Evaluation of sodium activation distribution in the PMMA water phantom after fast neutron irradiation

Abstract

Na-24 produced by the neutron activation of stable sodium in the body is commonly used to assess neutron doses after criticality accidents. However, the Na-24 distribution is not uniform owing to the interaction with the human body. In this study, we experimentally evaluated the Na-24 distribution in a PMMA water phantom and 60 polyethylene vials. The vials were analyzed to evaluate the sodium activation distribution in the PMMA water phantom by employing a correction factor. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.