Non-destructive inspection system for special nuclear material using inertial electrostatic confinement fusion neutrons and Laser Compton Scattering Gamma-rays

Abstract

A study of a non-destructive inspection system for hidden special nuclear materials in the cargo container at the sea port has been carried out under a promotion of Japan Science and Technology. This inspection system consists of an active neutron detection method for a fast screening purpose and a nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) method for isotope identification. The inertial electrostatic confinement fusion device has been developed for a neutron source and two neutron detection methods, the Feynman-alpha method and high energy neutron detection method, have been examined to realize the fast screening system. Generation of a quasi-monochromatic gammaray beam from the laser Compton Backscattering by using a compact microtron electron accelerator and an NRF experiment on uranium target using a new type of scintillation detector, LaBr3(Ce), has been studied to realize the isotope identification system.

NRF Based Nondestructive Inspection System for SNM by Using Laser-Compton-Backscattering Gamma-Rays

“…An active non-destructive detection system for special nuclear materials (SNMs) such as 235 U has been developed for the container inspection at the sea ports in Japan [1,2]. In general, the interrogation technique which uses neutrons as the probe has a high sensibility for hidden SNMs and promises a short inspection time.…”