Research Reactor Radiation Diagnostic Development

We have developed advanced diagnostics that can be used in our radiation facilities to support applications and to validate nuclear data. One example is the development of diamond and GaAs-based photoconducting detectors (PCD) used to capture the transient radiation in pulses generated in reactor and accelerator radiation environments. These diagnostics have been used to: a) validate the early-time ionizing dose contribution from the photon field in reactor pulses, separating the prompt fission n/g environment from the ionization produced by delayed fission gammas; b) model the mechanical ringing in enriched 235U fuel plates in the SPR-III fast burst reactor pulse. Another example is the use of “track structure theory”-informed models for the response of various dosimeters. We then validated the consistency of various dosimeters in mixed n/γ radiation fields using CaF2:Mn TLDs, alanine ESR signals, diamond PCDs, silicon calorimeters, and activation-based neutron monitor foils.

Contact: D. W. Vehar

Publications