title: Performance of a cylindrical tissue-equivalent proportional counter for use in neutron monitoring.
abstract: Tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPC) allow the measurements of the absorbed dose and the ambient dose equivalent for neutron fields. A device based on this approach, called NAUSICAA((1,2)), has already been developed by IRSN to be used in high energy neutron fields for space applications. The response of this detector underestimates significantly the dose equivalent at low energies (several hundred keV) which represent the major component of neutron fields at workplaces in the nuclear industry. A counter with a similar geometry (cylindrical detector) and a lower gas pressure was studied in order to simulate a 1 microm biological site. In 2003, the performance of the device was further improved by adding a small amount of 3He to the tissue-equivalent gas (propane based) in order to increase the response for the lower energies of neutrons. Three amplification circuits were used to cover lineal energy range from 10(-1) to 10(4) keV microm(-1). Tests were performed in monoenergetic neutron and source fields. This paper presents the experimental results obtained with this change.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, BP.17-92262 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France. quang.chau@irsn.fr
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lahaye
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Donadille
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bolognese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rannou
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D009502:Neutrons; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes