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Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics
Published on: April 24, 2014
Operational specifications of the laser illuminated track etch scattering dosemeter reader
M E Moore1, H J Gepford, J M Hoffman
1Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA. memoore@lanl.gov
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|April 7, 2006
Summary
The new laser illuminated track etch scattering (LITES) reader offers a satisfactory method for measuring neutron dose equivalent (NDE). It demonstrates good performance, comparable to existing methods, for personnel dosimetry operations.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Science and Engineering
- Radiation Detection and Measurement
- Materials Science
Background:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) personnel dosimetry operations utilize track etch dosemeters for radiation dose measurement.
- Existing methods, like the Autoscan-60, have limitations with LANL's 15-hour CR-39 etching process, restricting neutron dose equivalent (NDE) measurements to approximately 3 mSv.
- The United States Department of Energy mandates annual general employee doses not exceed 50 mSv.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the Laser Illuminated Track Etch Scattering (LITES) dosemeter reader as a potential instrument for personnel dosimetry at LANL.
- To compare the performance of the LITES system against established methods for measuring neutron dose equivalent (NDE).
Main Methods:
- The LITES instrument uses a He-Ne laser and photodiode to measure light scattered by etched tracks on dosemeter foils.
- A carousel positions 36 track etch dosemeters (TEDs) for automated reading.
- Blind studies compared LITES, Autoscan-60, and manual optical microscopy for NDE analysis, calculating the performance coefficient (PC).
Main Results:
- The LITES system demonstrated a linear response up to 50 mSv and a lower limit of detection of approximately 0.6 mSv.
- LITES showed a high correlation coefficient (R² = 0.99) over an exposure range up to 500 mSv.
- The LITES instrument achieved a performance coefficient (PC) of 0.194, which is considered satisfactory (≤ 0.300), comparable to combined Autoscan-60 and optical microscope methods (PC = 0.171).
Conclusions:
- The LITES dosemeter reader is accepted into LANL's suite of radiation dose measurement instruments.
- LITES provides a viable and satisfactory alternative for measuring neutron dose equivalent (NDE), especially for exposures exceeding the limitations of the Autoscan-60 system.
- The LITES system's performance is reliable and meets the requirements for personnel dosimetry operations.
