PC/FRAM: A code for the nondestructive measurement of the isotopic composition of actinides for safeguards applications

Conference · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:414629

Sampson, T E; Kelley, T A

The Nuclear Safeguards Program at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed and fielded techniques for the gamma-ray spectrometry measurement of the isotopic composition of plutonium and other actinides for over 20 years, ever since Parker and Reilly first proposed a practical method for the measurement of the arbitrary sample. Their procedures, incorporating internal (to the measured gamma-ray spectrum) or {open_quotes}intrinsic{close_quotes} self-determination of the relative efficiency function of the sample-detector measurement system, are widely applied today. The PC/FRAM code is the most recent and most highly-developed Los Alamos code developed specifically for the nuclear safeguards applications of this technique. We will describe the measurement principles that allow accurate measurements to be taken on samples of arbitrary size, shape, and measurement geometry- and of arbitrary physical and chemical composition-through the use of known nuclear decay data (half-lives and branching intensities). Subsequently, we will describe the analysis methodology, which is driven by an easily edited parameter file that frees the user from dependence on a dedicated programmer for analyses of special cases. This methodology relies on internal gamma-ray peaks from the spectrum under analysis to self-calibrate the unknown spectrum for energy and peak shape (energy dependence of full width at half maximum (FWHM) and tailing parameters). The program uses these parameters to calculate response functions that are fit to the analysis peaks requested in the parameter file. The structure of the code and its Windows 3.1 user interface allows use with equal ease by the experienced spectroscopist or operator-level personnel in a working facility.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 414629
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-96-3543; CONF-961041-5; ON: DE97001717; TRN: 97:001844
• Resource Relation: Conference: 3. topical meeting on industrial radiation and radioisotope measuerments and applications, Raleigh, NC (United States), 6-9 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
99 MATHEMATICS
COMPUTERS
INFORMATION SCIENCE
MANAGEMENT
LAW
MISCELLANEOUS
ISOTOPE RATIO
P CODES
GAMMA SPECTRA
DATA ANALYSIS
PLUTONIUM
URANIUM
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
DATA ACQUISITION
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM 241
AMERICIUM 241
URANIUM 234
URANIUM 235