Ionising Radiation Detection and Dosimetry

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Lecturer:

Tutor:

Supervisor:

Department of Nuclear Chemistry

Synopsis:

The first part of the course deals with the interaction of ionising radiation (IR) with matter, quantities characterising the field of ionising radiation and its impact on a matter, units, and the distribution of absorbed energy in the matter. The rest of the course gives a detailed overview of the properties of detectors of IR, application of detectors, gas detectors, scintillation detectors, detectors for high energy IR, semiconductor detectors, integral dosimetric methods, statistical treatment of data, and limits of detection.

Requirements:

Knowledge of physics on the level of a completed basic university course. Basic knowledge of the structure of atoms and nuclei.

Syllabus of lectures:

1. Interaction of ionising radiation with matter. Heavy charged particles, electrons: inelastic collisions, elastic collisions, breaking radiation emission. Gamma radiation, X-radiation: Compton scattering, pair production. Neutrons: Nuclear reactions.

2. Primary effects from the absorption of ionising radiation: Ion-pairs, excited states, nuclear processes initiation.

3. The radiation conversion of excited states to the ground states - luminescent phenomena. The heat evolution in irradiated matter.

4. The system of dosimetric quantities and their mutual relations. Linear energy transfer, quality factor, absorbed dose, dose equivalent, radiation equilibrium, the relation between the absorbed dose and kerma, depth-dose dependence.

5. Properties of detectors of IR. Detectors definition, functions and properties; counting, measurement of energy, place and time; discrimination; output signals.

6. Application of detectors. Counting; spectrometry; dosimetry, visualisation; time.

7. Types of detectors. Gas detectors.

8. Scintillation detectors, visualisation systems, detectors for high energy IR.

9. Semiconductor detectors.

10. Integral dosimetric methods. Film detectors; integrating solid state detectors; thermoluminiscent detectors; radiophotoluminiscent detectors; dosimetry of neutrons.

11. Statistical treatment of data and uncertainties estimation. Description of data; statistic models; error propagation; measurement optimisation.

12. Limits of detection and determination. Qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, gamma-ray spectrometry.

Syllabus of tutorials:

Study Objective:

The course of the detection and dosimetry of the ionizing radiation provides the students with the knowledge of mechanism of the interaction of ionising radiation with matter and the related units, principles of the function of various types of detectors, and basics of the treatment of measured data and limits following from the statistical character of this data.

The students will acquire competence to select the type of detector appropriate for their respective application(s), comprehend the results of the measurement of ionising radiation, and correctly interpret their statistical relevance.

Study materials:

Key literature:

1. G.F. Knoll: Radiation Detection and Measurement, J. Willey & Sons, New York, 1984.

2. W.H. Tait: Radiation Detection, Butterworths, 1980.

Recommended literature:

1. ICRU report No. 60 (1998): Fundamental Quantities and Units for Ionizing Radiation

2. International Standard ISO 31-9: Atomic and Nuclear Physics

3. International Standard ISO 31-10: Nuclear Reactions and Ionizing Radiation

Note:

Further information:

No time-table has been prepared for this course

The course is a part of the following study plans: