Abstract
Some concepts in nuclear radiation physics are abstract and intellectually demanding. In the present paper, an “MCHP platform” (MCHP was an acronym for Monte Carlo simulations + Human Phantoms) was proposed to provide assistance to the students through visualization. The platform involved Monte Carlo simulations of interactions between ionizing radiations and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) adult male human phantom. As an example to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed MCHP platform, the present paper investigated the variation of the absorbed photon dose per photon from a 137Cs source in three selected organs, namely, brain, spine and thyroid of an adult male for concrete and lead shields with varying thicknesses. The results were interesting but not readily comprehensible without direct visualization. Graphical visualization snapshots as well as video clips of real time interactions between the photons and the human phantom were presented for the involved cases, and the results were explained with the help of such snapshots and video clips. It is envisaged that, if the platform is found useful and effective by the readers, the readers can also propose examples to be gradually added onto this platform in future, with the ultimate goal of enhancing students’ understanding and learning the concepts in an undergraduate nuclear radiation physics course or a related course.
Highlights
Nuclear radiation physics is an interesting subject in physics but some concepts are abstract and intellectually demanding
The stochastic nature of radioactivity as well as interactions between ionizing radiation with matter have made their direct visualization relatively tedious and challenging, and as a result many concepts involved in nuclear radiation physics are being taught nowadays using average properties and/or probabilities
To illustrate the added values of the currently proposed MCHP platform, two graphical visualization snapshots for the five involved cases are shown in Figs 4 and 5, namely, (a) no shielding, (b) 10 cm concrete, (c) 20 cm concrete, (d) 10 cm lead and (e) 20 cm lead shielding
Summary
Nuclear radiation physics is an interesting subject in physics but some concepts are abstract and intellectually demanding. The main topics in nuclear radiation physics include the nature of ionizing radiations, their interactions and detection. The stochastic nature of radioactivity as well as interactions between ionizing radiation with matter have made their direct visualization relatively tedious and challenging, and as a result many concepts involved in nuclear radiation physics are being taught nowadays using average properties and/or probabilities.
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