This unique volume gives an accurate and very detailed description of the functioning and operation of basic nuclear reactors, as emerging from yet unpublished papers by Nobel Laureate Enrico Fermi. In the first part, the entire course of lectures on Neutron Physics delivered by Fermi at Los Alamos is reported, according to the version made by Anthony P French. Here, the fundamental physical phenomena are described very clearly and comprehensively, giving the appropriate physics grounds for the functioning of nuclear piles. In the second part, all the patents issued by Fermi (and coworkers) on the functioning, construction and operation of several different kinds of nuclear reactors are reported. Here, the main engineering problems are encountered and solved by employing simple and practical methods, which are described in detail. This seminal work mainly caters to students, teachers and researchers working in nuclear physics and engineering, but it is of invaluable interest to historians of physics too, since the material presented here is entirely novel.

This publication is an update of Technical Report Series No. 318, Compendium of Neutron Spectra and Detector Responses for Radiation Protection Purposes (1990), that takes into account the major changes in the recommended energy dependence of risk related quantities, the increased importance of high neutron energies, the increased use of boron neutron capture therapy, promising new developments in detector design, new measured workplace spectra and improved calibration facilities. It includes the fluence to dose equivalent conversion coefficients for the recently recommended radiation protection quantities and a large number of fluence response functions for recently developed or improved detectors, as well as over 200 new spectra.

A textbook for a senior or graduate course in medical or health physics. Students are assumed to be familiar with the radiation- producing devices used in radiation oncology. The second volume corrects some errors detected in the 1998 first, and adds discussions of intensity modulated radiation therapy, CT room design, the design of direct shielded doors, and other topics. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR.