Transformational nuclear sensors — Real-time monitoring of WMDs, risk assessment & response

Prototype Demonstration of Gamma- Blind Tensioned Metastable Fluid Neutron/Multiplicity/Alpha Detector – Real Time Methods for Advanced Fuel Cycle Applications

“…In other words, this has resulted [6,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] in a novel, simple to use, low cost, transformative class of sensors (field-relevant adaptations ongoing) with high intrinsic efficiency (≥90%) that are able to distinguish between neutrons, alpha particles, and fission fragments and simultaneously also provide directionality and multiplicity related information for neutron emissions -all from a single, portable sensor system for which the detection efficiency can be varied at will. These detectors can physically (human form adapted) "see" and "hear" radiation while also deriving spectroscopic information and discerning the direction of incoming radiation and remaining "blind" to gamma photons.…”

“…It is also feasible to passively monitor neutron emissions with greater than 90% intrinsic efficiency, and with ATMFDs for discerning the direction of a Pu-Be neutron source (±∼30º) with 90% ( Fig. 2.5) [13][14][15][16][17]. This evidence formed the basis for extending the technology not only for real-time neutron source directionality, but also for simultaneous source imaging such that the actual motion through space of SNMs can be monitored and tracked.…”

“…4isFig. 2.4) Detection time vs. Pneg for a CTMFD configuration showing the ability to discriminate between neutron energies and emission spectra[15].…”

Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detectors in Nuclear Security for Active Interrogation of Special Nuclear Materials―Part B

“…TMFDs are versatile in that they can be configured to spectroscopically detect a wide variety of particles while remaining insensitive to others [1,3]. For the application of active interrogation, a TMFD has two advantages.…”

“…For the application of active interrogation, a TMFD has two advantages. First it can be made selectively "blind" to γ photon radiation [4], which can readily overcome and saturate conventional (e.g., NE-213, 3 He, LiI, BF 3 ) detectors. Secondly, a TMFD can be cycled on and off in a controlled fashion within microseconds [1] in order to detect secondary particles from interrogation while avoiding the probing particles altogether allowing measurement of small fluxes that normally would be masked by the interrogation particles.…”