Dose depth and penetration of light dependence in the irradiated optical glass by reactor neutrons

Abstract The effect of absorbed gamma dose of the optical glass containing B 2 O 3 and BaO was examined at nine different dose levels, ranging between ∼1 and 36 kGy, in order to explain dose depth and penetration of light dependence. The specific light absorbance per unit area was examined to determine the changes in penetration ability of light photons into the irradiated glass structure due to the absorbed dose. Determining the increase in the absorbance of light photons is proposed as an approach to create the equivalent dose estimation. Examination of the penetration of light photon for the visible range presented an importance to evaluate absorbed dose depth in optical glass. The variations of light absorbance in the standardisation concept were controlled by the absorbed dose in a practical way. A calibration curve was determined depending on the variations of absorbed dose depth and optical density at 620 nm in the visible range. The effect of neutron and mixed gamma/neutron radiation in the tangential beam tube and the central thimble of the nuclear reactor, respectively were evaluated by means of equivalent gamma dose in order to explain the light absorbance in the irradiated glass.