Protection against ionizing radiation

Lecturer:

Tutor:

Supervisor:

Department of Natural Sciences

Synopsis:

General properties of radiation, Radiation sources, Interaction of gamma rays with matter, Interaction of charged particles with matter, Photon and electron beams passing through an absorber, Quantities and units used in dosimetry and radiation protection, Operational quantities for staff, working and environmental monitoring, Dose measurement, Cavity chamber theory, Determination of activity and source strength, Internal radiation exposure, Shielding of photon sources, Monte- Carlo method, Absorbed dose estimation in photon and electron clinical beams

Requirements:

Written test in the range of 20-25 questions with multiple ABC (always one, and only rarely 2 correct answers). Questions cover the following areas relating to radiation protection, which was discussed at the lectures:

1st Properties of non-ionizing and ionizing radiation,

2nd Interaction of ionizing radiation (the radiation only) the substance, range and attenuation of radiation

3rd Basic quantities and units in radiology: activity, dose, dose rate,

4th Quantities in radiation protection: equivalent dose, effective dose, committed effective dose

5th Biological effects of radiation: deterministic and stochastic,

6th Purpose and role of radiation protection: justification, limitation and optimization

7th Dose limits for workers and population,

8th The reference levels for patients

9th Radiation Monitoring: Monitoring of people and workplace monitoring,

10th The status and role of the State Office for Nuclear Safety as the supervisory authority responsible for radiation protection and nuclear safety in the country.

Test time 60 min, max point 100

Syllabus of lectures:

1.Ionizing radiation, general properties of radiation, radiation effects in matter, biological effects of ionizing radiation.

2.Radiation sources, radionuclides, linear accelerators, circular accelerators, neutron generators.

3.Interaction of gamma rays with matter, photoelectric absorption, Compton scattering, coherent scattering, pair production, cross sections, attenuation coefficients, energy transfer coefficient, energy absorption coefficient.

4.Interaction of charged particles with matter, ionization, excitation, Bremsstrahlung production, range of electrons and heavy particles, linear stopping power.

5.Photon and electron beams passing through an absorber, Build up factor, Build up factor as a function of energy and Zeff , albedo.

6.Quantities and units used in dosimetry and radiation protection, description of radiation sources and radiation fields, particle fluence, energy fluence.

7.Quantities that characterise interaction of ionising radiation with matter, energy imparted, absorbed dose, kerma, exposure, quantities used in radiation protection, equivalent dose, effective dose, weighting factors.

8.Operational quantities for staff, working and environmental monitoring, basic concepts of radiation protection, individual limits.

9.Dose measurement, cavity chamber theory, equilibrium of charge particles, Bragg-Gray cavity theory, its results and definitions.

10.Determination of activity and source strength, measurement of dosimetrical units, dose, kerma, exposure, measurement of operational quantities for staff, working and environment monitoring, surface contamination.

11.ALARA principle, internal radiation exposure, calculation of dosimetrical units for radiation exposure, individual limits.

12.Shielding of photon sources, shielding of charge particle sources, calculation on way of reducing radiation exposure, dimensioning of shielding.

13.Partial step of radiation transport, Monte- Carlo method, random numbers, integral solution by Monte-Carlo method, gamma ray transport by Monte- Carlo method.

14.Absorbed dose estimation in photon and electron clinical beams, determination of beam energy, parameter influencing estimation of absorbed doses, practical implication of dosimetry protocols, quality assurance of calibration process.

Syllabus of tutorials:

N/A

Study Objective:

To introduce students into the radiation protection and dosimetry with a view to application in radiodiagnostics and radiotherapy

Study materials:

Dorschel, B., Schuricht, V: Steuer, J., The Physics of Radiation Protection, Nuclear Technology Publishing, 1996

Martin, J, E.: Physics for Radiation Protection, John Wiley and Sons, 2000

Introduction to Radiological Physics and Radiation Dosimetry, F.H. Attix, Wiley Publisher, 1996

Sabol, J. a Vlček, P.: Radiační ochrana v radioterapii, kap. 1, skriptum, Nakladatelství ČVUT, Praha, 2011

Note:

Further information:

No time-table has been prepared for this course

The course is a part of the following study plans:

• Bakalářský studijní obor Biomedicínský technik - prezenční v angličtině (compulsory course)