Simulation of the elastic scattering contributions to the NRF-based nondestructive assay of nuclear materials

Omer, M.; Hajima, Ryoichi*; Angell, C.*; Shizuma, Toshiyuki*; Hayakawa, Takehito*; Seya, Michio; Koizumi, Mitsuo

Proceedings of INMM 57th Annual Meeting (Internet), 9 Pages, 2016/07

Isotope-specific -rays emitted in the nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) process provide a good technique for a non-destructive detection and assay of nuclear materials. We are developing technologies relevant to -ray nondestructive detection and assay utilizing NRF. A Monte Carlo code to simulate NRF process is necessary for design and evaluation of NDA systems. We are developing NRFGeant4, a Geant4-based simulation code, for this purpose. In NRF experiments, highly-enriched targets are generally used such that the NRF signals are dominant and easily measured. In contrast, a real situation may involve very small contents of isotopes of interest. This results in a difficulty in measuring NRF signals because of the interference with other interactions, e.g. elastic scattering. For example, a typical nuclear fuel pellet contains about 90% of U as a host material and less than 1% of Pu as an isotope of interest. When measuring NRF of Pu, there would be a huge background coming from the elastic scattering of U. Therefore, an estimation of the elastic scattering with the host material is essential for precise determination of isotope of interest. Satisfying estimation of elastic scattering is currently not available except for some calculations. In the present study, we upgrade our simulation code to include the calculation of elastic scattering events.

Corrigendum; Pulse pileup correction in the presence of a large low-energy background [J. Nucl. Sci. Technol. 2015; 52: 426-433]

Angell, C.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 52(9), P. 1205, 2015/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2015.1055079

R&D status of nondestructive assay system based on nuclear resonance fluorescence

Shizuma, Toshiyuki; Hajima, Ryoichi; Hayakawa, Takehito; Angell, C.; Seya, Michio

Proceedings of 37th ESARDA Annual Meeting (Internet), p.838 - 845, 2015/08

https://doi.org/10.2789/099293

Nondestructive assay (NDA) of nuclear materials is an important technology for nuclear security and safeguard applications. We have proposed an NDA system based on nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF). In the proposed detection system, an energy-tunable and mono-energetic -ray source generated by Compton scattering of laser light (laser Compton scattering; LCS) with high-energy electrons is used. The NRF measurement can be more efficient by using a mono-energetic -ray beam, which has been demonstrated in recent NRF measurements. We have started a research and development program of the LCS -ray NDA systems, which includes demonstration of LCS -ray generation from an energy recovery linac (ERL), establishment of detection system, and benchmark of Monte Carlo simulation. The R&D status including recent results on the demonstrations of the LCS photon generation as well as the measurement principles will be reported.

Diffraction of -rays with energies of 1.17 and 1.33 MeV by a flat Si crystal

Matsuba, Shunya*; Hayakawa, Takehito; Shizuma, Toshiyuki; Nishimori, Nobuyuki; Nagai, Ryoji; Sawamura, Masaru; Angell, C.; Fujiwara, Mamoru; Hajima, Ryoichi

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 54(5), p.052203_1 - 052203_5, 2015/05

https://doi.org/10.7567/JJAP.54.052203

Pulse pileup correction in the presence of a large low-energy background

Angell, C.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 52(3), p.426 - 433, 2015/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2014.955067

Erratum; Evidence for radiative coupling of the pygmy dipole resonance to excited states [Phys. Rev. C 86, 051302(R) (2012)]

Angell, C.; Hammond, S. L.*; Karwowski, H. J.*; Kelley, J. H.*; Krtika, M.*; Kwan, E.*; Makinaga, Ayano*; Rusev, G.*

Physical Review C, 91(3), p.039901_1 - 039901_2, 2015/03

AA2014-0872.pdf:0.1MB

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.91.039901

Improving the assay of Pu in spent and melted fuel using the nuclear resonance fluorescence integral resonance transmission method

Angell, C.; Hayakawa, Takehito; Shizuma, Toshiyuki; Hajima, Ryoichi; Quiter, B. J.*; Ludewigt, B. L.*; Karwowski, H.*; Rich, G.*

Nuclear Physics and -ray sources for Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation, p.133 - 141, 2014/12

https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814635455_0016

Spectroscopy of Gd and Gd using the () reaction

Ross, T. J.*; Hughes, R. O.*; Allmond, J. M.*; Beausang, C. W.*; Angell, C.; Basunia, M. S.*; Bleuel, D. L.*; Hurke, J. T.*; Casperson, R. J.*; Escher, J. E.*; et al.

Physical Review C, 90(4), p.044323_1 - 044323_12, 2014/10

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.90.044323

Improvement to the semi-empirical germanium detector response model at the Compton edge

Angell, C.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 752, p.33 - 35, 2014/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2014.03.040

Statistical uncertainties of nondestructive assay for spent nuclear fuel by using nuclear resonance fluorescence

Shizuma, Toshiyuki; Hayakawa, Takehito; Angell, C.; Hajima, Ryoichi; Minato, Futoshi; Suyama, Kenya; Seya, Michio; Johnson, M.*; McNabb, D.*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 737, p.170 - 175, 2014/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2013.11.069

We estimated statistical uncertainties of a nondestructive assay system using nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) for spent nuclear fuel including low-concentrations of actinide nuclei with an intense, mono-energetic photon beam. Background counts from radioactive materials inside the spent fuel were calculated with the ORIGEN2.2-UPJ burn-up computer code. Coherent scattering contribution associated with Rayleigh, nuclear Thomson, and Delbrck scattering was also considered. Assuming that the total NRF cross sections are in the range of 3 to 100 eVb at excitation energies of 2.25, 3.5, and 5 MeV, statistical uncertainties of the NRF measurement were estimated. We concluded that it is possible to assay 1% actinide content in the spent fuel with 2.2 to 3.2% statistical precision during 4000 second measurement time for the total integrated cross section of 30 eVb at excitation energies of 3.5 to 5 MeV.