U.S. Particle Accelerator School
Radiation Physics, Regulation and Management course
Sponsoring University:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Course:
Radiation Physics, Regulation and Management
Course Material "Radiation Physics, Regulation and Management (Fermilab Technical Memo -1834, Rev.12, Oct. 2013)"
Instructors:
J. Donald Cossairt and Matthew Quinn, Fermilab
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of this course is to instruct students in the radiation physics of 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 will award 32 Continuing Education Credits for Certified Health Physicists who participate in this course.
Prerequisites
Basic undergraduate background in physical science and a mathematical background at least through first-year undergraduate calculus.
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they meet the course prerequisites or have equivalent experience.
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 will be 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. Building upon this, 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. Special 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 covered. A discussion of radiation detection instrumentation found to be particularly useful in understanding accelerator radiation fields will be included. Finally, a synopsis of the elements of a successful accelerator radiation protection program will be given.
Reading Requirements
(to be provided by the USPAS) “Radiation Physics for Personnel and Environmental Protection”, Fermilab Report TM-1834 by J. Donald Cossairt.
Credit Requirements
Students will be evaluated on the basis of homework assignments, classroom participation, and a written examination.
IU/USPAS course: Physics 671