A process of dosimetry of a particle flux

The main feature of this dosimetry process is that a nuclear emulsion plate with an emulsion of gelatine and silver bromide microcrystals is subjected to the flux of particles to be measured, that the plate is developed in a standard manner and that the amount of silver thus reduced to the metal state is then analysed by activation. The plate containing the nuclear emulsion irradiated in this way is then developed by the conventional temperature method, the effect of which is to cause traces to appear formed of metal silver particles at those places where ionising particles have penetrated into the emulsion and have given up therein all or part of their energy. Once the plates have been developed, like an ordinary photographic plate, they are then subjected to a neutron flux (nuclear reactor, accelerator, etc.) that activates the silver particles in the emulsion which then become emitters of γ radiations which may then be detected to find out the amount of silver present in the plate, which finally is specific of the radiation flux dose received by this plate. A Geiger type gamma ray detector gives a global indication on the mass of silver contained in the emulsion. A more refined method consists in using a multi-channel gamma spectrometer and this makes it possible to have an energy selective dosimetry. The juxtaposition of several separate plates each having its own sensitivity in a given energy band enable a veritable 'sandwhich' of several plates to be made