Radiation Facilities
TRIGA REACTOR
The 1.1 MW TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotope, General Atomics) Mark-F nuclear research reactor is capable of delivering a mixed linear energy transfer field of fission neutrons and gamma rays to a number of experimental targets. Large exposure rooms allow the flexibility of variable shielding configurations to customize the neutron-gamma ratio. The ratio ranges from a nearly pure neutron field to a nearly pure gamma-ray field. In addition, the movable core, combined with neutron filtering material, permits shifting of the neutron spectrum energies within the exposure rooms. Other experimental facilities include a pneumatic transfer system, removable beam port, in-core experiment tube, and grid plate sample holders. Steady state operation of the reactor delivers a peak in-core neutron flux of approximately 1013 n/cm2/s. Pulsing operation of the reactor is capable of simulating nuclear weapon detonations.
HIGH LEVEL COBALT FACILITY
The large, wet source storage panoramic Cobalt-60 irradiator provides a 1.17 and 1.33 MeV gamma ray field covering a wide range of dose rates. The bilateral irradiation configuration is ideal for dose uniformity, and is capable of delivering acute and chronic dosing schemes in excess of 75 Sv/min (7,500 rem/min).
CHRONIC LOW LEVEL RADIATION FACILITY
The Chronic Low-Level Radiation Facility (CLLRF) is a Cobalt-60 panoramic irradiator capable of delivering low dose rate gamma ray exposures over a longer time scale.
CLINICAL LINEAR ACCELERATOR (LINAC)
The Elekta Infinity™ clinical linear accelerator (LINAC) is a comprehensive image-guided radiation therapy system that utilizes simultaneous manipulation of gantry position and speed, multileaf collimator, dose rate, and collimator angle for optimization of radiation delivery. It is used in conjunction with a Philips Brilliance Big Bore™ computed tomography (CT) instrument that features an 85 cm bore size for precise imaging of large sample sizes. The LINAC is useful for partial body irradiations.
SMALL ANIMAL RADIATION RESEARCH PLATFORM
The Xstrahl Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) combines CT imaging with precise X-ray delivery to provide state-of-the-art Image Guided Micro-Irradiation (IGMI™) techniques. This can be used for irradiations targeting specific organs.
CESIUM-137 IRRADIATOR
The Cesium-137 Irradiator is capable of delivering 662 keV gamma rays with a wide range of dose rates, up to 0.2 Sv/h (20 rem/h), and is used for calibration of equipment.