Monte Carlo and experimental assessment of the optimal geometry of the source and collimator for a table-top NRTA system for small nuclear material measurement

Guembou Shouop, C. J.; 土屋 晴文

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1072, p.170189_1 - 170189_14, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.170189

The development of a compact mobile neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA) instrument is in progress for measuring nuclear materials in the field of nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security. The present paper focuses on research/developments on designing the source, moderators and shielding for the table-top NRTA system utilising a Cf spontaneous neutron. To this end, three source configurations were assessed using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations-based Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) by evaluating each configuration's neutron/gamma fluxes. Experimental validation of the MC simulation was conducted using an EJ270 plastic scintillation detector, a Bq Cf source, and a thin In sample. The Monte Carlo simulations and experimental results confirmed that an optimal configuration for the table-top NRTA system involves sandwiching the Cf source between the polyethylene (PE) moderator (PE closer to the detector) and the W reflector. Furthermore, the MC simulations showed that resonance dips from NatU and Pu (energy lines of 1.06 and 2.60 eV of Pu and 0.30 eV of Pu) can be observed in the Time-of-Flight spectra obtained using the table-top NRTA system with an appropriate collimator for a small pellet sample. The preliminary experimental results with a 2 mm thick In sample displayed the 1.46 eV resonance dip of In, showing that the table-top NRTA system using a Cf neutron source can measure TOF spectra and observe dips caused by low energy resonances in a sample. These findings suggest the system is well-suited for measuring small pellet samples of Pu and U.

Demonstration of shape analysis of neutron resonance transmission spectrum measured with a laser-driven neutron source

小泉 光生; 伊藤 史哲*; Lee, J.; 弘中 浩太; 高橋 時音; 鈴木 敏*; 有川 安信*; 安部 勇輝*; Lan, Z.*; Wei, T.*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.21916_1 - 21916_9, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-72836-8

Laser-driven neutron sources (LDNSs) can generate strong short-pulse neutron beams, which are valuable for scientific studies and engineering applications. Neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA) is a nondestructive technique used for determining the areal density of each nuclide in a material sample using pulsed thermal and epithermal neutrons. Herein, we report the first successful NRTA performed using an LDNS driven by the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment at the Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University. The key challenge was achieving a well-resolved resonance transmission spectrum for material analysis using an LDNS with a limited number of laser shots in the presence of strong background noise. We addressed this by employing a time-gated Li-glass scintillation neutron detector to measure the transmission spectra, reducing the impact of electromagnetic noise and neutron and gamma-ray flashes. Output waveforms were recorded for each laser shot and analyzed offline using a counting method. This approach yielded a spectrum with distinct resonances, which were attributed to In and Ag, as confirmed through neutron transmission simulation. The spectrum was analyzed using the least-square nuclear-resonance fitting program, REFIT, demonstrating the possibility of using an LDNS for nondestructive areal-density material characterization.

Single-shot laser-driven neutron resonance spectroscopy for temperature profiling

Lan, Z.*; 有川 安信*; Mirfayzi, S. R.*; Morace, A.*; 早川 岳人*; 佐藤 博隆*; 加美山 隆*; Wei, T.*; 巽 湧太*; 小泉 光生; et al.

Nature Communications (Internet), 15, p.5365_1 - 5365_7, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49142-y

The temperature measurement of material inside of an object is one of the key technologies for control of dynamical processes. For this purpose, various techniques such as laser-based thermography and phase-contrast imaging thermography have been studied. However, it is, in principle, impossible to measure the temperature of an element inside of an object using these techniques. One of the possible solutions is measurements of Doppler brooding effect in neutron resonance absorption (NRA). Here we present a method to measure the temperature of an element or an isotope inside of an object using NRA with a single neutron pulse of approximately 100 ns width provided from a high-power laser. We demonstrate temperature measurements of a tantalum (Ta) metallic foil heated from the room temperature up to 617 K. Although the neutron energy resolution is fluctuated from shot to shot, we obtain the temperature dependence of resonance Doppler broadening using a reference of a silver (Ag) foil kept to the room temperature. A free gas model well reproduces the results. This method enables element(isotope)-sensitive thermometry to detect the instantaneous temperature rise in dynamical processes.

Neutron resonance fission neutron analysis for nondestructive fissile material assay

弘中 浩太; Lee, J.; 小泉 光生; 伊藤 史哲*; 堀 順一*; 寺田 和司*; 佐野 忠史*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1054, p.168467_1 - 168467_5, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.168467

We propose neutron resonance fission neutron analysis (NRFNA), an active nondestructive assay (NDA) technique, to improve the capability to identify and quantify a small amount of fissile material in a sample. NRFNA uses pulsed neutrons to induce fission reactions in the sample. Fission neutrons are detected by a neutron-gamma pulse shape discrimination (PSD) scintillation detector with time-of-flight (TOF) technique. The obtained nuclide-specific resonance peaks in the neutron energy spectrum provide information to identify and quantify a fissile material in the sample. The possibility of using PSD for NRFNA was confirmed through a test experiment using a natural uranium sample. We successfully observed the resonance peaks from U(n,f) reaction and showed that NRFNA would be useful for measuring a small amount of fissile material in a sample.

Experimental analysis on dynamics of liquid molecules adjacent to particles in nanofluids

橋本 俊輔*; 中島 健次; 菊地 龍弥*; 蒲沢 和也*; 柴田 薫; 山田 武*

Journal of Molecular Liquids, 342, p.117580_1 - 117580_8, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117580

エチレングリコール水溶液中に二酸化ケイ素(SiO)ナノ粒子を分散したナノ流体の準弾性中性子散乱測定(QENS)およびパルス磁場勾配核磁気共鳴分析(PFGNMR)を行った。研究目的は、このナノ流体の熱伝導率が理論値を超えて増加するメカニズムを解明することだった。得られた実験結果は、SiOナノ粒子の周りの液体分子の運動が非常に制限されているため、SiOナノ粒子の添加により、エチレングリコール水溶液中の液体分子の自己拡散係数が低下していることを示す。そして温度一定の条件で、SiOナノ流体中で、液体分子の自己拡散係数が減少するにつれて、熱伝導率が増加した。

Thermal-neutron capture cross sections and resonance integrals of the Am(n,)Am and Am(n,)Am reactions

中村 詔司; 芝原 雄司*; 遠藤 駿典; 木村 敦

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(3), p.259 - 277, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1819907

マイナーアクチノイド核種の一つであるAmの中性子捕獲反応断面積の精度向上に係る研究開発を行った。先ず、崩壊ガンマ線の放出率を高い精度で整備して、Amの原子炉中性子照射によるAmの基底状準位Amの生成量をガンマ線測定で調べた。次に、アイソマーと基底準位を合わせたAmの生成量を、Cmへ崩壊させてアルファ線測定で調べた。照射したAm試料量、生成されたAmとAmの収量、及び中性子束の情報からAm(n,)AmとAm(n,)Am反応の熱中性子捕獲断面積、および共鳴積分を導出することができた。

Measurement for thermal neutron capture cross sections and resonance integrals of the Am(n,)Am, Am reactions

中村 詔司; 遠藤 駿典; 木村 敦; 芝原 雄司*

KURNS Progress Report 2019, P. 132, 2020/08

https://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2019/ProgressReport2019_online.pdf

マイナーアクチノイド核種の一つであるAmの中性子捕獲反応断面積の精度向上に係る研究開発を行った。まず、崩壊ガンマ線の放出率を高い精度で整備して、Amの原子炉中性子照射によるAmの基底状準位Amの生成量をガンマ線測定で調べた。次に、アイソマーと基底準位を合わせたAmの生成量を、Cmへ崩壊させてアルファ線測定で調べた。Am生成、及びAm生成の熱中性子捕獲断面積、及び共鳴積分を測定した。

Non-destructive analysis of samples with a complex geometry by NRTA

Ma, F.; Kopecky, S.*; Alaerts, G.*; 原田 秀郎; Heyse, J.*; 北谷 文人; Noguere, G.*; Paradela, C.*; alamon, L.*; Schillebeeckx, P.*; et al.

Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 35(3), p.478 - 488, 2020/03

AA2019-0356.pdf:2.54MB

https://doi.org/10.1039/C9JA00342H

The use of Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis to characterize homogeneous samples not fulfilling good transmission geometry conditions is discussed. Analytical expressions for such samples have been derived and implemented in the resonance shape analysis code REFIT. They were validated by experiments at the time-of-flight facility GELINA using a set of metallic natural copper samples. The expressions were used to derive sample characteristics by a least squares adjustment to experimental transmission data. In addition, the resonance parameters of Cu for energies below 6 keV, which are reported in the literature and recommended in evaluated data libraries, were verified. This research was implemented under the subsidiary for nuclear security promotion of MEXT.

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

小泉 光生

Proceedings of 41st ESARDA Annual Meeting (Internet), p.260 - 267, 2019/05

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.

Neutron resonance transmission analysis for measurement of nuclear materials in nuclear fuel

土屋 晴文; 北谷 文人; 藤 暢輔; Paradela, C.*; Heyse, J.*; Kopecky, S.*; Schillebeeckx, P.*

Proceedings of INMM 59th Annual Meeting (Internet), 6 Pages, 2018/07

In fields of nuclear safeguards and nuclear security, non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques are needed in order to quantify special nuclear materials (SNMs) in nuclear fuels. Among those techniques, active NDA ones would be preferable to passive ones. One candidate of active NDA techniques is neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA). In fact, experiments done at GELINA have shown that NRTA has high potential enough to quantify SNMs in complex materials. Currently, such a NRTA system requires a large electron accelerator facility to generate intense neutron sources. In other words, it is very difficult to perform NRTA at various facilities that need to measure SNMs. Thus, downsizing a NRTA system would be one solution of its difficulty. In order to realize a compact NRTA system, we develop a prototype with a D-T neutron generator that has a pulse width of 10 s. For this aim, numerical calculations to optimize the compact NRTA system were done. In addition, NRTA measurements with simulated fuel pins were made at neutron time-of-flight facilities such as GELINA. In this presentation, we present results of the numerical calculations and the experimental results. On the basis of those results we discuss a future prospect of a compact NRTA system that would be applicable to SNM quantification. This research was implemented under the subsidiary for nuclear security promotion of MEXT.