Biomedical subjects

M Sumini

Publications and source records attributed to M Sumini.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Preliminary results on the production of short-lived radioisotopes with a Plasma Focus device.

An experimental campaign was conducted to assess the feasibility of short-lived radioisotope (SLR) production within the pulsed discharges of a Plasma Focus (PF) device. This so-called "endogenous production" technique rests on the exploitation of nuclear reactions for the creation of SLR directly within the plasma, rather than on irradiating an external target. Until now only one research group has published data relevant to PF endogenous production of SLR, and the data seem to confirm that the PF has the capability to breed SLR. The campaign demonstrated production of (15)O, (17)F and (13)N from the (14)N(d,n)(15)O, (12)C(d,n)(13)N and (16)O(d,n)(17)F reactions. A 7kJ, 17kV Mather-type PF was operated with natural nitrogen, oxygen, CO(2) and deuterium in the vacuum chamber. Results to date confirm that, with a PF of this type, up to 1microCi of SLRs per discharge can be obtained.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

GENII-LIN: a new object-oriented interface for the GENII code.

GENII-LIN is a new object-oriented interface for GENII, a well-known analysis tool for the health impact evaluation of accidental or chronic release of radionuclides to the environment. GENII-LIN has been developed under the Linux OS, chosen because it is a stable, reliable and open source. The suite codes that constitute the original GENII simulation kernel have been re-implemented and built, using the G77, the Fortran 77 module of the GCC collection. The code modules and the flow of data among them are at present fully controlled by a management interface written in C++, which is the core of the package. GENII-LIN comes with a new graphical user interface (GUI), built using the QT libraries by Trolltech. Through the wizard-like GUI, the user has full control over the code and can easily handle both the input and the output files.

Body Burden↗

PubMed2005

Monte Carlo simulation of neutron backscattering from concrete walls in the dense plasma focus laboratory of Bologna University.

Between 2001 and 2003 a 3.2 kJ dense plasma focus (DPF) device has been built at the Montecuccolino Laboratory of the Department of Energy, Nuclear and Environmental Control Engineering (DIENCA) of the University of Bologna. A DPF is a pulsed device in which deuterium nuclear fusion reactions can be obtained through the pinching effects of electromagnetic fields upon a dense plasma. The empirical scale law that governs the total D-D neutron yield from a single pulse of a DPF predicts for this machine a figure of approximately 10(7) fast neutrons per shot. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the role of backscattering of neutrons from the concrete walls surrounding the Montecuccolino DPF in total neutron yield measurements. The evaluation is performed by MCNP-5 simulations that are aimed at estimating the neutron spectra at a few points of interest in the laboratory, where neutron detectors will be placed during the experimental campaigns. Spectral information from the simulations is essential because the response of detectors is influenced by neutron energy. Comparisons are made with the simple r(-2) law, which holds for a DPF in infinite vacuum. The results from the simulations will ultimately be used both in the design and optimisation of the neutron detectors and in their final calibration and placement inside the laboratory.

Algorithms↗