This thesis describes calculations done to determine the radiation hazard of the current Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) scattering chamber at the Oregon State TRIGA Reactor (OSTR) and compare it to the amount that would be given off by a new thin-walled chamber design. These calculations were completed with...
Recent advances in robotics have led to interest in exploring soft robotic technologies as an engineering control for reducing the risk of radiation exposure for workers in the nuclear industry. These emerging “soft” technologies offer many advantages over traditional rigid robotic systems and can perform a wide range of tasks...
Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common malignancy in Caucasian populations. One existing treatment modality for NMSCs is external radiotherapy delivered to the skin cancer tumor by a beta-emitter-containing radioactive skin patch. Alpha emitters, with their higher linear energy transfer than beta particles and shorter range in tissue, make...
Current neutron dosimetry methods rely on the assumption that charged particle equilibrium (CPE) is established within the tissue medium. This maintains that the kinetic energy transferred to the medium (KERMA) is equivalent to absorbed dose. However, this assumption is only valid for large volumes such as the whole body. For...
Interest in increased fuel supply stability has driven an investigation into possible alternate fuel for use in the WWR-SM research reactor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Uzbekistan. The WWR-SM is a high-power, pool-type research reactor currently utilizing IRT-4M fuel made by a single Russian supplier. A candidate for...
Since Ranked Set Sampling (RSS) was proposed in 1952 by G.A. McIntyre, it has been the subject of many statistical investigations and a large number of field studies. Throughout these studies RSS has been proven to provide a better estimate of population the mean and variance than Simple Random Sampling...
The Oregon State University (OSU), Hydro Mechanical Fuel test Facility (HMFTF) is designed to hydro-mechanically test prototypical plate type fuel. OSU's fuel test program is a part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), formerly known as the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactor program. One of the GTRI's...
Oregon State University is home to a TRIGA® Mark II reactor. In October of 2008, the reactor began operating on low enriched uranium fuel. A model of the facility exists in MCNP, a Monte Carlo code that can be used for criticality calculations. Until now, a bias in the calculation...
In intra-arterial radioembolization, nano- and micro-scaled carriers are used in patients with liver tumors that cannot be removed by surgery to deliver various radioisotopes with the aim of improving the outcome of tumor radiotherapy, of minimizing dose to healthy tissue, and of improving the quality of the diagnosis and imaging....
The use of medical diagnostic imaging involving ionizing radiation has drastically increased in recent years causing concern about possible long term consequences such as the induction of cancer. Recognizing this recent trend, the
Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Nebraska Medical Center commissioned this study in order to determine effective...