An Underappreciated Radiation Hazard from High Voltage Electrodes in Vacuum
| Autor: | Adam Kryskow, Zack Lasner, Adam West, David DeMille, John M. Doyle, Corinne Mitchell, Cristian Panda, Gerald Gabrielse, Elizabeth West |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Electromagnetic field
Materials science Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors Vacuum Epidemiology Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Nuclear engineering FOS: Physical sciences Electron Radiation Radiation Dosage 01 natural sciences Ionizing radiation law.invention Electromagnetic Fields law 0103 physical sciences Computer Simulation Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging Radiometry 010306 general physics Electrodes 010302 applied physics Physics X-Rays Bremsstrahlung High voltage Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det) Equipment Design Models Theoretical Physics - Medical Physics Cathode Equipment Failure Analysis Electrode Medical Physics (physics.med-ph) |
| Popis: | The use of high voltage (HV) electrodes in vacuum is commonplace in physics laboratories. In such systems, it has long been known that electron emission from an HV cathode can lead to bremsstrahlung X-rays; indeed, this is the basic principle behind the operation of standard X-ray sources. However, in laboratory setups where X-ray production is not the goal and no electron source is deliberately introduced, field-emitted electrons accelerated by HV can produce X-rays as an unintended hazardous byproduct. Both the level of hazard and the safe operating regimes for HV vacuum electrode systems are not widely appreciated, at least in university laboratories. A reinforced awareness of the radiation hazards associated with vacuum HV setups would be beneficial. We present a case study of a HV vacuum electrode device operated in a university atomic physics laboratory. We describe the characterisation of the observed X-ray radiation, its relation to the observed leakage current in the device, the steps taken to contain and mitigate the radiation hazard, and suggest safety guidelines. Submitted to Health Physics |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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