A comparison of skyshine computational methods

Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2005;116(1-4 Pt 2):525-33. doi: 10.1093/rpd/nci274.

Abstract

A variety of methods employing radiation transport and point-kernel codes have been used to model two skyshine problems. The first problem is a 1 MeV point source of photons on the surface of the earth inside a 2 m tall and 1 m radius silo having black walls. The skyshine radiation downfield from the point source was estimated with and without a 30-cm-thick concrete lid on the silo. The second benchmark problem is to estimate the skyshine radiation downfield from 12 cylindrical canisters emplaced in a low-level radioactive waste trench. The canisters are filled with ion-exchange resin with a representative radionuclide loading, largely 60Co, 134Cs and 137Cs. The solution methods include use of the MCNP code to solve the problem by directly employing variance reduction techniques, the single-scatter point kernel code GGG-GP, the QADMOD-GP point kernel code, the COHORT Monte Carlo code, the NAC International version of the SKYSHINE-III code, the KSU hybrid method and the associated KSU skyshine codes.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Air*
  • Algorithms*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Gamma Rays*
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Protection / methods*
  • Radiometry / methods*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Software Validation
  • Software*