Distinguishing fissions of 232Th, 237Np and 238U with beta-delayed gamma rays

Iyengar, Anagha; Norman, E. B.; Howard, C.; Angell, C. T.; Kaplan, Ariel; Ressler, J. J.; Chodash, Perry; Swanberg, E.; Czeszumska, A.; Wang, B.; Yee, Ryan; Shugart, Howard A.

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2013.03.054

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We used both high-resolution germanium detectors and low-resolution plastic scintillators to measure gamma energy and time spectra. We found distinctive gamma-ray intensity ratios for each sample in several time bins, which provide adequate data to identify the fissionable material present and can also provide information on the neutron energy [2,3]. Figure 4 illustrates some of the differences we observed following the thermal-neutron induced fissions of 235 U (shown on top) and 239 Pu (shown below).…”

Section: Beta-delayed Gammas From Fissionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Nuclear Forensics using Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

Norman¹

2016

EPJ Web Conf.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Much of George Dracoulis's research career was devoted to utilising gamma-ray spectroscopy in fundamental studies in nuclear physics. This same technology is useful in a wide range of applications in the area of nuclear forensics. Over the last several years, our research group has made use of both high-and lowresolution gamma-ray spectrometers to: identify the first sample of plutonium large enough to be weighed; determine the yield of the Trinity nuclear explosion; measure fission fragment yields as a function of target nucleus and neutron energy; and observe fallout in the U. S. from the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident.

show abstract

Section: Beta-delayed Gammas From Fissionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Nuclear Forensics using Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

Norman¹

2016

EPJ Web Conf.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The reliable information about their isotopic composition is required to successfully solve this problem. One of the widely used non-destructive methods for the detection and isotopic identification of unshielded and shielded nuclear materials is based on the use of delayed gamma-rays from their fission products [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The essence of this method is to use experimentally obtained information on the ratio of the intensity of stimulated delayed gamma-rays from light and heavy fission products [1][2][3][4]. The yields of light product fragments significantly depend on the mass of fissile nuclei.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result of the theoretical analysis [11,12] and experimental [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] studies, the possibility of using 89 Rb and 138 Cs products obtained as a result of fission by neutrons [2][3][4][5] and photons [6][7][8][9][10] for isotope identification of unshielded [2][3][4][5][6][7] and shielded [8][9][10] nuclear materials ( 232 Th, 235 U, 238 U, 239 Pu) has been established.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Isotopic Identification of Photofissed Nuclear Materials in Stainless Steel Containers Using Delayed Gamma-Rays

Pylypchynets¹,

Парлаг²,

Maslyuk³

et al. 2022

Problems of Atomic Science and Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The results of isotope identification of nuclear materials (232Th, 235U, 238U, 239Pu) packed in hermetic stainless steel containers by their stimulated delayed gamma radiation are presented. The ratios of the values of the time dependences of the intensity of gamma radiation of the light and heavy product of their photofission were used for the analysis. Gamma radiation from photofission products 89Rb (1031.9; 1248.1 keV) and 138Cs (1009.8; 1436.8; 2218.0; 2639.6 keV) was used to differentiate nuclear materials. The photofission reaction the samples of nuclear materials was stimulated on an electron accelerator, an M-30 microtron, at maximum bremsstrahlung energy of 12.5 MeV. The possibility of carrying out isotopic identification of nuclear materials using the following sets of ratios of the values of the time dependences of the gamma-line intensity has been demonstrated: X(1031.9)/X(2639.6), X(1248.1)/X(1009.8), X(1248.1)/X(1436.8), X(1248.1)/X(2218.0), X(1248.1)/X(2639.6).

show abstract

Benchmarking the repeatability of a pneumatic cyclic neutron activation analysis facility using 16 O(n,p) 16 N for nuclear forensics

Pierson

Griffin

Flaska

et al. 2015

Applied Radiation and Isotopes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A target was prepared for cyclic neutron activation analysis by heat sealing lithium-carbonate in polyethylene. The target was cyclically irradiated 50 times using a Thermo-Scientific accelerator based deuterium-tritium fusion neutron generator. During counting periods, gamma-rays emitted by (16)N were detected using three high-purity germanium detectors acquiring data in list-mode. Total counts acquired in each spectrum were compared between the three detectors to examine variability in geometric positioning of the target and variability of the generator intensity throughout the experiment. These two effects were determined to be the primary sources of variation in the measured counts. Variation in target positioning and generator intensity were found to increase the standard deviation by 34% and 33%, respectively. Transit times to the detector were found to be slower and more variable than transit to the generator but were well below the half second threshold needed to measure short-lived radionuclides with half-lives on the order of seconds. The standard deviation in irradiation time was found to be less than 1 milliseconds. The impact on statistical variability in the measured counts was negligible relative to the two primary sources of variation. Spectra acquired from each cycle were summed together. The sum of the peak areas from the 6.1 MeV gamma-ray and its corresponding single and double escape peaks were used to measure the half-life of (16)N. The result of 7.108(15)seconds derived from data suggests that the currently published value of 7.13(2)seconds has minimal systematic bias induced by background.

show abstract

Distinguishing fissions of 232Th, 237Np and 238U with beta-delayed gamma rays

Cited by 8 publications

References 6 publications

Nuclear Forensics using Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

Nuclear Forensics using Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

Isotopic Identification of Photofissed Nuclear Materials in Stainless Steel Containers Using Delayed Gamma-Rays

Benchmarking the repeatability of a pneumatic cyclic neutron activation analysis facility using 16 O(n,p) 16 N for nuclear forensics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About