Developments of neutron resonance transmission analysis using a laser driven neutron source, 1; Applicability of laser driven neutron source for neutron resonance transmission analysis

高橋 時音; 小泉 光生; 伊藤 史哲*; Lee, J.; 鈴木 敏*; 弘中 浩太; 余語 覚文*; 有川 安信*; 安部 勇輝*; 西村 博明*; et al.

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The technique of NRTA is based on a neutron time-of-flight (TOF) method. Collimated pulsed neuron beams passing through a sample arrive a neutron detector placed at a distance from the neutron source. The neutron kinetic energy is deduced from the flight time between the neutron generator and the detector. Since the neutron reaction cross section of a nuclide has a characteristic resonance structure, neutrons having the resonance energy are strongly absorbed or scattered by the nuclide in a sample. Resonance dips appeared in the transmission spectrum are analyzed to deduce each nuclide areal density. The resolution of the observed dip strongly depends on the flight path length and the neutron pulse width. To realize a compact NRTA system by shortening the flight path length, a short-pulsed neutron generation is required. A laser-driven neutron source (LDNS), which can generate extremely short pulse neutron beams, is considered to potentially be such a short pulse neutron generator for a compact NRTA system. In addition, because laser light can be transported by mirrors, the laser system of the LDNS can be installed in separated place from an NRTA system which has to be in the nuclear controlled area. This enables maintenance of a laser system to be easy. Also, several analyzing system can be operated parallelly by switching laser path. In this presentation, we will overview a proposal of an application of the LDNS to an NRTA system for nuclear non-proliferation.