The dose-rate field of an irradiator with used fuel elements as the source of gamma radiation

Experiments were carried out on the RFT reactor to determine the activity distribution along a fuel element. It was shown that the distribution of activity is satisfactorily described by a cosine function, and that the equations used to calculate the dose-rate field for irradiators with an even distribution of activity along the radiation source are inapplicable when such sources are fuel elements [the discrepancy is 23% for RFT and 32% for the First Atomic Power Station (AES)]. Good agreement was obtained between our calculations and the experimental data.