Co-60 irradiator

Since 2013 CNA has a cobalt‐60 irradiator to develop irradiation studies with photons, thus expanding the already available proton and heavy ions research lines present at the 18MeV Cyclotron and 3MV Tandem accelerators.
 
cobalto
 
This new equipment consist in a Co‐60 irradiator model Gammabeam ™X200 from Best Theratronics LTd. It is among the most versatile research irradiators available today. The GBX200 has a cobalt‐60 source whose activity was of 357TBq (9651Ci) on the December 2nd, 2013. The corresponding maximum kerma rate in air is 103Gy/h at 100cm of distance.
 
With easy‐to‐use controls and safety features that meet or exceed all applicable regulations.
 
The initial aim of this new facility at CNA is the performance of reliability studies of electronic components used in aerospace technology by means of irradiation with gamma radiation from Co‐60 decay.
 
According to the European Space Agency Basic Specificacion ESCC 22900 (Total Dose Steady‐State Irradiation Test Method). As well as the MIL‐STD‐750 1019 and MIL‐STD‐883 1019 test methods from Defense Logistics Agency – DLA Land and Maritime.
 
Due to the versatility of the installed system, it is also possible its application for:

‐ Study of thermic, electric or mechanic properties changes in materials present in radiation environments (Materials Science).
‐ Metrology of ionizing radiation.