Dosimetry Applications Research Calibration Laboratory

James S. Bogard, PhD, CHP

(865) 574-5851 or e-mail to bogardjs@ornl.gov

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Dosimetry Applications Research Calibration Laboratory (DOSAR CalLab) is managed and operated by the staff of ORNL's Life Sciences Division for personnel dosimetry research, dosimetry intercomparison studies, dosimetry performance test programs, training of health physics personnel, and radiobiology research. View Presentation

The DOSAR CalLab is a 260 m² concrete block building consisting primarily of a control room, a 6.1 x 7.0 x 4.3-m gamma irradiation room, a beta/X-ray room which is the same size as the gamma room, and a low-scatter 9.1 x 9.1 x 5.8-m neutron room. The CalLab has been outfitted with track systems in each room for movement of sources or phantoms. These track systems, which are fitted with digital measuring systems for precise source-to-target distance measurements, are suspended from the ceiling and do not interfere with equipment brought into the facility for performing experiments. CalLab space is supplemented by an adjacent building which is available both for storage and for selected low-level irradiations.

A personal computer in the control room operates sources, checks all safety interlocks, and calculates and monitors exposure times, distances, and doses. Sources currently at the DOSAR CalLab include a ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y irradiator; a Büchler irradiator and PTB source set which includes ¹⁴⁷Pm, ²⁰⁴Tl, and two ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y sources; a 10-Ci ¹³⁷Cs beam irradiator and 1.2-Ci ¹³⁷Cs panoramic irradiator; a bare ²³⁸PuBe source; and two ²⁵²Cf sources which can be used bare and with various moderators, including polyethylene and heavy water (D₂O). Also available is a Pantak model HF320 X-ray generator which is used for reproducing NIST beam codes.

Quality assurance for calibrated radiation exposures at the DOSAR CalLab is described in the DOSAR/CalLab Operations Manual, ORNL-6904/R3. Part of the QA program involves the use of NIST-calibrated monitoring instruments and radioactive sources to provide calibrated radiation exposures.

Calibrated Irradiations Available at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Dosimetry Applications Research Calibration Laboratory

Date of Calculation: October 11, 2007