Development of active non-destructive analysis technologies for nuclear nonproliferation and security of JAEA

核不拡散・核セキュリティのためのアクティブ非破壊分析技術の開発

小泉 光生 

Koizumi, Mitsuo

The Japan atomic energy agency (JAEA) is developing active non-destructive analysis (NDA) technologies for nuclear nonproliferation and security under the support of the subsidiary of for "promotion of strengthening nuclear security or the like" of the Japanese government MEXT. One of the programs is "development of active neutron NDA techniques", in which four techniques are developed: i.e., Differential Die Away Analysis (DDA), Delayed Gamma-ray Analysis (DGA), Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA), and Prompt Gamma-ray Analysis (PGA). These techniques are used to complement each other. They would be useful for nuclear material accountancy, applicable to both low- and high-level radioactive nuclear materials (NMs), and for nuclear security purposes such as detection of NM and explosive materials. Another program is development of nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) technique for detection of NM hidden in a shield. This technique utilizes quasi monochromatic gamma-rays produced by laser Compton scattering (LCS) to irradiate a suspicious sample and observe NRF gamma-rays from that. Demonstration experiment of this technique will be performed soon. In this paper, the development projects are overviewed.