Calculation of Neutron Flux and Neutron Radiation Dose in a Human Phantom

At present, the neutron dose received by personnel working in nuclear installations is recorded by body surface dosimeters worn by workers. To estimate the true neutron dose to internal organs, this ’surface dose” is multiplied by empirical factors to account for the attenuation of the body itself. The objective of this work was to obtain better estimates of the internal dose by calculating the attenuation of the neutron flux provided by the body. Using DOT, a 2-D radiation transport code, the neutron flux as a function of energy was calculated at several points in a 2-D model of the human body. These flux values were used to calculate the neutron dose at all points in the human phantom. These neutron doses were then compared to the ’surface dose.” The ratios thus obtained could be used by practicing health physicists to evaluate internal doses