Validating a Methodology That Associates Minimum Detectable Activity with Detector Velocity.

Mobile radiation detection systems are used widely in remediation and nuclear security. However, their detection efficiency and thus their minimum detectable activity is not completely understood. It is recognized that the detector's velocity will affect its detection efficiency.

Validation of a Dose Assessment Method to be Used in 18F FDG Loose Contamination Exercises.

Radiological emergency response may require responders to operate in contaminated environments. To provide more realistic training to these individuals, it has been proposed to disperse low amounts of short-lived radioactive material in simulated emergency scenarios. To demonstrate the applicability and safety of such activities, a limited exercise was conducted where 18F was sprayed in a small area and survey activities were executed.

Preliminary Dose Assessment for Emergency Response Exercise Using Unsealed Radioactive Contamination.

A preliminary dose assessment for an emergency response exercise using unsealed radioactive sources was performed based on conservative calculation methods. The assessment was broken into four parts: activation, distribution, exercise participation, and post-exercise monitoring. The computer code MicroShield was used to determine external exposure from the source during and after distribution.

Radionuclide Selection for Emergency Response Exercise at Disaster City® Using Unsealed Radioactive Contamination.

The Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University currently supports exercises at Disaster City, a mock community used for emergency response training that features full-scale, collapsible structures designed to simulate various levels of disaster and wreckage. Emergency response exercises can be enhanced by using unsealed radioactive sources to simulate a more realistic response environment following an incident involving the dispersion of radioactive material. Limited exercises are performed worldwide using unsealed radioactive sources, and most of that information is not publicly available.

Developing a Methodology for Determination of Elemental Composition of Shielding Materials.

Radiation transport simulation models can provide estimations of radiation effects such as detector response and detection capabilities. The objective of this research was to develop a methodology for quick, efficient, and effective determination of the composition of shielding materials to be used in radiation transport models. A C++ code, MatFit, was developed that used the concept of densitometry and the iterative method developed for the Spectrum Analysis by Neutron Detectors II (SAND II) computer program to estimate the elemental composition of shielding materials.

Signal Processing and Its Effect on Scanning Efficiencies for a Field Instrument for Detecting Low-energy Radiation.

Signal processing within a radiation detector affects detection efficiency. Currently, organizations such as private industry, the U.S.