title: Photon shielding for 241Am surface and point sources.
abstract: To determine radiation protection requirements for work with actinide elements, a method for rapidly estimating effective dose-equivalent rates from low-energy photons has been developed. This paper describes results obtained from a personal computer program that incorporates the point kernel technique to predict radiation fields from shielded and unshielded sources containing 241Am. Information generated has been used to determine procedures and to design facilities for handling actinides at Argonne National Laboratory's site at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Area or point sources can be treated; effects of Compton scattering in air and in solid shields are considered. Users can select an appropriate response function; their choice has a strong influence on predicted dose rates from unshielded sources.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Science Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803-5820.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Courtney
mesh_terms: D000576:Americium; D011835:Radiation Protection; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D000576:Americium