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Active interrogation of Special Nuclear Material containers using AmBe quasi-forward biased directional source and PGNAA

Journal Article · · Applied Radiation and Isotopes
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO (United States). Nuclear Engineering; Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO (United States)
  2. Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO (United States). Nuclear Engineering
+ Show Author Affiliations
Special Nuclear Material (SNM) including 95% 235U and 239Pu is capable of being identified by utilizing a quasi-forward directional AmBe source from Patent No: US20190013109A1 using Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) simulated with Monte-Carlo N-Particle transport 6.2 (MCNP). HPGe and LaBr3 detector arrays were used to identify and quantify the peak-to-background and peak-to-total ratios of the associated photon spectra from the SNM encased in a polyethylene shield. The conducted simulations varied the volume of the SNM and neutron source strength in the MCNP data card to conduct an uncertainty analysis. Photopeaks identified include K-shell X-rays from 235U and 239Pu, 61 keV from fission, 2.223 MeV prompt gamma from hydrogen, 511 keV annihilation, and a single and double escape peak from the prompt gamma interaction from hydrogen. Relationships between peak-to-total and peak-to-background as a function of SNM and particle history were investigated to aid in the analysis. The capabilities of both detector systems to acquire well resolved photopeak with a 5% relative error or less, with a 1 Ci source activity, and a peak-to-background ratio of 1.15. Finally, this was determined to take 326 s for LaBr3 and 163 s for HPGe which is comparable to current methods for material detection which take between 100 and 900 s to acquire.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
Grant/Contract Number:
NE0008411
OSTI ID:
1848124
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1577191
Journal Information:
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Journal Name: Applied Radiation and Isotopes Journal Issue: C Vol. 156; ISSN 0969-8043
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (4)

A source biasing and variance reduction technique for Monte Carlo radiation transport modeling of emission tomography problems journal February 2019
Simulation study of alpha-neutron reactions from AmBe directional source using MCNP 6.1.1 with TENDL 2012, 2014, and 2017 libraries journal April 2019
Investigation of active interrogation techniques to detect special nuclear material in maritime environments: Boarded search of a cargo container ship
  • Grogan, Brandon R.; Henkel, James J.; Johnson, Jeffrey O.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Vol. 316 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2013.08.037
journal December 2013
Gaussian Energy Broadening Function of an HPGe Detector in the Range of 40 keV to 1.46 MeV journal January 2014

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
AmBe
Angular distribution
Chemistry
MCNPl
NJOY
Nuclear science & technology
Radiology
nuclear medicine & medical imaging
Simulation
TENDL