Advances in and uses of gamma-ray field instrumentation at Los Alamos

Conference · Mon Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:10120575

Halbig, J K; Klosterbuer, S F; Russo, P A; Sprinkle, Jr, J K ^[1]; Smith, S E ^[2]; Ianakiev, K ^[3]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
2. Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States)
3. Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energetics, Sofia (Bulgaria)

We are developing a set of tools to be used by the Safeguards Assay Group to solve problems found in safeguards and the domestic nuclear industry. The tools are also applicable to problems dealing with the environment, defense, and other areas of national and international interest. We have used extensively the advances in hardware and software since our last multichannel analyzer (MCA) development activities over a decade ago. We are also using our experience with and feedback from users of our previous instruments. In analyzing the instrument needs of our constituents and the characteristics of our previous instruments, which we think have inhibited their broader use, we have concluded that uses for an MCA-type instrument are widely varied and fundamentally changing,and that any new instruments should include a versatile, widely used hardware interface, which is as independent as possible of hardware standards, and which is readily interfaced to the computers or controllers rapidly evolving in the commercial sector. In addition, software tools must be provided that allow Los Alamos, users, and third parties to quickly and conveniently develop software specific to the user or the measurement to control the basic instrument we develop. This paper deals mainly with a miniature and modular multi-channel analyzer (M{sup 3}CA) and its applications.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 10120575
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--94-0276; CONF-940307--11; ON: DE94005984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

055001
42 ENGINEERING
426000
440103
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
COMPONENTS
ELECTRON DEVICES AND CIRCUITS
EVALUATION
GAMMA DETECTION
MULTI-CHANNEL ANALYZERS
NUCLEAR SPECTROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTATION
RADIATION DETECTORS
SAFEGUARDS
SPECIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL ASPECTS