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Title: Experimental evaluation of the extended Dytlewski-style dead time correction formalism for neutron multiplicity counting

Abstract

Over the past few decades, neutron multiplicity counting has played an integral role in Special Nuclear Material (SNM) characterization pertaining to nuclear safeguards. Current neutron multiplicity analysis techniques use singles, doubles, and triples count rates because a methodology to extract and dead time correct higher order count rates (i.e. quads and pents) was not fully developed. This limitation is overcome by the recent extension of a popular dead time correction method developed by Dytlewski. This extended dead time correction algorithm, named Dytlewski-Croft-Favalli (DCF), is detailed in reference Croft and Favalli (2017), which gives an extensive explanation of the theory and implications of this new development. Dead time corrected results can then be used to assay SNM by inverting a set of extended point model equations which as well have only recently been formulated. Here, we discuss and present the experimental evaluation of practical feasibility of the DCF dead time correction algorithm to demonstrate its performance and applicability in nuclear safeguards applications. In order to test the validity and effectiveness of the dead time correction for quads and pents, 252Cf and SNM sources were measured in high efficiency neutron multiplicity counters at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the countmore » rates were extracted up to the fifth order and corrected for dead time. To assess the DCF dead time correction, the corrected data is compared to traditional dead time correction treatment within INCC. In conclusion, the DCF dead time correction is found to provide adequate dead time treatment for broad range of count rates available in practical applications.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Nuclear Engineering and Nonproliferation Division
  2. Global Nuclear Security Technology Division, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
OSTI Identifier:
1394992
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1661716
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-17-27526
Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 879; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Neutron multiplicity counting; Dead time correction; QuadsPents

Citation Formats

Lockhart, M., Henzlova, D., Croft, S., Cutler, T., Favalli, A., McGahee, Ch., and Parker, R. Experimental evaluation of the extended Dytlewski-style dead time correction formalism for neutron multiplicity counting. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2017.09.025.
Lockhart, M., Henzlova, D., Croft, S., Cutler, T., Favalli, A., McGahee, Ch., & Parker, R. Experimental evaluation of the extended Dytlewski-style dead time correction formalism for neutron multiplicity counting. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.09.025
Lockhart, M., Henzlova, D., Croft, S., Cutler, T., Favalli, A., McGahee, Ch., and Parker, R. 2017. "Experimental evaluation of the extended Dytlewski-style dead time correction formalism for neutron multiplicity counting". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.09.025. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1394992.
@article{osti_1394992,
title = {Experimental evaluation of the extended Dytlewski-style dead time correction formalism for neutron multiplicity counting},
author = {Lockhart, M. and Henzlova, D. and Croft, S. and Cutler, T. and Favalli, A. and McGahee, Ch. and Parker, R.},
abstractNote = {Over the past few decades, neutron multiplicity counting has played an integral role in Special Nuclear Material (SNM) characterization pertaining to nuclear safeguards. Current neutron multiplicity analysis techniques use singles, doubles, and triples count rates because a methodology to extract and dead time correct higher order count rates (i.e. quads and pents) was not fully developed. This limitation is overcome by the recent extension of a popular dead time correction method developed by Dytlewski. This extended dead time correction algorithm, named Dytlewski-Croft-Favalli (DCF), is detailed in reference Croft and Favalli (2017), which gives an extensive explanation of the theory and implications of this new development. Dead time corrected results can then be used to assay SNM by inverting a set of extended point model equations which as well have only recently been formulated. Here, we discuss and present the experimental evaluation of practical feasibility of the DCF dead time correction algorithm to demonstrate its performance and applicability in nuclear safeguards applications. In order to test the validity and effectiveness of the dead time correction for quads and pents, 252Cf and SNM sources were measured in high efficiency neutron multiplicity counters at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the count rates were extracted up to the fifth order and corrected for dead time. To assess the DCF dead time correction, the corrected data is compared to traditional dead time correction treatment within INCC. In conclusion, the DCF dead time correction is found to provide adequate dead time treatment for broad range of count rates available in practical applications.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2017.09.025},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1394992}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
issn = {0168-9002},
number = ,
volume = 879,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Wed Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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