Title :
Modeling and measurements for mitigating interference from skyshine
Author :
Kernan, Warnick J. ; Mace, Emily K. ; Siciliano, Edward R. ; Conlin, Kenneth E. ; Flumerfelt, Eric ; Kouzes, Richard T. ; Woodring, Mitchell L.
Author_Institution :
Pacific Northwest Nat. Lab., Richland, WA, USA
fDate :
Oct. 24 2009-Nov. 1 2009
Abstract :
Skyshine, the radiation scattered in the air above a high-activity gamma-ray source, can produce interference with radiation portal monitor (RPM) systems at distances up to even many hundred meters. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been engaged in a campaign of measurements, design work and modeling that explore methods of mitigating the effects of skyshine on outdoor measurements with sensitive instruments. An overview of our work with shielding of skyshine is being reported by us in another paper at this conference. This paper will concentrate on two topics: measurements and modeling with Monte Carlo transport calculations to characterize skyshine from an iridium-192 source, and testing of a prototype louver system, designed and fabricated at PNNL, as a shielding approach to limit the impact of skyshine interference on RPM systems.
Keywords :
Monte Carlo methods; iridium; radiation detection; radiation monitoring; radiation protection; radioactive sources; Monte Carlo transport calculations; Pacific northwest national laboratory; high-activity gamma-ray source; iridium-192 source; mitigating interference; prototype louver system; radiation portal monitor; scattered radiation; sensitive instruments; skyshine shielding; Collimators; Instruments; Interference; Laboratories; Monte Carlo methods; NIST; Portals; Prototypes; Radiation monitoring; System testing;
Conference_Titel :
Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record (NSS/MIC), 2009 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Orlando, FL
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-3961-4
Electronic_ISBN :
1095-7863
DOI :
10.1109/NSSMIC.2009.5402445
