[en] Dose of radiation to which a body of crystalline material has been exposed is measured by exposing the body to optical radiation at a first wavelength, which is greater than about 540 nm, and measuring optical energy emitted from the body by luminescence at a second wavelength, which is longer than the first wavelength. 9 figures

[en] The method and apparatus of the present invention relate to cryogenically cooling a thermoluminescent material, exposing it to a low level of radiation (less than about 1 R) while it is at the cooled temperature, warming the thermoluminescent material to ''room temperature'' and counting the photons emitted during heating. Sufficient sensitivity is achieved without exposing the thermoluminescent material to ultraviolet light thereby simplifying the measurements

[en] This patent describes a method of measuring radiation dose. It comprises exposing a body of crystalline alkali halide material to ionizing radiation, exciting the material with optical radiation at a first wavelength, and measuring optical energy emitted from the material by luminescence at a second wavelength that is longer than the first wavelength

[en] The method and apparatus of the present invention relate to cryogenically cooling a thermoluminescent material, exposing it to a low level of radiation (less than about 1 R) while it is at the cooled temperature, warming the thermoluminescent material to ''room temperature'', and counting the photons emitted during heating. Sufficient sensitivity is achieved without exposing the thermoluminescent material to ultraviolet light thereby simplifying the measurements. (author)

[en] The addition of thermoluminescent (TL) materials within hydrogenous matrices to detect neutron-induced proton recoils for radiation dosimetry is a well-known concept. Previous attempts to implement this technique have met with limited success, primarily due to the high temperatures required for TL readout and the low melting temperatures of hydrogen-rich plastics. Research in recent years at Pacific Northwest laboratories (PNL) has produced a new Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) technique known as the Cooled Optically Stimulated Luminescence (COSL) that offers, for the first time, the capability of performing extremely sensitive radiation dosimetry at low temperatures. In addition to its extreme sensitivity, the COSL technique offers multiple readout capability, limited fading in a one-year period, and the capability of analyzing single grains within a hydrogenous matrix. 4 refs., 10 figs

[en] Data is presented that demonstrates the concept of a fast neutron dosimeter using Cooled Optically Stimulated Luminescence. CaF₂:Mn powder, compounded with polyethylene, was injection molded and pressed into 0.1-cm-thick sheets. The sheets were then cut to form dosimeters with dimensions, 1.25 cm by 1.25 cm. After a laser anneal, the dosimeters were exposed to various amounts (from 10 mSv to 100 mSv) of fast ²⁵²Cf neutrons. The exposed dosimeters were cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature, stimulated with laser light, and then allowed to warm up to room temperature whereupon the dose dependent luminescence was recorded with a photon counting system. When the control and gamma components were subtracted from the ²⁵²Cf response, a dose-dependent neutron response was observed. The design, construction, and preliminary performance of an automated system for the dose interrogation of individual CaF₂:Mn grains within the polyethylene matrix will also be discussed. The system uses a small CO₂ laser to heat areas of the cooled dosimeter to room temperature. If the readout of very small grain within the plastic matrix is successful, it will enhance the neutron to gamma response of the dosimeter

[en] The Cooled Optically Stimulated Luminescence (COSL) of CaF₂:Mn (grain sizes from 0.1 to 100 microns) powder embedded in a hydrogenous matrix is reported as a function of fast-neutron dose. When all the CaF₂:Mn grains are interrogated at once, the COSL plastic dosemeters have a minimum detectable limit of 1 cSv fast neutrons; the gamma component from the bare ²⁵²cf exposure was determined with a separate dosemeter. We report here on a proton-recoil-based dosemeter that generates pulse height spectra, much like the scintillator of Hornyak, (2) to provide information on both the neutron and gamma dose

[en] As a result of increased shipping costs and decreased land availability, serious questions have arisen regarding the continued use of shallow land burial for disposal of institutional radioactive wastes. These factors are of special significance to very low-level waste generators such as Arizona State University whose most recent waste shipment averaged approximately 2 mCi per shipped barrel at an effective cost of over $100 per mCi disposed - a total cost of over $14,000. Recent studies have shown incineration to be an attractive waste disposal alternative both in terms of volume reduction of waste, and in its expected insignificant radiological and environmental impact. Arizona State University has purchased an incinerator and has initiated a program to incinerate radioactive wastes. Licensing restrictions involving stack monitoring for a variety of possibly hazardous effluents and 10CFR20 restrictions affecting incineration of certain isotopes could render the change to incineration completely inefficient unless accompanied by a rigorous program of waste segregation designed to ease licensing restrictions. This paper reviews incinerator technology as it applies to radioactive waste management and presents the analysis performed during the licensing phase, along with some of the difficulties inherent in the development process

[en] The VARSKIN computer code has been limited to the isotopes for which the scaled absorbed dose distributions were provided by the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee or to data that could be interpolated from isotopes that had similar spectra. This document describes the methodology to calculate the scaled absorbed dose distribution data for any isotope (including emissions by the daughter isotopes) and its implementation by a computer code called SADDE (Scaled Absorbed Dose Distribution Evaluator). The SADDE source code is provided along with input examples and verification calculations. 10 refs., 4 figs

[en] The amount of ionizing radiation to which a thermoluminescent material has been exposed is determined by first cooling the thermoluminescent material and then optically stimulating the thermoluminescent material by exposure to light. Visible light emitted by the thermoluminescent material as it is allowed to warm up to room temperature is detected and counted. The thermoluminescent material may be annealed by exposure to ultraviolet light. 5 figs