Applications of gamma-ray spectrometry in the quantitative nondestructive assay of special nuclear materials
Nearly all applications of gamma-ray spectrometry in the quanitative assay of special nuclear materials can be grouped into five general categories. They are as follows: (1) Quanitative passive assay, of which transmission-corrected passive assay methods for measuring isotopic masses/concentrations are an important subset; (2) Enrichment measurements on infinitely thick'' samples for absolute determination of isotopic fractions/concentrations; (3) Measurements of isotopic ratios using relative detection efficiency principles resulting in absolute isotopic distributions without recourse to standards; (4) Absorption-edge densitometry measurements of elemental concentrations; and (5) X-ray fluorescence measurements of elemental concentrations. Careful and correct practice of these techniques can yield measurement accuracies in the range of 0.1% to 1.0% in favorable situations with measurement times generally in the range of 15 minutes to 1 hour. We present examples of these general categories with emphasis on those measurements and techniques exhibiting the best accuracy, as well as those which are not routinely practiced in many other applications of gamma-ray spectrometry. 20 refs., 6 fig.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/DP
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6988083
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-90-1372; CONF-900563-4; ON: DE90010609
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 299; Journal Issue: 1-3; Conference: 7. symposium on radiation measurements and applications, Ann Arbor, MI (USA), 21-24 May 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
USES
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY
CALIBRATION
CONCENTRATION RATIO
FISSILE MATERIALS
ISOTOPE RATIO
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
SPECTROSCOPY
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
055001* - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability- Technical Aspects