Gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements and simulations for uranium mining

Abstract

Abstract-AREVA Mines and the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA Cadarache are collaborating to improve the sensitivity and precision of uranium concentration evaluation by means of gamma measurements. This paper reports gamma-ray spectra, recorded with a high-purity coaxial germanium detector, on standard cement blocks with increasing uranium content, and the corresponding MCNP simulations. The detailed MCNP model of the detector and experimental setup has been validated by calculation vs. experiment comparisons. An optimization of the detector MCNP model is presented in this paper, as well as a comparison of different nuclear data libraries to explain missing or exceeding peaks in the simulation. Energy shifts observed between the fluorescence X-rays produced by MCNP and atomic data are also investigated. The qualified numerical model will be used in further studies to develop new gamma spectroscopy approaches aiming at reducing acquisition times, especially for ore samples with low uranium content.

Geothermal Resources Recognition and Characterization on the Basis of Well Logging and Petrophysical Laboratory Data, Polish Case Studies

“…Well logging measurement technics and methods of processing and statistical elaboration of data are successfully used in several areas, among others in hydrogeology, for evaluating formation shaliness in groundwater studies [48]. Another example is uranium mining, where gammaray spectroscopy measurements are the input for the orogeny condition simulations [49]. Additionally, non-destructive laboratory and borehole measurements based on gamma radiation of rocks are popular for obtaining indispensable information on bulk density in mining exploitation [50].…”

Characterizing low-activity waste containers: A case study for Compton Suppression Systems under challenging signal-to-noise ratio

“…We thus suppose that the spectrometry chain is installed inside a close, laboratory-type environment. In such an environment, the background gamma-ray emission is dominated by K-40, and the decay products of the radioactive chains of U-238 and Th-232 [39,40]. The main characteristic lines are listed in Table VI, where we mention the nuclide whose de-excitation they indicate and the unstable parent of the said nuclide.…”

Measurement of low-activity uranium contamination by gamma-ray spectrometry for nuclear decommissioning

“…Henceforth, we have some prior knowledge of the shape, i.e normalised spectral distribution, of the background signal. In such an environment, indeed 40 K and 238 U/ 232 Th decay chains dominate the gamma-ray background activity [20,21].…”