The US Department of Energy (DOE) is embarking on a series of tests of coated-particle reactor fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR). As one part of this fuel development program a series of eight (8) fuel irradiation tests are planned for the Idaho National Laboratory's (INL's) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). The first test in this series (AGR-1) will incorporate six separate "capsules" irradiated simultaneously, each containing about 51,000 TRISO-coated fuel particles supported in a graphite matrix and continuously swept with inert gas during irradiation. The effluent gas from each of the six capsules must be independently monitored in near real time and the activity of various fission gas nuclides determined and reported. A set of seven heavily-shielded high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometers and sodium iodide [NaI(Tl)] scintillation detector-based total radiation detectors have been designed, and are being configured and tested for use during the AGR-1 experiment. The AGR-1 test specification requires that the AGR-1 fission product measurement system (FPMS) have sufficient sensitivity to detect the failure of a single coated fuel particle and sufficient range to allow it to "count" multiple (up to 250) successive particle failures. This paper describes the design and expected performance of the AGR-1 FPMS.

Fission chambers are a common type of detector used to determine the neutron flux and power of a nuclear reactor. Due to the limited space and high neutron flux in a reactor core, it is difficult to perform real-time flux measurements with present-day in-core instrumentation. Micro-pocket fission detectors, or MPFDs, are relatively small in size and have low neutron sensitivity while retaining a large neutron to gamma ray discrimination ratio, thereby, allowing them to be used as active neutron flux monitors inside a nuclear reactor core. The micro-pocket fission chamber allows for multiple detectors to be inserted into a flux port or other available openings within the nuclear reactor core. Any material used to construct the MPFD must be rugged and capable of sustaining radiation damage for long periods of time. Each calibrated MPFD provides measurements of the flux for a discrete location. The size of these detectors allows for a spatial map of the flux to be developed, enabling real-time analysis of core burnup, power peaking, and rod shadowing. Small diameter thermocouples can be included with the array to also measure the temperature at each location. The following document details the research and development of MPFDs for long term use in nuclear power reactors. Previous MPFD designs were improved, miniaturized, and optimized for long term operations in reactor test ports designed for passive measurements of fluence using iron wires. Detector chambers with dimensions of 0.08 in x 0.06 in x 0.04 in were attached to a common cathode and individual anodes to construct an array of the MPFDs. Each array was tested at the Kansas State University TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor to demonstrate functionality. The linear response in reactor power was measured. These arrays have also demonstrated reactor power tracking by following reactivity changes in steady state operations and reactor pulsing events. Stability testing showed consistent operation at 100 kW for several hours. The MPFDs have been demonstrated to be a viable technology for in-core measurements.

A new kind of optical dosimetry such as the in-core power monitoring and gamma ray thermometer using radio luminescence and thermal radiation due to gamma ray in optical fibers was demonstrated. During heavy irradiation in the core region of JMTR fission reactor, optical fiber kept good transmission characteristics and radio luminescence and thermal radiation appeared in the infrared region. Intensities of radio luminescence and thermal radiation were found to be directly proportional to the reactor power. Also, temperatures could be estimated by thermal radiation of Planck's law. The optical measuring method using optical fiber could be used to compose simple and convenient monitoring system of power and temperature as a reactor dosimetry.

Small-Animal SPECT Imaging is an edited work derived from the first workshop on Small-Animal SPECT Imaging held January 14-16, 2004 at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA. The overall goal of the meeting and therefore this volume is to promote information exchange and collaboration between the research groups developing systems for small-animal applications. Topics include the biomedical significance of small-animal imaging, an overview of detector technologies including scintillation cameras and semi-conductor arrays, imager design and data acquisition systems, animal handling and anesthesia issues, objective assessment of image quality, and system modeling and reconstruction algorithms.

Considers ratification of an international agreement to establish the International Atomic Energy Agency.