[ RadSafe ] Question about neutron source Pu238-Be

[JPreisig at aol.com]

Hey radsafe,
 
      Knoll's book on Radiation Instrumentation  has some information on 
neutron sources.
 
      If you can figure out what the Pu238 (Be)  activity is (Is it stamped 
on the source or on any
associated paperwork), then you can estimate via hand calculation or an  
MCNP computer run,
what the neutron fluence/flux density is.
 
      If not get a Snoopy/AnderssonBraun/remball  detector and measure the 
neutron dose
rate directly.  Correct for any part of the neutron energy  response/range 
that the detector 
isn't sensitive to.
 
      If you can't rent or buy a neutron detector,  then maybe you 
shouldn't be doing this
job yourself at all!!!!  Call in another health physicist or neutron  
expert????
 
     Good luck with this job/task.
 
 
     Regards,    Joseph R. (Joe)  Preisig, PhD
 
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 8/24/2011 9:23:03 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
nicolas.brisson at irsn.fr writes:

A  colleague of mine will carry out assessment on multiple neutron
sources :  dose rate measurements, activity assessment and packaging for
transport and  disposal.

Most of these sources are Pu239-Be, Am241-Be or Ra226-Be and  we have
experience and documentation about them.

But one of the  source is a Pu238-Be and we don't have any information on
this type of  source. The provider is not known and the source is 50
years old.
If  anyone has information about firms that produced this type of source
and  possibly values for gamma and neutron dose-rate, it would help us a
lot to  prepare for this operation.

Thanks in advance,

Nicolas  Brisson
IRSN/DEI/SIAR
route du Panorama
92262 FONTENAY AUX  ROSES
tel : +33 1-58-35-87-24
por :  +33  6-08-76-55-32

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