Demonstration of Emitted-Neutron Computed Tomography to Quantify Nuclear Materials

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1055006· OSTI ID:1055006

Hausladen, Paul ^[1]; Blackston, Matthew A ^[1]; Newby, Jason ^[1]

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1. ORNL

In this document, we report demonstration of emitted-neutron computed tomography using fast fission neutrons to infer the geometry of sources of special nuclear material (SNM). The imaging system employed in the demonstration is based on a newly constructed array of pixelated neutron detectors that are suitable for arrangement in a close-packed imaging array and whose active volume consists of liquid scintillator EJ-309 which allows neutron-gamma discrimination via pulse shape to enable essentially pure fast-neutron imaging. The system is capable of high quality fast-neutron imaging where tomographic reconstruction of slices through an object resolves neutron sources similar in dimension to a fuel pellet, or about 1 cm. During measurements of Pu MOX fuel rodlet arrays in soup cans at the INL ZPPR facility, the position of a partial defect of a single rodlet containing Pu replaced by one containing depleted uranium (DU) was detected.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: NE USDOE - Office of Nuclear Energy
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1055006
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-2011/357; AF5835000; NEAF300
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English