Abstracts of Accelerator Session Presentations
For those readers who were not be able to attend the 48th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society in San Diego, California, in July, we’ve provided several abstracts of the presentations. A number were provided in the previous issue of this newsletter; the remainder follow.
by V. Vylet, C. D. Bowman, A. S. Crowell, C.R. Howell, A. Tonchev, and A. Tornow
An accelerator-driven waste transmutation experiment has been conducted at Duke University, in collaboration with ADNA (Accelerator-Driven Neutron Applications) Corporation. The approach adopted by the collaboration is to use moderated rather than fast neutrons to transmutate nuclear waste. The purpose of this experiment was to study the performance of the accelerator neutron source, to investigate absorption properties of the moderator structure, and to provide an experimental test for benchmarking neutron transport calculations for the multiplying waste-moderator lattice design. While the first results of this experiment have been reported elsewhere, this presentation concentrates on the aspects of radiation safety and logistics.
by R. T. May and K. B. Welch
7Be can be produced by gamma-spallation reactions on oxygen and nitrogen in the air surrounding target stations in high-energy electron accelerators. The quantity produced is proportional to the power of the accelerator. 7Be at high-power electron accelerators can concentrate in high-volume air condition system components, forced-air-cooled electronics, and electrostatic surfaces and can result in surface contamination issues. Jefferson Lab experiences with 7Be contamination, a model for 7Be production and distribution, and suggestions for effective removal are discussed.
by M. A. Duran
A series of radiation dose measurements were made with different high-energy neutron-responsive instruments at the Neutron Radiography Facility located at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). The data showed differences between instrument readings. Appropriate correction factors are needed for accuracy.