New design of a delayed gamma-ray spectrometer for safeguards verification of small mixed nuclear material samples

Rossi, F. ; Koizumi, Mitsuo ; Rodriguez, D. ; Takahashi, Tone

To address challenges in the safeguard field for the verification of mixed nuclear materials, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency is developing the Delayed Gamma-ray Spectroscopy non-destructive assay technique. Minimally, this technique requires an external source to induce fission in the sample and a gamma-ray detector to collect the high-energy gamma rays emitted from the decay of fission products. In the development of this technique, deuterium-deuterium neutron generators will replace Cf as the external neutron source. The emitted neutrons are then slowed down in the thermal energy range to enhance the delayed gamma-ray signature coming from the fissile nuclides in the sample. The fission product delayed gamma rays with energy above 3 MeV are then collected with a detector located away from the irradiation position to avoid neutron damage. The collected spectrum is then analyzed, and the peak ratios are used to verify the initial composition of the fissile nuclides. Further, source monitors are required to normalize for the source emission to estimate the fissile mass of the sample. In this work, we will first describe our latest development in designing a delayed gamma-ray spectrometer for small mixed nuclear material samples. We will present latest results obtained from activation experiment and neutron detector characterization. Finally, we will present the usage of a new transfer system designed, fabricated, and tested at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency laboratories. This work is supported by MEXT under the subsidy for the "promotion for strengthening nuclear security and the like". This work was done under the agreement between JAEA and EURATOM in the field of nuclear material safeguards research and development.