Using anisotropies in prompt fission neutron coincidences to assess the neutron multiplication of highly multiplying subcritical plutonium assemblies

Mueller, Jonathan M.; Mattingly, J.

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.027

Title: Using anisotropies in prompt fission neutron coincidences to assess the neutron multiplication of highly multiplying subcritical plutonium assemblies

Journal Article · Sat Apr 09 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.027· OSTI ID:1438391

Mueller, Jonathan M. ^[1]; Mattingly, J. ^[1]

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)

There is a significant and well-known anisotropy between the prompt neutrons emitted from a single fission event; these neutrons are most likely to be observed at angles near 0° or 180° relative to each other. However, the propagation of this anisotropy through different generations of a fission chain re-action has not been previously studied. We have measured this anisotropy in neutron–neutron coincidences from a subcritical highly-multiplying assembly of plutonium metal. The assembly was a 4.5 kg α-phase plutonium metal sphere composed of 94% ²³⁹Pu and 6% ²⁴⁰Pu by mass. Data were collected using two EJ-309 liquid scintillators and two EJ-299 plastic scintillators. The angular distribution of neutron–neutron coincidences was measured at 90° and 180° and found to be largely isotropic. Simulations were performed using MCNPX-PoliMi of similar plutonium metal spheres of varying sizes and a correlation between the neutron multiplication of the assembly and the anisotropy of neutron–neutron coincidences was observed. In principle, this correlation could be used to assess the neutron multi-plication of an unknown assembly.

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Research Organization:: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); CNEC/North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0002576; NA0002534

OSTI ID:: 1438391

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1359655; OSTI ID: 1367549; OSTI ID: 1437438; OSTI ID: 1487109

Journal Information:: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 825, Issue C; ISSN 0168-9002

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 11 works

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Cited By (1)

High resolution measurement of tagged two-neutron energy and angle correlations in ${}^{252}{Cf}$ (sf) Schuster, P. F.; Marcath, M. J.; Marin, S. Physical Review C, Vol. 100, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.100.014605	journal	July 2019

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