Hotspot
Current Central Registry Toolbox Version(s): TBD
Code Owner: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Description: Hotspot is used for safety-analysis of DOE facilities handling nuclear material.
Additionally, Hotspot provides emergency response personnel and emergency planners with a fast,
field-portable set of software tools for evaluating incidents involving radioactive material. Hotspot
provides a fast and usually conservative means for estimation the radiation effects associated with the
short-term (less than 24 hours) atmospheric release of radioactive materials.
Hotspot incorporates Federal Guidance Reports 11, 12, and 13 (FGR-11, FGR-12, FGR-13) Dose
Conversion Factors (DCFs) for inhalation, submersion, and ground shine. FGR-12 DCF values are used
for submersion and ground shine. In addition to the inhalation 50-year Committed Effective Dose
Equivalent DCFs, acute (1, 4, 30 days) DCFs are available for estimating deterministic effects.
This acute mode 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).
Hotspot was originally developed in 1985 for deployment for a Hewlett Packard HP-41 system.
Hotspot V 2.0 through V 8.0 were Microsoft (MS) DOS-based using Borland Turbo Pascal.
In 1999, Hotspot (referred to as Hotspot 98) underwent a significant rewrite in
MS Visual Basic V6.0 for the MS Windows 95/98/XP environment. In 2002, Hotspot V2.0
was issued. Throughout the development of Hotspot, new functionality and radionuclides were included.
The Hotspot development process has been informal and not developed for compliance to nuclear
industry consensus standards.
DOE performed an evaluation of Hotspot in the Winter 2006/07. This evaluation was based upon the
DOE's safety software quality assurance criteria defined in DOE G 414.1-4. A gap analysis report
was generated that identifies the strengths and weaknesses. LLNL is currently implementing
recommendations identified during this evaluation. Upon successful completion of these
recommendations, DOE intends to place Hotspot V 2.07 and all minor releases into DOE's
safety software Central Registry. This inclusion is expected Fall 2007. Please check back
to this site for status updates or contact, Debra Sparkman, debra.sparkman@hq.doe.gov.
Reports and publications related to Hotspot:
Hotspot web site: http://www.llnl.gov/nhi/hotspot/
DOE/HS-0003: Software Evaluation of Hotspot and DOE Safety Software Toolbox Recommendation, March 2007.
Hotspot Support and Obtaining Hotspot:
Steve Homann at LLNL maintains Hotspot. Hotspot can be downloaded through the Hotspot Web site.
This page was last updated on March 11, 2009
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