Plot Area When on the chart tab, the 3D viewer automatically switches to the plot area. Add a chart using the plus (+) button in the bottom left hand corner of the chart tab. For each chart, you can choose between log or linear y-axis scaling, and optionally export the chart data in plain text CSV format. Solid lines indicate dose rate data, and the dotted line indicates the 99% confidence interval for the data at the point. Read more...
Quality The detector quality can be chosen quickly and easily from three preset values. Nominally, the number of measuring points in the detector range from 30 thousand on the coarse setting, to 2 million for the fine setting. You can expect low quality detectors to produce statistically significant results in less time at the expense of spatial resolution. This situation is usually acceptable when initially setting up your simulation, and before planning long simulation runs on the fine setting. Read more...
World Volume The world volume represents the outer most limits of your simulation geometry. It must be a box made of air. The reason for this is that reference values for effective and equivalent dose are calculated and calbibrated in air. When you had an assembly using the plus (+) button in the botton left hand corner of the assembly tab, only volumes that are boxes will appear here. Children All of your simulation geometry must be contained in the top level world volume. Read more...
Window Layout The Shielding Studio main window is divided into two main regions. The 3D viewer on the right, and the tab bar on the left. Click on the button icons at the top of the tab bar to change tabs. Click and drag in the 3D viewer to change your viewing position, and middle click drag to pan around. Scrolling your mouse wheel will zoom in and out. In the bottom right hand corner of the window is the main menu button. Read more...
Installation Shielding Studio can be run on the three major operating systems - Windows, MacOS, and Linux. The installation process is broadly the same for each operating system, however specific installation instructions are detailed here. Windows Radiation Analytics is a verified software publisher for the purposes of distributing software for use on the Windows operating system. When you run the Shielding Studio installer for the first time, you should will be prompted with a security screen that will feature the Radiation Analytics company name. Read more...
Particles The number of primary particles to release dictates how long a simulation will run for. If you can tollerate a longer simulation time, or you seek imporoved statistical uncertainty, increase the number of primary particles to release. Internally, Shielding Studio calibrates for the number of particles released versus the nominated activity of your sources. Changing the number of particles won’t effect the absolute value of the calculated dose. Primaries Only Simulations can be performed in less time by ignoring secondary paricles, and tracking primary particles only. Read more...
Box Boxes are just that. Rectangular prisms with positive dimensions in the x-, y-, and z-directions. Length controls the dimension the x-direction, width controls the dimension in the y-direction, and height controls the dimension in the z-direction. Parameters length > 0 width > 0 height > 0 Cone The basic cone is defined with a height, and upper and lower radii. The upper radius can be equal to zero, to define a pointy cone. Read more...
Particles Radioisotopes Radioactive sources can also be specified in Shielding Studio. In this case it is typical to se the particle kinetic energy to zero (0), as source isotypes are usually modeled as being at rest. Shielding Studio applies kinetic energy to decay products and secondary radiation as required. To use a radioactive source in your simulation, choose the source type as Ion from the drop-down menu. Next, search for your element of interest, and set a mass number for a radioactive isotope. Read more...
Setting Variables Variables allow you to set values for reuse elsewhere in Shielding Studio. On the variables tab, an indicator shows where each variable is used. Using Variables You can use a variable anywhere you can set a value. Either choose the variable from the variable drop-down, or use it in mathematical expressions. When you change the variable value, any expressions that it is used in are updated automatically.
Solid In Shielding Studio you can use volumes to apply material and appearance attributes to multiple copies of the same shape. You can choose which shape to use for this volume using the Solid drop-down menu. Only shapes that you have defined previously will appear here. Appearance You can control the colour, opacity (transparency), and whether or not to show faces and edges for this volume by clicking on the relevant controls. Read more...