Nuclear radiation laboratory

 

Description

The nuclear radiation laboratory allows the practical handling of radioactive substances and the experimental investigation of the formation and properties of nuclear radiation (alpha, beta and gamma radiation). In addition, the radiation sources can be used to investigate the properties of a wide variety of radiation detectors. In this way, the nuclear radiation laboratory enables the practical application of the content in the teaching areas of medical radiation physics, radiation measurement technology and radiation protection, among others.

 

Measuring stations

As a result of its extensive modernization funded by the Radiation Protection Seminar in Thuringia, practical training groups can work at a total of 7 measuring stations. In addition to the radiation measurement technology, all workstations are equipped with PCs. The radiation detectors available include various proportional counter tubes, scintillation detectors, Geiger-Müller counter tubes and surface barrier detectors.

TU Ilmenau
Figure 1: Typical PC-supported measuring station, here proportional counter tube
TU Ilmenau
Figure 2: Overview of the individual measuring stations, in the foreground measuring station with scintillation detector in lead protection housing
 

Ultrapure germanium detector

A nitrogen-cooled pure germanium detector is also available for gamma spectrometry (here the measuring chamber is lead-coated).

TU Ilmenau
Figure 4: View into the measuring chamber with probe
TU Ilmenau
Figure 3: Ultrapure germanium detector measuring station
 

Gamma camera

A gamma camera can be used as an illustrative object for integrating nuclear medicine imaging into training (view of the secondary electron multiplier in the camera head).

TU Ilmenau
 

Radiation protection

All radioactive substances are sealed radiation sources so that contamination is impossible. They are stored in a source bunker. The laboratory has the approval of the responsible authority in Thuringia in accordance with current radiation protection legislation. The experiments are designed in such a way that the students involved only receive such small doses that the limit value for the population is adhered to. This is monitored using in-house dosimeters with direct readings.