~200 keV Radiation Field
Appropriate research problems and proposal: Could scientists create a radiation detector that can measure all forms radiation energy with the same accuracy over a wide energy range, and if they cannot, what technological progress has taken place today that may improve the radiation detection procedures and equipment is used.
Arguably, radiation detectors and dosimeters are important tools to evaluate radiation exposure and ensure a safe work area. However, no single detector can measure all forms of radiation level with similar accuracy and efficiency yet there are different types of particles that produce radiation. As a result, different radiation detectors have to be used to detect different forms of radiations at different intensities (The EGS5 Code System 2008).
However, besides needing different detectors for different forms of radiation and levels, the energy of an incident can distort the responses of detection equipment, therefore, endangering human life if exposed. Arguably, the 200 keV regions is an important region for the dosimeter responses because it is the transition point, which dictates the calibration of low energy regions, therefore, reducing uncertainty in the response while measuring, and detecting radiation. In addition, readings recorded at low energy regions often have error because they have a rather low calibration field and since most stable sources are at higher mono energy regions.
However, there are mono-energetic sources for low energy regions that produce desirable energy of around 200 keV. However, such regions also produce protons with energy of 35 keV, 81 keV, and 383 keV among others with varying short lives, as well. However, there is the existence of a technique that uses an x-ray generator with several sets of filter and applied peak voltage that are argued to provide 200 keV mono-energetic photon (Mesbahi, Jamali, and Gharehaghaji 2013). This process provides two energy calibrations, which then provides suitable radiation sources for dosimeter calibration. Small laboratories without access to X- ray generator facilities use the dual energy radiation to ease the calibration process and yet yield similar results. This process is called the backscatter layout.
Interpreting low gamma radiations from plastic scintillator detectors has been part of an ongoing study in low energy photon dosimetry. This study has been ongoing in earnest because interpreting low gamma dose rates from accumulated plastic scintillator detectors is usually very tedious yet low profitability task. A plastic scintillator is a simple fluorescent emitter with the density similar to that of the human soft tissue but relatively energy independent. However, researchers have attempted to correlate the counts obtained in the scintillator of the absorbed energy by correlating the counts obtained with a particular dose or value. This technique embraces the simple fitting approach to recognize Campton edge positions, which provide sufficient accurateness as compared to the calculated spectra.
After performing the experiment, scientist argues that the energy calibrated from simple fitting approach could be confirmed using calculated spectra. Arguably, this is more practical approach compared for technicians looking for radiation with accurate results. The accuracy is developed by linear behavior of counts per absorbed dose providing a promising energy used to calibrate scintillator energy deposition for photons. Today, the scintillator can give a gamma dose rate value of Cs-137 and Mn-54.
Overall, these procedures may be very beneficial in the future as they help in the detection of low energy radiation, which may help save lives in the future, even with the absence of detectors and dosimeters that could detect all types of radiation even at different energy levels.
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