institute of energy technologies â€“ technical university of

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INSTITUTE OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES INSTITUTE OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES ––

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CATALONIA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CATALONIA

(INTE(INTE--UPC)UPC)

International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology (I.C.R.M.)Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Working GroupENEA Casaccia Research Center Rome October 2010

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Summary

SUMMARY

1. OVERVIEW INTE-UPC

2. LABORATORIES

3. MONTE CARLO APPLICATIONS

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Overview INTE-UPC

1. OVERVIEW OF THE INTE-UPC

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30,000 Graduate and undergraduate students

2,000 Master's degree students

3,000 Doctoral students

4,500 Students on continuing education programs

3,500 Students on educational cooperation

programs in companies

2,000 Students on international student exchange programs

15 Faculties/Technical Schools

40 Departments, 3 Institutes

2,700 Faculty and research staff

1,600 Administrative staff

Some UPC Figures

Technical University of Catalonia (UPC):

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) is a public institution dedicated to

higher education and research that specializes in the fields of architecture,

science and engineering.

Overview INTE-UPC

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InstitutInstitut de de TTèècniquescniques EnergEnergèètiquestiques (INTE)(INTE)

www.upc.edu/intewww.upc.edu/inte

Members:

1 Professor, 8 lecturers, 5 researchers 14

9 Technicians , 3 Administrative staff 12

18 Post-graduate students 1818

Main topics of interest:

Radiochemistry and environmental radioactivity (5, 4, 3):

- To study the physical and chemical processes that are responsible for spatial andtemporal variations of radionuclide concentrations in the environment

- To develop measurement methods for environmental surveillance of natural andartificial radionuclides

Dosimetry and Medical radiation physics (5, 3, 5):

- To promote research in dosimetry with the emphasis on its application in medical physics and healthcare.

- To study the application of Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport toradiotherapy and medical imaging.

Nuclear physics and accelerators

Energy developments

Overview INTE-UPC

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Laboratories

2. LABORATORIES

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Laboratories

LABORATORIES

Radiochemical and Radioactivity Analysis Laboratory (LARA)

Calibration and Dosimetry Laboratory (LCD)

Cluster: Monte Carlo simulations, atmospheric

modelling (ARGOS)

Radiological surveillance stations (XESCRA)

Controlled Atmosphere Chamber (LER)

Hydrogen Laboratory (LH)

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The laboratory is accredited by the National Accreditation Agency (ENAC) according to the ISO 17025 Standard for the procedures associated to determination of low level radioactivity in waters, soils and atmospheric filters

LARA equipments:4 Solid Scintillation detectors of ZnS.1 Liquid Scintillation detector.2 Flow Gas Proportional Counters (20 detectors).8 Alpha Spectrometry Detectors.4 Germanium Semiconductors Detectors.

The LARA was set up in 1985 and has worked in collaboration with the CSN as one of the laboratories belonging to the Spanish Sparse Network.

RADIOACTIVIY ANALISYS LABORATORY (LARA)

Radioactivity analysis laboratory

Since 1985 the LARA has carried out intercomparison studies with nationaland international organisations: the CSN, the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

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Radiochemical Laboratory

Radiochemical samples

preparations in order to

concentrate the specific

activity

Low-level Radioactivity Laboratory

Low-level

radioactivity

measurements


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CALIBRATION LABORATORY (LCD)

• Calibration of environmental dosimetry monitors and personal dosimetrymonitors

• Calibration of portable monitors for surface contamination.• Calibration of high-voltage measuring equipment in x-ray equipment

• Irradiator with gamma photons of different energies and activities fromNuclear Ibérica• Beta irradiator from BSS• A highly stable x-ray generator with a maximum voltage of 320kV fromSeifert• Mammograph from Siemens

Calibration laboratory

LCD equipments:

• 2 x Ionisation chamber Nuclear Entrerprise.• 2 x Ionisation chamber PTW.

The standard chambers that are used for the characterisation ofphotonic radiation beams are calibrated at the PTB:

The LCD has been accredited by the National Accreditation Agency (ENAC), according to the ISO 17025 standard to carry out:

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Highly stable x-ray generator γ-Ray irradiator

(Co-60, Cs.137, Am-241)

Beta irradiator

Calibration laboratory

Monitor

Irradiator

detectorirradiator

Monitor

x-ray generator

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CLUSTER ARGOS

Cluster ARGOS

The Argos computing cluster, consists

of 11 dual Xeon quad core computing

nodes with 16 GB of RAM each and

connected over a 1 Gbps Ethernet

network.

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Controlled atmosphere chamber

CHAMBER 20 m3 ANTE-CHAMBER

CONTROL DESK

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Barcelona Radiometeorological station

Radiometeorological Stations

Continuous aerosol

monitor model

Berhold 9850. Continuous

measurement system

for activity in rain. Self-

developed

CONTINUOUS AND AUTOMATIC SURVILLANCE FOR ACCIDENTAL RELEASES

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SAMPLING FOR ROUTINE SURVEILLANCE

High flow-rate aerosol sampler 1000 m3 h-1

Soil, water and other samples

Soil sample Wastewarer

HPGe

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3. MONTE CARLO APPLICATIONS

Monte Carlo applications

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MONTE CARLO APPLICATIONS


At the INTE two main MC applications according to the research lines:

PENELOPE code has been developed by the research

group of Barcelona University led by F. Salvat. The INTE has an intense collaboration with this group from more

than 15 years

• Medical radiotherapy, imaging,…• Instrumental HPGe, LaBr3, ….

We used basically PENELOPE code or different

versions such as PENELOPE/penEasy

Other research lines like Nuclear Data or Atmospheric

Modelling use also MC simulations (MCNP, FLEXPART)

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To study the application of Monte Carlo simulation of radiationtransport to radiotherapy and medical imaging.

modelling of a linac head with a

multileaf collimator

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To study the application of Monte Carlo simulation of radiationtransport to instrumnents for radiological measurements

2.5 mm

123 mm

281 mm

∅ 140.3 mm

21.4 mm

Geometry of the LaBr3

detector and the Al housing

Geometry of

the HPGe

detector and

shield


2020

Spectra are analyzed with home-made Gammalabprogramm developed in a previous work by the UB


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HPGe Monte Carlo simulations. Sum-peak correction

PENELOPE “penmain.f” is modified in order to considerer the multiple-cascade gamma ray (hard-coded)

Experimental and simulated Co-60

spectrumEfficiencies for a water sample


pro

babili

tydensity

(1/(

eV

*part

icle

)

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Sum-peak correction 134Cs. Results IAEA intercomparisons


Eγ = 605 keV

Eγ = 795 keV

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LaBr3 characterization

Comparison of MC-PENELOPE simulated

and experimental spectrum for Cs-137 point

source.

Picture of the monitor in the

Radiological Surveillance Station

in the roof of the INTE-UPC

premises at Barcelona


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LaBr3 characterization

0

20

0

40

0

60

0

80

0

10

00

12

00

14

00

16

00

18

00

20

00

22

00

E (eV)

1

10

100

1000

10000co

un

ts /

eVCs-137 surface deposition of 6 kBqm-2

1-hour background spectrum

1436 keV gamma La-138+ 32 keV x-ray+ 1460 keV K-40

662 keV Cs-137

32 keV La-138 X-ray

Beta continuum

789 keV gamma La-138+beta continuum

Pb-214

Tl-208 Bi-214

Bi-214

Tl-208

1-hour background

spectrum in Barcelona

where a Cs-137 superficial

source of 6 Bqm-2 has

been simulated with

PENELOPE to analyse

the response of the

monitor.


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Future Monte Carlo activities in instrumentation

• Sum-Peak corrections for complex radionuclides for HPGe detectors. Introduction of the radionuclide in the *.in (input file)

• Estimation of the total dose rate and dose rate for each radionuclide for different for LaBr3 monitor

• Low-level gamma energy corrections.

• Simulation of electron-hole transport in semiconductor detectors.

• Variance reduction method: PENELOPE includes interaction forcing, splitting and Russian roulette. The intention is to program detection forcing method.


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VARIANCE REDUCTION: DETECTION FORCING

Method: for each interaction the probability to arrive P is calculated

∑

Ω+

∑

Ω=

∆

∆+∆ −−

n

iin

n

ii rin

in

rel

el

inel ed

de

d

d

ra

apap'

111)()(2

µµ σ

σ

σ

σ

p(∆a)/ ∆a

Energy

X P

∆a

particle track

θ

Material 1

Material iMaterial n

Energy absorbed in

the detector


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A call is open for a post-doc position in the environmental radioactivity group

Full-time contract period will be 12 months extendable

www.upc.edu/inte to submit an application (15th january 2011)

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THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

institute of energy technologies â€“ technical university of

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