Any shielding software?

[David Richt]

I see form various messages on this board that TRIUS is involved in shielding and I was wondering if TRIUS has any software products for doing gamma shielding analysis, including both direct and scattered gammas? There are a number of software packages out there, but their User Interface leaves a lot to be desired, so I was hoping that TRIUS, with their experience in user/retail software, might have something better.

[KimChin]

I don't know that they have any such program or not, but why can't you get one from RSIC or some other government lab? I believe you can get them for free and they range in complexity and capabilities from the very simple to the real sophisticated. For example, since you are looking for gamma transport, QAD-G (or whatever the newest re-incarnation is called) is probably one of the best general geometry modeling point-kernel gamma transport programs. If you look at the RSIC catalog, I'm sure you'll find many more such gems.

[MikeTil]

I could be wrong, but I don;t think that RSIC codes are free (they may have been many years ago), unless you are another "approved" government agency. They usually charge you based on the percent of your work being funded by specific government agencies. I think a few thousand dollars is usually the norm for private entities.

I know that in this age of the internet we think everything (well, software and information) is/should be free, but that's not always the case

[KimChin]

I guess you are right. I never dealt with that part of the process. When we needed a code, I just filled out the paperwork and gave it to our IT department, and then the code appeared, like magic

Seriously, though, because I was never involved in the process, I always thought that since all these government groups are paid by your taxes and mine, the codes they develop should be available to us, for free.Oh well, that would make too much sense. Sorry to have misled the OP.

[Helen22]

I don't know that they have any such program or not, but why can't you get one from RSIC or some other government lab? I believe you can get them for free and they range in complexity and capabilities from the very simple to the real sophisticated. For example, since you are looking for gamma transport, QAD-G (or whatever the newest re-incarnation is called) is probably one of the best general geometry modeling point-kernel gamma transport programs. If you look at the RSIC catalog, I'm sure you'll find many more such gems.

As far as i know, QAD-G and other point kernel programs are fairly antiquated and not widely used any more. Those codes were developed 30+ years ago. With all the advancements in technology and computers today, why would someone go back to them?

[KimChin]

I don't know that they have any such program or not, but why can't you get one from RSIC or some other government lab? I believe you can get them for free and they range in complexity and capabilities from the very simple to the real sophisticated. For example, since you are looking for gamma transport, QAD-G (or whatever the newest re-incarnation is called) is probably one of the best general geometry modeling point-kernel gamma transport programs. If you look at the RSIC catalog, I'm sure you'll find many more such gems.

As far as i know, QAD-G and other point kernel programs are fairly antiquated and not widely used any more. Those codes were developed 30+ years ago. With all the advancements in technology and computers today, why would someone go back to them?

Oh come on, Helen22. I mean I know that computers and software have advanced, but are you saying that neutrons and gammas are acting differently lately? It all depends on what it is you are trying to do and how well you understand the tool you are using and its limitations. If you have a point gamma source, or small enough that it can be considered a point (e.g. a 2 inch source and you are 10 feet away - therefore a point source), its intensity will still decrease as 1/R^2, regardless of the software package you use. The source actually doesn't know what program you are using to analyze its behavior

Anyway, as I said earlier, RSIC has many codes that could help with that sort of analysis.

[Helen22]

I understand KimChin. I didn't say that particles have changed their behavior. But coding practices have and I'm sure that people have come up with better techniques that point kernel methods for solving shielding problems.

[John HG]

@David Richt, have you tried microshield? I haven't used it in 10+ years, but back then it was a very good product.

[David Richt]

Microshield is expensive for what it does. But, I guess if they are the only game in town they can charge whatever they want. I wish I could find the source code for one of the shielding codes in the public domain, or something. I would spend the time to make it operational for the PC. Anyway, that's one of the resons I was looking for something similar from Trius.

[MikeTil]

I just went through the RSIC sign-up process and saw that one needs to pay ~ $1,000 for each code they are interested in. That's a lot of money. And to think that I (we) have already paid for them, through all the taxes we pay RSIC is a Federal group, paid by our Federal taxes!