The University of Maryland Co-60 Irradiator is the largest and strongest gamma irradiator at a U.S. university. It has applications in radiation sterilization, electronics testing, materials science, radiation detector calibration, and radiation biology, among others. Gamma ray dose rates range over 3 orders of magnitude with the highest dose rate, currently about 1.2 MRad/hr, applied to a 6 cm diameter and 20 cm tall cavity inside of the source array. Larger samples, up to 200 x 80 x 200 cm, or those requiring lower dose rates, can be placed outside of the source array in the large shielded vault.

When not in use, the sources are stored at the bottom of a pool of water allowing easy access to the vault for experiment setup and placement. During operation, the sources are raised from the pool into the vault for irradiations. The system is equipped with various interlocks to permit safe operation.

Power, compressed air, and water are available in the vault, and additional cables can be run for experiments requiring instrumentation. Workbenches are available just outside of the vault for equipment setup and monitoring. Radiochromic film dosimetry and calibrated ion chambers are available upon request. The facility license allows for sealed neutron sources to be placed in the vault during irradiations creating a unique high gamma – low neutron environment useful for neutron detector testing.

If you are interested in using the Irradiator, fill out the Experiment Application and contact us at radiation@umd.edu.