Hiroshima-Like Neutrons from A-Bomb Replica: Physical Basis for Their Use in Biological Experiments

The lineal energy distribution and several other dosimetric parameters were measured for the neutrons emitted from a replica of the Hiroshima bomb to determine their usefulness in biological experiments designed to estimate the effectiveness of actual Hiroshima neutrons. The "Little-Boy" r...

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Veröffentlicht in:Radiation research 1991-11, Vol.128 (2), p.133-142
Hauptverfasser: Straume, T., McDonald, J. C., Pederson, R. A., Brenner, D. J., Dobson, R. L.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:The lineal energy distribution and several other dosimetric parameters were measured for the neutrons emitted from a replica of the Hiroshima bomb to determine their usefulness in biological experiments designed to estimate the effectiveness of actual Hiroshima neutrons. The "Little-Boy" replica (LBR) was constructed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in support of the recent atomic-bomb dose reevaluation and was made of identical materials and had nearly identical dimensions and geometry as the Hiroshima bomb. However, the LBR was operated as a steady-state nuclear reactor, which permitted measurements under controlled conditions. Detailed dosimetric measurements and calculations were made at distances of up to 2.1 m from the center of the LBR uranium core. At these distances, the in-air kerma was ∼97% from neutrons and kerma rates were shown to be particularly useful for biological experiments (up to ∼7 Gy/h was possible). Quantitative intercomparisons of neutron energy spectra, lineal energy distributions, and measured cytogenetic results for several fission-neutron sources indicate that Hiroshima and LBR neutrons should be of similar biological effectiveness. Based on these evaluations, and cytogenetic results for LBR neutrons reported in a companion paper (this issue), it is estimated that Hiroshima neutrons were 20 to 30% more effective than the fission neutrons commonly used in radiobiology.
ISSN:0033-7587
1938-5404
DOI:10.2307/3578130