SEDL / STP / STP1490-EB / STP45467S

Development of a Silicon Calorimeter for Dosimetry Applications in a Water-Moderated Reactor

Luker, S. Michael
Senior Member of the Technical Staff, Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Principal Members of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Applied Nuclear Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

Griffin, Patrick J.
Senior Member of the Technical Staff, Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Principal Members of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Applied Nuclear Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

DePriest, K. Russell
Senior Member of the Technical Staff, Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Principal Members of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Applied Nuclear Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

King, Donald B.
Senior Member of the Technical Staff, Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Principal Members of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Applied Nuclear Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

Naranjo, Gerald E.
Distinguished Technologist, Advanced Nuclear Concepts, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

Suo-Anttila, Ahti J.
Research Engineer, Alion Science and Technology, Albuquerque, NM

Keltner, Ned
Research Engineer, Ktech Corporation, Albuquerque, NM

Pages: 9    Published: Jan 2007

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Abstract

High fidelity active dosimetry in the mixed neutron/gamma field of a research reactor is a very complex issue. For passive dosimetry applications, the use of activation foils addresses the neutron environment while the use of low neutron response CaF²:Mn thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) addresses the gamma environment. While radiation-hardened diamond photoconducting detectors (PCD) have been developed that provide a very precise fast response (picosecond) dosimeter and can provide a timedependent profile for the radiation environment, the mixed field response of the PCD is still uncertain and this interferes with the calibration of the PCD response. In order to address the research reactor experimenter's need for a dosimeter that reports silicon dose and dose rate at a test location during a pulsed reactor operation, a silicon calorimeter has been developed. This dosimeter can be used by itself to provide a dose in rad(Si) up to a point in a reactor pulsed operation, or, in conjunction with the diamond PCD, to provide a dose rate. This paper reports on the development, testing, and validation of this silicon calorimeter for applications in water-moderated research reactors.