ASTM E1894

Flash X-ray facilities provide intense bremsstrahlung radiation environments, usually in a single sub-microsecond pulse, which unfortunately, often fluctuates in amplitude, shape, and spectrum from shot to shot. Therefore, appropriate dosimetry must be fielded on every exposure to characterize the environment, see ICRU Report 34. These intense bremsstrahlung sources have a variety of applications which include the following:

Generation of X-ray and gamma-ray environments similar to that from a nuclear weapon burst.

Studies of the effects of X rays and gamma rays on materials.

Studies of the effects of radiation on electronic devices such as transistors, diodes, and capacitors.

Vulnerability and survivability testing of military systems and components.

Computer code validation studies.

This guide is written to assist the experimenter in selecting the needed dosimetry systems (often in an experiment not all radiation parameters must be measured) for use at pulsed X-ray facilities. This guide also provides a brief summary of the information on how to use each of the dosimetry systems. Other guides (see Section 3) provide more detailed information on selected dosimetry systems in radiation environments and should be consulted after an initial decision is made on the appropriate dosimetry system to use. There are many key parameters which describe a flash X-ray source, such as dose, dose rate, spectrum, pulse width, etc., such that typically no single dosimetry system can measure all the parameters simultaneously.

FIG. 1 Range of Available Bremsstrahlung Spectra from Flash X-ray Sources

1. Scope

1.1 This guide provides assistance in selecting and using dosimetry systems in flash X-ray experiments. Both dose and dose-rate techniques are described.

1.2 Operating characteristics of flash x-ray sources are given, with emphasis on the spectrum of the photon output.

1.3 Assistance is provided to relate the measured dose to the response of a device under test (DUT). The device is assumed to be a semiconductor electronic part or system.

2. Referenced Documents

E1249 Practice for Minimizing Dosimetry Errors in Radiation Hardness Testing of Silicon Electronic Devices Using Co-60 Sources
E1261 Guide for Selection and Calibration of Dosimetry Systems for Radiation Processing
E1275 Practice for Use of a Radiochromic Film Dosimetry System
E1310 Practice for Use of a Radiochromic Optical Waveguide Dosimetry System
E170 Terminology Relating to Radiation Measurements and Dosimetry
E665 Practice for Determining Absorbed Dose Versus Depth in Materials Exposed to the X-ray Output of Flash X-ray Machines
E666 Practice for Calculating Absorbed Dose from Gamma or X Radiation
E668 Practice for the Application of Thermoluminescence-Dosimetry (TLD) Systems for Determining Absorbed Dose in Radiation-Hardness Testing of Electronic Devices
ICRU Report 14-Radiation Dosimetry: X rays and Gamma Rays with Maximum Photon Energies Between 0.6 and 50 MeV
ICRU Report 17-Radiation Dosimetry: X rays Generated at Potentials of 5 to 150 kV
ICRU Report 33-Radiation Quantities and Units
ICRU Report 34-The Dosimetry of Pulsed Radiation

Index Terms

calorimeter; Compton diode dosimetry; dosimetry; optical waveguide dosimetry; photoconductive detector (PCD); PIN diode dosimetry; pulsed X-ray source; radiochromic dosimetry system; scintillator-photodetector dosimetry; thermoluminescence dosimetry; Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD); Calorimeter; Compton diode dosimetry; Dosimetry; Optical waveguide dosimetry; PIN diode dosimetry; Pulsed x-ray source; Radiochromic dosimetry system; Scintillator-photodetector dosimetry; ICS Number Code 17.240

Citing ASTM Standards

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