Fissionable materials are handled and processed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Although the probability of a nuclear criticality accident is very remote, it must be considered. Los Alamos maintains a broad spectrum of dose assessment capabilities. This report describes the methods employed for personnel neutron, area neutron, and photon dose evaluations with passive dosimetry systems.
Criticality dosimeters were exposed to different degraded neutron and gamma-ray energy spectra from the Los Alamos Solution High Energy Burst Assembly (SHEBA). The liquid critical test assembly was operated in the continuous mode to provide a mixed source of neutron and gamma-ray radiation for the evaluation of Los Alamos criticality detector systems. Different neutron and gamma-ray spectra were generated by operating the reactor (a) shielded by 12 cm of Lucite, (b) unshielded, (c) shielded by 20 cm of concrete, and (d) shielded by 15 cm of steel. This report summarizes the dosimetry measurements conducted for these different configurations. In-air measurements were conducted with shielded and unshielded area and personnel dosimeters. Phantom measurements were made using personnel dosimeters. Combined blood-sodium and hair sulfur activation measurements of absorbed dose were also made. In addition, indium foils placed on phantoms were evaluated for the purpose of screening personnel for radiation exposure.
