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Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
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International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Sam Altman steps down as Oklo board chair
Advanced nuclear company Oklo Inc. has new leadership for its board of directors as billionaire Sam Altman is stepping down from the position he has held since 2015. The move is meant to open new partnership opportunities with OpenAI, where Altman is CEO, and other artificial intelligence companies.
Duong Thanh Tai, Hoang Duc Tuan, Nguyen Xuan Hai, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, David Bradley, Peter Sandwall, James C. L. Chow
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 199 | Number 2 | February 2025 | Pages 314-324
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2024.2366733
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This study aims to describe the steps needed to be made in developing a commissioning report of a Halcyon linear accelerator utilizing the manufacturer’s golden beam data (GBD) as a reference in making the evaluation. The platform herein has determined the performance alignment of our local machine with the GBD obtained through comprehensive analyses. This made use of the gamma index and relative dose difference. This paper details the methodologies and outcomes of comparing local measurements against GBD during commissioning.
For the Halcyon linear accelerator, dosimetric data, including percentage depth doses, dose profiles, and output factors, were acquired using a three-dimensional scanning water tank and various ionization chambers. The GBD were exported from the treatment planning system and compared to the measurements. To evaluate the agreement between the GBD and measurements, gamma index and relative dose difference analyses were conducted.
For field sizes greater than 4 × 4 cm2, percentage depth doses and beam profiles, the gamma indices between GBD and measurements were less than 1%/1 mm. The gamma indices were found to be slightly greater for field sizes 2 × 2 cm2 and 4 × 4 cm2, remaining within 2%/2 mm, satisfying the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Medical Physics Practice Guideline 5 for commissioning and quality assurance of mega-volt photon beams. Deviations in the output factor between the GBD and measurements were not significant, remaining within 1%.
The GBD data were evaluated in the commissioning of a Halcyon linear accelerator, with analyses being made of the gamma index and relative dose difference. The gamma index analysis is shown to be an effective method for comprehensively evaluating deviations between the GBD and measurements in the beam matching process.