Measurement of Neutron and Gamma-Ray Absorbed Doses inside Human Body in Criticality Accident Situations Using Phantom and Tissue-Equivalent Dosimeters

摘要

Personal dosimeters provide a fundamental evaluation of external exposures to human bodies in radiation accidents. For emergency medical treatment to heavily exposed patients, the evaluation of dose distribution inside the body has been tried by computational simulations. Experimental data on dose distributions inside the body are necessary for accurate simulation of human dosimetry, particularly in complex radiation fields of neutrons and gamma-rays such as criticality accidents. A preliminary experiment on the human dosimetry was carried out at the Transient Experiment Critical Facility (TRACY) to acquire such experimental data in criticality accident situations. A combined use of two kinds of tissue-equivalent dosimeters together with a human phantom was employed to measure neutron and gamma-ray absorbed doses inside the body. The neutron and gamma-ray absorbed doses measured on the phantom were found to be in roughly the same level as those averaged over the phantom inside or those measured in free air. The dose distributions measured inside and on the phantom could be qualitatively interpreted from reflection and attenuation of neutrons and gamma-rays in the phantom, neutron-induced secondary gamma-rays emitted in the phantom, and so forth.