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Feasibility study of a compact neutron resonance transmission analysis instrument

Journal Article · · AIP Advances
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5129961· OSTI ID:1616512
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); University of Michigan
  2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA) uses resonant absorption of neutrons to infer the absolute isotopic composition of a target object, enabling applications in a broad range of fields such as archaeology, enrichment analysis of nuclear fuel, and arms control treaty verification. In the past, NRTA involved large user facilities and complex detector systems. However, recent advances in the intensity of compact neutron sources have made compact neutron imaging designs increasingly feasible. This work describes the Monte Carlo (MC) based design of a compact epithermal NRTA radiographic instrument which uses a moderated, compact deuterium-tritium (DT) neutron source and an epithermal neutron detector. Such an instrument would have a wide range of applications, and would be especially impactful for such scenarios as nuclear inspection and arms control verification exercises, where system complexity and mobility may be of critical importance. The MC simulations presented in this work demonstrate accurate time-of-flight (TOF) reconstructions for transmitted neutron energies, capable of differentiating isotopic compositions of nuclear material with high levels of accuracy. A new generation of miniaturized and increasingly more intense neutron sources will allow this technique to achieve measurements with greater precision and speed, with significant impact on a variety of engineering and societal problems.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (NA-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0002534; NA0003920
OSTI ID:
1616512
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1798670
OSTI ID: 1595519
Journal Information:
AIP Advances, Journal Name: AIP Advances Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 10; ISSN 2158-3226
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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