A reference radiation facility for dosimetry at flight altitude and in space

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Radiation Detection and Measurement

Background:

• A specialized facility at CERN has been operational since 1993 for calibrating radiation detection equipment.
• It generates high-energy neutron fields using a particle accelerator and target system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a reference facility for the intercomparison of active and passive neutron detectors.
• To characterize neutron spectra produced by different shielding materials for various applications.
• To explore the facility's utility for space program radiation measurements.

Main Methods:

• A 120 GeV/c positive charged hadron beam (protons and pions) impacts a copper target.
• Secondary particles are filtered through 80 cm of concrete or 40 cm of iron shielding.
• Neutron spectra are analyzed behind each shielding configuration.

Main Results:

• The iron shielding produces a neutron spectrum peaking at approximately 1 MeV with a high-energy tail.
• The concrete shielding generates a spectrum with a maximum around 70 MeV, mimicking cosmic ray radiation.
• The facility supports diverse investigations involving neutron dosimeters.

Conclusions:

• The CERN facility provides well-characterized high-energy neutron fields suitable for detector calibration.
• The generated spectra are relevant for radiation protection, space dosimetry, and fundamental physics research.
• The facility's capabilities are valuable for space exploration missions requiring accurate radiation monitoring.