Factors Affecting the Response of the Bubble Detector BD-100 and a Comparison of Its Response to CR-39

摘要

The BD-100 is a bubble detector available commercially from Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Canada for neutron dosimetry. According to the manufacturer, the BD-100 detects neutrons over an energy range of 100 keV to 14 MeV and the dose equivalent response is independent of energy. The sensitivity of the detector is dependent upon its temperature at the time of irradiation. The sensitized detector self-nucleates upon sharp impact and when heated to temperatures of 48 deg C or greater. The BD-100 is insensitive to low energy gamma rays but responds to 6 MeV photons. The sensitivity (bubbles/ mu Sv) of the BD-100 was found to be energy dependent when exposed to standard neutron sources with average energies ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 MeV. The bubbles formed upon irradiation continued to grow in size with time. The response of electrochemically etched CR-39 to the same neutron sources is also reported for comparison. (ERA citation 13:007771)