U.S. Particle Accelerator School
Radiation Physics, Regulation, and Management course
Sponsoring University:
Michigan State University
Course:
Radiation Physics, Regulation, and Management
Instructors:
J. Donald Cossairt, Fermilab and Reginald Ronningen, Michigan State University
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to radiation physics at accelerators, the regulatory framework in which the associated hazards must be controlled, and the elements of management needed to provide a climate for successful programmatic implementation. The intended audience for this course includes accelerator physicists, engineers, and radiation protection professionals who desire to improve their knowledge of accelerator radiation physics. The American Academy of Health Physics has awarded 24 Continuing Education credits for this course.
Prerequisites
Basic undergraduate background in physical science and a mathematical background at least through first-year undergraduate calculus.
Objectives
The intent of this course is provide the students with a working familiarity with and an improved degree of intuition for the radiation physics phenomena present at particle accelerators of all types and energies and the methods available to mitigate them within a regulatory and programmatic context.
Instructional Method
The course consists of a series of lectures and problem discussions primarily based upon the contents of a publication of one of the instructors that serves as a textbook. Associated with the major topics presented, homework problems will be assigned to be completed outside of scheduled class sessions. Evening help sessions are provided with the instructors available for assistance. The solutions to the problems will be discussed the following day in class.
Course Content
The composition of accelerator radiation fields for electron, proton, and ion accelerators at all energies will be reviewed extensively. Building upon this basic information, the methods of designing radiation shielding at accelerators will be presented in a broad overview, not inclusive of the specific details of a particular Monte Carlo code system. Specific attention will be devoted to low-energy neutron phenomena that are found at nearly all accelerators. The production of induced radioactivity in both accelerator components and environmental media will be discussed in detail. A discussion of radiation detection instrumentation that has been found to be particularly useful in understanding accelerator radiation fields will be included. Finally, a synopsis of the program elements of a successful accelerator radiation protection program will be given. The problems that accompany the course are designed to promote understanding of the theoretical material and foster the ability to solve problems related to accelerator radiation physics.
Reading Requirements
(to be provided by the USPAS) “Radiation Physics for Personnel and Environmental Protection”, Fermilab Report TM-1834 (2005) by J. Donald Cossairt.
Credit Requirements
Students will be evaluated on the basis of homework assignments with the final grade being determined in borderline circumstances by class participation.