A thermal neutron source imager using coded apertures
To facilitate the process of re-entry vehicle on-site inspections, it would be useful to have an imaging technique which would allow the counting of deployed multiple nuclear warheads without significant disassembly of a missile`s structure. Since neutrons cannot easily be shielded without massive amounts of materials, they offer a means of imaging the separate sources inside a sealed vehicle. Thermal neutrons carry no detailed spectral information, so their detection should not be as intrusive as gamma ray imaging. A prototype device for imaging at close range with thermal neutrons has been constructed using an array of {sup 3}He position-sensitive gas proportional counters combined with a uniformly redundant coded aperture array. A sealed {sup 252}Cf source surrounded by a polyethylene moderator is used as a test source. By means of slit and pinhole experiments, count rates of image-forming neutrons (those which cast a shadow of a Cd aperture on the detector) are compared with the count rates for background neutrons. The resulting ratio, which limits the available image contrast, is measured as a function of distance from the source. The envelope of performance of the instrument is defined by the contrast ratio, the angular resolution, and the total count rate as a function of distance from the source. These factors will determine whether such an instrument could be practical as a tool for treaty verification.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 100464
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-61360; CONF-950787-32; ON: DE95016011
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 36. annual meeting of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management, Palm Desert, CA (United States), 9-12 Jul 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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