Environmental Radiation Monitoring Experiments for Radiation Detection Laboratories

传统上，本科生健康物理专业的辐射检测实验室练习仅限于检验放射性衰变的基本性质、屏蔽的影响和探测器特性的实验。应用型本科实验室通常设计有支持反应堆健康物理的课程，并涉及在这种环境下使用基本辐射监测设备的实验。在这个项目中，环境健康物理实验正在被整合到健康物理专业的初级和高级实验室课程中。为激发非理科专业学生对应用辐射防护的兴趣而设计的演示包括在入门课程中。利用阿尔法/贝塔分辨液体闪烁系统和热释光剂量计(TLD)的实验正在被添加到本科生健康物理实验室。液体闪烁计数的演示正在为非专业学生开设的健康物理入门课程中进行。检测背景辐射来源和剂量的长期实验正在设计中，用于专业和非专业的课程。参与该项目的设备也被用来适应越来越多的环境辐射本科研究项目，这些项目以前依赖于借用的设备或非现场分析。在接下来的十年里，许多本科生的健康物理课程可能会开始修改课程，以强调环境应用。考虑到这一点，可以评估在该计划下开发或改进的实验，并在全国会议上和通过文献向其他健康计划报告成功和困难。

Radiation detection laboratory exercises in undergraduate health physics programs have traditionally been limited to experiments examining the basic properties of radioactive decay, the effects of shielding, and detector characteristics. Applied undergraduate laboratories are normally designed with a curriculum that supports reactor health physics and involve experiments using basic radiation monitoring equipment in such a setting. In this project, environmental health physics experiments are being integrated into junior- and senior-level laboratory courses required of health physics majors. Demonstrations designed to stimulate the interest of non-science-majors in applied radiation protection are being included in introductory courses. Experiments utilizing an alpha/beta discriminating liquid scintillation system and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) are being added to undergraduate health physics laboratories. Demonstrations of liquid scintillation counting are being performed in an introductory health physics course for nonmajors. Long-term experiments examining the sources and doses resulting from background radiation are being designed for use in courses for both majors and nonmajors. Equipment involved in this project is also being used to accommodate the growing number of undergraduate research projects in environmental radiation that have previously relied on borrowed equipment or off-site analysis. Over the next decade, many undergraduate health physics programs may begin to revise curriculums to emphasize environmental applications. With this in mind, the experiments developed or improved under this program can be evaluated and the successes and difficulties reported to other health programs at national meetings and through literature.