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Correlation measurements with {sup 252}Cf to characterize fissile material

Journal Article · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
OSTI ID:20093648
Measurements using {sup 252}Cf as a timed source of neutrons and gammas have in recent years undergone significant maturation. These methods use {sup 252}Cf as an observable source of spontaneous fission neutrons and gammas in conjunction with one or more neutron-sensitive and/or gamma-sensitive detectors to measure the time distribution of correlated detector counts following (a) an observed {sup 252}Cf-fission event and/or (b) a counting event in another detector. Detection of {sup 252}Cf spontaneous fission is frequently achieved via use of a small ionization chamber in which the {sup 252}Cf is contained; in this case, the timing of source emission events is random. However, one application subsequently described uses a neutron-absorbent shutter to modulate {sup 252}Cf emissions to produce a neutron source with deterministic timing. Other applications, frequently termed noise-analysis measurements, transform the time distributions to the frequency domain. Collectively, these correlation methods use {sup 252}Cf to excite the fissile ray of detectors and analyzed using standard time-correlation and/or frequency-analysis techniques. In recent years, numerous advances have been made in the application of these methods to in situ or field measurements directed at characterizing various configurations of fissile material in operational facilities. Applications include reactor physics measurements, nuclear criticality safety, nondestructive analysis and nonintrusive monitoring of enrichment (or deenrichment) processes, and inventory tracking for nuclear materials control and accountability.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US)
OSTI ID:
20093648
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 82; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English