Gamma-Ray Dosage in Inhomogeneous Nuclear Reactors

Abstract

Methods for estimating the gamma-ray dosage in samples undergoing irradiation in nuclear reactors are developed. They are applied to the calculation of the dosage in inhomogeneous reactors using CP-3 and X-10 as examples. The examples include a calculation of the heating which results from the absorption of gamma rays and of the chemical reaction which results from the absorption of gamma rays. The non-uniformity of the gamma-ray dosage in bodies undergoing irradiation is demonstrated and estimated. The results show that in nuclear reactors the gamma-ray dosage varies very greatly depending on the experimental arrangements and that, in particular cases, the major contribution to the dosage can arise from any of the following individual sources or some combination of them: the material being irradiated, the containers, the structural members of the irradiation facility, the moderator, or the fuel.