Year
2016
Abstract
The radioisotope source replacement mission in NNSA is to develop and implement alternative technologies and reduce the risks and vulnerability for misuse of high-activity radioisotope sources. Such sources are in widespread use and serve vital roles in the medical, bulk sterilization, and geophysical well logging sectors of U.S. and foreign economies. Examples of successful alternative technologies include commercial blood irradiators that often utilize hundreds or thousands of Curies of 137Cs or 60Co increasingly being replaced with electronic x-ray sources or linear accelerator gamma sources. Similarly, many large scale bulk sterilizers for medical devices and food are being replaced with accelerator-generated electron and x-ray beams. Current research and development on geophysical well logging technologies is focused on replacements to 241AmBe, and 137Cs sources or other measures of porosity. In each of these sectors the research challenge is to develop alternative technologies that meet or exceed the performance of current approaches. This presentation will summarize the current status of radiological source replacement technologies. A path forward will also be discussed.