Iso 8529-2

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 8529-2
First edition
2000-08-15
Reference neutron radiations —

Part 2:
Calibration fundamentals of radiation
protection devices related to the basic
quantities characterizing the radiation field
Rayonnements neutroniques de référence —
Partie 2: Concepts d'étalonnage des dispositifs de radioprotection en
relation avec les grandeurs fondamentales caractérisant le champ de
rayonnement
Reference number
ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
© ISO 2000
ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
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ii © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Contents Page
Foreword.....................................................................................................................................................................iv
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................v
1 Scope ..............................................................................................................................................................1
2 Normative references ....................................................................................................................................1
3 Terms, definitions and symbols...................................................................................................................2
4 Calibration and traceability of the reference radiation field......................................................................4
5 Calibration principles for calibrations with radionuclide neutron sources.............................................5
6 Correction for scattering effects for radionuclide sources.......................................................................8
7 Linearity determination ...............................................................................................................................15
8 Calibrations using accelerators and reactors ..........................................................................................15
9 Special considerations for personal dosimeters .....................................................................................18
10 Uncertainties ................................................................................................................................................18
Annex A (informative) List of symbols used in this part of ISO 8529 ..................................................................22
Annex B (informative) Minimum room lengths for 40 % room return (reference [11]).......................................24
Annex C (normative) Air-attenuation correction factors.......................................................................................25
Annex D (informative) Total air-scatter correction ................................................................................................26
Annex E (informative) Criteria for construction and use of shadow cones ........................................................27
Annex F (informative) Illustration of the parameters and variables for the reduced-fitting method................29
Bibliography ..............................................................................................................................................................30
© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved iii

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO
member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical
committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting.
Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this part of ISO 8529 may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard ISO 8529-2 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 85, Nuclear energy,
Subcommittee SC 2, Radiation protection.
ISO 8529 consists of the following parts, under the general title Reference neutron radiations :
¾ Part 1: Characteristics and methods of production
¾ Part 2: Calibration fundamentals of radiation protection devices related to the basic quantities characterizing
the radiation field
¾ Part 3: Calibration of area and personal dosimeters and determination of their response as a function of
neutron energy and angle of incidence
Annex C forms a normative part of this part of ISO 8529.
Annexes A, B, D, E and F are for information only.
iv © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Introduction
This part of ISO 8529, and its companion standards ISO 8529-1 and ISO 8529-3, apply to the calibration of
personal dosimeters and to area-survey instruments.
Reviews of the physical characteristics of personal dosimeters are given by Griffith et al. [1]. Reviews of calibration
procedures are given by Eisenhauer et al. [2] and by Burger and Schwartz [3].
More details concerning the characteristics of area-survey instruments, and of their calibration requirements and
procedures are given in publications [3,4,5] in the bibliography. Complete definitions of radiation quantities and
units can be found in ICRP 51, ICRP 74, ICRU 33, ICRU 39, ICRU 43, ICRU 47, ICRU 51, ICRU 57 (see [24] and
[28] to [32] in the bibliography) and ISO 8529-1. The actual procedures for calibrating these devices are given in
ISO 8529-3.
© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved v

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Reference neutron radiations —

Part 2:
Calibration fundamentals of radiation protection devices related to
the basic quantities characterizing the radiation field
1 Scope
This part of ISO 8529 takes as its starting point the neutron sources described in ISO 8529-1. It specifies the
procedures to be used for realizing the calibration conditions of radiation protection devices in neutron fields
produced by these calibration sources, with particular emphasis on the corrections for extraneous effects (e.g., the
neutrons scattered from the walls of the calibration room).
In this part of ISO 8529, particular emphasis is placed on calibrations using radionuclide sources (clauses 4 to 6)
due to their widespread application, with less details given on the use of accelerator and reactor sources (8.2 and
8.3).
This part of ISO 8529 then leads to ISO 8529-3 which gives conversion coefficients and the general rules and
procedures for calibration.
2 Normative references
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
this part of ISO 8529. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications
do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this part of ISO 8529 are encouraged to investigate the
possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated
references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC maintain
registers of currently valid International Standards.
ICRU Report 33:1980, Radiation Quantities and Units.
ICRU Report 60:1998, Fundamental Quantities and Units for Ionizing Radiation.
ISO 8529-1:— 1), Reference neutron radiations — Part 1: Characteristics and methods of production.
ISO 8529-3:1998, Reference neutron radiations — Part 3: Calibration of area and personal dosimeters and
determination of their response as a function of neutron energy and angle of incidence.
ISO 12789:— 1), Reference neutron radiations — Characteristics and methods of production of simulated
workplace neutron fields.
BIPM/IEC/IFCC/ISO/IUPAC/IUPAP/OIML:1993, International vocabulary of basic and general terms in metrology.
1) To be published.
© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved 1

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
3 Terms, definitions and symbols

For the purposes of this part of ISO 8529, the terms and definitions given in ICRU Reports 33 and 60 and the
International vocabulary of basic and general terms in metrology, and the following apply.
The symbols used in this part of ISO 8529 are listed in annex A.
3.1
reading
M
value of the quantity indicated by an instrument
3.2
conventional true value of a quantity
best estimate of the value of the quantity to be measured
NOTE A conventional true value is, in general, regarded as being sufficiently close to the true value for the difference to be
insignificant for the given purpose
3.3
dose equivalent
H
product of Q and D at a point in tissue, where D is the absorbed dose at that point and Q the quality factor: H = QD
3.3.1
[ambient dose equivalent
H*(d)
dose equivalent at a point in a radiation field that would be produced by the corresponding expanded and aligned
field in the ICRU sphere at a depth, d, on the radius opposing the direction of the aligned field
3.3.2
personal dose equivalent
Hp(d)
dose equivalent in soft tissue below a point on the body at an appropriate depth, d
NOTE The unit of the dose equivalent is joule per kilogram (J×kg-1) with the special name sievert (Sv).
3.4
fluence
F
quotient of dN by da, where dN is the number of neutrons incident on a sphere of cross-sectional area da
F = dN/da
3.5
response
R
reading divided by the conventional true value of the quantity causing it
NOTE The type of response should be specified, e.g., “fluence response”:
M
R. = (1)
.
2 © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
or “dose equivalent response”:
M
RH = (2)
H
or “photon dose equivalent response,”:
M
RC = (3)
HC
If M is a measurement of a rate, then the quantities fluence (F) and dose equivalent (H) are replaced by fluence rate (j) and
C
dose equivalent rate ( H ), respectively.
3.6
calibration factor
N
reciprocal of the response, when the response is determined under reference conditions
NOTE The calibration factor is the factor by which the reading M is multiplied to obtain the value of the quantity to be
measured.
3.7
energy dependence of response
R . (E) or RH (E)
response R, with respect to fluence F or dose equivalent H, to monoenergetic neutrons as a function of neutron
energy E
3.8
photon sensitivity
change in the neutron reading of a device when photons are added to a neutron field
cf. photon dose equivalent response (3.5)
3.9
free-field quantity
quantity which would exist if irradiations were performed in free space with no scatter or background effects
3.10
point of test
point in the radiation field at which the conventional true value of the quantity to be measured is known
3.11
reference point
point of the instrument which is placed at the point of test for calibration or testing purposes
NOTE The measurement distance is the distance between the centre of the radiation source and the reference point of the
instrument.
3.12
effective centre
point within the instrument for which its reading behaves as if it were a point detector; that is, its reading varies with
the inverse square of the distance from a point source
EXAMPLE For a spherically symmetric instrument, this will generally be its geometric centre.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
4 Calibration and traceability of the reference radiation field
4.1 General considerations
The neutron fluence rate of a radiation field established for a calibration in accordance with this part of ISO 8529
shall be traceable to a recognized national standard. The method used to provide this calibration link is dependent
upon the type of reference radiation field, but measurement traceability is usually achieved through the utilization of
a transfer standard. This may be, for example, a radionuclide source (4.2) or an agreed-upon transfer instrument
(4.2). The calibration of the field is valid in exact terms only at the time of the calibration, and thereafter can be
inferred, for example, from a knowledge of the half-life and isotopic composition of the radionuclide source or
knowledge of the properties of the transfer instrument.
The measurement technique used by a calibration laboratory for calibrating a neutron-measuring device shall also
be approved as required by national regulations. An instrument of the same, or similar, type to that routinely
calibrated by the calibration laboratory shall be calibrated by both a reference laboratory recognized by a country's
approval body or institution, and the calibration laboratory. These measurements shall be performed within each
laboratory using its own approved calibration methods. In order to demonstrate that adequate traceability has been
achieved, the calibration laboratory should obtain the same calibration factor, within agreed-upon limits, as that
obtained by the reference laboratory.
The frequency of field calibrations should be such that there is reasonable confidence that its value will not move
outside the limits of its specification between successive calibrations. The frequency of calibration of the
radionuclide neutron sources is given in ISO 8529-1. The calibration of the laboratory-approved transfer instrument,
and the check on the measurement techniques used by the calibration laboratory should be carried out at least
every five years, or whenever there are significant changes in the laboratory environment.
4.2 Traceability for radionuclide neutron sources
For calibrations using neutron fields produced by radionuclide neutron sources, traceability shall be provided either
by using a radionuclide source whose angular source strength has been determined by a reference laboratory (see
5.2.1 for angular source strength), or by determining the fluence rate at the position of the tested instrument using
an agreed-upon transfer instrument, calibrated at a reference laboratory. If the source is encapsulated according to
the recommendations in ISO 8529-1:—1), 4.1.2, it may then be assumed that the spectral neutron fluence from the
source is sufficiently similar to the appropriate spectral fluence given in ISO 8529-1 that the recommended
fluence-to-dose equivalent conversion coefficients may be used. The uncertainties in the conversion coefficients
recommended in 10.2.9 reflect both uncertainties in the spectra given in ISO 8529-1, as well as variations in the
spectra caused by differences in source construction and encapsulation.
4.3 Traceability for accelerator-produced neutrons
Traceability shall be provided by using a transfer instrument which has been agreed upon by the calibration and the
reference laboratories. The transfer instrument should be used in the same manner, for similar neutron fields, as
when it was calibrated, and the proper corrections should be applied.
The laboratories' transfer and monitoring instruments shall be checked at intervals as required by national
regulations (for example, by using an appropriate radionuclide neutron source), and the results recorded.
4.4 Traceability for neutron beams produced by reactors
The same general principle of traceability to a recognized standard shall be applied to the calibration of these
specialized reference radiation fields (thermal or filtered neutron beams). For example, the thermal-neutron fluence
rate may be measured by the activation of gold foils, for which the measurement is traceable to a primary standard.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
5 Calibration principles for calibrations with radionuclide neutron sources
5.1 General principles
The response or calibration factor of a device is a unique property of the type of device, and may depend on the
dose-equivalent rate, the neutron source spectrum or the angle of incidence of the neutrons, but should not be a
function of the characteristics of the calibration facility or experimental techniques employed. Hence, in this part of
ISO 8259, detailed procedures are given for the calibration of neutron-measuring devices which should ensure that
their calibration is independent of the technique, and of such factors as the source-to-device distance and
calibration-room size.
For simplicity, general principles are given for the calibration of devices such as area-survey instruments, but most
of the principles apply to other devices as well. The instrument is placed in a radiation field of known free-field
fluence rate and the instrument reading is noted. In accordance with the above paragraph, the reading should be
corrected for all extraneous neutron-scattering effects, including neutron scattering by the air and by the walls, floor
and ceiling of the calibration room (see 5.3). It may also have to be corrected for effects due to the source or
detector size (see the discussion of the geometry correction factor F1(l) in 6.2).
The free-field fluence response, R., of the instrument is then given by
Mc
R. = (4)
.
where Mc is the measured reading corrected for all extraneous effects. If Mc is a count-rate measurement, then
Mc
R. = (4a)
j
The free-field fluence rate, j , (see 3.9) to which the instrument has been exposed is calculated from
B9
j= (5)
l2
where
l is the distance from the centre of the source to the point of test (3.10);
B9 is the neutron angular source strength defined in ISO 8529-1. It is calculated from
BF1(G )
B9 = (6)
4p
where
B is the neutron source strength (i.e., the total neutron-emission rate into 4p sr);
F1(q ) is the source anisotropy correction factor (see reference [6]).
Anisotropy functions for two types of sources are shown in ISO 8529-1.
It is sometimes convenient to introduce the source-detector characteristic constant, k, fully corrected for all
scattering effects (see 5.3).
In general,
k = Mc ´ l 2 (7)

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Then, from equations (4a) and (5), we obtain,
k = R. ´ j ´ l2 (8)
k = R. ´ B9 (8a)
The constant k is specific to each source-detector combination, since it depends on the quantities B9 and R..
Finally, the dose-equivalent response is obtained from
R.
RH = (9)
h.
where h. is the fluence to dose equivalent conversion coefficient. Recommended values of h. are given in
ISO 8529-3 for ISO standard sources. (The value of h. , and an appropriate reference, should be stated in any
calibration report.)
5.2 Important features of a neutron calibration facility
5.2.1 Source
The calibration field of the radionuclide source shall be traceable to a reference laboratory (see clause 4). To
minimize anisotropic neutron emission, the source should be spherical, or cylindrical with the diameter and length
o
approximately the same. For cylindrical sources, the detector should be calibrated at q = 90 to the cylindrical axis
(see ISO 8529-1). The anisotropy should be measured for each source used. The encapsulation should be as light
as possible, consistent with relevant national and international standards for the integrity of sealed radioactive
sources. For heavily encapsulated sources, there may be spectral changes associated with the anisotropic
emission. If it is not practical to measure the anisotropy, it may be possible to calculate it, bearing in mind that the
anisotropy will depend on the location of the radionuclide material within the source capsule (reference [6]). See
10.2.3. See ISO 8529-1:—1), 4.3 and Eisenhauer et al. [2] for a more complete discussion.
The source should be located at the centre of the room or, in the case of an open facility, as high as practical
above the ground. The source should be supported by a non-hydrogenous structure with as small a mass as
possible.
In order to perform a complete linearity check, a variation in dose-equivalent rate of more than three orders of
magnitude may be required (e.g. from approximately 1 mSv×h-1 to approximately 10 mSv×h-1). It will usually be
impractical to cover this range by varying only the distance, l. Rather, two (or more) sources, varying in source
strength by factors of 10 to 100, will generally be required. The anisotropy factor, Fl (q ), will not necessarily be the
same for the different sources, even if they are nominally similar in construction.
5.2.2 Irradiation set-up
A support system should be used to position the instrument under test at a known distance and angle relative to
the calibration source. The support shall be rigid, but designed to minimize scattered radiation. It should be
possible to move the detector such that the detector-to-source separation distance can be varied. When a
calibrated device is used to determine the fluence rate, its support system should satisfy the same requirements.
5.2.3 Irradiation room
The response of the device to room-scattered neutrons will vary with the size, shape and construction of the room.
The room should be such that scatter contributions are as low as possible, but in any case they should not cause
an increase in instrument reading of more than 40 % at the calibration point (see annex B).

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
5.3 Sources of scattered neutrons
5.3.1 Introduction
Calibration factors shall be a unique property of the instrument type and neutron-source spectrum; and, for the
purposes of this part of ISO 8529, shall not be a function of the characteristics of the calibration facility. All
calibrations should therefore refer to the free-field quantities, and corrections shall be made for the influence of
scattered neutrons upon the reading of the device. For calibrations which make use of scattered neutrons, see
ISO 12789. In general, the following scattering effects may occur:
5.3.2 Room scatter
Neutrons are scattered by the floor and walls of the laboratory in a complex way. Their contribution to the reading
of a device can be determined by transport calculations or by measurements for specific laboratory conditions.
Room scatter is likely to be the most important source of scattered neutrons.
5.3.3 Air attenuation (air outscatter)
Neutrons emitted by the source are attenuated by nuclear reactions with the air (see annex C). The air attenuation
increases approximately linearly with the source-detector distance.
5.3.4 Air inscatter
Neutrons from outside the direct source-to-detector path are scattered by the air and may be detected by the
device under test. The relative inscatter also increases approximately linearly with source-detector distance. Annex
D gives the net effect (inscatter minus outscatter) on several neutron-measuring devices for the ISO-recommended
radionuclide neutron sources.
The relative magnitude of room scatter and air inscatter and air outscatter depend upon the size of the room and
the separation distance between the neutron source and the device to be calibrated. In all cases, their effect upon
a calibration can be reduced by minimizing this distance.
5.3.5 Scattering from support structures
Support structures should be as light as is reasonably possible, with little or no hydrogenous materials. Special
care should be taken to minimize the mass of support structure nearest the source or detector.
5.3.6 Spectral effects
For all scatter contributions, the spectral and angular distribution is different from that of the original source
spectrum. Thus, the relative contribution of scattered radiation to the reading of the device is dependent upon the
energy and angular dependence of response of the device.
5.4 Effect of photon radiation
The response of the device to photons should be determined, and it should also be determined whether the
presence of photons affects the response of the device to neutrons. When calibrating a device with a radionuclide
neutron source, the effect of the associated photon radiation shall be evaluated and a correction applied with an
uncertainty compatible with the required accuracy of the calibration. The response to gamma rays shall be
determined with a 137Cs or 60Co gamma-ray source, and with other photon sources if appropriate.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
6 Correction for scattering effects for radionuclide sources
6.1 Initial measurements
The influence of room-scattered neutrons on the reading of a device will, in general, depend upon the type of
device, its distance from the source, and the size, shape and construction of the calibration room. The reading of a
device, M T¢ , due to the total radiation field (source neutrons plus scattered neutrons) can be written in general as
follows (see reference [7]):
k
M T¢ (l) = 2 FL
F1(l ) RS
+ F2¢ (l ) - 1
UV
T W
(10)
l FA (l )
where
l is the distance between the centre of the source and the reference point (3.11);
k is the characteristic constant [cf. equation (8)];
FL is the linearity correction which corrects for any deviation from linearity between the reading of the
instrument and the dose-equivalent rate causing the reading;
F1(l ) is the geometry factor;
FA ( l ) is the air attenuation (air outscatter) correction;
F2¢ (l ) is the correction function which describes the additional contribution from inscattered neutrons.
The reference point of an instrument should be chosen to coincide with the effective centre (3.12) of the instrument.
For a device whose sensitivity is spherically symmetric with its reference point at the geometric centre, the
geometric centre is the effective centre. A cylindrical device, such as an Andersson-Braun survey meter, when
calibrated with the cylindrical axis perpendicular to the incident radiation, has its effective centre on the cylindrical
axis. When such an instrument is calibrated with its cylindrical axis parallel to the direction of incidence, the position
of the effective centre may be a function of the neutron energy. For this case, the Padé method (reference [8]) may
be useful, although at this time there has been little use of the method.
Before determining the correction for scatter effects, corrections should first be made for all non-linear effects, so
af af
that M T¢ l in equation (10) may be replaced with M T l , where:
MT¢ (l )
M T (l ) = (11)
FL
The measurements should be performed under carefully controlled conditions. Since it is desired to measure the
intrinsic response of the instrument itself, independently of any idiosyncrasies of its instrument package, it is
preferable for the output signals from the detector unit to be processed with laboratory-grade electronics
equipment. If this is not practical, care should be taken to ensure that the electronics package itself does not
introduce any instabilities or non-linearities. Dead-time corrections should be made, and linearity between count
rate and dose-equivalent rate should be tested, starting with the highest count rate to be expected during the
calibrations. The linearity can be tested by interchanging two radionuclide neutron sources, of the same type and of
known angular source strength but differing by about an order of magnitude, at the same distance, and then
repeating the procedure at different distances. In general, the performance requirements and methods for the
assessment of portable neutron ambient dose equivalent ratemeters given in the recommendations of IEC 1005 [5]
shall be taken into account.
This clause recommends four different approaches to the problem of correcting for scatter effects. The first three
methods (6.3.1, 6.3.2 and 6.3.3), denoted as the shadow-cone method, the generalized fit method, and the
semi-empirical method, usually involve an initial set of careful measurements as a function of the distance between

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
neutron source and detector. These measurements, however, need only be made once for a particular instrument
type, and need not be repeated each time that an identical device is calibrated.
A fourth, simplified method, known as the reduced-fitting method (6.3.4), does not require this initial set of
measurements nor, since small irradiation distances are not used, the geometry corrections described in 6.2. For
the shadow-cone method, the initial set of careful measurements may also not be necessary, since the technique
allows a scatter correction to be determined for any device at the chosen irradiation distance by performing a
measurement at this distance with, and without, the shadow cone. This approach has the advantage of not
depending on the assumption that all devices of the same type have the same response as a function of energy.
The remainder of this subclause does not apply to the reduced fitting method, nor to the shadow-cone method
when used without an initial set of measurements.
The range of distances used for the initial set of measurements should be at least as great as that required to do a
linearity check for the complete instrument types usually calibrated, subject to the source-detector distance
limitations to be indicated in 6.4. That is, the range of distances should be such that, with the sources used in the
particular laboratory, dose-equivalent rates from approximately 1 mSv·h-1 to approximately 10 mSv·h-1 may be
obtained. The data should also include an estimate of the uncertainties in the reading and in the distance.
The reasons for the requirement of the initial set of measurements and the interpretation of the data differ
somewhat among the three methods, and each method has its own advantages and disadvantages and range of
applications, as will be indicated below.
Whichever method is used, it should be checked against one of the other methods. Note that the different methods
may give calibration factors differing by as much as 3 % to 4 % (see reference [7]).
6.2 Geometry correction
Before any of the first three methods described in 6.3.1 to 6.3.3 is used to determine the neutron response, the
measured data should be corrected for the effect of the finite size of source or detector. The correction is made by
means of the geometry factor, F1(l). For a point source irradiating a spherical detector, F1(l) may be calculated from
the following equation (see reference [9]):
ì 2 é æ 2ö
1/ 2 ù ü
ï 2l ê1 - 1 - r D ú - 1ï
F1(l ) = 1 + @ í
ê çè ÷ ú ý
(12)
2
ï rD l2 ø
î êë úû ïþ
In this subclause, it is assumed that the reference point is located at the geometric centre of the instrument, and is
placed at the point of test. The quantity l is therefore the distance from the source centre to detector centre, rD is
the detector radius, and d is the neutron effectiveness parameter. For l/rD > 2, equation (12) can be simplified to
2
ær ö
F1(l ) = 1 + @ ç D ÷ (13)
è 2l ø
The quantity d has been shown to depend slightly on rD (see reference [9]); the recommended value for all cases
is d = 0,5 ± 0,1.
A more general form, which may also be used for a point source, but is the only one to be used for a spherical
source (i.e., D2O-moderated californium) is the following (see reference [7]):
a4
F1(l ) = 1 + (14)
(1 + a 5 L ) 2

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
with:
l - rS - r D
L= (14a)
rD
where rS is the source radius.
252
For a physically small Cf source acting as a point source, the recommended values for a4 and a5 are:
a4 = 0,29 ± 0,02 and a5 = 1,79 ± 0,02 for 8 cm u 2 rD u 25 cm, setting rS = 0.
241
These values are also recommended for Am-Be sources when calibrating spherical devices with the dimensions
of customary neutron survey meters (rD » 10 cm). For physically larger sources, rS should correspond to the
dimensions of the source, although the characteristic constant may not depend significantly upon rS. For the
252
D2O-moderated Cf source with rS = 15 cm, the parameters a4 and a5 depend on the diameter of the detector.
For a spherical dose-equivalent ratemeter of radius 10,4 cm, the recommended values are a4 = 0,093 ± 0,004 and
a5 = 0,76 ± 0,07 (see reference [7]).
Although it has been demonstrated that either equation (12) (point source only) or equations (14) and (14a) can be
used at values of l such that the source and detector are actually touching (i.e. l = rS + r D). At such close distances
the count rate varies very rapidly with distance, and therefore the minimum surface-to-surface distance should be
greater than or equal to 1 cm, and the value of l should be determined very carefully.
Great care needs to be exercised when applying either equation (12) or (14) and (14a) to an “almost” spherical
detector; i.e., spherical moderator with cylindrical rather than spherical central detector. For these cases, the
geometry correction will be a function of the central-detector geometry and its orientation. At this time, the data for
this type of instrument are not complete enough to permit recommendations for d, or for a4 and a5.
There is no well-tested analogue to equation (12) or (14) for devices with other shapes (e.g. cylindrical). For these
cases, the minimum value for l should therefore be chosen so that the geometry correction factor F1(l) is close to
unity. In practice, this means that l should be greater than twice the diameter of the device (see also reference [8]).
If it is necessary to use smaller l values in order to get a sufficiently high fluence rate, an additional uncertainty
should be included to account for the uncertainty in F1(l) (see 10.2.5).
By convention, no geometry correction is made for dosimeters irradiated on a phantom.
6.3 Analysis of data
6.3.1 Shadow-cone method
The accuracy of this method depends strongly upon the design of the shadow cone and upon its position relative to
the source-detector geometry. Details of the recommended construction and use of shadow cones are given in
annex E.
If MS(l) and MT(l) are the detector readings obtained with and without the shadow cone placed between the source
and the detector, then the following relationship holds,
k
ëé M T (l ) - M S (l )ûù F A (l ) = M T (l ) ëé1 - M S (l ) / M T (l )ûù F A (l ) = 2 (15)
l
where FA (l) is the appropriate air-attenuation (air outscatter) factor (see references [9] and [10]). (Recommended
values of the average linear air-attenuation coefficient for the radionuclide neutron sources given in ISO 8529-1 are
given in annex C.)
Generally, measurements are made at a distance l greater than twice the shadow-cone length so that the
correction F1(l), for finite source or detector size, is essentially unity.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
A series of measurements of the total detector reading MT(l) and the inscattered reading MS(l) (using a shadow
cone optimized for each distance, in principle, but allowing the area shadowed to be up to a factor of 2 larger than
the projected area of the device), as a function of the effective calibration distance l, are then used to validate
equation (15). This validation involves confirming that the data have the form of equation (15), and that the
response R. determined from k agrees with that obtained from one of the other scatter-correction methods. Once
equation (15) is validated, calibrations may be performed by measuring MT(l) at just one, or a few, distances,
l within the range for which equation (15) has been validated. Knowing the value of MS(l))/MT(l), one can then
calculate k from equation (15). The responses R. and RH can be deduced from equation (8a) and equation (9),
respectively.
6.3.2 Generalized-fit method
Equations (10) and (11) are used, assuming that the inscattered neutrons can be represented by the following
equation (see reference [7]):
F2¢ (l ) = 1 + A¢ l + s × l 2 (16)
Measurements should be made at no less than 30 distances, subject to the distance limitations indicated in 6.4.2.
item d). The measurements should be fitted to equation (10), using equations (11), (14), (14a) and (16). The
quantities k, A¢, s, a4 and a5 are free parameters whose magnitudes and uncertainties are calculated using the
least-squares techniques. Equations (10) and (11) can be written as
ék ù
M T ( l ) = ê ú ´ F 3 (l ) (17)
ël 2 û
where
F1(l )
F3 (l ) = + F2¢ (l ) - 1 (18)
F A (l )
For a point source and spherical detector at a separation distance l > 2rD, F1 can be calculated from equation (12),
(13), or (14) [together with equation (14a)]. In the former two cases, the equations are solved for d, to determine the
geometry correction. In the latter case, the quantities a4 and a5 determine the geometry correction. For a spherical
source at any value of l, only equations (14) and (14a) can be used to determine the geometry corrections. Since
one no longer has a point source irradiating a spherical detector, equation 12 cannot be used.
As equation (17) implies, the function F3(l) corrects for the deviation of the count rate from the simple inverse-
square law. At the largest source-detector distances, F3 is determined by the effect of the scattered neutrons. The
value of F3 then decreases with decreasing distance, reaches a minimum, and then increases with decreasing
distance close to the source, due to the geometry effect. The characteristic minimum occurs at l » 3rD for spherical
252
neutron survey meters and bare Cf, and at l » 2rS + rD for D2O-moderated californium. The thirty or more data
points indicated above should be taken in steps of 1 cm to 2 cm for distances less than this characteristic minimum,
and increasing to every 5 cm to 10 cm for greater distances. Once the parameters A¢, s, and either a4 and a5, or d,
have been determined for a particular source-detector combination, calibrations may then be performed at any
distance within the measurement range for other detectors of the same type, and the necessary corrections
applied. For large distances (l W 80 cm), where F1(l) » 1, the generalized fit method corresponds to the polynomial
fit method (see reference [9]). The fluence response can be determined from equation (8a) and, knowing R.
equation (9) can be used to obtain RH and then using definition 3.6, gives the calibration factor N.
6.3.3 Semi-empirical method
This method (see references [2], [11]) is based on the assumption that the fraction of the instrument's reading due
to scattered neutrons can be deduced from a deviation of the reading from the inverse-square law. The various
contributions are characterized by a component independent of l due to room-return neutrons (see reference [11]),
and a component decreasing linearly with the separation distance, due to air-scattering (see reference [12] and

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
annex D). The instrument reading, MT(l), as a function of distance, due to the total radiation field (source neutrons
plus scattered neutrons) is related to the fluence response R. by the equation:
M T (l )
= R. (1 + Sl 2 ) (19)
. F1(l )(1 + Al )
The quantity S is the fractional room-scatter contribution at unit calibration distance, and may be identified with s in
equation (16).
The total air-scatter correction (inscatter minus outscatter) is given by (1 + Al). Note that while A in equation (19)
and A¢ in equation (16) may appear to be formally similar, A is the net air-scatter effect (inscatter minus outscatter),
whereas A ¢ only takes account of the air inscatter component, but may also include any other contributions of
inscattered neutrons which vary inversely with distance l. Calculated values of the air-scatter component A are
given in annex D for some commonly used devices for the four ISO-recommended sources (see ISO 8529-1).
Equation (19) may be compared with equation (10) and (11). The (1 + Al) term in equation (19) is analogous to
FA(l) in equation (10), the important difference being that Al is the total air-scatter effect (i.e. inscatter minus
af
outscatter), whereas FA (l) in equation (10) is just the outscatter, the inscatter being subsumed in the F2¢ l term in
equation (10). Thus, if 5 is the linear air-attenuation coefficient, then for l`S << 1, FA(l) » (1 + l`S), which may be
compared to the (1 + Al) term of equation (19). (Annex C shows that l`S << 1 for l less than a few metres.) Further,
for l 2 >> (rS + rD)2, F1 » 1. [See equations (12) and (13), or (14) and (14a).] For such distances, and ignoring terms
in l 3, equation (19) corresponds to equation (10).
Within the limitations to be indicated in 6.4.3, a plot of the left-side of equation (19) vs l 2 should yield a straight line.
From a weighted linear least-squares fit to the data, the intercept will be the fluence response R. , and the slope of
the line will give the fractional room-scattered component S. Once S has been determined for a particular device,
calibrations of similar devices may be performed by determining MT (l) at one, or a few, distances l and using
equations (6) and (19) to determine the fluence response, R. .
If the requirements indicated in 6.4.3 are not adhered to, the plot referred to above may not be a good straight line.
Some curvature in the "straight line" can be tolerated; this translates as an uncertainty in the value of S and hence
in the calibration factor (see subclause 10.2.6). Since the relative room-scatter contribution varies as l2 , working at
small values of l will keep the room-scatter correction small, and hence the uncertainty in the calibration factor due
to the uncertainty in this correction will also be small. Knowing R. , equation (9) can be used to obtain RH and its
reciprocal, the calibration factor, N.
6.3.4 Reduced-fitting method
A simplified method (see reference [13]) may be used if the minimum value of l is not too small; in this case,
approximately 1,5 times the largest dimension of the device to be calibrated. That is, for a spherical detector, l W 3
RD. At these distances it may be assumed that F1 (l) » 1, and that the linear inscatter correction term [ A ¢l in
equation (16), or Al in equation (19)] is negligible compared with the quadratic term. (This implies that air scatter is
negligible compared with room scatter, which will certainly be the case in most calibration halls at reasonably large
values of l.) Thus, with these approximations, one can write, as a simplified version of equations (10) and (11),
M T (l ) = k / l 2 + S (20)
In this case, we do not assume that the reference point coincides with the geometric centre for a symmetric
instrument, in contradistinction with the assumption made in 6.2. Therefore, equation (20) may be written:
k
M T (l ) = +S (21)
(d + a) 2
with the quantity (d + a) used in place of l. The quantity d is the distance from the source centre to the surface of the
detector, and a is taken as a free parameter, to be determined by a fit to equation (21). (See Figure F.1 in annex F).
Experience with equation (21) indicates that, for a spherical device, a is nearly equal to the physical radius of the

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
instrument. Thus, while a is, to some extent, a fitting parameter (see reference [13]), it is closely related to the
radius of the detector.
To use equation (21), measurements of MT (l) are made at approximately 10 distances, approximately equally
spaced on a logarithmic scale. While high statistical precision is, of course, always desirable, useful results may be
obtained with statistical uncertainties as high as approximately 10 %. The parameters k, a, and S are then
determined by weighted least-squares fitting to equation (21). It is important, however, to choose the weights so
that the data points all have approximately the same influence, or "leverage," on the fit. This is achieved by
assigning weights, wi, which are proportional to the inverse square of the reading, regardless of, for example, the
actual statistical precision of the data. This is equivalent to doing a fit that minimizes the sum of the relative squares
of the residuals; i.e., minimizes the quantity G, where
åi
2
2 æ 1 ö
wi y i - y i = å y i - y i ÷
å i 1 - y i y i
2
G= = (22)
i çè y ø
i

where the yi are the individual data points, the y i are the corresponding values given by the fit, the wi are chosen
to be proportional to the inverse square of the yi, and the sum is over the i data points.
There is an important difference in the philosophy of use between the methods of 6.3.1, 6.3.2 and 6.3.3, and this
simplified method. In 6.3.1, 6.3.2 and 6.3.3, as discussed in 6.1, one makes an initial careful set of measurements
to determine the values of the parameters required to correct for scattering and “geometry” effects. For subsequent
calibrations of similar instruments, one may then calibrate at just one, or a few, points, and make the corrections
using these parameters. On the other hand, the simplified method of this subclause essentially treats each
calibration independently, and determines the parameters of equation (21) for each individual instrument
separately. Of course, the results of earlier calibrations of similar devices should serve as a check for consistency
and linearity.
Before this method is adopted, the results obtained should be checked against one of the methods described in
6.3.1, 6.3.2 or 6.3.3.
6.4 Choice of methods
6.4.1 Shadow-cone method
Limitations:
a) room size: large room preferred, as implied by item d);
b) room shape: no limitation;
c) source/detector size: preferably small, since a D2O-moderated californium source, 30 cm in diameter, for
example, would require a large and cumbersome shadow cone;
d) source-detector distance: minimum distance greater than twice the shadow-cone length. (This implies that very
intense sources are needed to calibrate at high dose-equivalent rates.) The maximum distance is set by the
requirement that increased reading from room scatter should be less than 40 %.
The shadow-cone method requires an additional set of measurements with the appropriate shadow cone in place.
See annex E. These measurements should be made at exactly the same distances, l, as the measurements
without the cones:
¾ advantage: direct measurement of effect of scattered neutrons;
¾ disadvantage: a set of shadow cones and additional equipment are required.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
6.4.2 Generalized fit method
Limitations:
a) room size: no limitation;
c) source/detector size: no limitations for spherical devices;
d) source-detector distance: minimum distance 1 cm between the surfaces of the source and the detector,
maximum distance is set by the requirement that the increased reading from room scatter should be less than
40 % (see informative annex B);
e) neutron source emission: isotropic or nearly isotropic;
f) advantages: fewest limitations, method of choice for spherical moderating detectors with spherical central
detectors, may be used with any of the sources recommended in ISO 8529-1;
g) disadvantages: Can only be used for spherical moderating detectors with spherical central detectors. A
complete set of measurements needs to be made for each instrument type to be calibrated. Non-linear or
drifting readings should be carefully corrected, since they can be masked by the fitting procedure. Precise
positioning and good statistical precision are required.
6.4.3 Semi-empirical method
Limitations:
b) room shape: cubical or close to cubical;
c) source/detector size: no limit;
d) source-detector distance: minimum distance approximately the sum of source plus detector diameters (but
see 6.2), maximum distance is set by the requirement that the increased reading from room scatter should be
less than 40 % (see annex B);
e) neutron source emission: isotropic or nearly isotropic;
f) advantages: initial measurements yield numerical value for room-scatter correction, which may then be used
for future calibrations of the same type of instrument, can be used to predict room scatter, using simple
analytic expressions (see reference [2]);
g) disadvantages: Can only be used if the main sources of neutron scatter are the room walls, floor and ceiling.
May not be appropriate for multi-detector instruments, nor for cylindrical devices irradiated parallel to the axis.
Calculated air-scatter corrections are necessary.
6.4.4 Reduced-fitting method
Limitations:
c) source/detector size: no limit;

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
d) source-detector distance: for point source, minimum distance is at least 1,5 times the largest dimension of the
detector, for a spherical source, minimum distance is at least 2(rS + rD);
e) advantage: does not require detailed, high statistical precision measurements;
f) disadvantages: since the source-detector distance cannot be too small, requires intense sources to calibrate at
high dose-equivalent rates. Requires complete set of data for each calibration. Fitting procedure may mask
drifts and non-linearities. Not distinguishing between air and room scatter and neglect of geometry correction
may limit accuracy.
7 Linearity determination
Non-linearities may be caused by drift and non-linearities in either the detector itself, or the instrument package,
and by pulse pile-up at high rates. The determination of linearity (i.e., the dependence of the instrument reading on
the dose-equivalent rate) is very important, particularly at high dose-equivalent rates. Two to three points per
decade should be measured to determine the linearity. These measurements should, however, be performed within
the range of distances used to test the technique originally. It will, in general, be necessary to use two or more
sources of different strengths, and to vary the source-detector distance, in order to cover the complete range of
dose-equivalent rates which the instrument may be used to measure (see 5.2.1). Since the scatter corrections are
distance dependent, the initial determination of these corrections using one of the methods discussed in 6.3 and
6.4 provides a convenient way to make the linearity measurements on a routine basis.
If the scatter and geometry corrections are not known, linearity may be checked by using two or more different
sources of known angular source strength B9 [see equation (6)], at selected distances. See 6.1.
8 Calibrations using accelerators and reactors
8.1 Introduction
Even though accelerator-produced monoenergetic neutrons provide the best means of determining the energy
dependence of the response over a wide energy range, accelerator calibrations are less frequently performed than
those with radionuclide neutron sources due to the cost and complexity of the required facility. In general,
accelerator facilities are used for other purposes in addition to calibrations, and each has its own particular
characteristics. The same is true for reactor facilities. This part of ISO 8529 will, therefore, treat only the general
procedures used for these types of calibrations, and will not attempt to give as much detail as was provided for
radionuclide neutron sources.
8.2 Accelerator-produced neutrons
8.2.1 Introduction
Calibrations should be undertaken following the general principles given in clause 5, the procedures for
determination of room and air scatter in 5.3, and determination of the effects of photon radiation as discussed in
5.4. For accelerator-produced neutron fields, scattering within the neutron target assembly should be minimized,
and corrections applied as necessary.
8.2.2 Neutron-fluence rate
The fluence rate is measured using a transfer device for which the calibration is traceable to a primary standard.
(See clause 4.) The same principles apply here as in 5.2.
8.2.3 Monitoring
The neutron output shall be monitored using a suitable instrument. The reading of the device under test and the
reference measurements of the fluence rate may be normalized via the monitor readings. Depending upon the

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
monitoring device used (e.g., long counter), the monitor may scatter neutrons into the device being calibrated and
the device (or the shadow cone, if used) may scatter neutrons into the monitor. The former effect will be determined
along with the other components of scattered neutron background. The latter effect should be explicitly checked by
inserting and removing the device under test (or the shadow-cone) and observing any change in monitor reading,
while keeping the neutron-fluence rate constant. These problems do not arise for monitoring systems, such as the
associated particle technique, which are neither neutron-sensitive themselves nor act as scattering sources.
However, such systems are normally restricted to particular energy ranges.
8.2.4 Energy dependence of response
Specifications of the preferred neutron energies and their methods of production are given in ISO 8529-1.
Fluence-to-dose-equivalent conversion coefficients are given in ISO 8529-3. Note that, while the conversion
coefficients are given for monoenergetic neutrons, the actual energy spread of the neutrons may have to be taken
into account in determining the appropriate value of the conversion coefficient to be used.
8.2.5 Contaminant sources of neutrons
It is possible that other neutron sources will be present in the calibration neutron field, i.e., D(d,n) producing low
energy neutrons from deuterium absorbed in the flight lines or on the target whilst employing the T(d,n) reaction,
lower energy neutrons produced via the C(d,n) and O(d,n) reactions from carbon and oxygen absorbed in either
tritium or deuterium-based solid targets, etc. Corrections can be applied for these effects by using matched
background targets containing none of the primary neutron-producing material. These corrections can be quite
large in some instances and have to be investigated carefully to keep the total uncertainty to a minimum.
If the contaminant neutrons are produced when the accelerator beam strikes components of the beam line apart
from the neutron-producing target itself (e.g. the energy-defining slits), their effect can be determined using the
shadow-cone method (6.3.1). In this case, MS [equation (15)] will include these contaminant neutrons, as well as
the room and air in-scattered neutrons. The magnitude of this effect may vary with each setup (see reference [10]),
in which case the ratio MS(l)/MT(l) cannot be considered constant, but should be explicitly measured for each
setup.
8.2.6 Neutron energy and energy spread
The neutron spectral distribution associated with an accelerator-produced neutron field depends upon a number of
factors, including the energy of the incident particle beam and its width, and the thickness of the target material.
The spectral distribution should be either measured or calculated. If the response of the device changes rapidly
with energy, then a correction should be applied to the measured response to account for the effect.
8.2.7 Variation of neutron spectrum with emission angle
In general, the neutron energy varies as a function of the angle of emission from the neutron-producing target. If
the device is placed close to the target then the neutron energy will vary across the face of the device. In order to
minimize the spread in energies, it is recommended that calibrations be carried out at 0° where the energy variation
3
with angle is usually a minimum. For neutrons produced using the H(d,n) reaction, however, it may be necessary
to use other angles in order to obtain particular neutron energies.
8.2.8 Target-scatter corrections
The neutron-producing material will generally be deposited upon a backing disc, and this is also used to seal the
vacuum line. Neutrons emitted at angles other than that required can be scattered in the backing disc and affect
the response of the device under test. Obviously, the magnitude of this effect will decrease with decreasing
thickness of the backing disc. However, in order to sustain a vacuum, the minimum thickness will be about
0,25 mm. If calibrations are carried out at 0°, then there will be a component of lower energy neutrons, with a peak
at an energy approximately that of the neutrons emitted at 90°. Calculations should be made to determine the total
neutron spectrum at the calibration position, and a correction applied to the results to account for these effects. If
the response of the device increases with decreasing neutron energy then the correction can be as large as 10 %.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
8.2.9 Effects of neutron scattering
The effects of scattered neutrons from the room and its contents have been discussed for radionuclide neutron
sources in 5.3. Their effects should also be considered for accelerator-produced neutrons. In general,
accelerator-produced neutrons are monitored throughout the measurements. However, neutrons may be scattered
by the fluence-measuring device and the instrument under test into the monitor, and vice versa. These effects
should be considered and corrections applied if necessary.
8.3 Neutron beams of reactors
8.3.1 Introduction
At reactors, collimated beams of thermal neutrons or of intermediate-energy filtered neutrons (iron, silicon,
238
scandium or U filters) may be produced for calibration purposes (see references [14,15]). Calibrations should be
undertaken following the general principles given in clause 6. For collimated beams, room scatter and air inscatter
should be negligible, but corrections may need to be made for air outscatter (5.3.3). Determination of the effects of
photon radiation should be performed as discussed in 5.4.
8.3.2 Filtered neutron beams

3
A proton recoil or a He spectrometer should be used for spectral measurements and the determination of neutron
current (i.e., the number of neutrons per second passing through the front plane of the detector). To calibrate
instruments with dimensions that are large compared with the beam diameter, the response to a broad, parallel,
neutron beam should be determined by a scanning procedure (see references [16,17]).
8.3.2.1 Energy spread

238
The energy spread in filtered beams may vary from as little as approximately 1 % for U to approximately 30 % for
scandium (full width at half maximum) (see reference [15]).
8.3.2.2 Contaminant energies
There will, in general, be other energies present in the filtered-beam spectrum besides the desired one. They may
be of negligible intensity, or represent a serious contamination. In a scandium filtered beam, for example, a 4 % to
5 % fluence contamination of higher energy neutrons can lead to a 25 % to 30 % dose-equivalent contamination.
8.3.3 Thermal neutrons
Thermal neutrons are obtained by slowing down fast neutrons in a suitable moderating assembly, usually made of
graphite or heavy water. For calibration purposes, beams of thermal neutrons are required with minimum
contamination from neutrons of other energies. A suitable broad-beam source of thermal neutrons can be obtained
from a reactor thermal column.
At the calibration position, the thermal-neutron fluence rate in free air should be measured, as well as any variation
in its distribution over the volume to be occupied by the device under test. Suitable methods of fluence-rate
3
measurements include the activation of gold foils, the use of BF3 and He proportional counters, and fission
chambers. The techniques shall be standardized in cooperation with a reference laboratory. The fluence spectrum
emerging from a thermal column may be assumed to have a Maxwellian shape with a 1/E high-energy “tail”. The
spectrum may be characterized by the temperature of the Maxwellian distribution and the value of the Cd-ratio. See
reference [18] and annex B of ISO 8529-1:—1). The effects due to the gamma-ray component should also be
determined.
In the case of a unidirectional beam, the fluence rate and distribution of the incident thermal and epithermal
neutrons shall be measured over the area of the instrument with the instrument not in the calibration position.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
9 Special considerations for personal dosimeters

Personal dosimeters shall be calibrated on the surface of an appropriate phantom. The type and shape of phantom
and the arrangement of the dosimeters on the surface of the phantom shall be in agreement with ISO 8529-3.
These calibrations may be done with radionuclide sources, accelerator target sources or reactor beams. Routine
calibration may also be conducted free in air, if the dosimeters are not based on the albedo principle.
The arrangement of the phantom and the source should be aligned so that the plane of front of the source is
perpendicular to the line between the source centre and the centre of the phantom face. The reading of a
dosimeter fixed to the phantom consists of a contribution due to the direct neutrons, a contribution due to
backscatter from the phantom and a contribution due to air- and room-scattered neutrons. In general, the same
principles apply as for active dose-ratemeters explained in clauses 6 and 7. However, the methods of determining
the parameters describing the scatter contributions and the geometry effects may fail because of the reading
uncertainties of passive personal dosimeters.
Therefore, as a practical approach and a compromise between the requirements of a low scatter contribution, good
irradiation homogeneity and small influence of the position of the effective centre, it is recommended to set the
distance, lc, between the front face of the phantom and the source centre to 75 cm (see references [19, 20]).
By convention, the calibration distance, l, is the distance between the source centre and the point on the phantom
face directly behind the dosimeter. Thus, if a single dosimeter is to be calibrated, it should be mounted on the
centre of the front face of the phantom, and l = lc.
If several dosimeters are to be irradiated simultaneously, then

12
l = l c2 + x 2 (23)
where lc = 75 cm and x is the distance from the centre of the phantom face to the point on the phantom face
directly behind the dosimeter. If accelerator neutron fields are employed, special care has to be taken to allow for
the inhomogeneity due to non-isotropy of the target source (see reference [21]).
10 Uncertainties
10.1 Introduction
A value for the calibration factor (or response) should be accompanied by a statement of the uncertainty in the
value. Uncertainties are quoted as standard uncertainties with a coverage factor of one (68 % confidence level), or
two (95 % confidence level). In this part of ISO 8529, all uncertainties are standard uncertainties with a coverage
factor of one.
10.2 Components of the uncertainty applicable to radionuclide source calibrations
10.2.1 General
Subclauses 10.2.2 to 10.2.9 discuss the various components of the overall uncertainty for typical cases involving
radioactive sources. There may be special cases involving sources of uncertainty not considered here: more
judgement should then be used in assigning the uncertainty, guided by the considerations given in those
subclauses. It needs to be emphasized that this systematic approach to uncertainties is a relatively new
development, and is still a subject for research. Thus, while some of the components of the uncertainty are well
established, others are only estimates based on general experience and a few specific measurements.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
10.2.2 Uncertainty in neutron source strength B
The value of B can usually be determined by a primary standards laboratory to within a relative uncertainty of
approximately 1 %; hence this is usually one of the smaller components of the combined uncertainty (see reference
[22]).
10.2.3 Uncertainty in anisotropy function FI (q)
A careful measurement can result in a relative uncertainty of about 0,5 % or less in the correction factor FI(q). If the
anisotropy is not known, an additional relative uncertainty should be associated with the fluence [cf. equation (6)].
The magnitude of this uncertainty will depend on the estimated (but unknown) value of the anisotropy itself.
Examples of anisotropy are given in ISO 8529-1, Table 2 of reference [2], and in reference [6]. Note that if several
measurements are made at different distances from the same source (to check linearity, for example), then that
part of the overall uncertainty due to uncertainty in the anisotropy function should be considered as arising from a
systematic error.
10.2.4 Uncertainty in calibration distance l
The distance uncertainty should be maintained at less than or equal to 1 mm, which is achievable with careful
design. A 1 mm uncertainty gives a relative uncertainty in the calculated fluence rate of (0,2 ´ l -1) %, with l in
metres. This is negligible at the usual calibration distances, but should be taken into account when working close to
the neutron source.
Note that if several measurements are made at a single distance, then the distance uncertainty arises from a
systematic error. If measurements are made at several distances, the uncertainty in l should be considered as
coming from random errors. In any procedure, which involves fitting data taken as a function of distance, the
distance uncertainty should be included as a part of the input data.
10.2.5 Uncertainty in geometry factor F1(l)
As indicated in 6.2, when using equation (12) or (13) (point source irradiating a spherical detector) to determine F1,
there is a 20 % relative uncertainty in the value of the effectiveness parameter d, and hence a 20 % relative
uncertainty in the departure from unity of F1 (l). When using the more general form, equations (14) and (14a), the
relative uncertainty in F1 (l) may be estimated from the quoted uncertainties in a4 and a5.
10.2.6 Scattering-correction uncertainty
The uncertainty in the scattering correction can be deduced from the quality of the fit to the data taken as described
in 6.3. When using the scatter parameters determined from initial measurements for performing routine calibrations
(6.1), allowance should be made for the fact that supposedly similar instruments are not always identical and do not
always have the same response to scattered neutrons. It is very difficult to know, without doing many
measurements on many individual instruments, how much of an uncertainty to allow for this effect. Without this
data base, an additional 10 % relative uncertainty in the scatter correction would seem reasonable.
If the combined room- and air-inscatter components are determined with the shadow cone technique, then
experience gathered over many years indicates that this can be determined with a relative uncertainty of about
3 %. Thus, a correction of P % would lead to a contribution to the overall relative uncertainty of 0,03 P %. The air
attenuation correction, FA(l), should introduce a negligible uncertainty since the air-attenuation effect is small.
The calculated values for the net increase in response due to air scatter (annex D) required for use with the
semi-empirical method [equation (19)] are estimated to have a relative uncertainty of approximately 15 %. The
corresponding relative uncertainty in the corrected response is less than 1 %. Since the relative room scatter
increases as l 2, the uncertainty in this correction may be an important part of the overall uncertainty at large values
of l.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
10.2.7 Uncertainty in readings M
For an active pulse-counting instrument with a digital output, the determination of the uncertainty is, in principle,
very simple, since the uncertainty, evaluated from the Poisson distribution of counts, is just equal to the square root
of the (dead-time corrected) number of counts. For some types of instruments, however, it may be difficult to
determine the number of counts corresponding to a given output reading.
For instruments with an analogue output, the needle fluctuations which encompass most (i.e. 95 %) of the readings
may be noted, and assigned a standard uncertainty with a coverage factor of 2. This value is then divided by 2 to
get the standard uncertainty with a coverage factor of 1.
The uncertainty of the readings should thus be objectively correct for most digital instruments, and somewhat
subjective in the case of instruments with only an analogue output. This uncertainty may be the dominant
uncertainty at the lowest dose-equivalent rates, and negligible at higher rates.
The uncertainty in “reading out” a passive dosimeter corresponds to the uncertainty of the readings of an active
instrument. While this uncertainty may be quite significant, a discussion of the uncertainties in reading a dosimeter
is beyond the scope of this part of ISO 8529. In addition, in many cases the dosimeter is read in a laboratory other
than the calibration laboratory, in which case the calibration laboratory may not know the magnitude of the
uncertainty. In general, when known, the uncertainty in the readout should be stated, and included as a component
of the combined uncertainty. When not known, this fact should also be stated.
10.2.8 Timing uncertainty
In general, the uncertainty in the irradiation time is significant only when irradiating a dose-equivalent integrating
device such as a passive dosimeter. In this case, the uncertainty is a function of the time it takes to bring the
source from its shielded position to the irradiation position, and back again. This uncertainty should be made
negligible by having the irradiation time long compared with the transit time.
10.2.9 Uncertainty in spectrum-averaged values of fluence-to-dose-equivalent conversion coefficient
The conversion coefficients for the ISO-recommended source spectra are given in ISO 8529-3. To take account of
uncertainties in the fluence spectrum, a relative uncertainty of 1 % should be allowed for the conversion coefficient
252 252 241 241
for Cf, and 4 % for the other sources (D2O-moderated Cf, reference [23], Am-Be, Am-B). Heavy
encapsulation may, however, introduce spectral changes and a consequent larger uncertainty in the conversion
coefficient.
10.3 Uncertainties for accelerators and reactors
10.3.1 Introduction
Accelerator-produced monoenergetic neutrons, reactor-produced neutrons and special radionuclide neutron

sources are produced and used for calibrations at specialized and well-equipped laboratories. These laboratories
should be well-versed in the assessment of the uncertainty associated with the calibration of neutron-sensitive
devices in these neutron fields, so only the minimum of detail is given in this subclause.
Most of the uncertainties discussed in 10.2 should be considered, and an assessment made of the magnitude of
the associated uncertainty component. However, additional components of uncertainty should also be considered
when using accelerators to produce neutrons.
10.3.2 Neutron energy and energy spread
In general, this correction will be small, and the associated uncertainty will make a negligible contribution to the
overall uncertainty.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
10.3.3 Variation of neutron spectrum with emission angle
In general, the correction will be small, as will the associated uncertainty.
10.3.4 Target-scatter corrections
The uncertainty associated with this effect will depend upon the accuracy of the calculation and the quality of the
information concerning the energy dependence of response of the device under test, and could amount to 25 % of
the computed correction.
10.3.5 Effects of neutron scattering
The uncertainty associated with the effects of scattered neutrons from the room and its contents are similar to
those discussed in 10.2.6.
10.3.6 Fluence determination
Laboratories carrying out this kind of calibration should have detailed knowledge of all the uncertainty components
associated with their neutron-fluence measuring devices. Depending upon the technique employed, and the
neutron energy, the relative uncertainty may be between about 2 % and 4 %.
In general, the following effects should be taken into account:
¾ room-scattered neutrons;
¾ scatter between device under test and monitor;
¾ change in neutron output with neutron emission angle (uniform fluence rate);
¾ change in neutron energy with neutron emission angle (uniform spectral quality);
¾ gamma-ray contamination of the field;
¾ spurious neutron generation from the target backing, beam-line components or bending magnet;
¾ scattering within the target assembly.
The calibration facility should be designed to minimize the overall uncertainty in the calibration.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Annex A
(informative)
List of symbols used in this part of ISO 8529
d Effectiveness parameter
j Neutron-fluence rate
F Neutron fluence
q Laboratory angle
W Solid angle
5 Linear attenuation coefficient (energy averaged)
a Free parameter related to the radius of the detector (reduced-fitting method)
a4, a5 Free parameters used for geometry correction
dN Number of neutrons incident
h. Fluence-to-dose-equivalent conversion coefficient
k Characteristic constant for detector-source combination
l Separation distance
lc Distance between the front face of the phantom and the source centre
x Distance from the centre of the calibration phantom front face
d Distance from source centre to surface of detector
s Free parameter for inscattering correction varying as square of distance (generalized-fit method)
w Weights used in weighted least-squares fit
y Value of individual data point

y Value given by least-squares fit
A Total air-scatter component
A¢ Free parameter for inscattering correction varying linearly with distance (generalized-fit method)
B Neutron-source strength
B9 Angular source strength
D Absorbed dose
E Neutron energy

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
F1 Geometry correction factor
F¢2 Correction factor for inscattered neutrons
F3 Correction for deviation of count rate from inverse-square law (generalized-fit method)
FA Air outscatter factor
FI Anisotropy correction factor
FL Linearity correction
G Sum of relative squares of residuals in weighted least-squares fit
H Dose equivalent
HC Photon dose equivalent
H *(10) Ambient dose equivalent
Hp(10,0°)Personal dose equivalent at 10 mm depth and frontal incidence
L Parameter used for geometry correction
M Value of the quantity indicated by an instrument [see reading (3.1)]
Mc Instrument reading under free-field conditions
MS Instrument reading due to inscattered neutrons alone, during a shadow-cone calibration procedure
MT Total instrument reading during a calibration procedure
M¢T Uncorrected reading of a device
N Calibration factor
Q Quality factor
R Response of a neutron-detecting instrument
RH Dose-equivalent response
R. Fluence response
rD Detector radius
rS Radius of neutron source
S Room back-scatter component

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Annex B
(informative)
Minimum room lengths for 40 % room return (reference [11])
The table below gives the room size, in metres, which will give approximately 40 % room return for each of the
ISO-recommended radioactive neutron sources for a source-detector distance lc = 75 cm. Values for two types of
instruments are given: typical albedo dosimeters or small (5,1 cm or 7,6 cm) (2 in or 3 in) Bonner spheres, and
typical neutron survey meters or large (20,3 cm or 25,4 cm) (8 in or 10 in) Bonner spheres.
Three types of room are considered: a cubical room [length (L) = width (W) = height (H)]; a room with a square floor
plan but height equal to only half the width (L = W =2H); and a similar “half-cubical” room but with a low-scatter roof.
The first two cases have six concrete surfaces, and the third room has five.
Note that the “40 % room return” is a 40 % increase in the instrument reading M due to room scatter, and is not a
40 % increase in fluence or dose equivalent.
Table B.1 — Minimum room lengths (in metres) for 40 % room return (lc = 75 cm)
252 252
Source Cf+ D2O Cf AmBe or AmB
1 Cubical room (L=W=H)

small sphere or albedo dosimeter 4,2 7,5 8,2
large sphere or survey meter 3,0 3,0 3,0
2 Half-cubical room (L=W=2H)
3 Open ceiling (L=W=2H)

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Annex C
(normative)
Air-attenuation correction factors
The only significant contribution to air attenuation (outscatter) is the scattering from oxygen and nitrogen. The air-
attenuation factor, FA, is thus given by equation (C.1) for the ambient conditions: temperature 21 °C, pressure
100,4 kPa, humidity 50 %.
FA(l,E) = exp[l å (E)] (C.1)
= exp {[3,88 sN(E) + 1,04 s O (E)] 10-5 l }
where
l is the distance, in centimetres, from the centre of the source to the centre of the device;
s N and s O are the total neutron cross-sections for nitrogen and oxygen as a function of neutron energy (from
for example, Evaluated Nuclear Data File ENDF/B-V) for monoenergetic neutron fields.
5 is the linear attenuation coefficient obtained by averaging the total neutron cross-sections for nitrogen and
oxygen over the spectral neutron distribution of the source. Averaged values of 5 for the preferred fields produced
by radionuclide neutron sources (see ISO 8529-1) are given in Table C.1.
Table C.1 — Linear attenuation coefficients 5 averaged over the spectra of radioactive neutron sources as
recommended by ISO 8529-1 and references [9,10] (standard uncertainty: ± 1,5 %)
Neutron source Linear attenuation coefficient 5 (10-7 cm-1)

252
Cf with D2O moderator 15 cm in radius 2 964
252
Cf spontaneous fission 1 055
241
AmB(a,n) 833
241
AmBe(a,n) 890

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Annex D
(informative)
Total air-scatter correction
Calculated net increase (inscatter minus outscatter) in response, due to air scatter, for several quantities, and for
the response of several neutron-measuring devices for the ISO-recommended radionuclide neutron sources (see
reference [12]).
Table D.1 — Percentage increases in response types due to air scatter for various radionuclide
neutron sources
252 252 241 241
Type of response Cf Cf (15 cm AmB AmBe
D2O)
moderated
Fluence 1,4 4 ,4 1,0 1,0
Kerma (ICRU muscle tissue) 1,2 1,1 0,8 0,6
H *(10); Hp(10,0°) 1,2 1,7 1,0 0,8
Typical dose-equivalent ratemeter 1,2 2,6 1,0 0,9
NTA film, polycarbonate 0,5 0,9 0,5 0,5
Typical albedo dosimeter on phantom 1,2 3,7 0,8 1,0

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Annex E
(informative)
Criteria for construction and use of shadow cones
The proper choice of dimensions for a particular shadow cone depends on the user's experimental geometry. One
particular design of the shadow cone is shown in Figure E.1 (reference [10]). It consists of two parts: a front end,
20 cm long made entirely of iron; and a rear section, 30 cm long made of polyethylene, with 5 % or more boron
loading. The choice of the front-end diameter has to be based on the size of the available neutron sources and
neutron targets. For sources which are larger than the detector, the diameter of the front end will be larger than the
252
diameter of the rear end, for example when using a Cf-D2O source with a small spherical detector.
The shadow cone should have a negligible transmission for the direct neutrons. The indicated size, however, is
suitable for all neutron energies recommended by ISO 8529-1. A shadow cone optimized for particular energies
may have dimensions different from those indicated. In addition, it may be advantageous to use other materials,
e.g., copper rather than iron.
To use the shadow cone correctly, the following points should be considered.
At very small separation distances between the cone and the neutron source, the reading due to inscattered
neutrons is low, since the cone effectively prevents most of the neutrons produced in the forward hemisphere
centred about the neutron detector axis from scattering into the neutron detector. By increasing the separation
distance, the reading due to inscattered neutrons increases and then remains constant over a range of distances,
this range depending upon the cone-to-detector distance. Further increasing the cone separation distance
produces a rapidly increasing reading when the cone no longer fully shadows the neutron detector from the source.
Secondly, when the detector is too close to the shadow cone, the rear of the cone shadows the detector to
incoming scattered neutrons, thereby decreasing the reading due to inscattered neutrons. The closest distance at
which consistent readings can be obtained is difficult to determine experimentally, but it is recommended that the
distance measurements be restricted such that the distance between the cone rear-face and the detector be at
least equal to the overall length of the shadow cone. If these rules are followed, consistent results for the total
inscatter can be obtained with an uncertainty less than 3 %.
The cone angle is chosen so that the cone subtends an angle greater than the solid angle of the device under test,
but not larger than two times this solid angle. This will require several shadow cones for a complete set of
measurements.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Key
1 Source
2 Shadow cone
3 Instrument
Figure E.1 — Schematic diagram illustrating arrangement of neutron source, shadow cone (composed of
iron and polyethylene) and spherical instrument

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Annex F
(informative)
Illustration of the parameters and variables for the reduced-fitting method
Key
a Free parameter related to radius of detector
d Distance from source centre to surface of detector
252
Figure F.1 — Calibration arrangement of a spherical source ( Cf spontaneous-fission source in the
centre of a spherical heavy-water moderator) and a spherical detector (see 6.3.4)

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
Bibliography
[1] GRIFFITH, R., HANKINS, D.E., GAMMAGE, R.B. and TOMMASINO, L. (1979): Recent Developments in Personnel
Neutron Dosimeters. Review Health Physics 36, p. 235.
[2] EISENHAUER, C.M., HUNT, J.B., and SCHWARTZ, R.B. (1985): Calibration Techniques for Neutron Personal
Dosimetry. Radiat. Prot. Dosimetry 10, pp. 43-57.
[3] BURGER, G. and SCHWARTZ, R.B. (1988): Guidelines on Calibration of Neutron Measuring Devices. IAEA
Technical Report Series No. 285.
[4] GIBSON, J.A.B. and PIESCH, E. (1985): Neutron Monitoring for Radiological Protection. IAEA Technical
Report Series No. 252.
[5] IEC 1005:1990, Portable neutron ambient dose equivalent ratemeters for use in radiation protection.
International Electrotechnical Commission.
252
[6] EISENHAUER, C.M. and HUNT, J.B. (1988): Anisotropic Neutron Emission from a Cf Source. Radiat. Prot.
Dosim. 22, pp. 253-258.
[7] KLUGE, H., W EISE, K. and HUNT, J.B. (1990): Calibration of Neutron Sensitive Spherical Devices with Bare
252
and D2O-Moderated Cf Sources in Rooms of Different Sizes. Rad. Prot. Dosim. 32, pp. 233-244.
[8] W EISE, K. and KLUGE, H. (1994): Calibration of Neutron-Sensitive Non-Spherical Devices. KOELZER, W. and
MAUSHART, R.: Strahlenschutz: Physik und Messtechnik, Vol. I, pp. 248-253. Verlag TÜV Rheinland, Köln,
Germany.
[9] HUNT, J.B. (1984): The Calibration of Neutron Sensitive Spherical Devices. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 8, pp. 239-
251.
[10] HUNT, J.B. (1976): The Calibration and Use of Long Counters for the Accurate Measurement of Neutron
Flux Density. NPL Report RS5.
[11] EISENHAUER, C.M. (1989): Review of Scattering Corrections for Calibration of Neutron Instruments. Radiat.
Prot. Dosim. 28, pp. 253-262.
[12] EISENHAUER, C.M., SCHWARTZ, R.B. and McCALL, R.C. (1987): Effect of Air Scatter on Calibration of
Instruments for Detecting Neutrons. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 19, pp. 77-84.
[13] SCHRAUBE, H., GRÜNAUER, F. and BURGER, G. (1973): Calibration Problems with Neutron Moderator
Detectors. Proc. Symp. on Neutron Monitoring for Radiation Protection Purposes. Vienna, Austria, 1972.
IAEA STI/PUB/318, Vol. II, pp. 453-464.
[14] ALBERTS, W.G., COSACK, M., DIETZE, G., JAHR, R., KLUGE, H., KNAUF, K., LIESECKI, M., MATZKE, M.,
SCHUSTER, H.J., W AGNER, S. and ZILL, H.W. (1979), in Advances in Radiation Protection Monitoring, IAEA
STI/PUB/494, p. 625.
[15] SCHWARTZ, R.B. (1977): Calibration and Use of Filtered Beams. Proc. Symp. on Neutron Standards and
Applications: NBS Special Publication 493, p. 250. U.S. National Bureau of Standards.
[16] ALBERTS, W.G. and DIETZ, E. (1987): Filtered Beams at the FMRB — Review and Current Status PTB-
FMRB-112, Braunschweig, December 1987.
[17] ALBERTS, W.G. and SCHWARTZ, R.B. (1985): Comparison of the Filtered Neutron Beams at the NBS and
PTB Reactors by Calibrating a Spherical Rem-meter. Proc. Fifth Symposium Neutron Dosimetry in Biology
and Medicine. EUR 9762, pp. 629-636.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
[18] IAEA (1970): Neutron Fluence Measurements. Technical Report Series No. 107, IAEA STI/DOC/10/107,
Vienna.
[19] SCHRAUBE, H., CHARTIER, J-L., COSACK, M., DELAFIELD, H.J., HUNT, J.B., SCHWARTZ, R.B. (1988). Calibration
Procedures for Determining the Radiation Response Characteristics of Neutron Measuring Devices Used
for Radiation Protection. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 23, pp. 217-221.
[20] HUNT, J.B. (1989). Determination of the Source-to-Detector Effective Calibration Distance for a 1/v-Detector
mounted upon a Water-Filled Phantom. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 27, pp. 111-114.
[21] SCHRAUBE, H., ALBERTS, W.G., W EEKS, A.R. (1997): Fast and High-Energy Neutron Detection with Nuclear
Track Detectors. Results of the European Joint Experiments 1992/93. EURADOS Report 1995-01, GSF-
Bericht 15/95 ISSN 0721-1694.
[22] AXTON, E.J. (1986/1987): Intercomparison of Neutron-Source Emission Rates (1979-1984). Metrologia 23,
pp. 129-144.
[23] SCHWARTZ, R.B., EISENHAUER, C.M. and GRUNDL, J.A. (1983): Experimental Verification of the Neutron
252
Spectrum from the NBS D2O-Moderated Cf Source. NUREG/CR 3399.
[24] ICRP Publication 51:1987, Data for Use in Protection Against External Radiation.
[25] ICRP Publication 74:1996, Conversion Coefficients for Use in Radiological Protection Against External
Radiation.
[26] ICRU Report 20:1971, Radiation Protection Instrumentation and its Application.
[27] ICRU Report 26:1977, Neutron Dosimetry for Biology and Medicine.
[28] ICRU Report 39:1985, Determination of Dose Equivalents Resulting from External Radiation Sources.
[29] ICRU Report 43:1988, Determination of Dose Equivalents Resulting from External Radiation Sources —
Part 2.
[30] ICRU Report 47:1992, Measurements of Dose Equivalents from External Photon and Electron Radiations.
[31] ICRU Report 51:1993, Quantities and Units in Radiation Protection Dosimetry.
[32] ICRU Report 57:1997, Conversion Coefficients for Use in Radiological Protection against External
Radiation.
[33] BIPM/IEC/IFCC/ISO/IUPAC/IUPAP/OIML:1993, Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement.

ISO 8529-2:2000(E)
ICS 17.240
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INTERNATIONAL ISO

Reference neutron radiations —

ii © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved iii

¾ Part 1: Characteristics and methods of production

Annex C forms a normative part of this part of ISO 8529.

Annexes A, B, D, E and F are for information only.

iv © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved v

Reference neutron radiations —

ICRU Report 33:1980, Radiation Quantities and Units.

BIPM/IEC/IFCC/ISO/IUPAC/IUPAP/OIML:1993, International vocabulary of basic and general terms in metrology.

© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved 1

3 Terms, definitions and symbols

NOTE The type of response should be specified, e.g., “fluence response”:

2 © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

or “dose equivalent response”:

or “photon dose equivalent response,”:

cf. photon dose equivalent response (3.5)

© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved 3

4 Calibration and traceability of the reference radiation field

4.1 General considerations

4.2 Traceability for radionuclide neutron sources

4.3 Traceability for accelerator-produced neutrons

4.4 Traceability for neutron beams produced by reactors

4 © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

5 Calibration principles for calibrations with radionuclide neutron sources

5.1 General principles

The free-field fluence response, R., of the instrument is then given by

F1(q ) is the source anisotropy correction factor (see reference [6]).

© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved 5

Then, from equations (4a) and (5), we obtain,

Finally, the dose-equivalent response is obtained from

5.2 Important features of a neutron calibration facility

5.2.2 Irradiation set-up

5.2.3 Irradiation room

6 © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

5.3 Sources of scattered neutrons

5.3.2 Room scatter

5.3.3 Air attenuation (air outscatter)

5.3.4 Air inscatter

5.3.5 Scattering from support structures

5.3.6 Spectral effects

5.4 Effect of photon radiation

© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved 7

6 Correction for scattering effects for radionuclide sources

6.1 Initial measurements

k is the characteristic constant [cf. equation (8)];

F1(l ) is the geometry factor;

FA ( l ) is the air attenuation (air outscatter) correction;

8 © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

6.2 Geometry correction

© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved 9

where rS is the source radius.

By convention, no geometry correction is made for dosimeters irradiated on a phantom.

6.3 Analysis of data

6.3.1 Shadow-cone method

10 © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

6.3.2 Generalized-fit method