Burst calculations for 252Cf brachytherapy sources
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Dosimetry for Cell Irradiation using Orthovoltage (40-300 kV) X-Ray Facilities
Published on: February 20, 2021
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts University School of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. mrivard@lifespan.org
Abstract:
Due to helium production following alpha decay, it is necessary to demonstrate the structural integrity of new 252Cf sources at elevated temperatures for special form certification by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Effects of temperature, capsule composition, and capsule dimensions are examined and reduced to a simple mathematical model. This highly conservative model assumes that all gas products leaving the radioactive source wire are retained by the capsule, and upon elevation to a temperature of 800 degrees C the capsule exhibits negligible expansion or change in internal volume and no increase in gas-phase components due to vaporization of spontaneous fission products. The calculated maximum loadings for the ORNL-made Applicator Tube and three proposed high dose rate 252Cf sources encapsulated in Pt/Ir-10% (VariSource, microSelectron classic, and a novel design) were 10.8, 0.508, 0.708, and 2.12 mg 252Cf, respectively.
More Related Videos
07:31Characterization of Recombination Effects in a Liquid Ionization Chamber Used for the Dosimetry of a Radiosurgical Accelerator
Published on: May 9, 2014
06:20Irradiator Commissioning and Dosimetry for Assessment of LQ α and β Parameters, Radiation Dosing Schema, and in vivo Dose Deposition
Published on: March 11, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Biological Effects of Radiation
Nuclear Transmutation
Constant Volume Calorimetry
Types of Radioactivity
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...