Bremsstrahlung intensity distributions of pure beta-emitting isotopes

Experiments have been conducted to assess the bremsstrahlung continuum produced when the beta particles from ³⁶Cl and ⁸Li are incident upon metallic shields. The combination of the high energy beta decay and the high atomic numbered metals used in piping for ⁷Li liquid metal nuclear reactor coolants is a scenario in which bremsstrahlung production may be a principal shielding concern. A series of fast pneumatic activation experiments have been performed to obtain the spectral distributions of bremsstrahlung photons transmitted when ⁸Li beta particles are shielded by stainless steel. Experimental results agree well with the electron transport and bremsstrahlung production models utilized in the MCNP code.