Flash X-ray facilities provide intense bremsstrahlung radiation environments, usually in a single sub-microsecond pulse, which unfortunately, often fluctuates in amplitude, shape, and spectrum from shot to shot. Therefore, appropriate dosimetry must be fielded on every exposure to characterize the environment, see ICRU Report 34. These intense bremsstrahlung sources have a variety of applications which include the following:

Generation of X-ray and gamma-ray environments similar to that from a nuclear weapon burst.

Studies of the effects of X rays and gamma rays on materials.

Studies of the effects of radiation on electronic devices such as transistors, diodes, and capacitors.

Vulnerability and survivability testing of military systems and components.

Computer code validation studies.

This guide is written to assist the experimenter in selecting the needed dosimetry systems (often in an experiment not all radiation parameters must be measured) for use at pulsed X-ray facilities. This guide also provides a brief summary of the information on how to use each of the dosimetry systems. Other guides (see Section 3) provide more detailed information on selected dosimetry systems in radiation environments and should be consulted after an initial decision is made on the appropriate dosimetry system to use. There are many key parameters which describe a flash X-ray source, such as dose, dose rate, spectrum, pulse width, etc., such that typically no single dosimetry system can measure all the parameters simultaneously.

FIG. 1 Range of Available Bremsstrahlung Spectra from Flash X-ray Sources

1.1 This guide provides assistance in selecting and using dosimetry systems in flash X-ray experiments. Both dose and dose-rate techniques are described.

1.2 Operating characteristics of flash x-ray sources are given, with emphasis on the spectrum of the photon output.

1.3 Assistance is provided to relate the measured dose to the response of a device under test (DUT). The device is assumed to be a semiconductor electronic part or system.