CCC-0644 HOTSPOT 2.07.1.

1. NAME OR DESIGNATION OF PROGRAM:  HOTSPOT 2.07.1

3. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM OR FUNCTION

The HOTSPOT Health Physics codes were created to provide Health Physics personnel with a fast, field-portable calculational tool for evaluating accidents involving radioactive materials. HOTSPOT codes are a first-order approximation of the radiation effects associated with the atmospheric release of radioactive materials. The developer's website is: http://www.llnl.gov/nhi/hotspot/.

Four general programs, PLUME, EXPLOSION, FIRE, and RESUSPENSION, calculate a downwind assessment following the release of radioactive material resulting from a continuous or puff release, explosive release, fuel fire, or an area contamination event. Additional programs deal specifically with the release of plutonium, uranium, and tritium to expedite an initial assessment of accidents involving nuclear weapons. The FIDLER program can calibrate radiation survey instruments for ground survey measurements and initial screening of personnel for possible plutonium uptake in the lung.

The HOTSPOT codes are fast, portable, easy to use, and fully documented in electronic help files. HOTSPOT supports color high resolution monitors and printers for concentration plots and contours. The codes have been extensively used by the DOS community since 1985. Tables and graphical output can be directed to the computer screen, printer, or a disk file. The graphical output consists of dose and ground contamination as a function of plume centerline downwind distance, and radiation dose and ground contamination contours. Users have the option of displaying scenario text on the plots.

4. METHOD OF SOLUTION

HOTSPOT is a hybrid of the well-established Gaussian Plume Model, widely used for initial emergency assessment or safety analysis planning of a radionuclide release. Virtual source terms are used to model the initial atmospheric distribution of source material following a explosion, fire, resuspension, or user-input geometry.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 30 Respiratory Tract and ICRP 30 Part IV Systemic models are the basis for the Dose Conversion Factors (DCF). A one micrometer AMAD is assumed. ICRP 26/30 Tissue Weighting Factors are used for the 50-year Committed Effective Dose Equivalent DCF values. HOTSPOT supports both classic units (rem, rad, curie) and SI (Sv, Gy, Bq) units.

HOTSPOT incorporates Federal Guidance Reports 11, 12 and 13 (FGR-11, FGR-12, FGR-13) Dose Conversion Factors for inhalation, submersion, and ground shine. In addition to the inhalation 50-year Committed Effective Dose Equivalent DCFs, acute (24-hour) DCFs are available for estimating non-stochastic effects. This acute model can be used for estimating the immediate radiological impact associated with high acute radiation doses (applicable target organs are the lung, small intestine, wall, and red bone marrow). Users can add radionuclides and custom mixtures (up to 50 radionuclides per mixture).

5. RESTRICTIONS ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM

The HotSpot atmospheric dispersion models are designed for near-surface releases, short-range (less than 10 km) dispersion, and short-term (less than 24 hours) release durations in unobstructed terrain and simple meteorological conditions.

6. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME:  Interactive.

- S. G. Homann:
"HOTSPOT Health Physics Codes User's Guide", LLNL-TM-411345 Rev. 1 (March 2010)

11. MACHINE REQUIREMENTS:  IBM compatible personal computers.

13. OPERATING SYSTEM UNDER WHICH PROGRAM IS EXECUTED:  Windows OS.

15. NAME AND ESTABLISHMENT OF AUTHORS

Contributed by: Radiation Safety Information Computational Center
                Oak Ridge National Laboratory
                Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Developed by:   National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center
                Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,
                Livermore, California, U.S.A.

self-extracting compressed Windows file containing PC executables and sample
case input and output
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