PC/FRAM: New capabilities for the gamma-ray spectrometry measurement of plutonium isotopic composition

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/114469· OSTI ID:114469

Sampson, T. E.; Kelley, T. A.; Cremers, T. L.; Konkel, T. R.; Friar, R. J.

We describe the new capability of and.present measurement results from the PC/FRAM plutonium isotopic analysis code. This new code allows data acquisition from a single coaxial germanium detector and analysis over an energy range from 120 keV to above I MeV. For the first time we demonstrate a complete isotopic analysis using only gamma rays greater than 200 keV in energy. This new capability allows the measurement of the plutonium isotopic composition of items inside shielded or heavy-walled containers without having to remove the items from the container. This greatly enhances worker safety by reducing handling and the resultant radiation exposure. Another application allows international inspectors to verify the contents of items inside sealed, long-term storage containers that may not be opened for national security or treaty compliance reasons. We present measurement results for traditional planar germanium detectors as well as coaxial detectors measuring shielded and unshielded samples.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 114469
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-95-3297; CONF-950923-8; ON: DE96001468; TRN: 95:024419
• Resource Relation: Conference: 5. international conference on facility-safeguards interface, Jackson Hole, WY (United States), 24-30 Sep 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
99 MATHEMATICS
COMPUTERS
INFORMATION SCIENCE
MANAGEMENT
LAW
MISCELLANEOUS
RADIATION DETECTORS
COMPUTER CODES
P CODES
F CODES
GAMMA DETECTION
GAMMA RADIATION
KEV RANGE 100-1000
MEV RANGE 01-10
PLUTONIUM
ISOTOPE RATIO
RADIATION PROTECTION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA