Download or read book Contraband Detection with Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this report they show that cargo interrogation systems developed to thwart trafficking of illicit nuclear materials could also be powerful tools in the larger fight against contraband smuggling. In particular, in addition to detecting special nuclear materials, cargo scanning systems that exploit nuclear resonance fluorescence to detect specific isotopes can be used to help find: chemical weapons; some drugs as well as some chemicals regulated under the controlled substances act; precious metals; materials regulated under export control laws; and commonly trafficked fluorocarbons.

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence for Safeguards Applications written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) measurements, resonances are excited by an external photon beam leading to the emission of [gamma] rays with specific energies that are characteristic of the emitting isotope. The promise of NRF as a non-destructive analysis technique (NDA) in safeguards applications lies in its potential to directly quantify a specific isotope in an assay target without the need for unfolding the combined responses of several fissile isotopes as often required by other NDA methods. The use of NRF for detection of sensitive nuclear materials and other contraband has been researched in the past. In the safeguards applications considered here one has to go beyond mere detection and precisely quantify the isotopic content, a challenge that is discussed throughout this report. Basic NRF measurement methods, instrumentation, and the analytical calculation of NRF signal strengths are described in Section 2. Well understood modeling and simulation tools are needed for assessing the potential of NRF for safeguards and for designing measurement systems. All our simulations were performed with the radiation transport code MCNPX, a code that is widely used in the safeguards community. Our initial studies showed that MCNPX grossly underestimated the elastically scattered background at backwards angles due to an incorrect treatment of Rayleigh scattering. While new, corrected calculations based on ENDF form factors showed much better agreement with experimental data for the elastic scattering of photons on an uranium target, the elastic backscatter is still not rigorously treated. Photonuclear scattering processes (nuclear Thomson, Delbruck and Giant Dipole Resonance scattering), which are expected to play an important role at higher energies, are not yet included. These missing elastic scattering contributions were studied and their importance evaluated evaluated against data found in the literature as discussed in Section 3. A transmission experiment was performed in September 2009 to test and demonstrate the applicability of the method to the quantitative measurement of an isotope of interest embedded in a thick target. The experiment, data analysis, and results are described in Section 4. The broad goal of our NRF studies is to assess the potential of the technique in safeguards applications. Three examples are analyzed in Section 5: the isotopic assay of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), the measurement of 235U enrichment in UF6 cylinders, and the determination of 239Pu in mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. The study of NRF for the assay of SNF assemblies was supported by the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) of the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a large multi-lab/university effort to quantify the plutonium (Pu) mass in spent nuclear fuel assemblies and to detect the diversion of pins with non-destructive assay (NDA) methods. NRF is one of 14 NDA techniques being researched. The methodology for performing and analyzing quantitative NRF measurements was developed for determining Pu mass in SNF and is extensively discussed in this report. The same methodology was applied to the assessment of NRF for the measurement of 235U enrichment and the determination of 239Pu in MOX fuel. The analysis centers on determining suitable NRF measurement methods, measurement capabilities that could be realized with currently available instrumentation, and photon source and detector requirements for achieving useful NDA capabilities.

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence for Nuclear Materials Assay written by Brian Joseph Quiter and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation examines the measurement of nuclear resonance fluorescence gamma-rays as a technique to non-destructively determine isotopic compositions of target materials that are of interest for nuclear security applications. The physical processes that can result in non-resonant background to nuclear resonance fluorescence measurements are described and investigated using a radiation transport computer code that relies on the Monte Carlo technique, MCNPX. The phenomenon of nuclear resonance fluorescence is discussed with consideration of the angular distributions of resonance emissions, the effects of nuclear recoil, and the influence of thermal motion. Models describing two ways of measuring nuclear resonance fluorescence rates in materials are considered. First the measurement of back-scattered photons is considered. In this type of measurement, the portion of the interrogating photon beam that is scattered into large relative angles is measured. When the radioactivity of the target can be overcome by shielding or by use of intense photon sources, direct measurement of gamma-rays, emitted during nuclear resonance fluorescence can provide quantitative signatures that appear to be useful for applications such as forensic age-dating of large radiological sources. However, if the target radioactivity is too intense, as in the case for most spent nuclear fuel, a second measurement type, where indirect measurement of transmitted resonant-energy photons can also provide quantitative information. This method allows radiation detectors to be better-shielded from target radioactivity, but suffers from a slower accrual rate of statistical confidence. The models described herein indicate that very intense photon sources and large high-resolution detector arrays would be needed to measure 239Pu content in spent fuel to precisions desired by nuclear safeguards organizations. However, the rates at which statistics accrue are strongly proportional to the strengths of the resonances, and measurement of a plutonium isotope with stronger resonances may provide more practical measurement rates. The model for predicting relative detection rates of nuclear resonance fluorescence gamma-rays in the transmission measurement was experimentally tested using the 238U in a mixture of depleted uranium and lead as a surrogate for 239Pu in spent fuel. The experiment indicated that the model was approximately correct, but that the process of notch refilling, which was excluded from the initial model, appears to be visible. Data files of the computer code, MCNPX, were modified to allow for nuclear resonance fluorescence to be simulated and a bug in the code was repaired to allow the code to more accurately simulate non-resonant elastic photon scattering. Simulations using this modified version of MCNPX have indicated that the magnitude of the notch refill process is comparable to that of the difference between the analytical model and the experimental data.

Download or read book Counterterrorist Detection Techniques of Explosives written by Avi Kagan and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-12-03 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Counterterrorist Detection Techniques of Explosives, Second Edition covers the most current techniques available for explosive detection. This completely revised volume describes the most updated research findings that will be used in the next generation of explosives detection technologies. New editors Drs. Avi Cagan and Jimmie Oxley have assembled in one volume a series of detection technologies written by an expert group of scientists. The book helps researchers to compare the advantages and disadvantages of all available methods in detecting explosives and, in effect, allows them to choose the correct instrumental screening technology according to the nature of the sample. - Covers bulk/remote trace/contact or contact-less detection - Describes techniques applicable to indoor (public transportation, human and freight) and outdoor (vehicle) detection - Reviews both current techniques and those in advanced stages of development - Provides detailed descriptions of every technique, including its principles of operation, as well as its applications in the detection of explosives

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence in 31P and 55Mn written by Ronald J. Foust and published by . This book was released on 1969 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence in 27Al written by Michael J. Parrott and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence in 55Mn written by Dennis A. Justice and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Preliminary Study of the Efficacy of Using Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence with Quasi Monoenergetic Gamma Ray Sources for Nuclear Safeguards Assay written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We have studied the efficacy of using nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF)-based techniques to assay spent nuclear fuel for Pu content using quasi-monoenergetic sources. We have developed two techniques to precisely determine the Pu content in a fuel rod/pin. One of our approaches is virtually free of systematic uncertainties. Using analytical models, we have determined the amount of time required to measure the Pu content in spent nuclear fuel rods and spent fuel assemblies to within 1% precision. We note that Pu content can be determined in a fuel assembly about as fast as in a single fuel pin. The performance of NRF-based assay techniques with improved photon sources, which are currently under development, will also estimated. For follow-on research we propose to: (1) Construct research prototype detection systems for both of the NRF-based assay systems proposed in this paper and measure their calibration curves; (2) Determine the systematic errors associated with both assay methods, explore ways to reduce the errors and fold the results into future performance calculations; (3) Develop an algorithm to assay a fuel assembly; (4) Perform validation measurements using a single pin and scaled assemblies; (5) Research and develop current-mode detection and/or threshold detection techniques to improve assay times; (6) Characterize the flux of newly constructed sources and fold the results into the calculations presented here to determine the feasibility of a variety of proposed sources; and (7) Collaborate with others in the safeguards community to build a prototype system and perform an NRF-based assay demonstration on spent fuel.

Download or read book Potential National Security Applications of Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence Methods written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective of this report is to document the initial investigation into the possible research issues related to the development of NRF-based national security applications. The report discusses several potential applications ranging from measuring uranium enrichment in UF6 canisters to characterization of gas samples. While these applications are varied, there are only a few research issues that need to be addressed to understand the limitation of NRF in solving these problems. These research issues range from source and detector development to measuring small samples. The next effort is to determine how best to answer the research issues, followed by a prioritization of those questions to ensure that the most important are addressed. These issues will be addressed through either analytical calculations, computer simulations, analysis of previous data or collection of new measurements. It will also be beneficial to conduct a thorough examination of a couple of the more promising applications in order to develop concrete examples of how NRF may be applied in specific situations. The goals are to develop an understanding of whether the application of NRF is limited by technology or physics in addressing national security applications, to gain a motivation to explore those possible applications, and to develop a research roadmap so that those possibilities may be made reality.

Download or read book Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance NQR for Stand off Detection of Contraband written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence Experiments on 1hn2 1hn0 1hn4 1hn 1hn2 1hn0 1hn6 1hn 1hn2 1hn0 1hn7 1hn 1hn2 1hn0 1hn8Pb Up to 6 75 MeV written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Contraband Detection Using Materials Identification by Resonance Attenuation MIRA written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 9 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence in 240Pu written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence Measurements on 237Np for Security and Safeguards Applications written by Ryan Matthew Yee and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence in 206 207 208 Pb and 209 Bi written by Daniel Frederick Coope and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Investigation of the Compton scattering method in nuclear resonance fluorescence written by Norman Victor Cohen and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence for Materials Assay written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper discusses the use of nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) techniques for the isotopic and quantitative assaying of radioactive material. Potential applications include age-dating of an unknown radioactive source, pre- and post-detonation nuclear forensics, and safeguards for nuclear fuel cycles Examples of age-dating a strong radioactive source and assaying a spent fuel pin are discussed. The modeling work has ben performed with the Monte Carlo radiation transport computer code MCNPX, and the capability to simulate NRF has bee added to the code. Discussed are the limitations in MCNPX's photon transport physics for accurately describing photon scattering processes that are important contributions to the background and impact the applicability of the NRF assay technique.