Summary of the Effort to Use Active-induced Time Correlation Techniques to Measure the Enrichment of HEU
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
This document summarizes the effort to use active-induced time correlation techniques to measure the enrichment of bulk quantities of enriched uranium. In summary, these techniques use an external source to initiate fission chains, and the time distribution of the detected fission chain neutrons is sensitive to the fissile material enrichment. The number of neutrons emitted from a chain is driven by the multiplication of the item, and the enrichment is closely coupled to the multiplication of the item. As the enrichment increases (decreases), the multiplication increases (decreases) if the geometry is held constant. The time distribution of fission chain neutrons is a complex function of the enrichment and material configuration. The enrichment contributes to the probability of a subsequent fission in a chain via the likelihood of fissioning on an even-numbered isotope versus an odd-numbered isotope. The material configuration contributes to the same probability via solid angle effects for neutrons inducing subsequent fissions and the presence of any moderating material. To simplify the ability to accurately measure the enrichment, an associated particle imaging (API) D-T neutron generator and an array of plastic scintillators are used to simultaneously image the item and detect the fission chain neutrons. The image is used to significantly limit the space of enrichment and material configuration and enable the enrichment to be determined unambiguously.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1325423
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-2015/465; DN2001000; NNPORES; TRN: US1700070
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
FISSION NEUTRONS
FISSION
ENRICHMENT
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
NEUTRON GENERATORS
CONFIGURATION
CORRELATIONS
TIME DEPENDENCE
PLASTIC SCINTILLATOR DETECTORS
DISTRIBUTION
PROBABILITY
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
EMISSION