Production, distribution and applications of californium-252 neutron sources
Production, distribution and applications of californium-252 neutron sources
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DOI：
10.1016/s0969-8043(00)00214-1
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发表时间：
2000-10-01
影响因子：
1.6
通讯作者：
Balo, PA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Martin, RC;Knauer, JB;Balo, PA
放射性同位素（252）Cf通常封装在紧凑、便携、强中子源中，半衰期为2.6年。一个人的小指大小的源可以发射多达10（11）个中子s（-1）。California-252在商业上被用作一种可靠的、具有成本效益的中子源，用于煤、水泥和矿物的瞬发伽马中子活化分析，以及用于探测和识别爆炸物、地雷和未爆军事弹药。其他用途是中子射线照相术、核废料化验、反应堆启动源、校准标准和癌症治疗。30年的经验和美国矿务局对爆炸过程中的源生存能力的测试证明了源消除的固有安全性。美国能源部（DOE）加利福尼亚计划的生产和配送中心是位于橡树岭国家实验室（ORNL）的放射化学工程开发中心（REDC），DOE向国内外的商业制冷机销售（252）Cf。密封的（252）Cf源也可借给美国政府的机构和分包商以及大学用于教育，研究和医疗应用。REDC已经建立了中子科学的Califoinium用户设施（CUF），以使其大量的（252）Cf源可供研究人员在未受污染的热室内进行辐照。CUF的实验包括地雷探测系统，固态探测器的中子损伤测试，硼中子捕获治疗实验中对人类癌细胞的辐照，以及辐照水稻以诱导基因突变。(C)2000爱思唯尔科技有限公司版权所有。
The radioisotope (252)Cf is routinely encapsulated into compact, portable, intense neutron sources with a 2.6-yr half-life. A source the size of a person's little finger can emit up to 10(11) neutrons s(-1). Californium-252 is used commercially as a reliable, cost-effective neutron source for prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) of coal, cement and minerals, as well as for detection and identification of explosives, land mines and unexploded military ordnance. Other uses are neutron radiography, nuclear waste assays, reactor start-up sources, calibration standards and cancer therapy. The inherent safety of source encapsulations is demonstrated by 30 yr of experience and by US Bureau of Mines tests of source survivability during explosions. The production and distribution center for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Californium Program is the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), DOE sells (252)Cf to commercial reencapsulators domestically and internationally. Sealed (252)Cf sources are also available for loan to agencies and subcontractors of the US government and to universities for educational, research and medical applications. The REDC has established the Califoinium User Facility (CUF) for Neutron Science to make its large inventory of (252)Cf sources available to researchers for irradiations inside uncontaminated hot cells. Experiments at the CUF include a land mine detection system, neutron damage testing of solid-state detectors, irradiation of human cancer cells for boron neutron capture therapy experiments and irradiation of rice to induce genetic mutations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.