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Title: Multiplication and Presence of Shielding Material from Time-Correlated Pulse-Height Measurements of Subcritical Plutonium Assemblies

Abstract

We present the results from the first measurements of the Time-Correlated Pulse-Height (TCPH) distributions from 4.5 kg sphere of α-phase weapons-grade plutonium metal in five configurations: bare, reflected by 1.27 cm and 2.54 cm of tungsten, and 2.54 cm and 7.62 cm of polyethylene. A new method for characterizing source multiplication and shielding configuration is also demonstrated. The method relies on solving for the underlying fission chain timing distribution that drives the spreading of the measured TCPH distribution. We found that a gamma distribution fits the fission chain timing distribution well and that the fit parameters correlate with both multiplication (rate parameter) and shielding material types (shape parameter). The source-to-detector distance was another free parameter that we were able to optimize, and proved to be the most well constrained parameter. MCNPX-PoliMi simulations were used to complement the measurements and help illustrate trends in these parameters and their relation to multiplication and the amount and type of material coupled to the subcritical assembly.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (NA-22)
OSTI Identifier:
1340272
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1366710; OSTI ID: 1416598
Report Number(s):
SAND-2017-0183J
Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002; 650258; TRN: US1700561
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; NA0002534
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 851; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; fission chain; liquid scintillator; subcritical assembly; non-linear inverse problem; Fission chain, Liquid scintillator, Subcritical assembly, Non-linear Inverse Problem

Citation Formats

Monterial, Mateusz, Marleau, Peter, Paff, Marc, Clarke, Shaun, and Pozzi, Sara. Multiplication and Presence of Shielding Material from Time-Correlated Pulse-Height Measurements of Subcritical Plutonium Assemblies. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2017.01.040.
Monterial, Mateusz, Marleau, Peter, Paff, Marc, Clarke, Shaun, & Pozzi, Sara. Multiplication and Presence of Shielding Material from Time-Correlated Pulse-Height Measurements of Subcritical Plutonium Assemblies. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.01.040
Monterial, Mateusz, Marleau, Peter, Paff, Marc, Clarke, Shaun, and Pozzi, Sara. Fri . "Multiplication and Presence of Shielding Material from Time-Correlated Pulse-Height Measurements of Subcritical Plutonium Assemblies". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.01.040. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1340272.
@article{osti_1340272,
title = {Multiplication and Presence of Shielding Material from Time-Correlated Pulse-Height Measurements of Subcritical Plutonium Assemblies},
author = {Monterial, Mateusz and Marleau, Peter and Paff, Marc and Clarke, Shaun and Pozzi, Sara},
abstractNote = {We present the results from the first measurements of the Time-Correlated Pulse-Height (TCPH) distributions from 4.5 kg sphere of α-phase weapons-grade plutonium metal in five configurations: bare, reflected by 1.27 cm and 2.54 cm of tungsten, and 2.54 cm and 7.62 cm of polyethylene. A new method for characterizing source multiplication and shielding configuration is also demonstrated. The method relies on solving for the underlying fission chain timing distribution that drives the spreading of the measured TCPH distribution. We found that a gamma distribution fits the fission chain timing distribution well and that the fit parameters correlate with both multiplication (rate parameter) and shielding material types (shape parameter). The source-to-detector distance was another free parameter that we were able to optimize, and proved to be the most well constrained parameter. MCNPX-PoliMi simulations were used to complement the measurements and help illustrate trends in these parameters and their relation to multiplication and the amount and type of material coupled to the subcritical assembly.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2017.01.040},
journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
number = C,
volume = 851,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

A Note on the Nomenclature in Neutron Multiplicity Mathematics
journal, January 2019


Results of Three Neutron Diagnosed Subcritical Experiments
journal, December 2018


Characterizing Subcritical Assemblies with Time of Flight Fixed by Energy Estimation Distributions
text, January 2018