabilization is a function of stabilizer concentration up to a certain threshold, but it is not further improved above this concentration. Beyond the threshold, the rate of radiation-induced oxidation goes up to the rate that is characteristic for the unstabilized polymer. To make up for this weakness, a technique depositing a thin layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the polymer surface was developed for protecting the radiation-induced oxidation in the air.

A study on the life extension of polymer materials under radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, K. J.; Park, S. W.; Cho, S. H.; Hong, S. S.

2000-12-01

The object of this study is to improve the stability and the economic profit by reducing the radiation-induced degradation rate of polymer material used under the radiation environment. So far, the resistance to radiation-induced oxidation of a polymer has been improved by the stabilizers. They can play an important role in the anti-oxidants that interrupt the radical-mediated oxidation chain reaction. The stabilization effect could be larger than that achieved in an inert-atmosphere irradiation. Stabilization is a function of stabilizer concentration up to a certain threshold, but it is not further improved above this concentration. Beyond the threshold, the rate of radiation-induced oxidation goes up to the rate that is characteristic for the unstabilized polymer. To make up for this weakness, a technique depositing a thin layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the polymer surface was developed for protecting the radiation-induced oxidation in the air

Addressing ecological effects of radiation on populations and ecosystems to improve protection of the environment against radiation: Agreed statements from a Consensus Symposium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bréchignac, François; Oughton, Deborah; Mays, Claire; Barnthouse, Lawrence; Beasley, James C.; Bonisoli-Alquati, Andrea; Bradshaw, Clare; Brown, Justin; Dray, Stéphane; Geras'kin, Stanislav

2016-01-01

This paper reports the output of a consensus symposium organized by the International Union of Radioecology in November 2015. The symposium gathered an academically diverse group of 30 scientists to consider the still debated ecological impact of radiation on populations and ecosystems. Stimulated by the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters' accidental contamination of the environment, there is increasing interest in developing environmental radiation protection frameworks. Scientific research conducted in a variety of laboratory and field settings has improved our knowledge of the effects of ionizing radiation on the environment. However, the results from such studies sometimes appear contradictory and there is disagreement about the implications for risk assessment. The Symposium discussions therefore focused on issues that might lead to different interpretations of the results, such as laboratory versus field approaches, organism versus population and ecosystemic inference strategies, dose estimation approaches and their significance under chronic exposure conditions. The participating scientists, from across the spectrum of disciplines and research areas, extending also beyond the traditional radioecology community, successfully developed a constructive spirit directed at understanding discrepancies. From the discussions, the group has derived seven consensus statements related to environmental protection against radiation, which are supplemented with some recommendations. Each of these statements is contextualized and discussed in view of contributing to the orientation and integration of future research, the results of which should yield better consensus on the ecological impact of radiation and consolidate suitable approaches for efficient radiological protection of the environment. - Highlights: • IUR built better scientific consensus on the ecological effects of radiation. • Laboratory versus field approaches have been addressed. • Organism versus

BNCT-RTPE: BNCT radiation treatment planning environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wessol, D.E.; Wheeler, F.J.; Babcock, R.S.

1995-01-01

Several improvements have been developed for the BNCT radiation treatment planning environment (BNCT-Rtpe) during 1994. These improvements have been incorporated into Version 1.0 of BNCT-Rtpe which is currently installed at the INEL, BNL, Japanese Research Center (JRC), and Finland's Technical Research Center. Platforms supported by this software include Hewlett-Packard (HP), SUN, International Business Machines (IBM), and Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI). A draft version of the BNCT-Rtpe user manual is available. Version 1.1 of BNCT-Rtpe is scheduled for release in March 1995. It is anticipated that Version 2.x of BNCT-Rtpe, which includes the nonproprietary NURBS library and data structures, will be released in September 1995

Sample Environment in Experiments using X-Ray Synchrotron Radiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buras, B

1984-01-01

beam experiments with wavelength chosen at will from the continuous spectrum. Another type of insertion device, called undulator produces quasi-monochromatic radiation. The insertion devices enable the tailoring of the emitted S.R. to the requirements of the users and can be treated as the first......Modern electron (positron) storage rings are able to emit very intense X-ray radiation with a continuous spectrum extending to 0.1 A, from bending magnets and insertion devices (wavelength shifters and multipole wigglers). It can be used directly for white beam experiments and/or for monochromatic...... optical element of the beam line. This feature is especially important for experiments with samples in special environment because the latter imposes limitations both on scattering and absorption experiments. However, these limitations can be minimized in each case by finding the best match between...

Modern state of the application of ionizing radiation for protection of environment. 1. Ionizing radiation sources. Purification of natural and drinking water (review)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pikaev, AK.

2000-01-01

Review of modern state of the application of ionizing radiations for protection of environment and natural and drinking water purification is presented. Building of installations with electron accelerators with summarized power of beam ∼0.6 MW signifies that application of ionizing radiation for ecological needs increase. It is pointed out that extensible application of electron accelerators is explained by their safety and efficiency as compared with gamma-sources. New information about ionizing radiation sources, radiation-chemical purification of polluted natural and drinking water, mechanisms of processes taking place during treatment by ionizing radiations are generalized [ru

Addressing ecological effects of radiation on populations and ecosystems to improve protection of the environment against radiation: Agreed statements from a Consensus Symposium☆

Science.gov (United States)

Bréchignac, François; Oughton, Deborah; Mays, Claire; Barnthouse, Lawrence; Beasley, James C.; Bonisoli-Alquati, Andrea; Bradshaw, Clare; Brown, Justin; Dray, Stéphane; Geras’kin, Stanislav; Glenn, Travis; Higley, Kathy; Ishida, Ken; Kapustka, Lawrence; Kautsky, Ulrik; Kuhne, Wendy; Lynch, Michael; Mappes, Tapio; Mihok, Steve; Møller, Anders P.; Mothersill, Carmel; Mousseau, Timothy A.; Otaki, Joji M.; Pryakhin, Evgeny; Rhodes, Olin E.; Salbu, Brit; Strand, Per; Tsukada, Hirofumi

2016-01-01

This paper reports the output of a consensus symposium organized by the International Union of Radioecology in November 2015. The symposium gathered an academically diverse group of 30 scientists to consider the still debated ecological impact of radiation on populations and ecosystems. Stimulated by the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters’ accidental contamination of the environment, there is increasing interest in developing environmental radiation protection frameworks. Scientific research conducted in a variety of laboratory and field settings has improved our knowledge of the effects of ionizing radiation on the environment. However, the results from such studies sometimes appear contradictory and there is disagreement about the implications for risk assessment. The Symposium discussions therefore focused on issues that might lead to different interpretations of the results, such as laboratory versus field approaches, organism versus population and ecosystemic inference strategies, dose estimation approaches and their significance under chronic exposure conditions. The participating scientists, from across the spectrum of disciplines and research areas, extending also beyond the traditional radioecology community, successfully developed a constructive spirit directed at understanding discrepancies. From the discussions, the group has derived seven consensus statements related to environmental protection against radiation, which are supplemented with some recommendations. Each of these statements is contextualized and discussed in view of contributing to the orientation and integration of future research, the results of which should yield better consensus on the ecological impact of radiation and consolidate suitable approaches for efficient radiological protection of the environment. PMID:27058410

International symposium on radiation technology for conservation of the environment. Extended synopses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

This document includes extended synopses of 54 presentations given at the International Symposium on Radiation Technology for the conservation of the Environment held in Zakopane near Cracow), Poland, 8-12 September 1997. Each presentation is separately indexed. Refs, figs, tabs

International symposium on radiation technology for conservation of the environment. Extended synopses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-09-01

This document includes extended synopses of 54 presentations given at the International Symposium on Radiation Technology for the conservation of the Environment held in Zakopane (near Cracow), Poland, 8-12 September 1997. Each presentation is separately indexed. Refs, figs, tabs.

A Monte Carlo transport code study of the space radiation environment using FLUKA and ROOT

CERN Document Server

Wilson, T; Carminati, F; Brun, R; Ferrari, A; Sala, P; Empl, A; MacGibbon, J

2001-01-01

We report on the progress of a current study aimed at developing a state-of-the-art Monte-Carlo computer simulation of the space radiation environment using advanced computer software techniques recently available at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva, Switzerland. By taking the next-generation computer software appearing at CERN and adapting it to known problems in the implementation of space exploration strategies, this research is identifying changes necessary to bring these two advanced technologies together. The radiation transport tool being developed is tailored to the problem of taking measured space radiation fluxes impinging on the geometry of any particular spacecraft or planetary habitat and simulating the evolution of that flux through an accurate model of the spacecraft material. The simulation uses the latest known results in low-energy and high-energy physics. The output is a prediction of the detailed nature of the radiation environment experienced in space as well a...

Star tracker and vision systems performance in a high radiation environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, John Leif; Riis, Troels; Betto, Maurizio

1999-01-01

A part of the payload of the second Ariane 5 prototype vehicle to be launched by Arianespace, was a small technology demonstration satellite. On October 30th, 1997, this test satellite, dubbed Teamsat, was launched into Geostationary Transfer Orbit and would as such pass the Van Allen radiation...... belts twice per orbit. One of the experiments onboard Teamsat was the so-called Autonomous Vision System (AVS). The AVS instrument is a fully autonomous star tracker with several advanced features for non-stellar object detection and tracking, real-time image compression and transmission. The objectives...... for the AVS in Teamsat were to test these functions, to validate their autonomous operation in space, and to assess the operational constraints of a high radiation environment on such processes. This paper describes the AVS experiment, and the radiation flux experienced onboard TEAMSAT. This overview...

Potentials of ionizing radiation in reducing hazards to man and environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mullie, W C; Van Laerhoven, M J.A.M.; Kroes, R

1991-07-01

The main goal of the title study was to compare a relevant number of conventional processes and technologies for a range of uses with the application of ionizing radiation technology. Special emphasis is given to the hazardous effects of contemporary processes and chemicals on man and environment and to the potential role of the radiation processing technology, gamma irradiation in particular, in reducing these hazards. Based on their quantities and on (eco)toxicological criteria, four fields of application were identified a priori as potentially of interest for radiation processing. These fields of application are food preservation, sterilization and sanitization of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, waste water and drinking water disinfection, and disinfection of sewage sludge and infectious hospital waste. Other fields of application as mentioned above are discussed in a more general matter. 12 figs., 31 tabs., 4 apps., refs.

The use of gamma ray data to define the natural radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

The natural radiation environment is the major source of radiation exposure to man and consists of both internal and external sources. The most significant internal sources are the radioactive elements 40 K and 222 Rn which are taken into the body. The external sources are cosmic rays and naturally occurring radioactive isotopes of the 40 K, 238 U, and 232 Th decay series, some or all of which can be found in the ground, in construction materials, and in the air. This report has been prepared to provide a guide for the use of existing gamma ray survey data to define the natural radiation environment, but will only be concerned with the gamma ray exposure resulting from radiation originating in geological materials. The type of data needed to produce maps are available as a result of airborne, carborne, and ground gamma ray surveys in many parts of the world. Although most of these data were acquired for uranium and other mineral exploration and geological mapping purposes, they can be used to provide background radioactivity information. Standardized survey data can be compiled to produce regional maps of gamma ray air dose rates as well as single radioelement maps. Compilation procedures may use either manual or computer techniques. Although this work will primarily be done as national compilations, it will open the possibility of the compilation of radioelement geochemical maps on a regional and global scale. 48 refs, figs and tabs

Ethical considerations in protecting the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. A report for discussion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-02-01

In recent years awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased and the need to protect it against the effects of industrial pollutants has been recognized. This trend is reflected in new and developing international policies for environmental protection. In the context of protection of the environment against ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is based on providing for the protection of humans. The current recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) include the statement that {sup t}he standard of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk... {sup .} In the light of the new focus of concern for the environment, this statement is being critically reviewed in several international fora. The IAEA has, over many years, sponsored studies of the effects of ionizing radiation on species other than humans. Most recently it published a discussion report as IAEA-TECDOC-1091 (1999) in which the need for developing a system for protecting the environment against the effects of ionizing radiation was elaborated and in which various related technical and philosophical issues for resolution were discussed. The current report explores the ethical principles that could underlie a system of environmental protection. It is intended as one step in the development of a framework for the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation, and is being published in order to promote awareness of the current developments in this field as well as to encourage discussion amongst those involved.

Ethical considerations in protecting the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. A report for discussion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-02-01

In recent years awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased and the need to protect it against the effects of industrial pollutants has been recognized. This trend is reflected in new and developing international policies for environmental protection. In the context of protection of the environment against ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is based on providing for the protection of humans. The current recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) include the statement that t he standard of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk... . In the light of the new focus of concern for the environment, this statement is being critically reviewed in several international fora. The IAEA has, over many years, sponsored studies of the effects of ionizing radiation on species other than humans. Most recently it published a discussion report as IAEA-TECDOC-1091 (1999) in which the need for developing a system for protecting the environment against the effects of ionizing radiation was elaborated and in which various related technical and philosophical issues for resolution were discussed. The current report explores the ethical principles that could underlie a system of environmental protection. It is intended as one step in the development of a framework for the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation, and is being published in order to promote awareness of the current developments in this field as well as to encourage discussion amongst those involved

The Enceladus Ionizing Radiation Environment: Implications for Biomolecules

Science.gov (United States)

Teodoro, L. A.; Elphic, R. C.; Davila, A. F.; McKay, C.; Dartnell, L.

2016-12-01

Enceladus' subsurface ocean is a possible abode for life, but it is inaccessible with current technology. However, icy particles and vapor are being expelled into space through surface fractures known as Tiger Stripes, forming a large plume centered in the South Polar Terrains. Direct chemical analyses by Cassini have revealed salts and organic compounds in a significant fraction of plume particles, which suggests that the subsurface ocean is the main source of materials in the plume (i.e. frozen ocean spray). While smaller icy particles in the plume reach escape velocity and feed Saturn's E-ring, larger particles fall back on the moon's surface, where they accumulate as icy mantling deposits at practically all latitudes. The organic content of these fall-out materials could be of great astrobiological relevance. Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) that strike both Enceladus' surface and the lofted icy particles produce ionizing radiation in the form of high-energy electrons, protons, gamma rays, neutrons and muons. An additional source of ionizing radiation is the population of energetic charged particles in Saturn's magnetosphere. The effects of ionizing radiation in matter always involve the destruction of chemical bonds and the creation of free radicals. Both affect organic matter, and can damage or destroy biomarkers over time. Using ionizing radiation transport codes, we recreated the radiation environment on the surface of Enceladus, and evaluated its possible effects on organic matter (including biomarkers) in the icy mantling deposits. Here, we present full Monte-Carlo simulations of the nuclear reactions induced by the GCRs hitting Enceladus's surface using a code based on the GEANT-4 toolkit for the transport of particles. To model the GCR primary spectra for Z= 1-26 (protons to iron nuclei) we assumed the CREAME96 model under solar minimum, modified to take into account Enceladus' location. We considered bulk compositions of: i) pure water ice, ii) water ice

Effects of ozone depletion and UV-B radiation on humans and the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solomon, K.R. [Guelph Univ., ON (Canada). Centre for Toxicology

2008-03-15

This paper summarized current research related to the effects of ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation on human health and the environment. Effects included direct responses in human as well as effects on biogeochemistry and the environmental cycling of substances. UV radiation has many harmful effects on the skin, eyes, and immune systems of humans. Skin cancer is a leading cause of death among fair-skinned populations exposed to UV radiation. The role of UV radiation in cataract formation was discussed, as well as issues related to the suppression of immune responses. The link between sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels in human populations was examined. The effects of UV radiation on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were reviewed. Issues related to biogeochemistry and atmospheric processes were discussed. The review suggested that changes in the intensity of solar UV radiation due to ozone depletion will have important repercussions for all organisms on the planet. It was concluded that the combined effects of UV-B radiation and climate change will not be easy to predict. 201 refs., 4 figs.

Overview of a radiation safety program in a district style medical environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, G.

2006-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the eight components of a radiation safety program in a large health care facility spread out over several campuses in a large geographic area in Nova Scotia. The main focus is based on those areas that are regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and generally encompass nuclear medicine and radiation therapy operations. X-ray operations are regulated provincially, but the general operational principles of an effective radiation safety program can be applied in all these areas. The main components covered include the set up of an organizational structure that operates separately from individual departments, general items expected from reports to corporate management or regulators, and some examples of the front-line expectations for those in individual departments. The review is not all encompassing, but should give organizations some insight of the magnitude of a radiation safety program in a district style environment. (author)

GaN-Based High Temperature and Radiation-Hard Electronics for Harsh Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Kyung-ah; Liao, Anna; Lung, Gerald; Gallegos, Manuel; Hatakeh, Toshiro; Harris, Richard D.; Scheick, Leif Z.; Smythe, William D.

2010-01-01

We develop novel GaN-based high temperature and radiation-hard electronics to realize data acquisition electronics and transmitters suitable for operations in harsh planetary environments. In this paper, we discuss our research on metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors that are targeted for 500 (sup o)C operation and >2 Mrad radiation hardness. For the target device performance, we develop Schottky-free AlGaN/GaN MOS transistors, where a gate electrode is processed in a MOS layout using an Al2O3 gate dielectric layer....

Protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. A report for discussion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-07-01

The acceptability of practices which involve the release of radionuclides into the environment, and of situations where residual radionuclides from accidents or improperly controlled practices exist in the environment, are generally assessed on the basis of implied radiation doses to humans. This approach is consistent with the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), which include the statement that 'the standard of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk'. The general applicability of this statement has been explored in previous IAEA and other publications. These concluded that the statement is generally valid but that reliance upon human based radiological protection criteria may not be adequate for all possible space or time scales. In recent years awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased and the need to protect it against the effects of industrial pollutants has been recognized. This trend is reflected in new and developing international policies for environmental protection. In the context of protection of the environment against ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is being challenged in some IAEA Member States and proposals are being made for strategies which provide for explicit protection of the environment. The present publication represents a first step towards establishing an internationally accepted philosophy and associated methodology for protecting the environment against ionizing radiations. The report reviews the various related issues and examines possible approaches to establishing criteria. It is intended for use in stimulating discussion on the subject in Member States. For its part, the IAEA intends to continue a programme of work in this area with the long term objective of providing specific recommendations on primary protection criteria and methods for

Effects of solar radiation on endurance exercise capacity in a hot environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Otani, Hidenori; Kaya, Mitsuharu; Tamaki, Akira; Watson, Phillip; Maughan, Ronald J

2016-04-01

The present study investigated the effects of variations in solar radiation on endurance exercise capacity and thermoregulatory responses in a hot environment. Eight male volunteers performed four cycle exercise trials at 70 % maximum oxygen uptake until exhaustion in an environmental chamber maintained at 30 °C and 50 % relative humidity. Volunteers were tested under four solar radiation conditions: 800, 500, 250 and 0 W/m(2). Exercise time to exhaustion was less on the 800 W/m(2) trial (23 ± 4 min) than on all the other trials (500 W/m(2) 30 ± 7 min; P 0.05). Mean skin temperature was higher on the 800 W/m(2) trial than the 250 and 0 W/m(2) trials (P solar radiation increases.

Radiation environment measurements and single event upset observations in sun-synchronous orbit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyer, C.S.; Sims, A.J.; Farren, J.; Stephen, J.; Underwood, C.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on analysis of data from the Cosmic Radiation Environment and Dosimetry experiment (CREDO) carried in sun-synchronous polar orbit on UoSat-3 which shows the influence of cosmic rays, trapped protons and solar particles and allows comparison with device behavior

Addressing ecological effects of radiation on populations and ecosystems to improve protection of the environment against radiation: Agreed statements from a Consensus Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Bréchignac, François; Oughton, Deborah; Mays, Claire; Barnthouse, Lawrence; Beasley, James C; Bonisoli-Alquati, Andrea; Bradshaw, Clare; Brown, Justin; Dray, Stéphane; Geras'kin, Stanislav; Glenn, Travis; Higley, Kathy; Ishida, Ken; Kapustka, Lawrence; Kautsky, Ulrik; Kuhne, Wendy; Lynch, Michael; Mappes, Tapio; Mihok, Steve; Møller, Anders P; Mothersill, Carmel; Mousseau, Timothy A; Otaki, Joji M; Pryakhin, Evgeny; Rhodes, Olin E; Salbu, Brit; Strand, Per; Tsukada, Hirofumi

2016-07-01

This paper reports the output of a consensus symposium organized by the International Union of Radioecology in November 2015. The symposium gathered an academically diverse group of 30 scientists to consider the still debated ecological impact of radiation on populations and ecosystems. Stimulated by the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters' accidental contamination of the environment, there is increasing interest in developing environmental radiation protection frameworks. Scientific research conducted in a variety of laboratory and field settings has improved our knowledge of the effects of ionizing radiation on the environment. However, the results from such studies sometimes appear contradictory and there is disagreement about the implications for risk assessment. The Symposium discussions therefore focused on issues that might lead to different interpretations of the results, such as laboratory versus field approaches, organism versus population and ecosystemic inference strategies, dose estimation approaches and their significance under chronic exposure conditions. The participating scientists, from across the spectrum of disciplines and research areas, extending also beyond the traditional radioecology community, successfully developed a constructive spirit directed at understanding discrepancies. From the discussions, the group has derived seven consensus statements related to environmental protection against radiation, which are supplemented with some recommendations. Each of these statements is contextualized and discussed in view of contributing to the orientation and integration of future research, the results of which should yield better consensus on the ecological impact of radiation and consolidate suitable approaches for efficient radiological protection of the environment. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A second order radiative transfer equation and its solution by meshless method with application to strongly inhomogeneous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, J.M., E-mail: jmzhao@hit.edu.cn [School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, People' s Republic of China (China); Tan, J.Y., E-mail: tanjy@hit.edu.cn [School of Auto Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, 2 West Wenhua Road, Weihai 264209, People' s Republic of China (China); Liu, L.H., E-mail: lhliu@hit.edu.cn [School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, People' s Republic of China (China); School of Auto Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, 2 West Wenhua Road, Weihai 264209, People' s Republic of China (China)

2013-01-01

A new second order form of radiative transfer equation (named MSORTE) is proposed, which overcomes the singularity problem of a previously proposed second order radiative transfer equation [J.E. Morel, B.T. Adams, T. Noh, J.M. McGhee, T.M. Evans, T.J. Urbatsch, Spatial discretizations for self-adjoint forms of the radiative transfer equations, J. Comput. Phys. 214 (1) (2006) 12-40 (where it was termed SAAI), J.M. Zhao, L.H. Liu, Second order radiative transfer equation and its properties of numerical solution using finite element method, Numer. Heat Transfer B 51 (2007) 391-409] in dealing with inhomogeneous media where some locations have very small/zero extinction coefficient. The MSORTE contains a naturally introduced diffusion (or second order) term which provides better numerical property than the classic first order radiative transfer equation (RTE). The stability and convergence characteristics of the MSORTE discretized by central difference scheme is analyzed theoretically, and the better numerical stability of the second order form radiative transfer equations than the RTE when discretized by the central difference type method is proved. A collocation meshless method is developed based on the MSORTE to solve radiative transfer in inhomogeneous media. Several critical test cases are taken to verify the performance of the presented method. The collocation meshless method based on the MSORTE is demonstrated to be capable of stably and accurately solve radiative transfer in strongly inhomogeneous media, media with void region and even with discontinuous extinction coefficient.

The research of nuclear experiment radiation environment wireless alarm device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaoqiong; Wang Pan; Fang Fang

2009-01-01

This article introduces based on monolithic integrated circuit's nuclear experiment radiation environment wireless alarm device's software and hardware design. The system by G-M tube, high-pressured module, signal conditioning circuit, power source module, monolithic integrated circuit and wireless transmission module is composed. The device has low power consumption, high performance, high accuracy detection, easy maintenance, small size, simple operation, and other features, and has a broad application prospects. (authors)

A study on the life extension of polymer materials under radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, K. J; Park, S. W.; Jung, K. S.; Cho, S. H.; Seo, H. S.

2001-12-01

The object of this project is to improve the stability and the economics by reducing the radiation-induced oxidation as a factor of degradation of polymer materials used under the radiation environment. In order to attain the objective of this study and to check the effect of diamond-like carbon(DLC) coating on the anti-oxidation reaction, polymer specimens such as ABS, Acryl, Polycarbonate, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, PVC coating DLC thin layer were exposed to high-level gamma radiation, and their irradiation effects were investigated. A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method was adopted in fabricating a DLC thin film on the polymer specimens, which were irradiated with the non-DLC film deposited specimens under the gamma radiation emitted from Co-60 source from 1x10 5 to 1x10 8 rads exposure. According to the characterization of irradiated specimens from the elapsed time of minimum 4 hours to a maximum of 105 days after the irradiation, the DLC deposition on the polymer surface was revealed to contribute to the improvement on the resistance of the radiation-induced oxidation in this study

Particle interaction and displacement damage in silicon devices operated in radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leroy, Claude; Rancoita, Pier-Giorgio

2007-01-01

Silicon is used in radiation detectors and electronic devices. Nowadays, these devices achieving submicron technology are parts of integrated circuits of large to very large scale integration (VLSI). Silicon and silicon-based devices are commonly operated in many fields including particle physics experiments, nuclear medicine and space. Some of these fields present adverse radiation environments that may affect the operation of the devices. The particle energy deposition mechanisms by ionization and non-ionization processes are reviewed as well as the radiation-induced damage and its effect on device parameters evolution, depending on particle type, energy and fluence. The temporary or permanent damage inflicted by a single particle (single event effect) to electronic devices or integrated circuits is treated separately from the total ionizing dose (TID) effect for which the accumulated fluence causes degradation and from the displacement damage induced by the non-ionizing energy-loss (NIEL) deposition. Understanding of radiation effects on silicon devices has an impact on their design and allows the prediction of a specific device behaviour when exposed to a radiation field of interest

FPGAs operating in a radiation environment: lessons learned from FPGAs in space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wirthlin, M J

2013-01-01

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are increasingly being used as a key component of digital systems because of their in-field reprogrammability, low non-recurring engineering costs (NRE), and relatively short design cycle. Recently, there has been great interest in using FPGAs within spacecraft. FPGAs, like all semiconductor devices, are susceptible to the effects of radiation. There is an active research community investigating the effects of radiation on FPGAs and developing methods to mitigate against these effects. There has been significant progress over the last decade in the understanding and developing FPGA technology that is resistant to the effects of radiation. The success of FPGAs within spacecraft suggests that FPGAs may be used in particle physics experiments where radiation levels are considerable higher than the conventional terrestrial earth environment. This paper will summarize the effects of radiation on FPGAs, methods to mitigate against these effects, provide a case study of a successful FPGA system operating in space, and discuss the issues that will affect the use of FPGAs within particle physics experiments.

Methodology for estimating radiation dose rates to freshwater biota exposed to radionuclides in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaylock, B.G.; Frank, M.L.; O'Neal, B.R.

1993-08-01

The purpose of this report is to present a methodology for evaluating the potential for aquatic biota to incur effects from exposure to chronic low-level radiation in the environment. Aquatic organisms inhabiting an environment contaminated with radioactivity receive external radiation from radionuclides in water, sediment, and from other biota such as vegetation. Aquatic organisms receive internal radiation from radionuclides ingested via food and water and, in some cases, from radionuclides absorbed through the skin and respiratory organs. Dose rate equations, which have been developed previously, are presented for estimating the radiation dose rate to representative aquatic organisms from alpha, beta, and gamma irradiation from external and internal sources. Tables containing parameter values for calculating radiation doses from selected alpha, beta, and gamma emitters are presented in the appendix to facilitate dose rate calculations. The risk of detrimental effects to aquatic biota from radiation exposure is evaluated by comparing the calculated radiation dose rate to biota to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) recommended dose rate limit of 0.4 mGy h -1 (1 rad d -1 ). A dose rate no greater than 0.4 mGy h -1 to the most sensitive organisms should ensure the protection of populations of aquatic organisms. DOE's recommended dose rate is based on a number of published reviews on the effects of radiation on aquatic organisms that are summarized in the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Report No. 109 (NCRP 1991). DOE recommends that if the results of radiological models or dosimetric measurements indicate that a radiation dose rate of 0. 1 mGy h -1 will be exceeded, then a more detailed evaluation of the potential ecological consequences of radiation exposure to endemic populations should be conducted

Radiation processing of agricultural products: status and potential contribution to a cleaner environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapidot, M.

1979-01-01

The current status of radiation processing of agricultural products is briefly reviewed with special regard to those processes which may contribute to a cleaner environment. Radurization of poultry feed and poultry meat is shown to be a major contributor to the reduction of a significant public health problem-salmonellosis. Radiation sterilized animal feeds can be produced by processing garbage - a major environmental pollutant. Radicidation and radappertization are effective processes in the treatment of sludges and waste water, to prevent pollution of seas or ground. Radiation processes can effectively replace fungicides and insecticides in the treatment of agricultural crops and thus reduce environmental pollution. (author)

The application of entropy weight TOPSIS method to optimal points in monitoring the Xinjiang radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Guangwen; Hu Youhua; Liu Qian

2009-01-01

In this paper, the application of the entropy weight TOPSIS method to optimal layout points in monitoring the Xinjiang radiation environment has been indroduced. With the help of SAS software, It has been found that the method is more ideal and feasible. The method can provide a reference for us to monitor radiation environment in the same regions further. As the method could bring great convenience and greatly reduce the inspecting work, it is very simple, flexible and effective for a comprehensive evaluation. (authors)

Approach to reducing the effect of bone—coal power station on radiation environment

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

NIShi－Ying; GUPei－Long; 等

2002-01-01

The effect of two bone-coal power stations(6MWe) on environment was investigated within the scope of the dose contribution caused by various radionucildes in different ways.It is found that the best measures to reduce the effect of bone-coal power station on radiation environment include to select a fine boiler system and a comprehensive utilization of the bone-coal cinder(BCC),soot and ash in the catchers.

Approach to reducing the effect of bone-coal power station on radiation environment

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2002-01-01

The effect of two bone-coal power stations (6 MWe) on environment wasinvestigated within the scope of the dose contribution caused by various radionucildes in different ways. It is found that the best measures to reduce the effect of bone-coal power station on radiation environment include to select a fine boiler system and a comprehensive utilization of the bone-coal cinder (BCC), soot and ash in the catchers.

Performances of Kevlar and Polyethylene as radiation shielding on-board the International Space Station in high latitude radiation environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Narici, Livio; Casolino, Marco; Di Fino, Luca; Larosa, Marianna; Picozza, Piergiorgio; Rizzo, Alessandro; Zaconte, Veronica

2017-05-10

Passive radiation shielding is a mandatory element in the design of an integrated solution to mitigate the effects of radiation during long deep space voyages for human exploration. Understanding and exploiting the characteristics of materials suitable for radiation shielding in space flights is, therefore, of primary importance. We present here the results of the first space-test on Kevlar and Polyethylene radiation shielding capabilities including direct measurements of the background baseline (no shield). Measurements are performed on-board of the International Space Station (Columbus modulus) during the ALTEA-shield ESA sponsored program. For the first time the shielding capability of such materials has been tested in a radiation environment similar to the deep-space one, thanks to the feature of the ALTEA system, which allows to select only high latitude orbital tracts of the International Space Station. Polyethylene is widely used for radiation shielding in space and therefore it is an excellent benchmark material to be used in comparative investigations. In this work we show that Kevlar has radiation shielding performances comparable to the Polyethylene ones, reaching a dose rate reduction of 32 ± 2% and a dose equivalent rate reduction of 55 ± 4% (for a shield of 10 g/cm 2 ).

External radiation monitoring in TAPS and RAPS environs (1980-81) using TLD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, A.S.; Nambi, K.S.V.; Sunta, C.M.

1983-01-01

Results of environmental external radiation monitoring using quarterly integrated TLD measurements are presented for environments of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) and the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) for the two year monitoring period (1980-81). The data fit into the unimodal log-normal distribution except for locations where gaseous radioactivity escaping from the plant makes a significant contribution. The average natural radiation background in TAPS and RAPS environment is estimated to be 59.6 +- 4.7 mR yr -1 and 65.1 +- 9.8 mR yr -1 respectively. Contribution from the plant superimposed over the natural level leads frequently to bi-normal distribution. The effect of stack-released gaseous radioactivity is seen in locations within 1.6 km of TAPS: for example Ghivoli village registered an excess of 9.3 mR yr -1 over the natural background. The quarterly background values indicate minor temporal and spatial variations which can be attributed to changes in natural as well as stack released radioactivity. (author)

A Multi-Environment Thermal Control System With Freeze-Tolerant Radiator

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weibo; Fogg, David; Mancini, Nick; Steele, John; Quinn, Gregory; Bue, Grant; Littibridge, Sean

2013-01-01

Future space exploration missions require advanced thermal control systems (TCS) to dissipate heat from spacecraft, rovers, or habitats operating in environments that can vary from extremely hot to extremely cold. A lightweight, reliable TCS is being developed to effectively control cabin and equipment temperatures under widely varying heat loads and ambient temperatures. The system uses freeze-tolerant radiators, which eliminate the need for a secondary circulation loop or heat pipe systems. Each radiator has a self-regulating variable thermal conductance to its ambient environment. The TCS uses a nontoxic, water-based working fluid that is compatible with existing lightweight aluminum heat exchangers. The TCS is lightweight, compact, and requires very little pumping power. The critical characteristics of the core enabling technologies were demonstrated. Functional testing with condenser tubes demonstrated the key operating characteristics required for a reliable, freeze-tolerant TCS, namely (1) self-regulating thermal conductance with short transient responses to varying thermal loads, (2) repeatable performance through freeze-thaw cycles, and (3) fast start-up from a fully frozen state. Preliminary coolant tests demonstrated that the corrosion inhibitor in the water-based coolant can reduce the corrosion rate on aluminum by an order of magnitude. Performance comparison with state-of-the-art designs shows significant mass and power saving benefits of this technology.

Using the FLUKA Monte Carlo Code to Simulate the Interactions of Ionizing Radiation with Matter to Assist and Aid Our Understanding of Ground Based Accelerator Testing, Space Hardware Design, and Secondary Space Radiation Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Reddell, Brandon

2015-01-01

Designing hardware to operate in the space radiation environment is a very difficult and costly activity. Ground based particle accelerators can be used to test for exposure to the radiation environment, one species at a time, however, the actual space environment cannot be duplicated because of the range of energies and isotropic nature of space radiation. The FLUKA Monte Carlo code is an integrated physics package based at CERN that has been under development for the last 40+ years and includes the most up-to-date fundamental physics theory and particle physics data. This work presents an overview of FLUKA and how it has been used in conjunction with ground based radiation testing for NASA and improve our understanding of secondary particle environments resulting from the interaction of space radiation with matter.

Collection of radiation resistant characteristics reports for instruments and materials in high dose rate environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusano, Joichi

2008-03-01

This document presents the collected official reports of radiation irradiation study for the candidate materials to be used in high dose rate environment as J-PARC facility. The effect of radiation damage by loss-beam or secondary particle beam of the accelerators influences the performance and the reliability of various instruments. The knowledge on the radiation resistivity of the materials is important to estimate the life of the equipments, the maintenance interval and dose evaluation for the personnel at the maintenance period. The radiation damage consists with mechanical property, electrical property and gas-evolution property. (author)

Short term ionizing radiation impact on charge-coupled devices in radiation environment of high-intensity heavy ion accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belousov, A.; Mustafin, E.; Ensinger, W.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a first approach on studies of the results of short term ionizing radiation impact on charge-coupled device (CCD) chips in conditions typical for high-intensity ion accelerator areas. Radiation effects on semiconductor devices are a topical issue for high-intensity accelerator projects. In particular it concerns CCD cameras that are widely used for beam profile monitoring and surveillance in high radiation environment. 65 CCD cameras are going to be installed in the FAIR machines. It is necessary to have good understanding of radiation effects and their contribution to measured signal in CCD chips. A phenomenon of single event upset (SEU) in CCD chips is studied in the following experiment. By SEU in CCD chip we mean an event when an ionizing particle hits the CCD matrix cell and produces electron-hole pairs that are then collected and converted to a signal that is higher than certain level defined by author. Practically, it means that a certain cell will appear as a bright pixel on the resulting image from a chip. (authors)

Radiation pollution of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benalashhar, Hanan Ali

2006-01-01

This paper interested in the topic of environmental pollution by radioactive materials due to several human activities. The meaning of human activities are nuclear tests and extraction of raw uranium, waste and reactor accidents, nuclear fuel and radon gas, and the peaceful uses of radiation. This paper points out the effects of environmental pollution by radiation and the means of reduction, and also illustrate the radiation pollution in the Arab region. (author)

Assessment of environmental gamma radiation levels in the environs of Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shetty, P.G.; Takale, R.A.; Swarnkar, M.; Sahu, S.K.; Pandit, G.G.; Puranik, V.D.

2011-01-01

As a part of the assessment of the environmental impact of the Indian nuclear power programme, radiation surveys are being carried out on continuous basis in the environs of all the nuclear facilities in India using Thermoluminescent Dosimeters. This paper discusses the environmental gamma radiation levels based on the analysis of data generated for year 1989-2009 at twenty-eight locations currently being monitored in and around the environs of NAPS using passive dosimeter. Of these, six are within the exclusion zone (1.6 km) while the remaining twenty two locations are spread over an aerial distance of twenty six km from reactor stack. The annual background gamma levels for NAPS site beyond 1.6 km exclusion zone based on twenty-two monitoring locations are evaluated and seen to be 1.20 ± 0.15 mGy/a. This is comparable with earlier reported pre-operational value 1.24 ± 0.26 mGy/a. From this it can be said that the reactor operations have not contributed to any increase in the gamma radiation levels in the environs of the NAPS region. (author)

Operation of commercially-based microcomputer technology in a space radiation environment

Science.gov (United States)

Yelverton, J. N.

This paper focuses on detection and recovery techniques that should enable the reliable operation of commercially-based microprocessor technology in the harsh radiation environment of space and at high altitudes. This approach is especially significant in light of the current shift in emphasis (due to cost) from space hardened Class-S parts qualification to a more direct use of commercial parts. The method should offset some of the concern that the newer high density state-of-the-art RISC and CISC microprocessors can be used in future space applications. Also, commercial aviation, should benefit, since radiation induced transients are a new issue arising from the increased quantities of microcomputers used in aircraft avionics.

Effect of ionizing radiation on the waste package environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reed, D.T. [Argonne National Lab., IL (USA); Van Konynenburg, R.A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)

1991-05-01

The radiolytic production of nitrogen oxides, nitrogen acids and ammonia are discussed in relation to the expected environment in a high-level waste repository that may be constructed at the Yucca Mountain site if it is found to be suitable. Both literature data and repository-relevant data are summarized for air-water vapor systems. The limiting cases of a dry air and a pure water vapor gas phase are also discussed. Design guidelines and recommendations, based solely on the potential consequence of radiation enhancement of corrosion, are given. 13 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

Effect of ionizing radiation on the waste package environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, D.T.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.

1991-01-01

The radiolytic production of nitrogen oxides, nitrogen acids and ammonia are discussed in relation to the expected environment in a high-level waste repository that may be constructed at the Yucca Mountain site if it is found to be suitable. Both literature data and repository-relevant data are summarized for air-water vapor systems. The limiting cases of a dry air and a pure water vapor gas phase are also discussed. Design guidelines and recommendations, based solely on the potential consequence of radiation enhancement of corrosion, are given. 13 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Use of COTS [commercial-off-the-shelf] Microelectronics in Radiation Environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winokur, P.S.; Lum, G.K.; Shaneyfelt, M.R.; Sexton, F.W.; Hash, G.L.; Scott, L.

1999-01-01

This paper addresses key issues for the cost-effective use of COTS microelectronics in radiation environments that enable circuit or system designers to manage risks and ensure mission success. COTS parts with low radiation tolerance should not be used when they degrade mission critical functions or lead to premature system failure. We review several factors and tradeoffs affecting the successful application of COTS parts including (1) hardness assurance and qualification issues, (2) system hardening techniques, and (3) life-cycle costs. The paper also describes several experimental studies that address trends in total-dose, transient, and single-event radiation hardness as COTS technology scales to smaller feature sizes. As an example, the level at which dose-rate upset occurs in Samsung SRAMS increases from 1.4x10 8 rads(Si)/s for a 256K SRAM to 7.7x10 9 rads(Si)/s for a 4M SRAM, indicating unintentional hardening improvements in the design or process of a commercial technology. Additional experiments were performed to quantify variations in radiation hardness for COTS parts. In one study, only small (10-15%) variations were found in the dose-rate upset and latchup thresholds for Samsung 4M SRAMS from three different date codes. In another study, irradiations of 4M SRAMS from Samsung, Hitachi, and Toshiba indicate large differences in total-dose radiation hardness. The paper attempts to carefully define terms and clear up misunderstandings about the definitions of ''COTS'' and ''radiation-hardened'' technology

Effects of alpha and gamma radiation on glass reaction in an unsaturated environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wronkiewicz, D.J.; Young, J.E.; Bates, J.K.

1990-01-01

Radiation may effect the long-term performance of glass in an unsaturated repository site by interacting with air, water vapor, or liquid water. The present study examines (1) the effects of alpha or gamma irradiation in a water vapor environment, and (2) the influence of radiolytic products on glass reaction. Results indicate that nitric and organic acids form in an irradiated water vapor environment and are dissolved in thin films of condensed water. Glass samples exposed to these conditions react faster and have a different assemblage of secondary phases than glasses exposed to nonirradiated water vapor environments. 23 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Superconducting magnets in high radiation environments: Design problems and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

St Lorant, S.J.; Tillmann, E.

1989-11-01

As part of the Stanford Linear Collider Project, three high-field superconducting solenoid magnets are used to rotate the spin direction of a polarized electron beam. The magnets are installed in a high-radiation environment, where they will receive a dose of approximately 10 3 rad per hour, or 10 8 rad over their lifetimes. This level of radiation and the location in which the magnets are installed, some 10 meters below ground in contiguous tunnels, required careful selection of materials for the construction of the solenoids and their ancillary cryogenic equipment, as well as the development of compatible component designs. This paper describes the materials used and the design of the equipment appropriate for the application. Included are summaries of the physical and mechanical properties of the materials and how they behave when irradiated. 16 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

Effects of radiation on the chemical environment surrounding waste canisters in proposed repository sites and possible effects on the corrosion process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, R.S.

1981-12-01

This report explores the interaction of ionizing radiation with various environments. In particular, worst case (aqueous) environments for the proposed nuclear waste repository sites are considered. Emphasis is on the fundamental chemical and physical processes involved. The identities of possible radiolysis products (both transient and stable) have been sought through a literature search. The effect of radiation on corrosion processes is discussed. The radiation-induced chemical environment in the worst case repository sites is not well defined. Attention should therefore be given to fundamental studies exploring the interaction of such environments with components of the nuclear waste package, including the canister materials and backfills. Identification and quantification of radiolysis products would be helpful in this regard

Estimation of dose from exposure to external radiation in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Siro; Fujitaka, Kazunobu

1978-01-01

Meteorological factors which influence the external radiation were analysed. Attention was paid to the relationship between the concentration of the radioactive aerosol and the outdoor radiation level. Twelve kinds of data were obtained at Kumatori Site of Kyoto University. The mean diurnal variation and annual variation of each factors were obtained from the data of 25 months periods from August 1974 to August 1976. Outstanding was the result that the outdoor gamma radiation varied just slightly in spite of the large variation of the airborne activities and others. It implies that the individual effect due to the factor would compensate and cancel each other. Otherwise the major contribution on the variation might distribute at random with respect to time. Contrary to the apparent independence of the outdoor gamma radiation level of the airborne activity, however, the partial correlation coefficient between them was not negligibly small. Analysis of each time series of individual data has revealed that the rainfall has the largest influence on the variation of the outdoor gamma radiation level particularly in its initial period. Airborne activity was also revealed to have a strong connection with the atmospheric stability and the wind velocity though it depends on the rainfall just a little. The atmospheric stability could be expressed by the vertical gradient of the atmospheric temperature which is strongest at the ''inversion''. However problem remains as to the nature of the wind. Which of the atmospheric turbulence and the prevailing wind corresponds to the wind here will have to be analysed referring to the large scale weather charts. Regression analysis showed that the atmospheric temperature was the essential cause of the variation of the radiation level. (author)

Addressing ecological effects of radiation on populations and ecosystems to improve protection of the environment against radiation: Agreed statements from a Consensus Symposium

OpenAIRE

Bréchignac, François; Oughton, Deborah; Mays, Claire; Barnthouse, Lawrence; Beasley, James C.; Bonisoli-Alquati, Andrea; Bradshaw, Clare; Brown, Justin; Dray, Stéphane; Geras'kin, Stanislav; Glenn, Travis; Higley, Kathy; Ishida, Ken; Kapustka, Lawrence; Kautsky, Ulrik

2016-01-01

This paper reports the output of a consensus symposium organized by the International Union of Radioecology in November 2015. The symposium gathered an academically diverse group of 30 scientists to consider the still debated ecological impact of radiation on populations and ecosystems. Stimulated by the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters? accidental contamination of the environment, there is increasing interest in developing environmental radiation protection frameworks. Scientific research c...

Radiation environment measurements with the cosmic ray experiments on-board the KITSAT-1 and PoSAT-1 micro-satellites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Underwood, C.I.; Brock, D.J.; Williams, P.S.; Kim, S.; Dilao, R.; Santos, P.R.; Brito, M.C.; Dyer, C.S.; Sims, A.J.

1994-01-01

The success of the Cosmic Radiation Environment and Dosimetry (CREDO) experiment carried on-board the UoSAT-3 micro-satellite (launched in 1990) has lead to the development of a new instrument called the Cosmic-Ray Experiment (CRE) which has flown on-board the KITSAT-1 and PoSAT-1 micro-satellites, launched in 1992 and 1993 respectively. The results from both CRE instruments show excellent agreement with those of CREDO for the galactic cosmic-ray environment. However, there are some differences in the CRE and CREDO response to the trapped proton environment of the South Atlantic Anomaly which can be explained by the differences in the detector response time. The fit between the flight results and predictions from the standard models is generally good, but some differences are noted. The CRE and CREDO instruments should provide continuous coverage of the near-Earth radiation environment across a complete solar cycle. This is important in view of the dynamic nature of the radiation environment - as amply demonstrated by the results from the CRRES spacecraft

Use of COTS [commercial-off-the-shelf] Microelectronics in Radiation Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winokur, P.S.; Lum, G.K.; Shaneyfelt, M.R.; Sexton, F.W.; Hash, G.L.; Scott, L.

1999-07-07

This paper addresses key issues for the cost-effective use of COTS microelectronics in radiation environments that enable circuit or system designers to manage risks and ensure mission success. COTS parts with low radiation tolerance should not be used when they degrade mission critical functions or lead to premature system failure. We review several factors and tradeoffs affecting the successful application of COTS parts including (1) hardness assurance and qualification issues, (2) system hardening techniques, and (3) life-cycle costs. The paper also describes several experimental studies that address trends in total-dose, transient, and single-event radiation hardness as COTS technology scales to smaller feature sizes. As an example, the level at which dose-rate upset occurs in Samsung SRAMS increases from 1.4x10{sup 8} rads(Si)/s for a 256K SRAM to 7.7x10{sup 9} rads(Si)/s for a 4M SRAM, indicating unintentional hardening improvements in the design or process of a commercial technology. Additional experiments were performed to quantify variations in radiation hardness for COTS parts. In one study, only small (10-15%) variations were found in the dose-rate upset and latchup thresholds for Samsung 4M SRAMS from three different date codes. In another study, irradiations of 4M SRAMS from Samsung, Hitachi, and Toshiba indicate large differences in total-dose radiation hardness. The paper attempts to carefully define terms and clear up misunderstandings about the definitions of ''COTS'' and ''radiation-hardened'' technology.

Micro Penning Trap for Continuous Magnetic Field Monitoring in High Radiation Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Latorre, Javiera; Bollen, Georg; Gulyuz, Kerim; Ringle, Ryan; Bado, Philippe; Dugan, Mark; Lebit Team; Translume Collaboration

2016-09-01

As new facilities for rare isotope beams, like FRIB at MSU, are constructed, there is a need for new instrumentation to monitor magnetic fields in beam magnets that can withstand the higher radiation level. Currently NMR probes, the instruments used extensively to monitor magnetic fields, do not have a long lifespans in radiation-high environments. Therefore, a radiation-hard replacement is needed. We propose to use Penning trap mass spectrometry techniques to make high precision magnetic field measurements. Our Penning microtrap will be radiation resistant as all of the vital electronics will be at a safe distance from the radiation. The trap itself is made from materials not subject to radiation damage. Penning trap mass spectrometers can determine the magnetic field by measuring the cyclotron frequency of an ion with a known mass and charge. This principle is used on the Low Energy Beam Ion Trap (LEBIT) minitrap at NSCL which is the foundation for the microtrap. We have partnered with Translume, who specialize in glass micro-fabrication, to develop a microtrap in fused-silica glass. A microtrap is finished and ready for testing at NSCL with all of the electronic and hardware components setup. DOE Phase II SBIR Award No. DE-SC0011313, NSF Award Number 1062410 REU in Physics, NSF under Grant No. PHY-1102511.

WNA's Policy Document : sustaining global best practices in uranium, mining and processing, principles for managing radiation, health and safety, waste and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saint-Pierre, S.; Waste Management and Decommissioning Working Group-WM and DW

2008-01-01

The worldwide community of uranium mining and processing recognizes that managing radiation, health and safety, waste and the environment is paramount. Such responsible management applies at all stages of planning and activities. Today we are acting to ensure that all parties directly involved in uranium mining and processing strive to achieve the highest levels of excellence in these fields. We are doing so by sustaining a strong safety culture based on a commitment to common, internationally shared principles. This paper sets out principles for the management of radiation, health and safety, waste and the environment applicable to sites throughout the world. In national and regional settings where nuclear fuel cycle activities are well developed, these principles already serve as the underpinning for 'Codes of Practice' that govern uranium mining and processing. In any given setting, a Code of Practice is needed to guide practical implementation of these principles according to the regional, national or site-specific context. These principles are published in the belief that they hold special relevance for emerging uranium producing countries that do not yet have fully developed regulations for the control of radiation, health and safety, waste and the environment associated with uranium mining and processing. The principles are equally relevant for operators, contractors, and regulators newly engaged in uranium mining and processing. Once national regulations are fully developed, they can be expected to embody these principles. Each principle affirmed here will not apply to the same extent for each party. Ultimately, the precise allocation of responsibilities must be set at the national and local levels. This document holds the status of a policy and ethical declaration by the full WNA membership, which the global nuclear industry. The principles affirmed here are supported by key relevant international organizations, including the IAEA and the global mining

Nuclear explosives, ionizin.o. radiation and the effects on the biota of the natural environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, Vincent; Ward Whicker, F.

1980-01-01

After giving a general discussion of nuclear explosives, weapons testing and peaceful use of nuclear explosives under Plowshare project, ecological studies carried out at weapon test sites and Plowshare project sites in United States are reviewed. It is noted that though considerable data are available on the behaviour of radionuclides in natural environments on these sites, only a few observations of effects of ionizing radiations on the biota of the natural environments of these sites have been made. The major effects on the natural environments of these sites have been attributed to physical effects of nuclear detonations and site preparation. These effects are physical destruction of plants and animals and habitat modification such as soil disturbances. Recolonization of ground zeros and adjacent areas is observed to follow the successional pattern unique to the site. Observed effects of ionizing radiation on shrubs in the vicinity of cratering tests appear to be inconsequential when one considers the ecosystem as a whole. (M.G.B.)

The relative impact of photoionizing radiation and stellar winds on different environments

Science.gov (United States)

Haid, S.; Walch, S.; Seifried, D.; Wünsch, R.; Dinnbier, F.; Naab, T.

2018-05-01

Photoionizing radiation and stellar winds from massive stars deposit energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM). They might disperse the local ISM, change its turbulent multi-phase structure, and even regulate star formation. Ionizing radiation dominates the massive stars' energy output, but the relative effect of winds might change with stellar mass and the properties of the ambient ISM. We present simulations of the interaction of stellar winds and ionizing radiation of 12, 23, and 60 M⊙ stars within a cold neutral (CNM, n0 = 100 cm-3), warm neutral (WNM, n0 = 1, 10 cm-3) or warm ionized (WIM, n0 = 0.1 cm-3) medium. The FLASH simulations adopt the novel tree-based radiation transfer algorithm TREERAY. With the On-the-Spot approximation and a temperature-dependent recombination coefficient, it is coupled to a chemical network with radiative heating and cooling. In the homogeneous CNM, the total momentum injection ranges from 1.6× 104 to 4× 105 M⊙ km s-1 and is always dominated by the expansion of the ionized HII region. In the WIM, stellar winds dominate (2× 102 to 5× 103 M⊙ km s-1), while the input from radiation is small (˜ 102 M⊙ km s-1). The WNM (n0 = 1 cm-3) is a transition regime. Energetically, stellar winds couple more efficiently to the ISM (˜ 0.1 percent of wind luminosity) than radiation (< 0.001 percent of ionizing luminosity). For estimating the impact of massive stars, the strongly mass-dependent ratios of wind to ionizing luminosity and the properties of the ambient medium have to be considered.

Contribution to the study of the radiation environment in Antananarivo: Assessment of the Exposure of the Public to the Telluric X and Gamma Radiations and the Radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravelomanantsoa, S.D.

2001-01-01

The radioactivity represents among indicators of state of the environment because the man is exposed to ionizing radiations of permanent way. The knowledge of the different components of this natural radioactivity to which the humanity has always been exposed proves out to be necessary. The state of places of this radioactive environment deserves to be made for Antananarivo, the city the populated more of Madagascar. The present thesis on the 'Assessment of the Exposure of the Public to the Telluric X and Gamma Radiations and the Radon to Antananarivo' contributes to the survey of the Radioactive Environment. It is the synthesis of results of all works done in the setting of a research project that lasted three years, works constituted by more of about hundred coming down on land and by the analysis in laboratory of about hundred samples.The radioactive radiation detection, the radioactive substance characterization in the environment and the assessment of dose exposure has been done by the global counting of the X and gamma ambient radiations, of spectrometric measures on land and in laboratory and by alpha, X and gamma dosimetric measures, to the free air and inside of buildings, the day and the night. The gotten results served basis to three communications made to the National Academy of Arts, of Letters and Science, Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo in June 1998, in May 1999 and in December 2000. An evaluation of the contribution of the telluric X and gamma rays and of the radon in the yearly efficient average dose owed to natural radiation sources finishes the state of places that is going to lead to the unpublished values. [fr

Orbital motion in strongly perturbed environments applications to asteroid, comet and planetary satellite orbiters

CERN Document Server

Scheeres, Daniel J

2012-01-01

The proposed book will provide a detailed, technical introduction to the analysis of orbital motion in strongly perturbed environments, focusing on motion about small Solar System bodies, such as comets and asteroids. The author shows why such small bodies are of interest and why they can be used as a motivation for the general analysis of orbital mechanics. He shows how it is possible to model the small body environment, including specialised cases such as those of binary asteroids, comets and ‘rubble piles’, and how the fundamental equations of motion are derived. The properties of the various solutions to the equations of motion are described and the methods of analysis and their application are discussed. Both ballistic motion and powered motion on and about small bodies are considered and case studies for different small body missions are presented. The author concludes his comprehensive treatment with a discussion of the mechanics of multi-body small body systems and a review of advanced topics and ...

An obligatory bacterial mutualism in a multi-drug environment exhibits strong oscillatory population dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Conwill, Arolyn; Yurtsev, Eugene; Gore, Jeff

2014-03-01

A common mechanism of antibiotic resistance in bacteria involves the production of an enzyme that inactivates the antibiotic. By inactivating the antibiotic, resistant cells can protect other cells in the population that would otherwise be sensitive to the drug. In a multidrug environment, an obligatory mutualism arises because populations of different strains rely on each other to breakdown antibiotics in the environment. Here, we experimentally track the population dynamics of two E. coli strains in the presence of two different antibiotics: ampicillin and chloramphenicol. Together the strains are able to grow in antibiotic concentrations that inhibit growth of either one of the strains alone. Although mutualisms are often thought to stabilize population dynamics, we observe strong oscillatory dynamics even when there is long-term coexistence between the two strains. We expect that our results will provide insight into the evolution of antibiotic resistance and, more generally, the evolutionary origin of phenotypic diversity, cooperation, and ecological stability.

Radiation beamline testbeds for the simulation of planetary and spacecraft environments for human and robotic mission risk assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Richard

The Center for Radiation Engineering and Science for Space Exploration (CRESSE) at Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, USA, is establishing an integrated, multi-disciplinary research program on the scientific and engineering challenges faced by NASA and the inter-national space community caused by space radiation. CRESSE focuses on space radiation research directly applicable to astronaut health and safety during future long term, deep space missions, including Martian, lunar, and other planetary body missions beyond low earth orbit. The research approach will consist of experimental and theoretical radiation modeling studies utilizing particle accelerator facilities including: 1. NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory; 2. Proton Synchrotron at Loma Linda University Med-ical Center; and 3. Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Specifically, CRESSE investigators are designing, developing, and building experimental test beds that simulate the lunar and Martian radiation environments for experiments focused on risk assessment for astronauts and instrumentation. The testbeds have been designated the Bioastronautics Experimental Research Testbeds for Environmental Radiation Nostrum Investigations and Education (BERT and ERNIE). The designs of BERT and ERNIE will allow for a high degree of flexibility and adaptability to modify experimental configurations to simulate planetary surface environments, planetary habitats, and spacecraft interiors. In the nominal configuration, BERT and ERIE will consist of a set of experimental zones that will simulate the planetary atmosphere (Solid CO2 in the case of the Martian surface.), the planetary surface, and sub-surface regions. These experimental zones can be used for dosimetry, shielding, biological, and electronic effects radiation studies in support of space exploration missions. BERT and ERNIE are designed to be compatible with the

Radiation protection at the RA Reactor in 1994. Part 2, Annex 1, Control of the working environment, dosimetry and radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlovic, R.; Kalinic, S.

1994-01-01

This report contains data and analysis of the of measured sample results collected during radiation protection control in the working environment of the RA reactor. First part contains basic exposure values and statistical review of the the total number of radiation measurements. It includes contents of radioactive gasses and effluents in the air, as well as the level of surface contamination of clothes and uncovered parts of the personnel bodies. Second part deals with the analysis of personnel doses. Third part of this annex contains basic data about the quantity of collected radioactive waste, total quantity of contaminated and decontaminated surfaces. It is stated that there have been no accidents that could cause significant contamination of working surfaces and components nor radiation exposure of the personnel [sr

Assessment of radiation impact on the environment components while preparing for construction site of centralized storage facility for spent nuclear fuel (CSSNF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlovs'kij, L.Yi.; Gorodets'kij, D.V.; Syizov, A.O.; Kholodyuk, A.O.

2016-01-01

Predictive assessment of radiation impacts on the air environment, soil cover, staff, which is located in a residential area, staff of an adjacent to the CSSNF enterprises as a result of work to prepare the site for construction of CSSNF at the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is presented. It is shown that radiation effects on components of the environment will not result in exceeding the reference levels of radiation safety

Ten Thousand Years of Environment Assessment Using Synchrotron Radiation Micro Beam

Science.gov (United States)

Shirasawa, K.; Ide-Ektessabi, A.; Koizumi, A.; Azechi, M.

2003-08-01

The environment surrounding human has changed through civilization and industrialization, and through these developments, problems including the pollution from heavy metals such as lead and mercury have arisen. In this study, we analyzed major and trace elements in modern and prehistoric teeth by x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis using synchrotron radiation micro beam, in order to assess the changes of the environment through the civilization and the industrialization and their affects to the human. It is suggested that teeth accumulate elements in the mineral phase, hydroxiapatite, during their formation, and because there are no significant turnovers, teeth are concerned to be indicators of the environment of the donor. We first analyzed the elements on the surface of tooth from modern individual and tooth from human remains of Jomon period to assess the heavy metal concentration and effect of the diagenesis. The adhering ground elements on the prehistoric teeth showed high amount of Ti, Fe, Mn and other metallic elements.

Interactive Visual Intervention Planning: Interactive Visualization for Intervention Planning in Particle Accelerator Environments with Ionizing Radiation

CERN Document Server

Fabry, Thomas; Feral, Bruno

2013-01-01

Intervention planning is crucial for maintenance operations in particle accelerator environments with ionizing radiation, during which the radiation dose contracted by maintenance workers should be reduced to a minimum. In this context, we discuss the visualization aspects of a new software tool, which integrates interactive exploration of a scene depicting an accelerator facility augmented with residual radiation level simulations, with the visualization of intervention data such as the followed trajectory and maintenance tasks. The visualization of each of these aspects has its effect on the final predicted contracted radiation dose. In this context, we explore the possible benefits of a user study, with the goal of enhancing the visual conditions in which the intervention planner using the software tool is minimizing the radiation dose.

Interaction of neutral particles with strong laser fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meuren, Sebastian; Keitel, Christoph H.; Di Piazza, Antonino [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2013-07-01

Since the invention of the laser in the 1960s the experimentally available field strengths have continuously increased. The current peak intensity record is 2 x 10{sup 22} W/cm{sup 2} and next generation facilities such as ELI, HiPER and XCELS plan to reach even intensities of the order of 10{sup 24} W/cm{sup 2}. Thus, modern laser facilities are a clean source for very strong external electromagnetic fields and promise new and interesting high-energy physics experiments. In particular, strong laser fields could be used to test non-linear effects in quantum field theory. Earlier we have investigated how radiative corrections modify the coupling of a charged particle inside a strong plane-wave electromagnetic background field. However, a charged particle couples already at tree level to electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, we have now analyzed how the coupling between neutral particles and radiation is affected by a very strong plane-wave electromagnetic background field, when loop corrections are taken into account. In particular, the case of neutrinos is discussed.

Development of a magnetic diagnostic suitable for the ITER radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, P.; Le-Luyer, A.; Malard, P.; Pastor, P.; Fournier, Y.; Lister, J. B.; Moret, J. M.; Testa, D.; Toussaint, M.; Chitarin, G.; Delogu, R.; Galo, A.; Peruzzo, S.; Romero, J.; Vila, R.; Brichard, B.; Bolshakova, I.; Duran, I.; Encheva, A.; Vayakis, G.

2009-01-01

Magnetic diagnostics of the ITER tokamak must fulfill demanding specifications, because their accuracy and reliability affects margins to the machine engineering limits and therefore operational flexibility. This paper describes the challenging issues related to the implementation of the magnetic diagnostics in a tokamak environment. We focus on nuclear radiations as they can significantly affect the measurement through Radiation Induced Electromotive Force (RIEMF) or Thermally Induced Electromotive Force (TIEMF). Thermal modeling of magnetic sensors and associated design studies are also reported as the thermal gradient in the sensors must be reduced to avoid TIEMF. Alternative magnetic sensors such as fiber optic current sensors (FOCS) or steady state magnetic field sensors are also discussed because they serve as a backup to the usual inductive magnetic measurements. We conclude by a brief review of the development needs for magnetic diagnostics. (authors)

Fibre optics compatibility with radiative environment inside PWR containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breuze, G.; Jucker, P.; Serre, J.

1993-01-01

Fibre optic links operating with multiplexed sensors data are potentially attractive for nuclear power plant applications. It hence became essential to test for radiation vulnerability not only transmission support -fibres- but also fibre-end electro-optical components which could be exposed to hostile environment, perhaps in worse conditions than fibres. Present paper gives results of multimode silica-based fibre behaviour during long-term steady-state low dose-rate gamma ray exposure - one year under 0.1 to 0.2 Gy/h. Studies concerned radiation-induced loss (ΔL) measurement of eight different commercially available fibres and bit error-rate (BER) recording of four 1 100 m length data links operating with a 100 m part exposed to gamma-rays. Main result is the good behaviour of pure silica-core fibres, especially a step-index polymer-clad fibre transmitting 850 nm light but also a graded-index fluorine-clad fibre for 1 300 nm window. Mean ΔL values are respectively 3 dB/km and 4.5 dB/km at the exposure end. Complementary result is no influence of gamma-ray exposure upon data link initial 10 -9 BER. (authors). 9 figs., 7 tabs., 26 refs

International conference on the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. Contributed papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-09-01

An International Conference on the Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionizing Radiation, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in co-operation with the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), the European Commission (EC) and the International Union of Radioecology (IUR), will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from 6-10 October 2003. This Conference will be hosted by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). This publication contains contributed papers submitted on issues within the scope of the conference, which were accepted following a review by the Conference Programme Committee. The primary objective of this Conference is to foster information exchange, with the aim of promoting the development of a coherent international policy on the protection of the environment from effects attributable to ionizing radiation. This Conference is one in a series of meetings organized by, or held in co-operation with, the IAEA on this subject. It will include a review of recent developments in this area, and consideration of their implications for future work at national and international levels. The topics on which contributed papers were requested are as follows: Existing environmental protection approaches; Development of an international assessment framework; The scientific basis for environmental radiation assessment; Development of management approaches.

Using ecosystem science to improve protection of the environment from radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bradshaw, C. [Stockholm University (Sweden); Brechignac, F. [IUR / IRSN (France); Barnthouse, L. [LWB Environmental Services Inc. (United States); Brown, J. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority - NRPA (Norway); Forbes, V. [University of Lincoln (United Kingdom); Kapustka, L. [LC LK Consultancy (Canada); Kautsky, U. [Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB - SKB (Sweden)

2014-07-01

The ecosystem approach (EA) involves considering the impacts of an anthropogenic stressor at the ecosystem level because this is usually the ultimate goal of environmental protection. As such, EA includes population, community and ecosystem effects, structural and functional effects, indirect effects due to ecological interactions between species, dynamic interactions, positive or negative feedback loops, and potential synergistic or antagonistic effects of multiple stressors (both anthropogenic and natural). All such effects better reflect the reality of the impact of a contamination scenario than if assessments are restricted to considering effects to individual organisms or species. Such effects may be greater or lesser than expected from studies of individual organisms or species, so not considering them may result in under- or overestimation of risk, respectively. EA is a term that is widely used in environmental assessment, management and legislation in a number of regulatory fields (e.g., radiation protection, chemicals legislation, fisheries policy, international biodiversity conventions). However, although its justification is now well established in a wide range of environment protection contexts, its practical use is still unclear due to poorly defined protection goals and assessment endpoints, making its implementation difficult. This paper presents the initial findings of a newly formed follow-up task group of the International Union of Radioecology whose aims are to identify ways to put the EA into practice when considering protection of the environment from radiation. Drawing on knowledge and experience from a range of fields, we summarise the types of ecosystem processes, goods and services that might be included when using this approach, the science that supports the use of the EA, and the methodological challenges that need to be addressed when implementing the EA in the field of radiation protection. Document available in abstract form only

A model to calculate solar radiation fluxes on the Martian surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vicente-Retortillo Álvaro

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We present a new comprehensive radiative transfer model to study the solar irradiance that reaches the surface of Mars in the spectral range covered by MetSIS, a sensor aboard the Mars MetNet mission that will measure solar irradiance in several bands from the ultraviolet (UV to the near infrared (NIR. The model includes up-to-date wavelength-dependent radiative properties of dust, water ice clouds, and gas molecules. It enables the characterization of the radiative environment in different spectral regions under different scenarios. Comparisons between the model results and MetSIS observations will allow for the characterization of the temporal variability of atmospheric optical depth and dust size distribution, enhancing the scientific return of the mission. The radiative environment at the Martian surface has important implications for the habitability of Mars as well as a strong impact on its atmospheric dynamics and climate.

Law 19.056. It dictate rules to ensure the protection and radiation safety of people, goods and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The objective of this law is to ensure the protection and radiation safety of personnel occupationally exposed, the public in general and the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation as well as avoid risks of contamination in radiactive sources, physical facilities and means of transport

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: IUR's perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, P.; Brown, J. E.; Iospje, M.

2004-01-01

Sufficient information currently exists to introduce an overall framework for the protection of the environment from ionising radiation, drawing upon the large amount of radiobiological and radioecological information that has been gathered over the preceding decades. Nevertheless, there is a requirement to address numerous knowledge gaps and to improve upon existing databases. After the first presentation of a framework for the protection of the environment in 1999/2000 by the IUR, there has been activity to collate information and develop methodologies. This has allowed numerous recommendations to be made concerning future system development.. Although the transfer of radionuclides is quite well known within some food-chains, there are very few data on the behaviour of radionuclides in non-temperate zones and on uptake to species that do not form part of the human food chain. There is a need to develop both transfer models (flux, dynamic, ecosystem, etc.) and genotoxicological bio monitoring techniques that are capable of allowing impact assessments at a variety of species, population and ecosystem levels and that could also deal with other environmental stressors. Knowledge of the doses and effects of background radiation is lacking, as are dose-effect relationships, including information on RBE for a variety of species, doses and dose rates. The importance of various components of an environmental impact assessment can be explored, through the application of sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. An example of this type of analysis, for a marine system, demonstrated the importance of several radioecological parameters in the derivation of dose rates. However, although such examples provide insight, caution should be practiced in their interpretation. It is therefore suggested that further analyses are conducted in order to provide more robust priority lists for resource allocation. The recommendations made in this paper emphasize the need for further focussed

Application of laser cutting technology to high radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauley, K.A.; Mitchell, M.R.; Saget, S.N.

1996-01-01

A 2 kW Nd:YAG laser system manufactured by the Lumonics Corporation will be used to cut various metals during the fall of 1996 as part of a United States Department of Energy (DOE)-funded technology demonstration at the Hanford Site. The laser cutting demonstration will focus on an evaluation of two issues as the technology applies to the decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) of aging nuclear facilities. An assessment will be made as to the ability of laser end effectors to be operated using electromechanical remote manipulators and the ability of both end effector and fiber optics to withstand the damage created by a high radiation field. The laser cutting demonstration will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be a non-radioactive test to ensure the ability of hot cell remote manipulators to use the laser end effector to successfully cut the types of materials and geometries found in the hot cell. The second phase will introduce the laser end effector and the associated fiber optic cable into the hot cell radiation environment. The testing in the hot cell will investigate the degradation of the optical portions of the end effector and transmission cable in the high radiation field. The objective of the demonstration is to assess the cutting efficiency and life limitations of a laser cutting system for radioactive D ampersand D operations. A successful demonstration will, therefore, allow the laser cutting technology to be integrated into the baseline planning for the D ampersand D of DOE facilities throughout the nation

Strategies of NSC in radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentijo, J. C.; Gil, E.; Rodriguez, M.; Ramos, L. M.

2004-01-01

The Spanish radiation protection model is consistent with the recommendations established in the ICRP-60, and it is strongly implemented in all practices and related activities of the country. the practical implementation of that model is assuring a high level of protection of workers, public and environment. The Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), as Spanish regulator, is currently involved in the implementation of a new Strategic Plan, which contains, among others, strategic and operational objectives to improve the national system of radiation protection, so they will drive the activities of the CSN in this field during the coming years. A summary of those objectives and the related action plan are described. (Author)

The space radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robbins, D.E.

1997-01-01

There are three primary sources of space radiation: galactic cosmic rays (GCR), trapped belt radiation, and solar particle events (SPE). All are composed of ions, the nuclei of atoms. Their energies range from a few MeV u -1 to over a GeV u -1 . These ions can fragment when they interact with spacecraft materials and produce energetic neutrons and ions of lower atomic mass. Absorbed dose rates inside a typical spacecraft (like the Space Shuttle) in a low inclination (28.5 degrees) orbit range between 0.05 and 2 mGy d -1 depending on the altitude and flight inclination (angle of orbit with the equator). The quality factor of radiation in orbit depends on the relative contributions of trapped belt radiation and GCR, and the dose rate varies both with orbital altitude and inclination. The corresponding equivalent dose rate ranges between 0.1 and 4 mSv d -1 . In high inclination orbits, like that of the Mir Space Station and as is planned for the International Space Station, blood-forming organ (BFO) equivalent dose rates as high as 1.5 mSv d -1 . Thus, on a 1 y mission, a crew member could obtain a total dose of 0.55 Sv. Maximum equivalent dose rates measured in high altitude passes through the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) were 10 mSv h -1 . For an interplanetary space mission (e.g., to Mars) annual doses from GCR alone range between 150 mSv y -1 at solar maximum and 580 mSv y -1 at solar minimum. Large SPE, like the October 1989 series, are more apt to occur in the years around solar maximum. In free space, such an event could contribute another 300 mSv, assuming that a warning system and safe haven can be effectively used with operational procedures to minimize crew exposures. Thus, the total dose for a 3 y mission to Mars could exceed 2 Sv

Radiation shielding for the Super Collider West Utility region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meinke, R.; Mokhov, N.; Orth, D.; Parker, B.; Plant, D.

1994-02-01

Shielding considerations in the 20 x 20-TeV Superconducting Super Collider are strongly correlated with detailed machine specifics in the various accelerator sections. The West Utility, the most complex area of the Collider, concentrates all the major accelerator subsystems in a single area. The beam loss rate and associated radiation levels in this region are anticipated to be quite high, and massive radiation shielding is therefore required to protect personnel, Collider components, and the environment. The challenging task of simultaneously optimizing accelerator design and radiation shielding, both of which are strongly influenced by subsystem design details, requires the integration of several complex simulation codes. To this end we have performed exhaustive hadronic shower simulations with the MARS12 program; detailed accelerator lattice and optics optimization via the SYNCH, MAD, and MAGIC codes; and extensive 3-D configuration modeling of the accelerator tunnel and subsystems geometries. Our technique and the non-trivial results from such a combined approach are presented here. An integrated procedure is found invaluable in developing cost-effective radiation shielding solutions

Image Quality and Radiation Dose of CT Coronary Angiography with Automatic Tube Current Modulation and Strong Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction Three-Dimensional (AIDR3D.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hesong Shen

Full Text Available To investigate image quality and radiation dose of CT coronary angiography (CTCA scanned using automatic tube current modulation (ATCM and reconstructed by strong adaptive iterative dose reduction three-dimensional (AIDR3D.Eighty-four consecutive CTCA patients were collected for the study. All patients were scanned using ATCM and reconstructed with strong AIDR3D, standard AIDR3D and filtered back-projection (FBP respectively. Two radiologists who were blinded to the patients' clinical data and reconstruction methods evaluated image quality. Quantitative image quality evaluation included image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR. To evaluate image quality qualitatively, coronary artery is classified into 15 segments based on the modified guidelines of the American Heart Association. Qualitative image quality was evaluated using a 4-point scale. Radiation dose was calculated based on dose-length product.Compared with standard AIDR3D, strong AIDR3D had lower image noise, higher SNR and CNR, their differences were all statistically significant (P<0.05; compared with FBP, strong AIDR3D decreased image noise by 46.1%, increased SNR by 84.7%, and improved CNR by 82.2%, their differences were all statistically significant (P<0.05 or 0.001. Segments with diagnostic image quality for strong AIDR3D were 336 (100.0%, 486 (96.4%, and 394 (93.8% in proximal, middle, and distal part respectively; whereas those for standard AIDR3D were 332 (98.8%, 472 (93.7%, 378 (90.0%, respectively; those for FBP were 217 (64.6%, 173 (34.3%, 114 (27.1%, respectively; total segments with diagnostic image quality in strong AIDR3D (1216, 96.5% were higher than those of standard AIDR3D (1182, 93.8% and FBP (504, 40.0%; the differences between strong AIDR3D and standard AIDR3D, strong AIDR3D and FBP were all statistically significant (P<0.05 or 0.001. The mean effective radiation dose was (2.55±1.21 mSv.Compared with standard AIDR3D and FBP, CTCA

Nitrogen and plant population change radiation capture and utilization capacity of sunflower in semi-arid environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Awais, Muhammad; Wajid, Aftab; Bashir, Muhammad Usman; Habib-Ur-Rahman, Muhammad; Raza, Muhammad Aown Sammar; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Saleem, Muhammad Farrukh; Hammad, Hafiz Mohkum; Mubeen, Muhammad; Saeed, Umer; Arshad, Muhammad Naveed; Fahad, Shah; Nasim, Wajid

2017-07-01

The combination of nitrogen and plant population expresses the spatial distribution of crop plants. The spatial distribution influences canopy structure and development, radiation capture, accumulated intercepted radiation (Sa), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and subsequently dry matter production. We hypothesized that the sunflower crop at higher plant populations and nitrogen (N) rates would achieve early canopy cover, capture more radiant energy, utilize radiation energy more efficiently, and ultimately increase economic yield. To investigate the above hypothesis, we examined the influences of leaf area index (LAI) at different plant populations (83,333, 66,666, and 55,555 plants ha -1 ) and N rates (90, 120, and 150 kg ha -1 ) on radiation interception (Fi), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) accumulation (Sa), total dry matter (TDM), achene yield (AY), and RUE of sunflower. The experimental work was conducted during 2012 and 2013 on sandy loam soil in Punjab, Pakistan. The sunflower crop captured more than 96% of incident radiant energy (mean of all treatments), 98% with a higher plant population (83,333 plants ha -1 ), and 97% with higher N application (150 kg ha -1 ) at the fifth harvest (60 days after sowing) during both study years. The plant population of 83,333 plants ha -1 with 150 kg N ha -1 ominously promoted crop, RUE, and finally productivity of sunflower (AY and TDM). Sunflower canopy (LAI) showed a very close and strong association with Fi (R 2  = 0.99 in both years), PAR (R 2  = 0.74 and 0.79 in 2012 and 2013, respectively), TDM (R 2  = 0.97 in 2012 and 0.91 in 2013), AY (R 2  = 0.95 in both years), RUE for TDM (RUE TDM ) (R 2  = 0.63 and 0.71 in 2012 and 2013, respectively), and RUE for AY (RUE AY ) (R 2  = 0.88 and 0.87 in 2012 and 2013, respectively). Similarly, AY (R 2  = 0.73 in 2012 and 0.79 in 2013) and TDM (R 2  = 0.75 in 2012 and 0.84 in 2013) indicated significant dependence on PAR accumulation of

Research into radiation protection. 1994 Programme report. Report on radiation departmental research programme on radiation protection, sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, and placed under the administrative and subject competence of the Federal Radiation Protection Office

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goedde, R.; Schmitt-Hannig, A.; Thieme, M.

1994-10-01

On behalf of the Ministery for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Federal Office for Radiation Protection is placing research and study contracts in the field of radiation protection. The results of these projects are used for developing radiation protection rules and to fulfill the special radiation protection tasks of the BMU, required by law. Planning, expert and administrative management, placing, assistance as well as expert evaluation of the results from these research projects lies within the responsibility of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. This report provides information on preliminary and final results of radiation protection projects within the BMU Department Research Programme of the year 1994. (orig.) [de

Research into radiation protection. 1995 Programme report. Report on radiation departmental research programme on radiation protection, sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, and placed under the administrative and subject competence of the Federal Radiation Protection Office

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thieme, M.; Goedde, R.; Schmitt-Hannig, A.

1996-01-01

On behalf of the Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Federal Office for Radiation Protection is placing research and study contracts in the field of radiation protection. The results of these projects are used for developing radiation protection rules and to fulfill the special radiation protection tasks of the BMU, required by law. Planning, expert and administrative management, placing, assistance as well as expert evaluation of the results from these research projects lies within the responsibility of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. This report provides information on preliminary and final results of radiation protection projects within the BMU Department Research Programme of the year 1995. (orig.) [de

Estimates of the radiation environment for a nuclear rocket engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courtney, J.C.; Manohara, H.M.; Williams, M.L.

1992-01-01

Ambitious missions in deep space, such as manned expeditions to Mars, require nuclear propulsion if they are to be accomplished in a reasonable length of time. Current technology is adequate to support the use of nuclear fission as a source of energy for propulsion; however, problems associated with neutrons and gammas leaking from the rocket engine must be addressed. Before manned or unmanned space flights are attempted, an extensive ground test program on the rocket engine must be completed. This paper compares estimated radiation levels and nuclear heating rates in and around the rocket engine for both a ground test and space environments

Radiation Impact to Environment of Non-nuclear Industry in Hunan,Hubei and Jiangxi Provinces

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

SONG; Wei-jie; CHENG; Wei-ya

2015-01-01

According to the gas,liquid effluent monitoring and survey results of non nuclear industry in Hunan,Hubei and Jiangxi provinces,the radiation effects of which on the surrounding environment were analysis and evaluation.Evaluation industrials includes three coal-fired power plants,two rare earth ores,two cement factories,one

Accuracy of Analog Fiber-Optic Links in Pulsed Radiation Environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

E K Miller; G S Macrum; I J McKenna

2007-01-01

Interferometric fiber-optic links used in pulsed-power experiments are evaluated for accuracy in the presence of radiation fields which alter fiber transmission. Amplitude-modulated format (e.g., Mach-Zehnder) and phase-modulated formats are compared. Historically, studies of radiation effects on optical fibers have focused on degradation and recovery of the fibers transmission properties; such work is either in the context of survivability of fibers in catastrophic conditions or suitability of fibers installed for command and control systems within an experimental facility [1], [2]. In this work, we consider links used to transmit realtime diagnostic data, and we analyze the error introduced by radiation effects during the drive pulse. The result is increased uncertainties in key parameters required to unfold the sinusoidal transfer function. Two types of modulation are considered: amplitude modulation typical of a Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) modulator [3], and phase modulation, which offers more flexible demodulation options but relies on the spatiotemporal coherence of the light in the fiber. The M-Z link is shown schematically in Fig. 1, and the phase-modulated link is shown in Fig. 2. We present data from two experimental environments: one with intense, controlled radiation fields to simulate conditions expected at the next generation of pulsed-power facilities, and the second with radiation effects below the noise level of the recording system. In the first case, we intentionally expose three types of single-mode fiber (SMF) to ionizing radiation and study the response by simultaneously monitoring phase and amplitude of the transmitted light. The phase and amplitude effects are evidently dominated by different physical phenomena, as their recovery dynamics are markedly different; both effects, though, show similar short-term behavior during exposure, integrating the dose at the dose levels studied, from 1 to 300 kRad, over the exposure times of 50 ps and 30 ns. In the

Radioactivity in food and the environment: calculations of UK radiation doses using integrated methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allott, Rob

2003-01-01

Dear Sir: I read with interest the paper by W C Camplin, G P Brownless, G D Round, K Winpenny and G J Hunt from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) on 'Radioactivity in food and the environment: calculations of UK radiation doses using integrated methods' in the December 2002 issue of this journal (J. Radiol. Prot. 22 371-88). The Environment Agency has a keen interest in the development of a robust methodology for assessing total doses which have been received by members of the public from authorised discharges of radioactive substances to the environment. Total dose in this context means the dose received from all authorised discharges and all exposure pathways (e.g. inhalation, external irradiation from radionuclides in sediment/soil, direct radiation from operations on a nuclear site, consumption of food etc). I chair a 'total retrospective dose assessment' working group with representatives from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), National Radiological Protection Board, CEFAS and BNFL which began discussing precisely this issue during 2002. This group is a sub-group of the National Dose Assessment Working Group which was set up in April 2002 (J. Radiol. Prot. 22 318-9). The Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate previously undertook joint research into the most appropriate methodology to use for total dose assessment (J J Hancox, S J Stansby and M C Thorne 2002 The Development of a Methodology to Assess Population Doses from Multiple Source and Exposure Pathways of Radioactivity (Environment Agency R and D Technical Report P3-070/TR). This work came to broadly the same conclusion as the work by CEFAS, that an individual dose method is probably the most appropriate method to use. This research and that undertaken by CEFAS will help the total retrospective dose assessment working group refine a set of principles and a methodology for the

The Ionizing Radiation Environment on the International Space Station: Performance vs. Expectations for Avionics and Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Koontz, Steven L.; Boeder, Paul A.; Pankop, Courtney; Reddell, Brandon

2005-01-01

The role of structural shielding mass in the design, verification, and in-flight performance of International Space Station (ISS), in both the natural and induced orbital ionizing radiation (IR) environments, is reported.

Analysis of radiation-natural convection interactions in 1-G and low-G environments using the discrete exchange factor method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassemi, M.

1990-01-01

In this paper a new numerical method is presented for the analysis of combined natural convection and radiation heat transfer which has application in many engineering situations such as materials processing, combustion and fire research. Because of the recent interest in the performance of these engineering processes in the low-gravity environment of space, attention is devoted to both 1-g and low-g applications. The numerical study is based on a two-dimensional mathematical model represented by a set of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations for conservation of mass, momentum, and energy and the integro-differential equations which describe radiative heat transfer. Radiative exchange is formulated using the discrete exchange factor method (DEF). This method considers point to point exchange and provides accurate results over a wide range of radiation parameters. The desirable features of DEF are briefly described. Our numerical results show that radiation significantly influences the flow and heat transfer in the enclosure. In both low-g and 1-g applications, radiation modifies the temperature profiles and enhances the convective heat transfer at the cold wall. In a low-g environment, convection is weak, and radiation can easily become the dominant heat transfer mode. It is also shown that in the top-heated enclosure, volumetric heating by radiation gives rise to an intricate cell pattern in the cavity

The NASA/National Space Science Data Center trapped radiation environment model program, 1964 - 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vette, J.I.

1991-11-01

The major effort that NASA, initially with the help of the United States Air Force (USAF), carried out for 27 years to synthesize the experimental and theoretical results of space research related to energetic charged particles into a quantitative description of the terrestrial trapped radiation environment in the form of model environments is detailed. The effort is called the Trapped Radiation Environment Modeling Program (TREMP). In chapter 2 the historical background leading to the establishment of this program is given. Also, the purpose of this modeling program as established by the founders of the program is discussed. This is followed in chapter 3 by the philosophy and approach that was applied in this program throughout its lifetime. As will be seen, this philosophy led to the continuation of the program long after it would have expired. The highlights of the accomplishments are presented in chapter 4. A view to future possible efforts in this arena is given in chapter 5, mainly to pass on to future workers the differences that are perceived from these many years of experience. Chapter 6 is an appendix that details the chronology of the development of TREMP. Finally, the references, which document the work accomplished over these years, are presented in chapter 7

Computer modeling characterization, and applications of Gallium Arsenide Gunn diodes in radiation environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El- Basit, Wafaa Abd; El-Ghanam, Safaa Mohamed; Kamh, Sanaa Abd El-Tawab [Electronics Research Laboratory, Physics Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo (Egypt); Abdel-Maksood, Ashraf Mosleh; Soliman, Fouad Abd El-Moniem Saad [Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo (Egypt)

2016-10-15

The present paper reports on a trial to shed further light on the characterization, applications, and operation of radar speed guns or Gunn diodes on different radiation environments of neutron or γ fields. To this end, theoretical and experimental investigations of microwave oscillating system for outer-space applications were carried out. Radiation effects on the transient parameters and electrical properties of the proposed devices have been studied in detail with the application of computer programming. Also, the oscillation parameters, power characteristics, and bias current were plotted under the influence of different γ and neutron irradiation levels. Finally, shelf or oven annealing processes were shown to be satisfactory techniques to recover the initial characteristics of the irradiated devices.

The Effect of Dose Rate on Composite Durability When Exposed to a Simulated Long-Term Lunar Radiation Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Rojdev, Kristina; O'Rourke, Mary Jane; Hill, Charles; Nutt, Steven; Atwell, William

2011-01-01

Human exploration of space beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) requires a safe living and working environment for crew. Composite materials are one type of material being investigated by NASA as a multi-functional structural approach to habitats for long-term use in space or on planetary surfaces with limited magnetic fields and atmosphere. These materials provide high strength with the potential for decreased weight and increased radiation protection of crew and electronics when compared with conventional aluminum structures. However, these materials have not been evaluated in a harsh radiation environment, as would be experienced outside of LEO or on a planetary surface. Thus, NASA has been investigating the durability of select composite materials in a long-term radiation environment. Previously, NASA exposed composite samples to a simulated, accelerated 30-year radiation treatment and tensile stresses similar to those of a habitat pressure vessel. The results showed evidence of potential surface oxidation and enhanced cross-linking of the matrix. As a follow-on study, we performed the same accelerated exposure alongside an exposure with a decreased dose rate. The slower dose ]rate is comparable to a realistic scenario, although still accelerated. Strain measurements were collected during exposure and showed that with a fastdose rate, the strain decreased with time, but with a slow ]dose rate, the strain increased with time. After the radiation exposures, samples were characterized via tensile tests, flexure tests, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The results of these tests will be discussed.

Radiation Environments and Exposure Considerations for the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, William M.; Low, Nora M.; Zillmer, Andrew; Johnson, Gregory A.; Normand, Eugene

2006-01-01

The Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) is the next generation (RTG) being developed by DOE to provide reliable, long-life electric power for NASA's planetary exploration programs. The MMRTG is being developed by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne and Teledyne Energy Systems Incorporated (TESI) for use on currently planned and projected flyby, orbital and planet landing missions. This is a significant departure from the design philosophy of the past which was to match specific mission requirements to RTG design capabilities. Undefined mission requirements provide a challenge to system designers by forcing them to put a design envelope around 'all possible missions'. These multi-mission requirements include internal and external radiation sources. Internal sources include the particles ejected by decaying Pu-238 and its daughters plus particles resulting from the interaction of these particles with other MMRTG materials. External sources include the full spectrum of charged particle radiation surrounding planets with magnetic fields and the surfaces of extraterrestrial objects not shielded by magnetic fields. The paper presents the results of investigations into the environments outlined above and the impact of radiation exposure on potential materials to be used on MMRTG and ground support personnel. Mission requirements were also reviewed to evaluate total integrated dose and to project potential shielding requirements for materials. Much of the information on mission shielding requirements was provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The primary result is an ionizing radiation design curve which indicates the limits to which a particular mission can take the MMRTG in terms of ionizing radiation exposure. Estimates of personnel radiation exposure during ground handling are also provided

The low earth orbit radiation environment and its evolution from measurements using the CREAM and CREDO experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyer, C.S.; Sims, A.J.; Truscott, P.R.; Farren, J.; Underwood, C.

1993-01-01

Data obtained from Cosmic Radiation Environment Monitors carried on Shuttle missions during 1991/92, as well as on the polar orbiting microsatellite UOSAT-3 since April 1990, show the long term trends in the cosmic-ray and trapped proton environments responsible for single event phenomena. Cosmic-ray fluxes have increased by a factor of two since June 1991, while the solar flare event of Much 1991 created an additional region of trapped radiation which intersects high inclination Shuttle and polar orbits and, although decaying, was still present in December 1992. Deployment at a variety of shielding depths on Shuttle enables the influence of shielding to be explored and shows the influence of secondaries

Radiation from a Relativistic Electron Beam in a Molecular Medium due to Parametric Pumping by a Strong Electromagnetic Wave,

Science.gov (United States)

1981-02-01

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS 4WJD ASTRONOMY COLLG PAM A 2 3i 81 4 30) 235. RADIATION FROM A .ELATIVISTIC_§LECTRON BEAM IN AZOLECULAR...A MOLECULAR MEDIUM DUE TO PARAMETRIC PUMPING BY A STRONG ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE L. Stenflo Department of Plasma Physics Umel University S-90187 Umel...GUteborg, Sweden and Laboratory for Plasma and Fusion Energy Studies University of Maryland College Park, Maryland 20742 Physics Publication Number 81

Micronuclei as biomarkers of genotoxicity of gamma radiation in aquatic environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Luanna R.S.; Silva, Edvane B.; Melo, Ana M.M.A. [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (GERAR/DEN/UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Dept. de Energia Nuclear. Grupo de Estudos em Radioprotecao e Radioecologia; Silva, Ronaldo C. da [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Dept. de Genetica; Amancio, Francisco F. [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Dept. de Biofisica e Radiobiologia. Lab. de Radiobiologia

2011-07-01

Ionizing radiation is a genotoxic agent, inducing gene mutations and cellular death. Several efforts have been defendants in the development of techniques for measurement of radiation damage in biological systems. Among these techniques, micronuclei test has been showing as a great bio marker of DNA damage, being used in environmental monitoring to detect genotoxic agents in the environment. Additionally, organisms as Biomphalaria glabrata, freshwater molluscs, presents itself as an excellent model to assess damage caused by physical and chemical agents, due their biological and environmental characteristics. The snails were divided into groups of 5 individuals exposed to doses of 0 (control), 25, 35, 45 and 55 Gy of {sup 60}Co. After 48 hours of irradiation, the hemo lymph was collected and prepared the slides, which were stained with Giemsa and analyzed the cellular changes in haemocytes Statistical analysis was accomplished through chi-square test, ANOVA and Tukey test (p< 0,05). The results indicated that B. glabrata showed to be sensitive to gamma radiation. The snails irradiated with 35 Gy showed a decrease of haemocytes, while that of 55 Gy increased. Cellular and morphological changes were observed at doses of 35, 45 and 55 Gy and the dose of 55 Gy, the most radiotoxic. (author)

Micronuclei as biomarkers of genotoxicity of gamma radiation in aquatic environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Luanna R.S.; Silva, Edvane B.; Melo, Ana M.M.A.; Silva, Ronaldo C. da; Amancio, Francisco F.

2011-01-01

Ionizing radiation is a genotoxic agent, inducing gene mutations and cellular death. Several efforts have been defendants in the development of techniques for measurement of radiation damage in biological systems. Among these techniques, micronuclei test has been showing as a great bio marker of DNA damage, being used in environmental monitoring to detect genotoxic agents in the environment. Additionally, organisms as Biomphalaria glabrata, freshwater molluscs, presents itself as an excellent model to assess damage caused by physical and chemical agents, due their biological and environmental characteristics. The snails were divided into groups of 5 individuals exposed to doses of 0 (control), 25, 35, 45 and 55 Gy of 60 Co. After 48 hours of irradiation, the hemo lymph was collected and prepared the slides, which were stained with Giemsa and analyzed the cellular changes in haemocytes Statistical analysis was accomplished through chi-square test, ANOVA and Tukey test (p< 0,05). The results indicated that B. glabrata showed to be sensitive to gamma radiation. The snails irradiated with 35 Gy showed a decrease of haemocytes, while that of 55 Gy increased. Cellular and morphological changes were observed at doses of 35, 45 and 55 Gy and the dose of 55 Gy, the most radiotoxic. (author)

Coastal sea radiation environment and biodiversity protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Senming; Shang Zhaorong

2009-01-01

This paper characterizes the types, trend and the potential of radiation contamination in the sea against the development of nuclear power stations. Combined with the present status of radioactive contamination and marine biodiversity in China seas, it is pointed out that non-human radiation protection should be considered on the bases of marine biodiversity protection. Besides, the reference species for marine radiation protection and some viewpoints on the work of marine radiation protection in China are pro- posed. (authors)

Spectral shifting strongly constrains molecular cloud disruption by radiation pressure on dust

Science.gov (United States)

Reissl, Stefan; Klessen, Ralf S.; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Pellegrini, Eric W.

2018-03-01

Aim. We aim to test the hypothesis that radiation pressure from young star clusters acting on dust is the dominant feedback agent disrupting the largest star-forming molecular clouds and thus regulating the star-formation process. Methods: We performed multi-frequency, 3D, radiative transfer calculations including both scattering and absorption and re-emission to longer wavelengths for model clouds with masses of 104-107 M⊙, containing embedded clusters with star formation efficiencies of 0.009-91%, and varying maximum grain sizes up to 200 μm. We calculated the ratio between radiative and gravitational forces to determine whether radiation pressure can disrupt clouds. Results: We find that radiation pressure acting on dust almost never disrupts star-forming clouds. Ultraviolet and optical photons from young stars to which the cloud is optically thick do not scatter much. Instead, they quickly get absorbed and re-emitted by the dust at thermal wavelengths. As the cloud is typically optically thin to far-infrared radiation, it promptly escapes, depositing little momentum in the cloud. The resulting spectrum is more narrowly peaked than the corresponding Planck function, and exhibits an extended tail at longer wavelengths. As the opacity drops significantly across the sub-mm and mm wavelength regime, the resulting radiative force is even smaller than for the corresponding single-temperature blackbody. We find that the force from radiation pressure falls below the strength of gravitational attraction by an order of magnitude or more for either Milky Way or moderate starbust conditions. Only for unrealistically large maximum grain sizes, and star formation efficiencies far exceeding 50% do we find that the strength of radiation pressure can exceed gravity. Conclusions: We conclude that radiation pressure acting on dust does not disrupt star-forming molecular clouds in any Local Group galaxies. Radiation pressure thus appears unlikely to regulate the star

Radiation Environment at LEO in the frame of Space Monitoring Data Center at Moscow State University - recent, current and future missions

Science.gov (United States)

Myagkova, Irina; Kalegaev, Vladimir; Panasyuk, Mikhail; Svertilov, Sergey; Bogomolov, Vitaly; Bogomolov, Andrey; Barinova, Vera; Barinov, Oleg; Bobrovnikov, Sergey; Dolenko, Sergey; Mukhametdinova, Ludmila; Shiroky, Vladimir; Shugay, Julia

2016-04-01

Radiation Environment of Near-Earth space is one of the most important factors of space weather. Space Monitoring Data Center of Moscow State University provides operational control of radiation conditions at Low Earth's Orbits (LEO) of the near-Earth space using data of recent (Vernov, CORONAS series), current (Meteor-M, Electro-L series) and future (Lomonosov) space missions. Internet portal of Space Monitoring Data Center of Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics of Lomonosov Moscow State University (SINP MSU) http://swx.sinp.msu.ru/ provides possibilities to control and analyze the space radiation conditions in the real time mode together with the geomagnetic and solar activity including hard X-ray and gamma- emission of solar flares. Operational data obtained from space missions at L1, GEO and LEO and from the Earth's magnetic stations are used to represent radiation and geomagnetic state of near-Earth environment. The models of space environment that use space measurements from different orbits were created. Interactive analysis and operational neural network forecast services are based on these models. These systems can automatically generate alerts on particle fluxes enhancements above the threshold values, both for SEP and relativistic electrons of outer Earth's radiation belt using data from GEO and LEO as input. As an example of LEO data we consider data from Vernov mission, which was launched into solar-synchronous orbit (altitude 640 - 83 0 km, inclination 98.4°, orbital period about 100 min) on July 8, 2014 and began to receive scientific information since July 20, 2014. Vernov mission have provided studies of the Earth's radiation belt relativistic electron precipitation and its possible connection with atmosphere transient luminous events, as well as the solar hard X-ray and gamma-emission measurements. Radiation and electromagnetic environment monitoring in the near-Earth Space, which is very important for space weather study, was also realised

Premar-2: a Monte Carlo code for radiative transport simulation in atmospheric environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cupini, E.

1999-01-01

The peculiarities of the PREMAR-2 code, aimed at radiation transport Monte Carlo simulation in atmospheric environments in the infrared-ultraviolet frequency range, are described. With respect to the previously developed PREMAR code, besides plane multilayers, spherical multilayers and finite sequences of vertical layers, each one with its own atmospheric behaviour, are foreseen in the new code, together with the refraction phenomenon, so that long range, highly slanted paths can now be more faithfully taken into account. A zenithal angular dependence of the albedo coefficient has moreover been introduced. Lidar systems, with spatially independent source and telescope, are allowed again to be simulated, and, in this latest version of the code, sensitivity analyses to be performed. According to this last feasibility, consequences on radiation transport of small perturbations in physical components of the atmospheric environment may be analyze and the related effects on searched results estimated. The availability of a library of physical data (reaction coefficients, phase functions and refraction indexes) is required by the code, providing the essential features of the environment of interest needed of the Monte Carlo simulation. Variance reducing techniques have been enhanced in the Premar-2 code, by introducing, for instance, a local forced collision technique, especially apt to be used in Lidar system simulations. Encouraging comparisons between code and experimental results carried out at the Brasimone Centre of ENEA, have so far been obtained, even if further checks of the code are to be performed [it

Cancer and non-cancer risk at low doses of radiation: biological basis of radiation-environment interplay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Masao S.

2013-01-01

Cancer and non-cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation remains poorly defined due to ambiguity at low doses caused by limitations in statistical power and information available on interplay with environment. To deal with these problems, a novel non-parametric statistics was developed based on artificial neural networks theorem and applied to cancer and non-cancer risk in A-bomb survivors. The analysis revealed several unique features at low doses that could not be accounted for by nominal radiation dose alone. They include (1) threshold that varies with organ, gender and age, including cardiovascular diseases, (2) prevalence of infectious diseases, and (3) suppression of pathogenesis of HTLV1. The threshold is unique as it is manifested as negative excess relative risk, a reduction of spontaneous rate at low doses. The response is consistent with currently emerging laboratory data on DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway choice and its sustainability as epigenetic memory in accordance with histone code theory. In response to DSB, of radiation or DNA replication arrest origin, distinct and competitively operating repair pathways are instigated. Activation by low doses of restitution-directed canonical non-homologous end-joining (C-NHEJ) suppresses both error-prone alternative end-joining (Alt-NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). The latter two present major pathways to mutagenesis at stalled replication folk associated with endogenous and exogenous genotoxin such as tobacco smoke metabolites and AID-associated somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination in Ig gene. Suppression of these error-prone pathways by low doses of low LET radiation is consistent with the reduction of cancer occurrence by environmental genotoxin, immunodiversity and stable integration of retrovirus DNA, providing a significant modulator of dose linearity at low doses. Whole picture may bring about a new landscape of cancer and non-cancer molecular epidemiology which

Strong effects of ionizing radiation from Chernobyl on mutation rates

OpenAIRE

M?ller, Anders Pape; Mousseau, Timothy A.

2015-01-01

In this paper we use a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between radiation and mutation rates in Chernobyl across 45 published studies, covering 30 species. Overall effect size of radiation on mutation rates estimated as Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient was very large (E = 0.67; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59 to 0.73), accounting for 44.3% of the total variance in an unstructured random-effects model. Fail-safe calculations reflecting the number of unpublished null...

Radiation-induced structural transitions in composite materials with strong interaction of polymer components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaikin, Yu.A.; Koztaeva, U.P.

2002-01-01

In earlier papers the internal friction (IF) method was applied to studies of structural relaxation in different types of polymer-based composite materials (glass-cloth, paper-based and foiled laminates impregnated by epoxy and phenolic resins) irradiated by 2 MeV electrons in the dose range of 0.1-50.0 MGy. Selectivity and high sensibility of the internal friction method allowed to distinguish glassy transitions in different structural components of the composites. The relaxation processes observed were identified and attributed to structural alterations in the polymer filler, the binder and the boundary layers. It was shown that changes in the parameters of relaxation maximums during irradiation can be considered as quantitative characteristics for the degree of radiation-induced degradation or cross-linking of polymer molecules. This paper deals with specific features of IF spectra in paper-based laminates where both the filler fibers and the binder are strongly interacting polymers. Anisotropy of viscous and elastic properties is very weak for this kind of materials, so that IF measurements give nearly the same result independently on the filler fiber orientation in the sample. The main reasons for it are the rigid chain structure of fillers (polyethylene-terephthalate and cellulose) and the good adhesion strengthened by diffusion of the epoxy or phenolic binder to defect regions of the filler.The IF temperature dependence observed in paper-based laminates is represented by superposition of two very broad relaxation maximums associated with transitions from glassy to high-elastic state in structural components, each based on one of the polymers. The inflection points characteristic for IF temperature dependence in paper-based laminates give a reason to treat them as a superposition of α-peaks associated with transitions from glassy to high-elastic state in structural components of a composite based on the binder and the filler, respectively. Another

Investigation of innovative radiation imaging method and system for radiological environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, H. [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Joung, J., E-mail: jinhun.joung@nucaremed.com [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Nucare, Inc., Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Y. [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Nucare, Inc., Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, K. [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-01

We have developed a novel imaging method that can be applied to most applications in the field of radiological environment imaging. It resolves either two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) distributions of radioactive sources in applications for homeland security, environmental monitoring, radiation contamination monitoring, baggage inspection, nuclear power plant monitoring, and more. The proposed imaging method uses a simple detector configured as a radiation-counting detector with spectroscopic capabilities. The detector module consists of two components: a flat field-of-view (FOV) collimator with a 30° FOV opening and a typical single-channel radiation detector made of a 2 in.×2 in. NaI(Tl) scintillator coupled to a 2 in photomultiplier tube (PMT). This simple detector module makes it possible to develop a cost-effective imaging system and provide design freedom in extending the system configuration to include one-dimensional (1D) or 2D detector-array shapes to meet the needs of various applications. One of most distinctive features of the new imaging method is that it uses only a pair of 2D projections to obtain a 3D reconstruction. The projections are measured by the proposed detector module at two positions orthogonal to one another; the measured projections are manipulated to enhance the resolution of the reconstructed 3D image. The imaging method comprises several steps performed consecutively: projection measurement, energy re-binning, projection separation, resolution and attenuation recovery, image reconstruction, and image consolidation and quantitative analysis. The resolution and attenuation recovery step provides the most distinctive and important processing by which the poor quality of projection data is enhanced. Such poor quality is mainly due to the use of a simple detector with a wide-opening flat FOV collimator. Simulation and experimental studies have been conducted to validate the proposed method. In this investigation, we

Characterization of the radiation environment of the inner heliosphere using LRO/CRaTER and EMMREM

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce, Colin J.

2016-08-01

I provide a characterization of the radiation environment of the inner heliosphere from mid-2009 to present using measurements made by the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and modelling provided by the Earth-Moon-Mars Radiation Environment Module (EMMREM). In the course of this study, I analyze solar energetic particle (SEP) radiation in the form of four major solar events that occurred during this time range as well as the evolution of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) modulation over a period in which relatively calm solar conditions have resulted in the highest GCR fluxes measured in the space age. Using CRaTER measurements taken during three major solar events that occurred in 2012, I demonstrate a validation of the online PREDICCS system (Predictions of radiation from REleASE, EMMREM, and Data Incorporating CRaTER, COSTEP, and other SEP measurements), which uses EMMREM to provide near real-time radiation modelling at the Earth, Moon and Mars, finding PREDICCS to be quite accurate in modelling the peak dose rates and total accumulated doses for major solar events. Having demonstrated the accuracy of PREDICCS/EMMREM in modelling SEP events, EMMREM is used to provide an analysis of the potential radiation hazard of the extreme solar event observed by STEREO A on 23 July 2012, an event which has drawn comparisons to the historic Carrington event due to the exceptional size and record speed of the interplanetary coronal mass ejection associated with it. Such an event might be viewed as something like a worst case scenario in terms of the threat of SEP radiation to astronauts, however the evidence shown here suggests that, with the benefit of heavy protective shielding, astronauts would not have been exposed to levels of radiation that approach NASA's permissible exposure limits. These findings add to a mounting set of evidence which suggests that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the largest radiation

Framework for the Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation (invited paper)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strand, P.; Brown, J.E.; Larsson, M

2000-07-01

A framework is proposed for the protection of the environment from ionising radiation. Key components include the assessment of the environmental transfer of radionuclides and uptake of radionuclides by organisms, the adaptation of existing dosimetric models to calculate absorbed doses and studies concerning dose-effects relationships for selected organisms. The proposed framework will also make use of 'reference' organisms, selection of which will be based on a number of criteria, e.g. radiosensitivity, ubiquity, and will involve the development of standardised biota exposure units which might integrate the Relative Biological Effect (RBE) of the radiation under consideration. In the second part of the study, initial efforts have been made to develop a computerised system in order to provide a simple example of how components of this framework may be formulated. An equilibrium absorbed dose constant model has been used for high LET (Linear Energy Transfer) radionuclides combined with the application of an absorbed fraction for {gamma}-emitting radionuclides. Generalised specific activity information for selected radionuclides from Norwegian marine environments have been used as model input data. For the radionuclides considered, total doses for marine organisms (lobster, mussels, seaweed) ranged between 1.35-2.5 mGy.y{sup -1}, mainly attributable to {sup 40}K and {sup 210}Po. Such levels are well below those where observable effects might be expected. (author)

Jagiellonian University Radiation Damage in Silicon Particle Detectors in High Luminosity Experiments

CERN Document Server

Oblakowska-Mucha, A

2017-01-01

Radiation damage is nowadays the most serious problem in silicon particle detectors placed in the very harsh radiation environment. This problem will be even more pronounced after the LHC Upgrade because of extremely strong particle fluences never encountered before. In this review, a few aspects of radiation damage in silicon trackers are presented. Among them, the change in the silicon lattice and its influence on the detector performance are discussed. Currently applied solutions and the new ideas for future experiments will be also shown. Most of the results presented in this summary were obtained within the RD50 Collaboration

Radiation protection for humans and environment. 50 years competence in the professional association; Strahlenschutz fuer Mensch und Umwelt. 50 Jahre Kompetenz im Fachverband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bucher, Benno [Eidgenoessisches Nuklearsicherheitsinspektorat, Brugg (Switzerland); Wilhelm, Christoph (ed.) [Karlsruher Institut fuer Technology (KIT), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2016-07-01

The conference proceedings of the IRPA (International radiation protection association) annual meeting 2016 contain the contribution of invited referents, other contributions and poster contributions concerning radiation protection in nuclear facilities, radiation protection of the public and environment, radioactive waste management, uranium mining, environmental monitoring, natural radioactivity, and radiation protection laws and regulations.

Radiation. Protection. Health. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajek, Michael; Maringer, Franz Josef; Steurer, Andreas; Schwaiger, Martina; Timal, Guenter

2015-01-01

The topics of the meeting are the diagnostic and therapeutic application of ionizing radiations, the application of radiation in research, industry and engineering and radiation protection. The volume includes the following chapters: Radiation protection and society, radiation protection infrastructure, population and environment, metrology and measuring techniques, 1. Workshop on population and environment, NORM and radon, 2. Update: dose - extent of damage - limiting value definition, radiation protection for personnel (except medicine), radiation protection in medicine.

Survey of occupant behaviour and control of indoor environment in Danish dwellings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Rune Vinther; Toftum, Jørn; Andersen, Klaus Kaae

2009-01-01

separately by means of multiple logistic regression in order to quantify factors influencing occupants’ behaviour. The window opening behaviour was strongly related to the outdoor temperature. The perception of the environment and factors concerning the dwelling also impacted the window opening behaviour......Repeated surveys of occupant control of the indoor environment were carried out in Danish dwellings from September to October 2006 and again from February to March 2007. The summer survey comprised 933 respondents and the winter survey 636 respondents. The surveys were carried out by sending out....... The proportion of dwellings with the heating turned on was strongly related to the outdoor temperature and the presence of a wood burning stove. The solar radiation, dwelling ownership conditions and the perception of the indoor environment also affected the use of heating. The results of the statistical...

Posttreatment follow-up of radiation oncology patients in a managed care environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinberg, Michael L.; Rose, Christopher M.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Health care delivery in the United States is in the midst of a structural revolution called managed care. Demands for cost control within the managed care environment force radiation oncologists to defend the need and obligation to follow their patients. Methods and Materials: We have analyzed this follow-up requirement from six potential justifications: patient care, medical-legal, quality assurance, outcome measurement, cost, and improvement of care. Results: Practical recommendations for discussing the need for follow-up with the medical directors and primary care physicians of managed care entities are given. Follow-up without valid documentation of benefit is hard to justify in this era of managed care. Conclusions: Collaborative follow-up between the referring physician, the treating radiation oncologist, and the other oncologic specialists will allow for outcome measurement and improvement in practice without driving up cost or exposing the patient to undue risk.

Improvement of the equivalent sphere model for better estimates of skin or eye dose in space radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Z.W.

2011-01-01

It is often useful to get a quick estimate of the dose or dose equivalent of an organ, such as blood-forming organs, the eye or the skin, in a radiation field. Sometimes an equivalent sphere is used to represent the organ for this purpose. For space radiation environments, recently it has been shown that the equivalent sphere model does not work for the eye or the skin in solar particle event environments. In this study, we improve the representation of the eye and the skin using a two-component equivalent sphere model. Motivated by the two-peak structure of the body organ shielding distribution for the eye and the skin, we use an equivalent sphere with two radius parameters, for example a partial spherical shell of a smaller thickness over a proper fraction of the full solid angle combined with a concentric partial spherical shell of a larger thickness over the rest of the full solid angle, to represent the eye or the skin. We find that using an equivalent sphere with two radius parameters instead of one drastically improves the accuracy of the estimates of dose and dose equivalent in space radiation environments. For example, in solar particle event environments the average error in the estimate of the skin dose equivalent using an equivalent sphere with two radius parameters is about 8%, while the average error of the conventional equivalent sphere model using one radius parameter is around 100%.

Real-time 3D radiation risk assessment supporting simulation of work in nuclear environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szoke, I; Louka, M N; Bryntesen, T R; Bratteli, J; Edvardsen, S T; RøEitrheim, K K; Bodor, K

2014-01-01

This paper describes the latest developments at the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) in Norway, in the field of real-time 3D (three-dimensional) radiation risk assessment for the support of work simulation in nuclear environments. 3D computer simulation can greatly facilitate efficient work planning, briefing, and training of workers. It can also support communication within and between work teams, and with advisors, regulators, the media and public, at all the stages of a nuclear installation’s lifecycle. Furthermore, it is also a beneficial tool for reviewing current work practices in order to identify possible gaps in procedures, as well as to support the updating of international recommendations, dissemination of experience, and education of the current and future generation of workers. IFE has been involved in research and development into the application of 3D computer simulation and virtual reality (VR) technology to support work in radiological environments in the nuclear sector since the mid 1990s. During this process, two significant software tools have been developed, the VRdose system and the Halden Planner, and a number of publications have been produced to contribute to improving the safety culture in the nuclear industry. This paper describes the radiation risk assessment techniques applied in earlier versions of the VRdose system and the Halden Planner, for visualising radiation fields and calculating dose, and presents new developments towards implementing a flexible and up-to-date dosimetric package in these 3D software tools, based on new developments in the field of radiation protection. The latest versions of these 3D tools are capable of more accurate risk estimation, permit more flexibility via a range of user choices, and are applicable to a wider range of irradiation situations than their predecessors. (paper)

Real-time 3D radiation risk assessment supporting simulation of work in nuclear environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Szőke, I; Louka, M N; Bryntesen, T R; Bratteli, J; Edvardsen, S T; RøEitrheim, K K; Bodor, K

2014-06-01

This paper describes the latest developments at the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) in Norway, in the field of real-time 3D (three-dimensional) radiation risk assessment for the support of work simulation in nuclear environments. 3D computer simulation can greatly facilitate efficient work planning, briefing, and training of workers. It can also support communication within and between work teams, and with advisors, regulators, the media and public, at all the stages of a nuclear installation's lifecycle. Furthermore, it is also a beneficial tool for reviewing current work practices in order to identify possible gaps in procedures, as well as to support the updating of international recommendations, dissemination of experience, and education of the current and future generation of workers.IFE has been involved in research and development into the application of 3D computer simulation and virtual reality (VR) technology to support work in radiological environments in the nuclear sector since the mid 1990s. During this process, two significant software tools have been developed, the VRdose system and the Halden Planner, and a number of publications have been produced to contribute to improving the safety culture in the nuclear industry.This paper describes the radiation risk assessment techniques applied in earlier versions of the VRdose system and the Halden Planner, for visualising radiation fields and calculating dose, and presents new developments towards implementing a flexible and up-to-date dosimetric package in these 3D software tools, based on new developments in the field of radiation protection. The latest versions of these 3D tools are capable of more accurate risk estimation, permit more flexibility via a range of user choices, and are applicable to a wider range of irradiation situations than their predecessors.

Variability of radiatively forced diurnal cycle of intense convection in the tropical west pacific

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gray, W.M.; Sheaffer, J.D.; Thorson, W.B. [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)

1996-04-01

Strong differences occur in daytime versus nighttime (DVN) net radiative cooling in clear versus cloudy areas of the tropical atmosphere. Daytime average cooling is approximately -0.7{degrees}C/day, whereas nighttime net tropospheric cooling rates are about -1.5{degrees}C/day, an approximately two-to-one difference. The comparatively strong nocturnal cooling in clear areas gives rise to a diurnally varying vertical circulation and horizontal convergence cycle. Various manifestations of this cyclic process include the observed early morning heavy rainfall maxima over the tropical oceans. The radiatively driven DVN circulation appears to strongly modulate the resulting diurnal cycle of intense convection which creates the highest, coldest cloudiness over maritime tropical areas and is likely a fundamental mechanism governing both small and large scale dynamics over much of the tropical environment.

Distributed optical fibre temperature measurements in a low dose rate radiation environment based on Rayleigh backscattering

Science.gov (United States)

Faustov, A.; Gussarov, A.; Wuilpart, M.; Fotiadi, A. A.; Liokumovich, L. B.; Kotov, O. I.; Zolotovskiy, I. O.; Tomashuk, A. L.; Deschoutheete, T.; Mégret, P.

2012-04-01

On-line monitoring of environmental conditions in nuclear facilities is becoming a more and more important problem. Standard electronic sensors are not the ideal solution due to radiation sensitivity and difficulties in installation of multiple sensors. In contrast, radiation-hard optical fibres can sustain very high radiation doses and also naturally offer multi-point or distributed monitoring of external perturbations. Multiple local electro-mechanical sensors can be replaced by just one measuring fibre. At present, there are over four hundred operational nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the world 1. Operating experience has shown that ineffective control of the ageing degradation of major NPP components can threaten plant safety and also plant life. Among those elements, cables are vital components of I&C systems in NPPs. To ensure their safe operation and predict remaining life, environmental monitoring is necessary. In particular, temperature and radiation dose are considered to be the two most important parameters. The aim of this paper is to assess experimentally the feasibility of optical fibre temperature measurements in a low doserate radiation environment, using a commercially available reflectometer based on Rayleigh backscattering. Four different fibres were installed in the Sub-Pile Room of the BR2 Material testing nuclear reactor in Mol, Belgium. This place is man-accessible during the reactor shut-down, allowing easy fibre installation. When the reactor operates, the dose-rates in the room are in a range 0.005-5 Gy/h with temperatures of 40-60 °C, depending on the location. Such a surrounding is not much different to some "hot" environments in NPPs, where I&C cables are located.

Background radiation levels and standards for protection from ionizing radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farai, I.

1999-01-01

Apart from the amount of radiation which a worker may receive while he performs his work, he is also exposed to radiation because of the nature of his environment. In other words, all individuals are subject to some irradiation even though they may not work with radioactive substances. This source of radiation exposure is often referred to as background radiation. In most environments, it is low-level and can be grouped into two natural and man-made. Background radiation provides the basis on which allowable exposure limits for workers are drawn

Radiation safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auxier, J.A.

1977-01-01

Data available on the biological effects of radiation on man are reviewed, with emphasis on dose response to low LET and high LET radiation sources, and the effects of dose rate. Existing guides for radiation protection were formulated largely on the basis of tumor induction in the bone of radium dial painters, but the ICRP/NCRP annual dose guides of 5 rem/yr are of the same general magnitude as the doses received in several parts of the world from the natural radiation environment. Because of the greater sensitivity of rapidly dividing cells and the assumption that radiation occupations would not begin before the age of eighteen, maximum exposure levels were set as 5 (N-18) rem/yr, where N is the exposed worker's age in years. However, in the case of the natural radiation environment, exposure commences, in a sense, with the exposure of the ovum of the individual's mother; and the ovum is formed during the fetal development of the mother. In occupational exposures, the professional health physicist has always practiced the as low as practical philosophy, and exposures have generally averaged far below the guidelines. The average annual exposure of the radiation worker in modern plants and laboratories is approximately equal to the average natural radiation environment exposure rate and far lower than the natural radiation environment in many parts of the world. There are numerous complications and uncertainties in quantifying radiation effects on humans, however, the greatest is that due to having to extrapolate from high dose levels at which effects have been measured and quantified, to low levels at which most exposures occur but at which no effects have been observed

The retention characteristics of nonvolatile SNOS memory transistors in a radiation environment: Experiment and model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McWhorter, P.J.; Miller, S.L.; Dellin, T.A.; Axness, C.L.

1987-01-01

Experimental data and a model to accurately and quantitatively predict the data are presented for retention of SNOS memory devices over a wide range of dose rates. A wide range of SNOS stack geometries are examined. The model is designed to aid in screening nonvolatile memories for use in a radiation environment

A Method for Estimating the Probability of Floating Gate Prompt Charge Loss in a Radiation Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Edmonds, L. D.

2016-01-01

Since advancing technology has been producing smaller structures in electronic circuits, the floating gates in modern flash memories are becoming susceptible to prompt charge loss from ionizing radiation environments found in space. A method for estimating the risk of a charge-loss event is given.

The charged particle radiation environment on Mars measured by MSL/RAD from November 15, 2015 to January 15, 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehresmann, Bent; Zeitlin, Cary J; Hassler, Donald M; Matthiä, Daniel; Guo, Jingnan; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F; Appel, Jan K; Brinza, David E; Rafkin, Scot C R; Böttcher, Stephan I; Burmeister, Sönke; Lohf, Henning; Martin, Cesar; Böhm, Eckart; Reitz, Günther

2017-08-01

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has been measuring the radiation environment in Gale crater on Mars since August, 2012. These first in-situ measurements provide an important data set for assessing the radiation-associated health risks for future manned missions to Mars. Mainly, the radiation field on the Martian surface stems from Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and secondary particles created by the GCRs' interactions with the Martian atmosphere and soil. RAD is capable of measuring differential particle fluxes for lower-energy ions and isotopes of hydrogen and helium (up to hundreds of MeV/nuc). Additionally, RAD also measures integral particle fluxes for higher energies of these ions. Besides providing insight on the current Martian radiation environment, these fluxes also present an essential input for particle transport codes that are used to model the radiation to be encountered during future manned missions to Mars. Comparing simulation results with actual ground-truth measurements helps to validate these transport codes and identify potential areas of improvements in the underlying physics of these codes. At the First Mars Radiation Modeling Workshop (June 2016 in Boulder, CO), different groups of modelers were asked to calculate the Martian surface radiation environment for the time of November 15, 2015 to January 15, 2016. These model results can then be compared with in-situ measurements of MSL/RAD conducted during the same time frame. In this publication, we focus on presenting the charged particle fluxes measured by RAD between November 15, 2015 and January 15, 2016, providing the necessary data set for the comparison to model outputs from the modeling workshop. We also compare the fluxes to initial GCR intensities, as well as to RAD measurements from an earlier time period (August 2012 to January 2013). Furthermore, we describe how changes and updates in RAD on board processing and the on

Bystander effects and biota: implications of radiation-induced bystander effects for protection of the environment from ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mothersill, C.E.; Seymour, C.B.

2003-01-01

Bystander effects are now known to be induced by both high and low LET in a variety of cells in culture. They have been proven to occur in vivo in mice following 0.5Gy total body irradiation and in blood from humans being treated for cancer by radiotherapy. Effects have also been detected in fish, crustacea and molluscs. The important questions now are not whether bystander effects occur but why and what implications they have, if any, for radiation protection. Different species and different genetic backgrounds within a species produce different types of bystander effect, different organs also produce different effects. This paper will review the data in this field and will discuss likely implications for protection of man and non-human biota. In particular it will look at the potential long-term outcomes for different organisational levels, from cell to ecosystem, of bystander mechanisms. In view of new concerns about the effects of low level radiation on non-human biota, emphasis will be placed on considering how bystander effects might operate at chronic low doses versus acute accidental low doses. Problems of radiation interaction with chemicals, whether chemicals can also induce 'bystander effects' , and how regulators might handle these situations which occur all the time in real environments, will be presented for discussion. Finally the paper will discuss likely implications of these mechanisms for evolutionary biology

Thermal Analysis of a Finite Element Model in a Radiation Dominated Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Page, Arthur T.

2001-01-01

This paper presents a brief overview of thermal analysis, evaluating the University of Arizona mirror design, for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) Pre-Phase A vehicle concept. Model building begins using Thermal Desktop(TM), by Cullimore and Ring Technologies, to import a NASTRAN bulk data file from the structural model of the mirror assembly. Using AutoCAD(R) capabilities, additional surfaces are added to simulate the thermal aspects of the problem which, for due reason, are not part of the structural model. Surfaces are then available to accept thermophysical and thermo-optical properties. Thermal Desktop(TM) calculates radiation conductors using Monte Carlo simulations. Then Thermal Desktop(TM) generates the SINDA input file having a one-to-one correspondence with the NASTRAN node and element definitions. A model is now available to evaluate the mirror design in the radiation dominated environment, conduct parametric trade studies of the thermal design, and provide temperatures to the finite element structural model.

Ionizing Radiation Environment on the International Space Station: Performance vs. Expectations for Avionics and Material

Science.gov (United States)

Koontz, Steven L.; Boeder, Paul A.; Pankop, Courtney; Reddell, Brandon

2005-01-01

The role of structural shielding mass in the design, verification, and in-flight performance of International Space Station (ISS), in both the natural and induced orbital ionizing radiation (IR) environments, is reported. Detailed consideration of the effects of both the natural and induced ionizing radiation environment during ISS design, development, and flight operations has produced a safe, efficient manned space platform that is largely immune to deleterious effects of the LEO ionizing radiation environment. The assumption of a small shielding mass for purposes of design and verification has been shown to be a valid worst-case approximation approach to design for reliability, though predicted dependences of single event effect (SEE) effects on latitude, longitude, SEP events, and spacecraft structural shielding mass are not observed. The Figure of Merit (FOM) method over predicts the rate for median shielding masses of about 10g/cm(exp 2) by only a factor of 3, while the Scott Effective Flux Approach (SEFA) method overestimated by about one order of magnitude as expected. The Integral Rectangular Parallelepiped (IRPP), SEFA, and FOM methods for estimating on-orbit (Single Event Upsets) SEU rates all utilize some version of the CREME-96 treatment of energetic particle interaction with structural shielding, which has been shown to underestimate the production of secondary particles in heavily shielded manned spacecraft. The need for more work directed to development of a practical understanding of secondary particle production in massive structural shielding for SEE design and verification is indicated. In contrast, total dose estimates using CAD based shielding mass distributions functions and the Shieldose Code provided a reasonable accurate estimate of accumulated dose in Grays internal to the ISS pressurized elements, albeit as a result of using worst-on-worst case assumptions (500 km altitude x 2) that compensate for ignoring both GCR and secondary particle

High-frequency source radiation during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, Japan, inferred from KiK-net strong-motion seismograms

Science.gov (United States)

Kumagai, Hiroyuki; Pulido, Nelson; Fukuyama, Eiichi; Aoi, Shin

2013-01-01

investigate source processes of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, we utilized a source location method using high-frequency (5-10 Hz) seismic amplitudes. In this method, we assumed far-field isotropic radiation of S waves, and conducted a spatial grid search to find the best fitting source locations along the subducted slab in each successive time window. Our application of the method to the Tohoku-Oki earthquake resulted in artifact source locations at shallow depths near the trench caused by limited station coverage and noise effects. We then assumed various source node distributions along the plate, and found that the observed seismograms were most reasonably explained when assuming deep source nodes. This result suggests that the high-frequency seismic waves were radiated at deeper depths during the earthquake, a feature which is consistent with results obtained from teleseismic back-projection and strong-motion source model studies. We identified three high-frequency subevents, and compared them with the moment-rate function estimated from low-frequency seismograms. Our comparison indicated that no significant moment release occurred during the first high-frequency subevent and the largest moment-release pulse occurred almost simultaneously with the second high-frequency subevent. We speculated that the initial slow rupture propagated bilaterally from the hypocenter toward the land and trench. The landward subshear rupture propagation consisted of three successive high-frequency subevents. The trenchward propagation ruptured the strong asperity and released the largest moment near the trench.

Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection

CERN Document Server

Turner, James E

2007-01-01

Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection offers professionals and advanced students a comprehensive coverage of the major concepts that underlie the origins and transport of ionizing radiation in matter. Understanding atomic structure and the physical mechanisms of radiation interactions is the foundation on which much of the current practice of radiological health protection is based. The work covers the detection and measurement of radiation and the statistical interpretation of the data. The procedures that are used to protect man and the environment from the potential harmful effects of

Space Radiation Peculiarities in the Extra Vehicular Environment of the International Space Station (ISS)

Science.gov (United States)

Dachev, Tsvetan; Bankov, Nikolay; Tomov, Borislav; Matviichuk, Yury; Dimitrov, Plamen

2013-12-01

The space weather and the connected with it ionizing radiation were recognized as a one of the main health concern to the International Space Station (ISS) crew. Estimation the effects of radiation on humans in ISS requires at first order accurate knowledge of the accumulated by them absorbed dose rates, which depend of the global space radiation distribution and the local variations generated by the 3D surrounding shielding distribution. The R3DE (Radiation Risks Radiometer-Dosimeter (R3D) for the EXPOSE-E platform on the European Technological Exposure Facility (EuTEF) worked successfully outside of the European Columbus module between February 2008 and September 2009. Very similar instrument named R3DR for the EXPOSE-R platform worked outside Russian Zvezda module of ISS between March 2009 and August 2010. Both are Liulin type, Bulgarian build miniature spectrometers-dosimeters. They accumulated about 5 million measurements of the flux and absorbed dose rate with 10 seconds resolution behind less than 0.41 g cm-2 shielding, which is very similar to the Russian and American space suits [1-3] average shielding. That is why all obtained data can be interpreted as possible doses during Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA) of the cosmonauts and astronauts. The paper first analyses the obtained long-term results in the different radiation environments of: Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR), inner radiation belt trapped protons in the region of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) and outer radiation belt (ORB) relativistic electrons. The large data base was used for development of an empirical model for calculation of the absorbed dose rates in the extra vehicular environment of ISS at 359 km altitude. The model approximate the averaged in a grid empirical dose rate values to predict the values at required from the user geographical point, station orbit or area in geographic coordinate system. Further in the paper it is presented an intercomparison between predicted by the model dose

Coherent and radiative couplings through two-dimensional structured environments

Science.gov (United States)

Galve, F.; Zambrini, R.

2018-03-01

We study coherent and radiative interactions induced among two or more quantum units by coupling them to two-dimensional (2D) lattices acting as structured environments. This model can be representative of atoms trapped near photonic crystal slabs, trapped ions in Coulomb crystals, or to surface acoustic waves on piezoelectric materials, cold atoms on state-dependent optical lattices, or even circuit QED architectures, to name a few. We compare coherent and radiative contributions for the isotropic and directional regimes of emission into the lattice, for infinite and finite lattices, highlighting their differences and existing pitfalls, e.g., related to long-time or large-lattice limits. We relate the phenomenon of directionality of emission with linear-shaped isofrequency manifolds in the dispersion relation, showing a simple way to disrupt it. For finite lattices, we study further details such as the scaling of resonant number of lattice modes for the isotropic and directional regimes, and relate this behavior with known van Hove singularities in the infinite lattice limit. Furthermore, we export the understanding of emission dynamics with the decay of entanglement for two quantum, atomic or bosonic, units coupled to the 2D lattice. We analyze in some detail completely subradiant configurations of more than two atoms, which can occur in the finite lattice scenario, in contrast with the infinite lattice case. Finally, we demonstrate that induced coherent interactions for dark states are zero for the finite lattice.

Implications for space radiation environment models from CREAM and CREDO measurements over half a solar cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyer, C.S.; Truscott, P.R.; Peerless, C.L.; Watson, C.J.; Evans, H.E.; Knight, P.; Cosby, M.; Underwood, C.; Cousins, T.; Noulty, R.; Maag, C.

1999-01-01

Flight data obtained between 1990 and 1997 from the Cosmic Radiation Environment Monitors CREAM and CREDO carried on UoSAT-3, Space Shuttle, STRV-1a (Space Technology Research Vehicle) and APEX (Advanced Photovoltaic and Electronics Experiment Spacecraft) provide coverage over half a solar cycle. The modulation of cosmic rays and evolution of the South Atlantic Anomaly are observed, the former comprising a factor of three increase at high latitudes and the latter a general increase accompanied by a north-westward drift. Comparison of particle fluxes and linear energy transfer (LET) spectra is made with improved environment and radiation transport calculations which account for shield distributions and secondary particles. While there is an encouraging convergence between predictions and observations, significant improvements are still required, particularly in the treatment of locally produced secondary particles. Solar-particle events during this time period have LET spectra significantly below the October 1989 event which has been proposed as a worst case model

Hawking radiation and strong gravity black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qadir, A.; Sayed, W.A.

1979-01-01

It is shown that the strong gravity theory of Salam et al. places severe restrictions on black hole evaporation. Two major implications are that: mini blck holes (down to masses approximately 10 -16 kg) would be stable in the present epoch; and that some suggested mini black hole mechanisms to explain astrophysical phenomena would not work. The first result implies that f-gravity appears to make black holes much safer by removing the possibility of extremely violent black hole explosions suggested by Hawking. (Auth.)

Reactor Start-up and Control Methodologies: Consideration of the Space Radiation Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon M.; Holloway, James Paul

2004-01-01

The use of fission energy in space power and propulsion systems offers considerable advantages over chemical propulsion. Fission provides over six orders of magnitude higher energy density, which translates to higher vehicle specific impulse and lower specific mass. These characteristics enable the accomplishment of ambitious space exploration missions. The natural radiation environment in space provides an external source of protons and high energy, high Z particles that can result in the production of secondary neutrons through interactions in reactor structures. Initial investigation using MCNPX 2.5.b for proton transport through the SAFE-400 reactor indicates a secondary neutron net current of 1.4x107 n/s at the core-reflector interface, with an incoming current of 3.4x106 n/s due to neutrons produced in the Be reflector alone. This neutron population could provide a reliable startup source for a space reactor. Additionally, this source must be considered in developing a reliable control strategy during reactor startup, steady-state operation, and power transients. An autonomous control system is developed and analyzed for application during reactor startup, accounting for fluctuations in the radiation environment that result from changes in vehicle location (altitude, latitude, position in solar system) or due to temporal variations in the radiation field, as may occur in the case of solar flares. One proposed application of a nuclear electric propulsion vehicle is in a tour of the Jovian system, where the time required for communication to Earth is significant. Hence, it is important that a reactor control system be designed with feedback mechanisms to automatically adjust to changes in reactor temperatures, power levels, etc., maintaining nominal operation without user intervention. This paper will evaluate the potential use of secondary neutrons produced by proton interactions in the reactor vessel as a startup source for a space reactor and will present a

Black holes a laboratory for testing strong gravity

CERN Document Server

Bambi, Cosimo

2017-01-01

This textbook introduces the current astrophysical observations of black holes, and discusses the leading techniques to study the strong gravity region around these objects with electromagnetic radiation. More importantly, it provides the basic tools for writing an astrophysical code and testing the Kerr paradigm. Astrophysical black holes are an ideal laboratory for testing strong gravity. According to general relativity, the spacetime geometry around these objects should be well described by the Kerr solution. The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the gas in the inner part of the accretion disk can probe the metric of the strong gravity region and test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. With exercises and examples in each chapter, as well as calculations and analytical details in the appendix, the book is especially useful to the beginners or graduate students who are familiar with general relativity while they do not have any background in astronomy or astrophysics.

Degradation of electrical insulation of polyethylene under thermal and radiation environment, (4). [Gamma radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, Shuhei; Murabayashi, Fumio; Sawa, Goro [Mie Univ., Tsu (Japan); Yamaguchi, Shinji; Ieda, Masayuki

1982-12-01

Although the quality assurance guideline for the cables used for the safety and protection systems of nuclear power plants is given by IEEE Standards 323 and 383-1974, in addition, it is important to clarify the aging process under the complex environment of heat and radiation and the equivalence of the accelerated aging test of insulating materials. The authors performed the sequential (H.T-..gamma.. or ..gamma..-HT) and simultaneous (..gamma.., HT) application of respective aging factors of heat and radiation to non-additive low density polyethylene films by changing dose rate as the first stage, to clarify the dose rate dependence of the aging. They mainly investigated the dielectric properties, and forwarded investigation based on the change of carbonyl group by infrared spectrometry and residual free radicals by ESR analysis. In the samples irradiated with ..gamma..-ray only and those irradiated with ..gamma..-ray after thermal treatment for 7 hours at 90 deg C, the absorption coefficient ..cap alpha.. of carbonyl group increased with dose in the range from 3 Mrad to 60 Mrad, and both samples showed approximately the same ..cap alpha.. value. The ..cap alpha.. value of the samples thermally treated after irradiation was larger than that of the samples treated in the reverse order, and the difference between them increased with the increase of dose. The values of dielectric tangent delta at room temperature and 1 kHz for the samples (..gamma..) and (HT-..gamma..) increased with dose, and were almost the same, but those for the samples (..gamma..-HT) and (..gamma.., HT) were larger than the former two.

System for detecting neutrons in the harsh radiation environment of a relativistic electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruse, L.W.

1978-06-01

Newly developed detectors and procedures allow measurement of neutron yield and energy in the harsh radiation environment of a relativistic electron beam source. A new photomultiplier tube design and special gating methods provide the basis for novel time-of-flight and total-yield detectors. The technique of activation analysis is expanded to provide a neutron energy spectrometer. There is a demonstrated potential in the use of the integrated system as a valuable diagnostic tool to study particle-beam fusion, intense ion-beam interactions, and pulsed neutron sources for simulating weapons effects. A physical lower limit of 10 8 neutrons into 4π is established for accurate and meaningful measurements in the REB environment

Measurement and Analysis of Radio-frequency Radiation Exposure Level from Different Mobile Base Transceiver Stations in Ajaokuta and Environs, Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Ushie, P. O.; Nwankwo, Victor U. J.; Bolaji, Ayinmode; Osahun, O. D.

2013-01-01

We present the result of a preliminary assessment of radio-frequency radiation exposure from selected mobile base stations in Ajaokuta environs. The Power density of RF radiation within a radial distance of 125m was measured. Although values fluctuated due to the influence of other factors, including wave interference from other electromagnetic sources around reference base stations, we show from analysis that radiation exposure level is below the standard limit (4.5W/sqm for 900MHz and 9W/sq...

Study of radiation environment at the Chernobyl' APP after the accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teplov, P.V.; Shaposhnikov, B.G.; Groshev, I.M.

1989-01-01

The results of investigation of June-December 1986 radiation environment (RE) in the area of 30-km around the Chernobyl' APP after the accident are analyzed. Long-term sampling locations data presented a picture of the entire contaminated 30-km area including a major part of populated areas, technical areas, water sources and their sediments, air, biosphere etc. During first 20-30 days after the accident RE was contributed by relatively short-lived fission products ( 131 J, 140 La). A month later radiation dose rates were indicated for 75 Zr and 95 Nb. In 1.5-2 years radioactivity and dose intensity became dependent for a while on 134 Cs and 106 Ru, and in 3-4 years the long-lived 90 Sr, 137 Cs and 239 Pu will mainly contribute into radioactivity. Such picture is characteristic of the entire 30 km area. However, there are some deviations. Much attention has been paid to the state of air outside and inside the rooms of the reactor blocks scheduled for start-up, as well as the state of ponds intended for reactor cooling. 16 figs., 36 tabs

Design optimization of radiation-hardened CMOS integrated circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

Ionizing-radiation-induced threshold voltage shifts in CMOS integrated circuits will drastically degrade circuit performance unless the design parameters related to the fabrication process are properly chosen. To formulate an approach to CMOS design optimization, experimentally observed analytical relationships showing strong dependences between threshold voltage shifts and silicon dioxide thickness are utilized. These measurements were made using radiation-hardened aluminum-gate CMOS inverter circuits and have been corroborated by independent data taken from MOS capacitor structures. Knowledge of these relationships allows one to define ranges of acceptable CMOS design parameters based upon radiation-hardening capabilities and post-irradiation performance specifications. Furthermore, they permit actual design optimization of CMOS integrated circuits which results in optimum pre- and post-irradiation performance with respect to speed, noise margins, and quiescent power consumption. Theoretical and experimental results of these procedures, the applications of which can mean the difference between failure and success of a CMOS integrated circuit in a radiation environment, are presented

Biochemical and biological responses in V79 cells grown in different background radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amicarelli, F.; Colafarina, S.; Ara, C.; Antonelli, F.; Balata, M.; Belli, M.; Simone, G.; Satta, L.

2003-01-01

Full text: In order to investigate the influence of a low background radiation environment on the biochemical and biological responses of mammalian cells cultured in vitro, a cell culture laboratory has been set up at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), located under the Gran Sasso d'Italia mountain, where cosmic rays are reduced by a factor of 10 6 and neutrons by a factor of 10 3 respect to the outside environment. Chinese hamster V79 cells were grown in parallel for up to nine months at LNGS and at the Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS). At the LNGS the exposure due to radon was reduced by a factor of about 25 with respect to the ISS. The biological end points addressed concerned cells proliferation, the expression of enzymes specific for the reduction of superoxydes, mutation induction by gamma-rays at the hprt locus and apoptotic sensitivity. After 9 months of culture, the cells grown at the LNGS, compared to the cells grown at the ISS, exhibit: i) a significant increase of the cell density at confluence; ii) a significantly higher capacity to scavenge organic and inorganic hydroperoxydes but a reduced scavenging capacity towards superoxide anions; iii) an increase in both the basal hprt mutation frequency and the sensitivity to the mutagenic effect of gamma-rays. The cells grown at the LNGS also show greater apoptotic sensitivity at the third month of culture that is no longer detected after nine months. Overall, these data suggest that cell response to ionizing radiation may be more complex than that predicted by a linear relationship with the dose and are consistent with the occurrence of an adaptive response related to the background radiation. However, other possibilities cannot be excluded such as the selection, in the two cultures, of clones having different characteristics, independently of the different radiation background. Work is in progress to better elucidate this point

Nonequilibrium radiation behind a strong shock wave in CO 2-N 2

Science.gov (United States)

Rond, C.; Boubert, P.; Félio, J.-M.; Chikhaoui, A.

2007-11-01

This work presents experiments reproducing plasma re-entry for one trajectory point of a Martian mission. The typical facility to investigate such hypersonic flow is shock tube; here we used the free-piston shock tube TCM2. Measurements of radiative flux behind the shock wave are realized thanks to time-resolved emission spectroscopy which is calibrated in intensity. As CN violet system is the main radiator in near UV-visible range, we have focused our study on its spectrum. Moreover a physical model, based on a multi-temperature kinetic code and a radiative code, for calculation of non equilibrium radiation behind a shock wave is developed for CO 2-N 2-Ar mixtures. Comparisons between experiments and calculations show that standard kinetic models (Park, McKenzie) are inefficient to reproduce our experimental results. Therefore we propose new rate coefficients in particular for the dissociation of CO 2, showing the way towards a better description of the chemistry of the mixture.

Radiation Hygiene Days 1998. Conference Proceedings of the 21-st Radiation Hygiene Days

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cabanekova, H; Durcik, M; Nikodemova, D [eds.; Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava (Slovakia)

1999-12-31

The publication has been set up as a proceedings of the conference dealing with health protection during work with ionizing radiation for different activities which involve the handling of ionizing radiation sources. The main conference topics are focused on current problems in radiation protection. The proceedings consists of a following sections: (1) Radiation protection - new trends, legislation; (2) Nuclear energetics; (3) Expositions of ionizing radiation in medicine; (4) Ionizing radiation in environment and working conditions; (5) Radon in environment and working conditions. (J.K.)

Radiation Hygiene Days 1998. Conference Proceedings of the 21-st Radiation Hygiene Days

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabanekova, H.; Durcik, M.; Nikodemova, D.

1998-01-01

The publication has been set up as a proceedings of the conference dealing with health protection during work with ionizing radiation for different activities which involve the handling of ionizing radiation sources. The main conference topics are focused on current problems in radiation protection. The proceedings consists of a following sections: (1) Radiation protection - new trends, legislation; (2) Nuclear energetics; (3) Expositions of ionizing radiation in medicine; (4) Ionizing radiation in environment and working conditions; (5) Radon in environment and working conditions. (J.K.)

Multiscale modeling of radiation damage in Fe-based alloys in the fusion environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wirth, B.D.; Odette, G.R.; Marian, J.; Ventelon, L.; Young-Vandersall, J.A.; Zepeda-Ruiz, L.A.

2004-01-01

Ferritic alloys represent a technologically important class of candidate materials for fusion first wall and blanket structures. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms of defect accumulation and microstructure evolution, and the corresponding effects on mechanical properties is required to predict their in-service structural performance limits. The physical processes involved in radiation damage, and its effects on mechanical properties, are inherently multiscale and hierarchical, spanning length and time scales from the atomic nucleus to meters and picosecond to decades. In this paper, we present a multiscale modeling methodology to describe radiation effects within the fusion energy environment. Selected results from atomic scale investigation are presented, focusing on (i) the mechanisms of self-interstitial dislocation loop formation with Burgers vector of a in iron relative to vanadium, (ii) helium transport and (iii) the interaction between helium and small self-interstitial clusters in iron, and (iv) dislocation-helium bubble interactions in fcc aluminum

The influence of outdoor thermal environment on young Japanese females

Science.gov (United States)

Kurazumi, Yoshihito; Ishii, Jin; Kondo, Emi; Fukagawa, Kenta; Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov; Sakoi, Tomonori; Tsuchikawa, Tadahiro; Matsubara, Naoki; Horikoshi, Tetsumi

2014-07-01

The influence of short wave solar radiation appears to be strong outdoors in summer, and the influence of airflow appears to be strong outdoors in winter. The purpose of this paper was to clarify the influence of the outdoor environment on young Japanese females. This research shows the relationship between the physiological and psychological responses of humans and the enhanced conduction-corrected modified effective temperature (ETFe). Subjective experiments were conducted in an outdoor environment. Subjects were exposed to the thermal environment in a standing posture. Air temperature, humidity, air velocity, short wave solar radiation, long wave radiation, ground surface temperature, sky factor, and the green solid angle were measured. The temperatures of skin exposed to the atmosphere and in contact with the ground were measured. Thermal sensation and thermal comfort were measured by means of rating the whole-body thermal sensation (cold-hot) and the whole body thermal comfort (comfortable-uncomfortable) on a linear scale. Linear rating scales are given for the hot (100) and cold (0), and comfortable (100) and uncomfortable (0) directions only. Arbitrary values of 0 and 100 were assigned to each endpoint, the reported values read in, and the entire length converted into a numerical value with an arbitrary scale of 100 to give a linear rating scale. The ETFe considered to report a neither hot nor cold, thermally neutral sensation of 50 was 35.9 °C, with 32.3 °C and 42.9 °C, respectively, corresponding to the low and high temperature ends of the ETFe considered to report a neither comfortable nor uncomfortable comfort value of 50. The mean skin temperature considered to report a neither hot nor cold, thermally neutral sensation of 50 was 33.3 °C, with 31.0 °C and 34.3 °C, respectively, corresponding to the low and high temperature ends of the mean skin temperature considered to report a neither comfortable nor uncomfortable comfort value of 50. The

The cellular environment in computer simulations of radiation-induced damage to DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moiseenko, V.V.; Waker, A.J.; Prestwich, W.V.

1998-01-01

Radiation-induced DNA single- and double-strand breaks were modeled for 660 keV photon radiation and scavenger capacity mimicking the cellular environment. Atomistic representation of DNA in B form with a first hydration shell was utilized to model direct and indirect damage. Monte Carlo generated electron tracks were used to model energy deposition in matter and to derive initial spatial distributions of species which appear in the medium following radiolysis. Diffusion of species was followed with time, and their reactions with DNA and each other were modeled in an encounter-controlled manner. Three methods to account for hydroxyl radical diffusion in a cellular environment were tested: assumed exponential survival, time-limited modeling and modeling of reactions between hydroxyl radicals and scavengers in an encounter-controlled manner. Although the method based on modeling scavenging in an encounter-controlled manner is more precise, it requires substantially more computer resources than either the exponential or time-limiting method. Scavenger concentrations of 0.5 and 0.15 M were considered using exponential and encounter-controlled methods with reaction rate set at 3 x 10 9 dm 3 mol -1 s -1 . Diffusion length and strand break yields, predicted by these two methods for the same scavenger molarity, were different by 20%-30%. The method based on limiting time of chemistry follow-up to 10 -9 s leads to DNA damage and radical diffusion estimates similar to 0.5 M scavenger concentration in the other two methods. The difference observed in predictions made by the methods considered could be tolerated in computer simulations of DNA damage. (orig.)

The cellular environment in computer simulations of radiation-induced damage to DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moiseenko, V.V.; Hamm, R.N.; Waker, A.J.; Prestwich, W.V.

1988-01-01

Radiation-induced DNA single- and double-strand breaks were modeled for 660 keV photon radiation and scavenger capacity mimicking the cellular environment. Atomistic representation of DNA in B form with a first hydration shell was utilized to model direct and indirect damage. Monte Carlo generated electron tracks were used to model energy deposition in matter and to derive initial spatial distributions of species which appear in the medium following radiolysis. Diffusion of species was followed with time, and their reactions with DNA and each other were modeled in an encounter-controlled manner. Three methods to account for hydroxyl radical diffusion in cellular environment were tested: assumed exponential survival, time-limited modeling and modeling of reactions between hydroxyl radicals and scavengers in an encounter-controlled manner. Although the method based on modeling scavenging in an encounter-controlled manner is more precise, it requires substantially more computer resources than either the exponential or time-limiting method. Scavenger concentrations of 0.5 and 0.15 M were considered using exponential and encounter-controlled methods with reaction rate set at 3x10 9 dm 3 mol -1 s-1. Diffusion length and strand break yields, predicted by these two methods for the same scavenger molarity, were different by 20%-30%. The method based on limiting time of chemistry follow-up to 10 -9 s leads to DNA damage and radical diffusion estimates similar to 0.5 M scavenger concentration in the other two methods. The difference observed in predictions made by the methods considered could be tolerated in computer simulations of DNA damage. (author)

The ionizing radiation environment of LDEF prerecovery predictions

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, John W., Jr.; Derrickson, James H.; Parnell, T. A.; Fishman, G. J.; Harmon, A.; Benton, E. V.; Frank, A. L.; Heinrich, Wolfgang

1991-01-01

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was exposed to several sources of ionizing radiation while in orbit. The principal ones were trapped belt protons and electrons, galactic cosmic rays, and albedo particles (protons and neutrons) from the atmosphere. Large solar flares in 1989 may have caused a small contribution. Prior to the recovery of the spacecraft, a number of calculations and estimates were made to predict the radiation exposure of the spacecraft and experiments. These were made to assess whether measurable radiation effects might exist, and to plan the analysis of the large number of radiation measurements available on the LDEF. Calculations and estimates of total dose, particle fluences, linear energy transfer spectra, and induced radioactivity were made. The principal sources of radiation is described, and the preflight predictions are summarized.

Contribution to the study of recovery mechanisms to be considered in the selection of MOS-type components used in radiative environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quittard, O.

1999-12-01

The generalized use of commercial devices in a radiative environment (nuclear power plant, spatial) raises the problem of the sensitivity of electronic equipment to the radiation induced dose effect. Irradiation of electronic devices has varying impact on their electrical characteristics, according to the concomitant bias scenario. Under bias, there is a process of continuous degradation; but recovery will occur if subsequent irradiation is performed without bias voltage. This phenomenon is known as RICN (Radiation-Induced Charge Neutralization). On the other hand, increasingly widespread use of radiation-sensitive commercial off-the-shelf components (COTS) has raised interest in exploring the degradation and recovery phenomena encountered during the irradiation as a function of bias. In this work, a general method for selecting MOS devices is presented which takes into account their operating conditions (temperature, bias). After a description of the physical phenomena responsible for the oxide-trapped charge evolution, we present the RICN annealing and their implications on devices selection in a radiative environment. The tests describes in this study were performed on SRAMs and on a set of CMOS inverts from three manufacturers. In the last section, we compare our analytical model of RICN annealing with experimental data. (authors)

WE-D-210-04: Radiation-Induced Polymerization of Ultrasound Contrast Agents in View of Non-Invasive Dosimetry in External Beam Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callens, M; Verboven, E; Van Den Abeele, K [Department of Physics, Wave Propagation and Signal Processing, KU Leuven KULAK, Kortrijk (Belgium); D’Agostino, E [DoseVue NV, Hasselt (Belgium); Pfeiffer, H [Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven (Belgium); D’hooge, J [Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Bio-Medical Science Group, KU Leuven, Leuven (Belgium)

2015-06-15

Purpose: Ultrasound contrast agents (UCA’s) based on gas-filled microbubbles encapsulated by an amphiphilic shell are well established as safe and effective echo-enhancers in diagnostic imaging. In view of an alternative application of UCA’s, we investigated the use of targeted microbubbles as radiation sensors for external beam radiation therapy. As radiation induces permanent changes in the microbubble’s physico-chemical properties, a robust measure of these changes can provide a direct or indirect estimate of the applied radiation dose. For instance, by analyzing the ultrasonic dispersion characteristics of microbubble distributions before and after radiation treatment, an estimate of the radiation dose at the location of the irradiated volume can be made. To increase the radiation sensitivity of microbubbles, polymerizable diacetylene molecules can be incorporated into the shell. This study focuses on characterizing the acoustic response and quantifying the chemical modifications as a function of radiation dose. Methods: Lipid/diacetylene microbubbles were irradiated with a 6 MV photon beam using dose levels in the range of 0–150 Gy. The acoustic response of the microbubbles was monitored by ultrasonic through-transmission measurements in the range of 500 kHz to 20 MHz, thereby providing the dispersion relations of the phase velocity, attenuation and nonlinear coefficient. In addition, the radiation-induced chemical modifications were quantified using UV-VIS spectroscopy. Results: UV-VIS spectroscopy measurements indicate that ionizing radiation induces the polymerization of diacetylenes incorporated in the microbubble shell. The polymer yield strongly depends on the shell composition and the radiation-dose. The acoustic response is inherently related to the visco-elastic properties of the shell and is strongly influenced by the shell composition and the physico-chemical changes in the environment. Conclusion: Diacetylene-containing microbubbles are

Radiation hard solar cell and array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, R.L.

1975-01-01

A power generating solar cell for a spacecraft solar array is hardened against transient response to nuclear radiation while permitting normal operation of the cell in a solar radiation environment by shunting the cell with a second solar cell whose contacts are reversed relative to the power cell to form a cell module, exposing the power cell only to the solar radiation in a solar radiation environment to produce an electrical output at the module terminals, and exposing both cells to the nuclear radiation in a nuclear radiation environment so that the radiation induced currents generated by the cells suppress one another

Stirring Strongly Coupled Plasma

CERN Document Server

Fadafan, Kazem Bitaghsir; Rajagopal, Krishna; Wiedemann, Urs Achim

2009-01-01

We determine the energy it takes to move a test quark along a circle of radius L with angular frequency w through the strongly coupled plasma of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory. We find that for most values of L and w the energy deposited by stirring the plasma in this way is governed either by the drag force acting on a test quark moving through the plasma in a straight line with speed v=Lw or by the energy radiated by a quark in circular motion in the absence of any plasma, whichever is larger. There is a continuous crossover from the drag-dominated regime to the radiation-dominated regime. In the crossover regime we find evidence for significant destructive interference between energy loss due to drag and that due to radiation as if in vacuum. The rotating quark thus serves as a model system in which the relative strength of, and interplay between, two different mechanisms of parton energy loss is accessible via a controlled classical gravity calculation. We close by speculating on the implicati...

Current-horn suppression for reduced coherent-synchrotron-radiation-induced emittance growth in strong bunch compression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. K. Charles

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Control of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR-induced emittance growth is essential in linear accelerators designed to deliver very high brightness electron beams. Extreme current values at the head and tail of the electron bunch, resulting from strong bunch compression, are responsible for large CSR production leading to significant transverse projected emittance growth. The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS truncates the head and tail current spikes which greatly improves free electron laser (FEL performance. Here we consider the underlying dynamics that lead to formation of current spikes (also referred to as current horns, which has been identified as caustics forming in electron trajectories. We present a method to analytically determine conditions required to avoid the caustic formation and therefore prevent the current spikes from forming. These required conditions can be easily met, without increasing the transverse slice emittance, through inclusion of an octupole magnet in the middle of a bunch compressor.

The radiation environment on the surface of Mars - Summary of model calculations and comparison to RAD data.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthiä, Daniel; Hassler, Donald M; de Wet, Wouter; Ehresmann, Bent; Firan, Ana; Flores-McLaughlin, John; Guo, Jingnan; Heilbronn, Lawrence H; Lee, Kerry; Ratliff, Hunter; Rios, Ryan R; Slaba, Tony C; Smith, Michael; Stoffle, Nicholas N; Townsend, Lawrence W; Berger, Thomas; Reitz, Günther; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F; Zeitlin, Cary

2017-08-01

The radiation environment at the Martian surface is, apart from occasional solar energetic particle events, dominated by galactic cosmic radiation, secondary particles produced in their interaction with the Martian atmosphere and albedo particles from the Martian regolith. The highly energetic primary cosmic radiation consists mainly of fully ionized nuclei creating a complex radiation field at the Martian surface. This complex field, its formation and its potential health risk posed to astronauts on future manned missions to Mars can only be fully understood using a combination of measurements and model calculations. In this work the outcome of a workshop held in June 2016 in Boulder, CO, USA is presented: experimental results from the Radiation Assessment Detector of the Mars Science Laboratory are compared to model results from GEANT4, HETC-HEDS, HZETRN, MCNP6, and PHITS. Charged and neutral particle spectra and dose rates measured between 15 November 2015 and 15 January 2016 and model results calculated for this time period are investigated. Copyright © 2017 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). All rights reserved.

Intensity of diffracted X-rays from biomolecules with radiation damage caused by strong X-ray pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kai, Takeshi; Tokuhisa, Atsushi; Moribayashi, Kengo; Fukuda, Yuji; Kono, Hidetoshi; Go, Nobuhiro

2014-01-01

In order to realize the coherent X-ray diffractive imaging of single biomolecules, the diffraction intensities, per effective pixel of a single biomolecule with radiation damage, caused by irradiation using a strong coherent X-ray pulse, were examined. A parameter survey was carried out for various experimental conditions, using a developed simulation program that considers the effect of electric field ionization, which was slightly reported on in previous studies. The two simple relationships among the parameters were identified as follows: (1) the diffraction intensity of a biomolecule slightly increases with the incident X-ray energy; and that (2) the diffraction intensity is approximately proportional to the target radius, when the radius is longer than 400 Å, since the upper limit of the incident intensity for damage to the biomolecules marginally changes with respect to the target radius. (author)

A regional study of the radiation environment of Greenham Common, Newbury District and surrounding areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-02-01

This study was commissioned by Newbury District Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in response to public concern following disclosures about events at Greenham Common in the 1950s, and the suspicion that there may have been an accident involving a nuclear weapon leading to off-site contamination at the airbase. The Greenham Common airbase is at an advanced stage of decommissioning with parts of the site already re-developed for industrial and leisure purposes and material being removed for use in construction of the Newbury by-pass. The success of such developments is critically dependent on public confidence in the quality of the environment, both near the site, and more generally throughout the area. For this reason the study was commissioned with the aims of: I. defining the radiation environment of the whole district and parts of its surrounding areas. II. examining whether there is any evidence of radioactive contamination in the vicinity of the Greenham Common airbase. III. assessing the evidence that there may have been a release of nuclear material from the site. The work involved a collaboration between scientists from the Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre, who conducted gamma ray surveys to define the general radiation environment of the area, and Scientists from the University of Southampton who collected an extensive range of samples for high sensitivity radiochemical analyses. This report presents their findings and main conclusions, together with a discussion of the background to the study and its implications. (Author)

The development of international standards for the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, Carol

2004-01-01

There has been an increasing awareness over recent years of the need to develop an approach that specifically addresses the protection of non-human species from the effects of ionizing radiation, largely in response to national and international environmental legal instruments. The IAEA has a long history of involvement in assessing the impact of ionizing radiation on non-human species and has, in recent years, established a programme of work to address the development of safety standards on this issue, in co-operation with other relevant international organizations. This paper provides an overview of the status of international work in this regard, paying particular attention to the work of the IAEA, and the relevant task groups of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). It includes a discussion of the ethics and principles of environmental protection, and issues related to the development of a practical framework for environmental assessment and decision-making. The future development of international safety standards for the control of releases of radionuclides to the environment will depend upon the findings and recommendations of the International Conference on Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionizing Radiation, held in Stockholm, Sweden, 6-10 October 2003. The main issues arising at that conference are summarised. (author)

Ionizing radiation and radionuclides in the environment: sources, origin, geochemical processes and health risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dangic, A.

1995-01-01

Ionizing radiation related to the radioactivity and radionuclides appears to be ones of most dangerous environmental risks to the human health. The paper considers appearance and importance of radionuclides, both natural (cosmogenic and Earth's) and anthropogenic, mode of their entering into and movement through the environment. Most risk to the population are radionuclides related to the geological-geochemical systems - in Serbia, high concentrations of radionuclides related to these sources were indicated at a number of localities. Movement of radionuclides through the environment is regulated by the geochemical processes i.e. the geochemical cycles of the elements. For the discovering of radionuclides in the nature, the assessment of the health risks to the population and the related protection are necessary multilayer geochemical studies. (author)

Energetic radiation produced during rocket-triggered lightning.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwyer, Joseph R; Uman, Martin A; Rassoul, Hamid K; Al-Dayeh, Maher; Caraway, Lee; Jerauld, Jason; Rakov, Vladimir A; Jordan, Douglas M; Rambo, Keith J; Corbin, Vincent; Wright, Brian

2003-01-31

Using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector designed to operate in electrically noisy environments, we observed intense bursts of energetic radiation (> 10 kiloelectron volts) during the dart leader phase of rocket-triggered lightning, just before and possibly at the very start of 31 out of the 37 return strokes measured. The bursts had typical durations of less than 100 microseconds and deposited many tens of megaelectron volts into the detector. These results provide strong evidence that the production of runaway electrons is an important process during lightning.

Radiation safety of Takasaki ion accelerators for advanced radiation in JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hiromasa; Tanaka, Susumu; Anazawa, Yutaka

1991-01-01

Building layout of Takasaki ion accelerator facility has been started since 1987, with the propulsion of research development of (1) cosmetic environment materials, (2) nuclear fusion reactors, (3) biotechnology, and (4) new functional materials. This paper deals with an AVF cyclotron and a tandem type accelerator, focusing on safety design, radiation safety management, and radioactive waste management. Safety design is discussed in view of radiation shielding and activation countermeasures. Radiation safety management covers radiation monitoring in the workplace, exhaust radioactivity, environment outside the facility, and the other equipments; personal monitoring; and protective management of exposure. For radiation waste management, basic concept and management methods are commented on. (N.K.)

Integrated radiation and ecological assessment of both environment and living and working places

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konoplya, E.F.; Lobanok, L.M.

1997-01-01

Are given the results of researches carried out in Belarus in 1996 on the following directions: study of radionuclides behaviour dynamics in an environment (air, water, ground), ecosystems and populated areas; optimization of system of radiation ecological monitoring in the republic as well as scientific methodological and methodical methods of its realization; study of effects of low doze irradiation; research of a role of chemical and other factors in occurrence and current of pathological states on a background of chronic low doze irradiation; radiobiological and radioecological consequences of the Chernobyl accident

Radioactivity in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

In this report different aspects of the radioactivity in the environment of the Slovak Republic for the period of 2004 - 2006 years are reported. This report is published only on the Enviroportal.sk. The following aspects of the radioactivity in the environment are reviewed there: Electricity production in nuclear power plants and their consumption; Natural sources of ionisation radiation; Man-made sources of ionisation radiation; Safety of exploitation of the nuclear power plants on the territory of the Slovak Republic; International Nuclear Event Scale; Basic information about influence of radiation on health of population and about evaluation methods; Influence of physical risk factors (including of ionisation radiation) in the working environment on formation of occupation diseases; Collective doses of occupation in NPPs; Health state of population in the locality of the NPP Mochovce; Food contamination by ionisation radiation; Radiation monitoring network; Legislative directives about population health protection against ionisation radiation action; Decommissioning of the NPP Jaslovske Bohunice (EBO V-1); Conception of the back fuel cycle and treatment of spent fuels and high-level radioactive wastes; Project of territorial-economic development of the Trnava region after decommissioning of the Jaslovske Bohunice NPP

Real-Time Aircraft Cosmic Ray Radiation Exposure Predictions from the NAIRAS Model

Science.gov (United States)

Mertens, C. J.; Tobiska, W.; Kress, B. T.; Xu, X.

2012-12-01

The Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety (NAIRAS) is a prototype operational model for predicting commercial aircraft radiation exposure from galactic and solar cosmic rays. NAIRAS predictions are currently streaming live from the project's public website, and the exposure rate nowcast is also available on the SpaceWx smartphone app for iPhone, IPad, and Android. Cosmic rays are the primary source of human exposure to high linear energy transfer radiation at aircraft altitudes, which increases the risk of cancer and other adverse health effects. Thus, the NAIRAS model addresses an important national need with broad societal, public health and economic benefits. There is also interest in extending NAIRAS to the LEO environment to address radiation hazard issues for the emerging commercial spaceflight industry. The processes responsible for the variability in the solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field, solar energetic particle spectrum, and the dynamical response of the magnetosphere to these space environment inputs, strongly influence the composition and energy distribution of the atmospheric ionizing radiation field. Real-time observations are required at a variety of locations within the geospace environment. The NAIRAS model is driven by real-time input data from ground-, atmospheric-, and space-based platforms. During the development of the NAIRAS model, new science questions and observational data gaps were identified that must be addressed in order to obtain a more reliable and robust operational model of atmospheric radiation exposure. The focus of this talk is to present the current capabilities of the NAIRAS model, discuss future developments in aviation radiation modeling and instrumentation, and propose strategies and methodologies of bridging known gaps in current modeling and observational capabilities.

Present status of ambient dose equivalent rate and radioactive substance concentration measurements in working environment. (3) Measuring instruments for ionizing radiation in working environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsubara, Shohei

2006-01-01

In order to measure the airborne radioactive substance concentration in working environments, some kinds of sampler such as dust sampler and iodine sampler, measuring instruments (alpha and beta spectrometer, and liquid scintillation counter), monitor (dust-, iodine- and gas-monitor), survey meter for measuring gamma ray dose rate are stated. The measurement method of α, β and γ-ray nuclides and ambient dose-equivalent at 10 mm was explained. Some examples of the list of dust sampler, filter, tritium sampler, dust monitor, iodine monitor, gas monitor, and survey meter on the market are shown. There are so many kinds of measuring instruments for ionizing radiation in working environment that the best instrument for measurement should be selected. The environment conditions such as sample form, temperature and humidity have to be considered in order to evaluate the measurement values. (S.Y.)

Soil water effect on crop growth, leaf gas exchange, water and radiation use efficiency of Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum (Willd. Hackel in semi-arid Mediterranean environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Scordia

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Great effort has been placed to identify the most suited bioenergy crop under different environments and management practices, however, there is still need to find new genetic resources for constrained areas. For instance, South Mediterranean area is strongly affected by prolonged drought, high vapour pressure deficit (VPD and extremely high temperatures during summertime. In the present work we investigated the soil water effect on crop growth and leaf gas exchange of Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum (Willd. Hackel, a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous grass. Furthermore, the net increase of biomass production per unit light intercepted [radiation use efficiency (RUE] and per unit water transpired [water use efficiency (WUE] was also studied. To this end a field trial was carried out imposing three levels of soil water availability (I100, I50 and I0, corresponding to 100%, 50% and 0% of ETm restutition under a semi-arid Mediterranean environment. Leaf area index (LAI, stem height, biomass dry matter yield, CO2 assimilation rate, and transpiration rate resulted significantly affected by measurement time and irrigation treatment, with the highest values in I100 and the lowest in I0. RUE was the highest in I100 followed by I50 and I0; on the other hand, WUE was higher in I0 than I50 and I100. At LAI values greater than 2.0, 85% photosynthetically active radiation was intercepted by the Saccharum stand, irrespective of the irrigation treatment. Saccharum spontaneum spp. aegyptiacum is a potential species for biomass production in environment characterized by drought stress, high temperatures and high VPD, as those of Southern Europe and similar semi-arid areas.

The selection and properties of epoxide resins used for the insulation of magnet systems in radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, D.C.; Scott, J.M.; Goebel, K.; Schoenbacher, H.

1981-01-01

Laboratory tests have been carried out on five types of epoxy resins - four based on bisphenol A, one on hydantoin-bisphenol A - applicable in the construction of large magnet coils. Two of the resin compositions have already been used in large quantities as insulating material for magnets at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN); the others were selected for comparison according to their good radiation resistance, good initial mechanical properties, and optimal properties for vacuum impregnation. Three types of tests are discussed in detail: creep, crack propagation (as a measure of toughness), and radiation resistance. The results show that the resin composition with hydantoin exhibits the best resistance to crack propagation but, on the other hand, the lowest resistance to ionizing radiation, and can therefore not be recommended for use in a radiation environment. Among the other materials based on biosphenol A, better toughness values were obtained with lower-cross-linked resin systems, whereas the radiation resistance is better for highly-cross-linked materials. It is concluded that a reasonable compromise combining good processing and operational properties with sufficiently high radiation resistance is obtained with a standard epoxy-resin-type bisphenol A with a specially formulated anhydride hardener and an amine-substituted phenol-type accelerator. (orig.)

Markedly enhanced absorption and direct radiative forcing of black carbon under polluted urban environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jianfei; Hu, Min; Guo, Song; Du, Zhuofei; Zheng, Jing; Shang, Dongjie; Levy Zamora, Misti; Zeng, Limin; Shao, Min; Wu, Yu-Sheng; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Yuan; Glen, Crystal R; Collins, Donald R; Molina, Mario J; Zhang, Renyi

2016-04-19

Black carbon (BC) exerts profound impacts on air quality and climate because of its high absorption cross-section over a broad range of electromagnetic spectra, but the current results on absorption enhancement of BC particles during atmospheric aging remain conflicting. Here, we quantified the aging and variation in the optical properties of BC particles under ambient conditions in Beijing, China, and Houston, United States, using a novel environmental chamber approach. BC aging exhibits two distinct stages, i.e., initial transformation from a fractal to spherical morphology with little absorption variation and subsequent growth of fully compact particles with a large absorption enhancement. The timescales to achieve complete morphology modification and an absorption amplification factor of 2.4 for BC particles are estimated to be 2.3 h and 4.6 h, respectively, in Beijing, compared with 9 h and 18 h, respectively, in Houston. Our findings indicate that BC under polluted urban environments could play an essential role in pollution development and contribute importantly to large positive radiative forcing. The variation in direct radiative forcing is dependent on the rate and timescale of BC aging, with a clear distinction between urban cities in developed and developing countries, i.e., a higher climatic impact in more polluted environments. We suggest that mediation in BC emissions achieves a cobenefit in simultaneously controlling air pollution and protecting climate, especially for developing countries.

Warm Dense Matter and Strongly Coupled Plasmas Created by Intense Heavy Ion Beams and XUV-Free Electron Laser: An Overview of Spectroscopic Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosmej, F B [University of Provence et CNRS, Centre St. Jerome, PIIM-DGP, case 232, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Lee, R W [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States); Riley, D [Queens University of Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Meyer-ter-Vehn, J [Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, 85748 Garching (Germany); Krenz, A [Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, 85748 Garching (Germany); Tschentscher, T [HASYLAB at DESY, Nothkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg (Germany); Tauschwitz, An [University of Frankfurt, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt (Germany); Tauschwitz, A [Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung GSI, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Lisitsa, V S [Russian Research Center Kurchatov, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Faenov, A Ya [VNIIFTRI, Multi Charged Ion Spectra Data Center, 141570 Mendeleevo (Russian Federation)

2007-06-15

High density plasma physics, radiation emission/scattering and related atomic physics, spectroscopy and diagnostics are going to make large steps forward due to new experimental facilities providing beams of intense heavy ions and X/XUV free electron laser radiation. These facilities are currently being established at GSI-Darmstadt and DESY-Hamburg in Germany to access new and complementary parameter regimes for basic research which have never been obtained in laboratories so far: homogenous benchmark samples near solid density and temperatures from eV up to keV. This will provide important impact to many disciplines like astrophysics, atomic physics in dense environments, dense and strongly coupled plasma effects, radiation emission, equation of state. The spectroscopic analysis of the radiation emission plays a key role in this research to investigate the dynamics of electric fields in multi-particle coupled Coulomb systems and the modification of plasma statistics.

Overview of the atmospheric ionizing radiation environment monitoring by Bulgarian build instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Dachev, Tsvetan; Tomov, Borislav; Matviichuk, Yury; Dimitrov, Plamen; Spurny, Frantisek; Ploc, Ondrej; Uchihori, Yukio; Flueckiger, Erwin; Kudela, Karel; Benton, Eric

2012-10-01

Humans are exposed to ionizing radiation all the time, and it is known that it can induce a variety of harmful biological effects. Consequently, it is necessary to quantitatively assess the level of exposure to this radiation as the basis for estimating risks for their health. Spacecraft and aircraft crews are exposed to elevated levels of cosmic radiation of galactic and solar origin and to secondary radiation produced in the atmosphere, the vehicle structure and its contents. The aircraft crew monitoring is required by the following recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) (ICRP 1990), the European Union (EU) introduced a revised Basic Safety Standards Directive (EC 1997) which, inter alia, included the exposure to cosmic radiation. This approach has been also adopted in other official documents (NCRP 2002). In this overview we present the results of ground based, mountain peaks, aircraft, balloon and rocket radiation environment monitoring by means of a Si-diode energy deposition spectrometer Liulin type developed first in Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) for the purposes of the space radiation monitoring at MIR and International Space Station (ISS). These spectrometers-dosemeters are further developed, calibrated and used by scientific groups in different countries. Calibration procedures of them are performed at different accelerators including runs in the CERN high-energy reference field, simulating the radiation field at 10 km altitude in the atmosphere and with heavy ions in Chiba, Japan HIMAC accelerator were performed also. The long term aircraft data base were accumulated using specially developed battery operated instrument in 2001-2009 years onboard of A310-300 aircrafts of Czech Air Lines, during 24 about 2 months runs with more than 2000 flights and 13500 flight hours on routes over the Atlantic Ocean mainly. The obtained experimental data are compared with computational models like CARI and EPCARD. The

Radiation exposure in manned spaceflight

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buecker, H. (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Koeln (Germany)); Horneck, G. (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Koeln (Germany)); Facius, R. (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Koeln (Germany)); Reitz, G. (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Koeln (Germany))

1993-08-01

Space missions exposure humans to a radiation environment of a particulate composition and intensity not encountered within our biosphere. The natural radiation environment encountered in Earth orbit is a complex mixture of charged particles of galactic and solar origin and of those trapped by the geomagnetic field. In addition, secondaries are produced by interaction of cosmic ray primaries with the spacecraft shielding material. Among this large variety of radiation components in space, it is likely that the heavy ions are the significant species as far as radiobiological effects are concerned. In addition, a synergistic interaction of microgravity and radiation on living systems has been reported in some instances. Based on an admissible risk of 3% mortality due to cancers induced during a working career, radiation protection guidelines have been developed for this radiation environment. (orig.)

Permanent radiation and weather monitoring systems at the Posiva nuclear waste facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laukkanen, J.; Palomaeki, M.; Viitanen, P.; Kumpula, L.

2012-12-01

Posiva Oy is planning to build a complex of two nuclear waste facilities in Olkiluoto. The facilities will encapsulate and dispose the spent nuclear fuel from the nuclear power plants operated by Posiva's owners into Olkiluoto bedrock. The spent fuel is strongly radioactive, so the radiation safety of the facilities and their processes for its users and the environment must be ensured. This paper deals with of the stationary radiation and weather measurement systems designed for the monitoring of Posiva's nuclear waste facilities and their processes. The systems are used for monitoring the encapsulation and disposal facilities and processes, as well as the emissions to the environment. The document collects also the system design basis and other requirements to be considered in the design of these systems at this early stage. (orig.)

Strong field interaction of laser radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pukhov, Alexander

2003-01-01

The Review covers recent progress in laser-matter interaction at intensities above 10 18 W cm -2 . At these intensities electrons swing in the laser pulse with relativistic energies. The laser electric field is already much stronger than the atomic fields, and any material is instantaneously ionized, creating plasma. The physics of relativistic laser-plasma is highly non-linear and kinetic. The best numerical tools applicable here are particle-in-cell (PIC) codes, which provide the most fundamental plasma model as an ensemble of charged particles. The three-dimensional (3D) PIC code Virtual Laser-Plasma Laboratory runs on a massively parallel computer tracking trajectories of up to 10 9 particles simultaneously. This allows one to simulate real laser-plasma experiments for the first time. When the relativistically intense laser pulses propagate through plasma, a bunch of new physical effects appears. The laser pulses are subject to relativistic self-channelling and filamentation. The gigabar ponderomotive pressure of the laser pulse drives strong currents of plasma electrons in the laser propagation direction; these currents reach the Alfven limit and generate 100 MG quasistatic magnetic fields. These magnetic fields, in turn, lead to the mutual filament attraction and super-channel formation. The electrons in the channels are accelerated up to gigaelectronvolt energies and the ions gain multi-MeV energies. We discuss different mechanisms of particle acceleration and compare numerical simulations with experimental data. One of the very important applications of the relativistically strong laser beams is the fast ignition (FI) concept for the inertial fusion energy (IFE). Petawatt-class lasers may provide enough energy to isochorically ignite a pre-compressed target consisting of thermonuclear fuel. The FI approach would ease dramatically the constraints on the implosion symmetry and improve the energy gain. However, there is a set of problems to solve before the FI

Transient radiation effects in D.O.I. optical materials: Schott filter glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons-Potter, K.

1998-07-01

Department of Energy and Defense Programs systems are becoming increasingly reliant on the use of optical technologies that must perform under a range of ionizing radiation environments. In particular, the radiation response of materials under consideration for applications in direct optical initiation (D.O.I.) schemes must be well characterized. In this report, transient radiation effects observed in Schott filter glass S-7010 are characterized. Under gamma exposure with 2 MeV photons in a 20--30 nsec pulse, the authors observe strong initial induced fluorescence in the red region of the spectrum followed by significant induced absorption over the same spectral region. Peak induced absorption coefficients of 0.113 cm -1 and 0.088 cm -1 were calculated at 800 nm and 660 nm respectively

Radiation protection measurement techniques and the challenges encountered in industrial and medical environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Nowadays everybody is concerned by the use of ionizing radiations for diagnostic and therapy purposes. Radiation protection regulatory requirements are becoming more and more constraining and have an impact on the performance criteria required for measurement systems. The measurement of some radiation protection data requires the use of complex and costly devices, leading to hardly manageable constraints for the users. Do they have to be systematically implemented? How is it possible to reduce, control and optimize the medical exposures using new methodological approaches? During this conference the participants have shed light on some concrete situations and realisations in the environmental, nuclear industry and medical domains. The document brings together 34 presentations (slides) dealing with: 1 - Environmental monitoring and measurement meaning (P.Y. Emidy (EDF)); human radiation protection and measurement meaning (A. Rannou (IRSN)); Eye lens dosimetry, why and how? (J.M. Bordy (CEA)); critical and reasoned approach of the ISO 11929 standard about decision threshold and detection limit (A. Vivier (CEA)); Samples collection and low activities measurement in the environment (D. Claval (IRSN)); Dosemeters calibration, what is new? (J.M. Bordy (CEA)); Appropriateness of measurement means for radiological controls (P. Tranchant (Techman Industrie)); Pulsed fields dosimetric reference for interventional diagnosis (M. Denoziere (CEA)); Pulsed complex fields dosimetry (F. Trompier (IRSN)); DOSEO: a tool for dose optimization in radiological imaging (C. Adrien (CEA)); Eye lens dosimetry (R. Kramar, A. De Vita (AREVA)); Eye lens dosimetry - workers exposure and proper radiation protection practices (I. Clairand (IRSN)); Individual neutrons dosimetry - status of existing standards (F. Queinnec (IRSN)); Complex field neutron spectroscopy: any new tool? (V. Lacoste (IRSN)); Photon mini-beams dosimetry in radiotherapy: stakes and protocols (C. Huet (IRSN)); Reference and

Radiation in the living environment: sources, exposure and effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Rashi

2013-01-01

We are living in a milieu of radiations and continuously exposed to radiations from natural sources from conception to death. We are exposed to radiation from Sun and outer space, radioactive materials present in the earth, house we live in, buildings and workplace, food we eat and air we breath. Each flake of snow, grain of soil, drop of rain, a flower, and even each man in the street is a source of this radiation. Even our own bodies contain naturally occurring radioactive elements. The general belief is that the radiations are harmful and everybody is scared of the same. The cancer is the most important concern on account of exposure to Ionizing Radiation which is initiated by the damage to DNA. The level of exposure depends on the environmental and working conditions and may vary from low to moderate to high and depending on the same the exposed humans can be classified as general public, non nuclear workers (NNW) and nuclear workers (NW). Though, the LNT theory which is considered to be the radiation paradigm considers all radiation at all levels to be harmful and the -severity of the deleterious effect increases with the increase in dose, however, the available literature, data and reports (epidemiological and experimental) speaks otherwise particularly at low levels. The purpose of this paper is to address the question, whether the radiation is harmful at all levels or it is simply media hype and the truth is different, and to promote harmony with nature and to improve our quality of life with the knowledge that cancer mortality rates decrease following exposure to LLIR. Various sources of radiation exposure and the subsequent consequences will be discussed. (author)

Development of clean environment conservation technology by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)