DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Accelerating fissile material detection with a neutron source

Abstract

A system discriminating fissile material from nonfissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detect excess grouped neutrons to identify fission. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and inducing neutron emission therefrom, and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple of less than one part per million. A neutron count histogram and Poisson count distribution are overlaid to provide a visual indication of the difference in correlation of natural and induced emitted neutrons from the radiation source to characterize the neutron source as fissile material or non-fissile material.

Inventors:
;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1632544
Patent Number(s):
10557949
Application Number:
15/865,062
Assignee:
Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (Livermore, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01T - MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION
DOE Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 01/08/2018
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE

Citation Formats

Rowland, Mark S., and Snyderman, Neal J. Accelerating fissile material detection with a neutron source. United States: N. p., 2020. Web.
Rowland, Mark S., & Snyderman, Neal J. Accelerating fissile material detection with a neutron source. United States.
Rowland, Mark S., and Snyderman, Neal J. Tue . "Accelerating fissile material detection with a neutron source". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1632544.
@article{osti_1632544,
title = {Accelerating fissile material detection with a neutron source},
author = {Rowland, Mark S. and Snyderman, Neal J.},
abstractNote = {A system discriminating fissile material from nonfissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detect excess grouped neutrons to identify fission. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and inducing neutron emission therefrom, and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple of less than one part per million. A neutron count histogram and Poisson count distribution are overlaid to provide a visual indication of the difference in correlation of natural and induced emitted neutrons from the radiation source to characterize the neutron source as fissile material or non-fissile material.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 11 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Tue Feb 11 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Cosmic-ray-induced ship-effect neutron measurements and implications for cargo scanning at borders
journal, March 2008

  • Kouzes, Richard T.; Ely, James H.; Seifert, Allen
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 587, Issue 1, p. 89-100
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.12.031

Fiber optic thermal/fast neutron and gamma ray scintillation detector
patent-application, March 2007


Physical description of nuclear materials identification system (NMIS) signatures
journal, August 2000

  • Mihalczo, J. T.; Mullens, J. A.; Mattingly, J. K.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 450, Issue 2-3, p. 531-555
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9002(00)00304-1