The RSEL’s capabilities allow offerings of a variety of services. Together with the support of NRE/MP faculty, the facility is utilized to enhance and supplement the education of the on-campus and distance learning NRE and MP students and to educate and train others.
Varian iX Clincal Linear Accelerator (CLINAC)
The Varian iX clinical linear accelerator (CLINAC) is a machine used for cancer radiotherapy. The CLINAC was installed as part of an $8.5 million investment by Varian Medical Systems. It has principal modes of 6 MeV and 18 MeV for photons, and five electron modes up to 22 MeV. The accelerator vault is rated to shield up to 24 MeV photons, and was designed in accordance with NCRP 151. It has on-board cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging. Though the RSEL CLINAC is not used to treat patients, the room it’s housed in is set up like a typical treatment room. This includes a treatment couch and various accessories such as wedges and electron cones. Access to a CLINAC through a hospital is highly restrictive, as the CLINAC must be left in a condition to treat patients. At RSEL, this restriction is not present, and it allows for access to the inner workings of the CLINAC that would not be as accessible at a hospital. The CLINAC is utilized for education in Radiation Therapy Physics Lab (MP6204) and research projects.
Multipurpose Laboratory
A 2012 Department of Energy NEUP grant funded creation of the RSEL’s Nuclear Safeguards and Forensics (NSF) Laboratory. Development of the NSF space included installation of a Broad Energy High Purity Germanium (BEGe) gamma detection system (including Genie2K and ISOCS software), counter shield,Teflon-coated glove box, and a pneumatic rabbit transfer system. The pneumatic transfer system couples the glove box and BEGe system to the D-T neutron generator vault, enabling rapid NAA analysis.
Radiation Physics Laboratory
The Southern Nuclear Radiation Physics Laboratory resides in the RSEL’s High Bay Support Facility, allowing ready access not only to a variety of detectors and moderators, but also to the full suite of neutron and gamma ray sources. This user facility is equipped with the standard range of radiation detection instrumentation to carry out a variety of radiation detection and nuclear engineering experiments.
Radioactive Source Storage
Because it contains several shielded storage containers, as well as a graphite pile, the High Bay Support Facility is the main RSEL staging and storage area for a variety of collected sources and shields. The facility is also equipped with spherical shells of different compositions that can be paired with several of these sources to produce other moderated reference fields. The facility also contains several gamma sources and over 2 metric tons of natural uranium.
Deuterium-Deuterium (DD) Neutron Generator
The Starfire deuterium-deuterium (DD) generator at the RSEL is capable of generating a neutron yield of 109 neutrons per second. The generator uses the fusion between two deuterium atoms to generate fast neutrons with an average energy of 2.45 MeV. The generator is capable of operating between 80 kV and 170 kV of anode voltage in the continuous mode. This neutron generator allows researchers to obtain a high yield of almost mono-energetic neutrons, which are helpful for the study of elemental and material properties of different samples. Thermal neutron flux can also be obtained using high-density polyethylene at the exit window. It can also be used for fast neutron radiography.
Deuterium-Tritium (DT) Neutron Generator
The Thermo-Fisher Scientific PULSED deuterium-tritium (DT) neutron generator produces a series of 10 microsecond wide 14 MeV neutron pulses with 1.0 to 2.0 x 106 neutrons per pulse at repetition rates up to 100 pulses per second. The ions of Deuterium and Tritium needed for the fusion reaction are generated by a ”penning” type ion source, which sparks through a DT gas mixture with a 2.5 kV and 2.0A current. Simultaneously, a voltage transformer introduces a 120kV field to accelerate the ions toward a DT target, and fusion occurs. The DT neutron generator is used in the graphite pile to determine experimental parameters of subcritical reactor facilities.
Calibration Laboratory
In 2013, the RSEL underwent an expansion to create the Calibration Laboratory. This laboratory contains a 4 m ANSI standard linear calibration track with a 29R/hr 137Cs gamma source for precise gamma ray irradiation; this track also has the flexibility to add neutron irradiation capabilities to facilitate detector testing and calibration.