OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to introduce technologists to the basic principles of PET imaging and to the instrumentation used to acquire PET data. PET imaging is currently being done on a variety of imaging system types, and the technologist will be introduced to these systems and learn about the basic physical image-degrading factors in PET. After reading this article, the technologist should be able to describe the basics of coincidence imaging, identify at least 3 physical degrading factors in PET, and describe 2 different types of PET scanning systems. (+info)
Analysis of a uranium solution for evaluating the total number of fissions in the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura.
(2/23)
The uranium solution in the precipitation tank in the JCO's uranium conversion facility was analyzed in order to evaluate the total number of fissions in the criticality accident. Two analytical groups at JAERI performed chemical analyses independently in order to check the validity of the results: the concentration of the fission products (95Zr, 99Mo, 103Ru, 131I, 140Ba, etc), uranium, boron and impurity elements in the solution. The analytical results obtained by the two groups were almost in agreement within the analytical error. The number of fissions per one gram of uranium in the accident was determined to be (1.5 +/- 0.1 ) x 10(14). Also, the total number of events was evaluated to be (2.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(18) fissions using the total amount of uranium (16.6 kg) fed into the precipitation tank at the accident. (+info)
Transport calculation of neutrons leaked to the surroundings of the facilities by the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura.
(3/23)
A transport calculation of the neutrons leaked to the environment by the JCO criticality accident was carried out based on three-dimensional geometrical models of the buildings within the JCO territory. Our work started from an initial step to simulate the leakage process of neutrons from the precipitation tank, and proceeded to a step to calculate the neutron propagation throughout the JCO facilities. The total fission number during the accident in the precipitation tank was evaluated to be 2.5 x 10(18) by comparing the calculated neutron-induced activities per 235U fission with the measured values in a stainless-steel net sample taken 2 m from the precipitation tank. Shield effects by various structures within the JCO facilities were evaluated by comparing the present results with a previous calculation using two-dimensional models which suppose a point source of the fission spectrum in the air above the ground without any shield structures. The shield effect by the precipitation tank, itself, was obtained to be a factor of 3. The shield factor by the conversion building varied between 1.1 and 2, depending on the direction from the building. The shield effect by the surrounding buildings within the JCO territory was between I and 5, also depending on the direction. (+info)
Determination of radionuclides induced by fast neutrons from the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura, Japan for estimating neutron doses.
(4/23)
A criticality accident occurred at a uranium conversion facility in Tokai-mura, Japan on September 30, 1999, and fission neutrons were continuously emitted for about 20 hours. Materials of stainless steel or iron, and chemical reagents were collected at places between 2 m and 270 m from the criticality accident site on October 25 and 26, 1999, November 27, 1999 and February 11, 2000. Neutron-induced radionuclides. such as 54Mn and 58Co, in the materials exposed to fast neutrons from the accident were measured to estimate the neutron fluences and energy distributions. Highly sensitive y-ray spectrometry with a well-type Ge detector was performed after radiochemical separation of Mn and Co from the materials. An instrumental neutron activation analysis was mainly applied for determinations of the target elements and chemical yields. The concentrations of 54Mn and 58Co in a mesh screen of stainless steel collected at a location 2.0 m from the accident site were determined. The total number of fission events was evaluated to be 2.5 x 10(18) by Monte-Carlo calculations of neutron transfer by considering the observed values of 54Mn and 58Co. The results presented here are fundamental to estimate the neutron doses at various distances. (+info)
Activation of soil and chemical reagents exposed to the neutrons released by the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura.
(5/23)
Specific activities (Bq/g-element) of residual neutron-induced radionuclides by the JCO criticality accident were measured for soil, concrete block and chemical reagent samples collected in the JCO campus. Induced radionuclides such as 24Na, 46Sc, 54Mn, 59Fe, 60Co, 65Zn, 82Br, 122Sb, 134Cs and 140La were detected in the samples, depending on the ground distance from the accident point and the sampling date. Apparent thermal, epi-thermal and fast neutron fluences, which reached the sample at each point, were roughly estimated from the specific activities and cross sections of the target nuclides taken from a literature. The present data are believed to be important as validation data for a three-dimensional neutron transport model calculation. (+info)
External doses to 350 m zone residents due to anisotropic radiation from the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura.
(6/23)
The validity of a method for individual dose reconstruction based on the anisotropic radiation distribution was confirmed by a comparison with the dose from Na-24 whole-body counting for seven persons at a neighboring company located on the western side of the JCO campus. The successful coincidence between Di (Na-24) and Di (present) also supports the validity of the second version of D(r) reported by the Head Office of Countermeasure. The present dose reconstruction for the 350 m zone at the western side showed an average value of 0.7 mSv and a maximal value of 3.1 mSv, as indoor-dose under the assumption of an effective transmittance of 0.4 for all of the houses. If all of the residents in 350 m zone were indoors during the accident, 83% of them might have received external doses of less than 1 mSv. The radiation exposure to the nearest residential area in the southern-west direction was significantly reduced with phi(theta(i)) between 0.4 and 0.2 by several buildings on the JCO campus. The present study on the public dose confirms that the official report on the public dose (the maximal value of 21 mSv for individual doses) from Head Office of Countermeasure is significantly overestimated due to their isotropic treatment of radiation from the source. (+info)
A model for online interactive remote education for medical physics using the Internet.
(7/23)
BACKGROUND: Medical physics is a relatively small community but it spans great geographical distances, usually with a scarcity of experts whose expertise could greatly benefit students entering into the field. In addition there are many software systems for which an interactive education method would be most advantageous. OBJECTIVE: To develop a process to optimally use the Internet for real-time interactive remote education of medical physics and to present the experience of the study. METHODS: The project is a collaboration of the Department of Medical Physics at the Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre in Canada and the Department of Radiology at the University of Malaya in Malaysia. A class of medical-physics graduate students at the University of Malaya attended lectures provided by lecturers in Toronto, using the Internet as the main tool of communication. RESULTS: The different methods that can be used to provide the real-time interactive remote education were explored, and various topics-including traditional classroom lectures as well as hands-on workshops-were also delivered. CONCLUSIONS: The concept of real-time interactive remote education is viable and holds promise for providing economical and practical tele-education to the medical physics community, but depends heavily on the availability of the Internet in many developing countries. (+info)