Radiation Protection for Safe Handling of Californium 252 Sources

Californium-252 may be used extensively as a new source of neutrons in the next few years. Because of the high emission rate from spontaneous fission, californium can be fabricated into useful sources that are physically small - one of its major attractions. The first sources were fabricated in the configuration of radium therapy needles. Because the users of these sources may be radiologists and medical personnel unfamiliar with neutron hazards, some of the characteristics of Californium 252 sources are reviewed from a health physics viewpoint in this paper