An Analysis of Intense Pulsed Active Detection (IPAD) for the Detection of Special Nuclear Materials

Swanekamp, S. B.; Apruzese, J. P.; Commisso, R.J.; Mosher, D.; Schumer, J.W.

doi:10.1109/tns.2011.2150242

Cited by 22 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…[10,36] The same approach has been used for this project, and has been presented previously. [30] A ROC curve is essentially a plot of false-positive versus true-positive detection rates, yet the complementary nature of the four detection outcome probabilities allows for the concurrent demonstration of false-negative and true-negative rates as well.…”

Section: Figure Of Meritmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Swanekamp et al have presented compelling research about the value of using one single, intense pulse of x-rays to serve as an active interrogation source for detecting SNM. [10] They have shown that this approach, which can in principle support the collection of data from the prompt-fission (including die-away, if present) and E-delayed neutron signatures, has the potential to significantly improve detection capabilities versus more traditional, pulsed linear electron accelerator (LINAC) based active bremsstrahlung interrogation (ABI) approaches. Gribkov et al have illustrated comparable advantages for using singleshot, nanosecond pulsed neutron sources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimation of the performance of multiple active neutron interrogation signatures for detecting shielded HEU

Chichester

Thompson

Watson

et al. 2012

2012 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference Record (NSS/MIC)

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-A comprehensive modeling study has been carried out to evaluate the utility of multiple active neutron interrogation signatures for detecting shielded highly enriched uranium (HEU). The modeling effort focused on varying HEU masses from 1 kg to 20 kg; varying types of shields including cement, wood, polyethylene, aluminum, and steel; varying depths of the HEU in the shields, and varying engineered shields immediately surrounding the HEU including steel, lead, and cadmium. Neutron and gamma-ray signatures were the focus of the study and false negative detection probabilities versus measurement time were used as a performance metric.To facilitate comparisons among different approaches an automated method was developed to generate receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for different sets of model variables for multiple background count rate conditions. This paper summarizes results or the analysis, including laboratory benchmark comparisons between simulations and experiments.

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Section: Figure Of Meritmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of the performance of multiple active neutron interrogation signatures for detecting shielded HEU

Chichester

Thompson

Watson

et al. 2012

2012 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference Record (NSS/MIC)

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“…In contrast, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have studied active interrogation techniques using a pulsed-power accelerator, which produces intense radiation in a single short pulse, or flash [8]. This flash-based approach to active interrogation offers several possible advantages over the conventional pulsed approach: For a fixed accelerated charge, the delivery of the interrogating radiation in a single, high current pulse generates the maximum fission signature in the shortest time, therefore maximising the obtainable fission signal-to-background ratio.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Interrogation of Depleted Uranium Using a Single Pulse, High-Intensity Photon and Mixed Photon-Neutron Source

Clemett

Martin

Hill

et al. 2015

IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.

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Active interrogation is a method used to enhance the likelihood of detection of shielded special nuclear material (SNM); an external source of radiation is used to interrogate a target and to stimulate fission within any SNM present. Radiation produced by the fission process can be detected and used to infer the presence of the SNM. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have carried out a joint experimental study into the use of single pulse, high-intensity sources of bremsstrahlung x-rays and photoneutrons in an active interrogation system. The source was operated in both x-ray-only and mixed x-ray/photoneutron modes, and was used to irradiate a depleted uranium (DU) target which was enclosed by up to of steel shielding. Resulting radiation signatures were measured by a suite of over 80 detectors and the data used to characterise detectable fission signatures as a function of the areal mass of the shielding. This paper describes the work carried out and discusses data collected with proportional counters, NaI(Tl) scintillators and Eljen EJ-309 liquid scintillators. Results with the x-ray-only source demonstrate detection ( ) of the DU target through a minimum of of steel, dropping to when using a mixed x-ray/photoneutron source. The proportional counters demonstrate detection ( ) of the DU target through the maximum steel shielding deployed for both photon and mixed x-ray/photoneutron sources.Index Terms-Active interrogation, bremsstrahlung x-ray, electron accelerators, nuclear security, photoneutron, special nuclear material (SNM).

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“…Our work concentrates on interrogating a fissionable material with a single, short (of order 100 nanoseconds) intense pulse of bremsstrahlung radiation produced by a high power (1 terawatt) pulsed power generator. Simulation studies have shown that interrogation via a single, high-power pulse results in detection with increased signal-to-noise compared to multiplepulsed linac-based systems [8] (see Section VI. for further details).…”

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confidence: 99%

Pulsed Power Active Interrogation of Shielded Fissionable Material

Woolf

Phlips

Hutcheson

et al. 2015

IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.

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We irradiated a depleted uranium ( ) target with intense, single 50 ns pulses of bremsstrahlung to study the behavior of , , NaI(Tl), and liquid scintillation detectors in a harsh radiological environment. The target was exposed unshielded, and shielded with borated high-density polyethylene, or steel, and delayed -ray and neutron signatures were measured. We found that a high confidence measurement of the delayed emission could be obtained in this environment and show the results from each detector array, for varying amounts of shielding, in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio vs. time and the relationship between the mean of the signal-to-noise ratio vs. areal mass density.

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An Analysis of Intense Pulsed Active Detection (IPAD) for the Detection of Special Nuclear Materials

Cited by 22 publications

References 6 publications

Estimation of the performance of multiple active neutron interrogation signatures for detecting shielded HEU

Estimation of the performance of multiple active neutron interrogation signatures for detecting shielded HEU

Active Interrogation of Depleted Uranium Using a Single Pulse, High-Intensity Photon and Mixed Photon-Neutron Source

Pulsed Power Active Interrogation of Shielded Fissionable Material

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