Publications

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The time-correlated pulse-height technique can distinguish multiplying (special nuclear material) from non-multiplying sources. The technique relies upon the measurement of correlated photon-neutron pairs using organic liquid scintillation detectors. For such interactions, the distribution of measured neutron recoil energy versus the time-of-flight difference between correlated photons and neutrons are imprinted with the fission chain dynamics of the source. The theoretical time-of-arrival assuming the photons and neutrons are created in the same fission is calculated. Correlated pairs with longer time-of-arrival indicate delays caused by self-induced fission chains in a multiplying source. For the specific circumstances of simulated measurements of 25.4 kg of highly enriched uranium at 50 cm source to detector distance, correlated pairs from fission chains can arrive upwards of 40 ns later than correlated pairs with the same neutron energies from non-multiplying sources like 252Cf at the same source detector distance. The use of detectors with ns scale time resolution and the use of pulse digitization allows for the distinction of these events. This method has been used successfully in the past to measure a variety of plutonium-bearing samples. The particle transport code MCNPX-PoliMi has been used to simulate and validate these measurements as well. Due to the much lower signature emission rate of 235U, this technique has not yet been used to measure the presence of highly enriched uranium. In this work we therefore explore the use of the time-correlated pulse-height technique with the introduction of an interrogating neutron source to stimulate fission. The applicability of 252Cf, AmLi and a DD generator neutron sources is explored in a series of simulations. All three sources are viable options with their own pros and cons with the choice of appropriate source depending upon the intended application. The TCPH technique is envisioned as a viable measurement solution of special nuclear material in situations in which the presence of shielding material disqualifies the use of passive gamma spectroscopy or gamma spectroscopy reveals classified information on the special nuclear material's isotopic composition. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time-encoded imaging (TEI) is a new approach to directional detection of energetic radiation that produces images by inducing a time-dependent modulation of detected particles. TEI-based detectors use single-scatter events and have a low channel count, reducing complexity and cost while maintaining high efficiency with respect to other radiation imaging techniques such as double-scatter or coded aperture imaging. The scalability of TEI systems makes them a very promising detector class for weak source detection. Extension of the technique to high-resolution imaging is also under study. With a prototype time-encoding detector, we demonstrated detection of a neutron source at 60 m with neutron output equivalent to an IAEA significant quantity of WGPu. We have since designed and built a full-scale detector based on the time-encoding concept. We will present results from characterization of very large liquid scintillator cells, including pulse shape discrimination, as well as from studies of the detector system performance in weak source detection scenarios. © 2013 SPIE.

Time-encoded imaging (TEI) is a new approach to directional detection of energetic radiation that produces images by inducing a time-dependent modulation of detected particles. TEI-based detectors use single-scatter events and have a low channel count, reducing complexity and cost while maintaining high efficiency with respect to other radiation imaging techniques such as double-scatter or coded aperture imaging. The scalability of TEI systems makes them a very promising detector class for weak source detection. Extension of the technique to high-resolution imaging is also under study. With a prototype time-encoding detector, we demonstrated detection of a neutron source at 60 m with neutron output equivalent to an IAEA significant quantity of WGPu. We have since designed and built a full-scale detector based on the time-encoding concept. We will present results from characterization of very large liquid scintillator cells, including pulse shape discrimination, as well as from studies of the detector system performance in weak source detection scenarios. © 2013 SPIE.

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Time-encoded imaging is an approach to directional radiation detection that is being developed at SNL with a focus on fast neutron directional detection. In this technique, a time modulation of a detected neutron signal is inducedtypically, a moving mask that attenuates neutrons with a time structure that depends on the source position. An important challenge in time-encoded imaging is to develop high-resolution two-dimensional imaging capabilities; building a mechanically moving high-resolution mask presents challenges both theoretical and technical. We have investigated an alternative to mechanical masks that replaces the solid mask with a liquid such as mineral oil. Instead of fixed blocks of solid material that move in pre-defined patterns, the oil is contained in tubing structures, and carefully introduced air gapsbubblespropagate through the tubing, generating moving patterns of oil mask elements and air apertures. Compared to current moving-mask techniques, the bubble mask is simple, since mechanical motion is replaced by gravity-driven bubble propagation; it is flexible, since arbitrary bubble patterns can be generated by a software-controlled valve actuator; and it is potentially high performance, since the tubing and bubble size can be tuned for high-resolution imaging requirements. We have built and tested various single-tube mask elements, and will present results on bubble introduction and propagation as a function of tubing size and cross-sectional shape; real-time bubble position tracking; neutron source imaging tests; and reconstruction techniques demonstrated on simple test data as well as a simulated full detector system.

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