Structure of the icosahedral Ti-Zr-Ni quasicrystal

The atomic structure of the icosahedral Ti-Zr-Ni quasicrystal is determined by invoking similarities to periodic crystalline phases, diffraction data and the results from ab initio calculations. The structure is modeled by decorations of the canonical cell tiling geometry. The initial decoration model is based on the structure of the Frank-Kasper phase W-TiZrNi, the 1/1 approximant structure of the quasicrystal. The decoration model is optimized using a new method of structural analysis combining a least-squares refinement of diffraction data with results from ab initio calculations. The resulting structural model of icosahedral Ti-Zr-Ni is interpreted as a simple decoration rule and structural details are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Dependence of the dose estimate on the time pattern of intake by the example of tritiated water intakes

The uncertainties related to activity measurement and time pattern of intake in routine monitoring of internal exposure are considered through the example of tritiated water intakes. For this purpose, a combination of intake-to-bioassay and bioassay-to-intake calculations with Monte Carlo integration technique is introduced as a method of investigation. The time pattern of intake and the measured activity are defined as random input quantities. The probability density functions (PDFs) of the input quantities are defined and a Monte Carlo integration is performed to obtain the PDF of the output quantity which is either the value of intake estimated from a measured value of activity or the estimated activity from a given value of intake. Different possible estimates of the intake are considered: some represent the parameters of the PDF of the output quantity, others are derived from the commonly used constant chronic, ICC, and mid-point, I1/2, methods. The combinations of activity and intake estimates that would provide a stable estimate of the initial intake in intake-to-bioassay and bioassay-to-intake calculations were studied. Several intake estimates satisfying this requirement can be chosen depending on the task to be solved by adjusting the proper activity estimate. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

A simple algorithm for solving the inverse problem of interpretation of uncertain individual measurements in internal dosimetry

The individual monitoring of internal exposure of workers comprises two steps: measurement and measurement interpretation. The latter consists in reconstructing the intake of a radionuclide from the activity measurement and calculating the dose using a biokinetic model of the radionuclide behavior in the human body. Mathematically, reconstructing the intake is solving an inverse problem described by a measurement-model equation. The aim of this paper is to propose a solution to this inverse problem when the measurement-model parameters are considered as uncertain. For that, an analysis of the uncertainty on the intake calculation is performed taking into account the dispersion of the measured quantity and the uncertainties of the measurement-model parameters. It is shown that both frequentist and Bayesian approaches can be used to solve the problem according to the measurement-model formulation. A common calculation algorithm is proposed to support both approaches and applied to the examples of tritiated water intake and plutonium inhalation by a worker. © 2009 Health Physics Society

E18-2007-91 SIMULATIONS OF PROTON BEAM DEPTH-DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS

Rajcan M., Molokanov A. G., Mumot M. E18-2007-91 Simulations of Proton Beam Depth-Dose Distributions Proton beams are successfully used in radiotherapy. A correct modiˇcation of beam parameters enables to spare normal surrounding tissues from radiation action. Our work is focused on passive beam-shaping techniques, which are used to modify the proton beam properties. The beam passes through the scattering system, which consists of scattering materials, energy degraders, drift spaces and collimators. In order to model the proton beam transport through the scattering system, the new Monte Carlo (MC) computer code Track has been developed. The code Track can predict output proton beam parameters modulated by various system adjustments and helps to optimize them. It calculates a beam proˇle, creates beam emittance diagram at a speciˇed position of the system and predicts proton beam depthdose distribution in a water phantom. In addition it calculates beam losses on individual components. We present a physical model of the beam transport calculations and algorithm implemented in a code Track. We compared the Track code calculations of depth-dose distributions in water phantom with experimental data and with a set of MC calculations in the FLUKA code. The accuracy of simulation results and calculation time in Track code are observed