Quantitative Measurement of γ-Ray and e-Beam Effects on Fiber Rayleigh Scattering Coefficient

The effects of gamma ray (γ-ray) radiation and electron beam (e-beam) radiation on Rayleigh scattering coefficient in single-mode fiber are experimentally investigated. Utilizing an optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR), the power distribution curves of the irradiated fibers are obtained to retrieve the corresponding radiation-induced attenuation (RIA). Based on the backscattering power levels and the measured RIAs, the Rayleigh scattering coefficients can be characterized quantitatively for each fiber sample. Under the given radiation conditions, Rayleigh scattering coefficients have been changed very little while RIAs have been changed significantly. Furthermore, simulations have been implemented to verify the validity of the measured Rayleigh scattering coefficient, including the splicing points.