DICER: a new instrument for nuclear data for nuclear security

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 331; no. 12; pp. 4857 - 4861
• Main Authors: Stamatopoulos, Athanasios, Matyskin, Artem, Koehler, Paul, Couture, Aaron, DiGiovine, Brad, Mocko, Veronika, Rusev, Gencho, Ullmann, John, Vermeulen, Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorption cross sections; Astrophysics; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Data security; Diagnostic Radiology; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Nuclear capture; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Physics; Nuclear safety; Physical Chemistry; Radiochemistry; Radioisotopes; Safety and security measures; Security; Zirconium isotopes; Neutron transmission; Neutron capture; Time of flight; Sample fabrication
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-022-08474-z

Neutron capture cross sections for radionuclides are essential for nuclear security applications but are extremely challenging to measure. A new technique and instrument are being developed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center to solve this problem. The Device for Indirect Neutron Capture Experiments on Radionuclides (DICER) is designed to tightly constrain neutron-capture cross sections for several radionuclides important to nuclear security, nuclear criticality safety, radiochemical diagnostics, astrophysics, and nuclear forensics. These efforts heavily rely on the fabrication of radioactive samples. A description of the technique, sample fabrication efforts, a list of radionuclides that DICER can study and the first preliminary results on 88 Zr will be provided.