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Title: Incorporating delayed neutrons into the point-model equations routinely used for neutron coincidence counting in nuclear safeguards

Abstract

Here, we extend the familiar Bӧhnel point-model equations, which are routinely used to interpret neutron coincidence counting rates, by including the contribution of delayed neutrons. After developing the necessary equations we use them to show, by providing some numerical results, what the quantitative impact of neglecting delayed neutrons is across the full range of practical nuclear safeguards applications. The influence of delayed neutrons is predicted to be small for the types of deeply sub-critical assay problems which concern the nuclear safeguards community, smaller than uncertainties arising from other factors. This is most clearly demonstrated by considering the change in the effective (α,n)-to-spontaneous fission prompt-neutron ratio that the inclusion of delayed neutrons gives rise to. That the influence of delayed neutrons is small is fortunate, and our results justify the long standing practice of simply neglecting them in the analysis of field measurements.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Safeguards & Security Technology, Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1394968
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1358754
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-22782
Journal ID: ISSN 0306-4549
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford); Journal Volume: 99; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0306-4549
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; Delayed neutrons; Neutron coincidence counting; Point-model equations; Neutron multiplicity counting

Citation Formats

Croft, Stephen, and Favalli, Andrea. Incorporating delayed neutrons into the point-model equations routinely used for neutron coincidence counting in nuclear safeguards. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2016.08.012.
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Croft, Stephen, & Favalli, Andrea. Incorporating delayed neutrons into the point-model equations routinely used for neutron coincidence counting in nuclear safeguards. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2016.08.012
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Croft, Stephen, and Favalli, Andrea. Wed . "Incorporating delayed neutrons into the point-model equations routinely used for neutron coincidence counting in nuclear safeguards". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2016.08.012. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1394968.
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@article{osti_1394968,
title = {Incorporating delayed neutrons into the point-model equations routinely used for neutron coincidence counting in nuclear safeguards},
author = {Croft, Stephen and Favalli, Andrea},
abstractNote = {Here, we extend the familiar Bӧhnel point-model equations, which are routinely used to interpret neutron coincidence counting rates, by including the contribution of delayed neutrons. After developing the necessary equations we use them to show, by providing some numerical results, what the quantitative impact of neglecting delayed neutrons is across the full range of practical nuclear safeguards applications. The influence of delayed neutrons is predicted to be small for the types of deeply sub-critical assay problems which concern the nuclear safeguards community, smaller than uncertainties arising from other factors. This is most clearly demonstrated by considering the change in the effective (α,n)-to-spontaneous fission prompt-neutron ratio that the inclusion of delayed neutrons gives rise to. That the influence of delayed neutrons is small is fortunate, and our results justify the long standing practice of simply neglecting them in the analysis of field measurements.},
doi = {10.1016/j.anucene.2016.08.012},
journal = {Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)},
number = C,
volume = 99,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Wed Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2016.08.012
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    An evidential evaluation of nuclear safeguards
    journal, December 2019

    • Gao, Shang; Deng, Yong
    • International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, Vol. 15, Issue 12
    • DOI: 10.1177/1550147719894550
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