DUAL-PARTICLE DOSEMETER BASED ON ORGANIC SCINTILLATOR.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Detection
• Applied Physics

Background:

• Conventional handheld dosemeters are typically sensitive to either neutrons or photons, necessitating multiple devices for mixed-field assessment.
• Existing methods often depend on specific attenuation correlations and lack scalability, complicating accurate dose rate measurements in complex radiation environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a proof-of-concept for a single-instrument method to simultaneously measure dose rates from both neutrons and photons.
• To validate a particle-discriminating organic scintillation detector for mixed-radiation field characterization without spectral deconvolution.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a particle-discriminating organic scintillation detector for simultaneous neutron and photon dose rate measurements.
• Compared the detector's performance against traditional dosimetry instruments and detailed simulations.
• Evaluated the method's accuracy for isotopic photon and fission spectrum neutron dose rates.

Main Results:

• Photon dose rates were measured within 4% of simulated values.
• Neutron dose rates were measured within 21% of simulated values.
• The novel method demonstrated superior agreement with simulated truth compared to traditional instruments for mixed-particle fields.

Conclusions:

• The developed method enables simultaneous measurement of dose equivalent from both neutrons and photons using a single device.
• Eliminates the need for spectral deconvolution, simplifying mixed-field radiation monitoring.
• Represents a significant advancement in portable radiation detection technology.