Active-interrogation measurements of fast neutrons from induced fission in low-enriched uranium

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 738; pp. 99 - 105
• Main Authors: Dolan, J.L., Marcath, M.J., Flaska, M., Pozzi, S.A., Chichester, D.L., Tomanin, A., Peerani, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier B.V 21.02.2014
• Subjects: Accelerators; Active Interrogation; Fast neutrons; Fission; Induced; INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Interrogation; Liquid scintillators; Liquids; MCNPX-PoliMi; Neutron detectors; Nuclear fission; Organic liquids; Uranium; MCNPX-PoliMi; Active interrogation; Liquid scintillators; Fission; Neutron detectors; Induced
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2013.11.052

A detection system was designed with MCNPX-PoliMi to measure induced-fission neutrons from U-235 and U-238 using active interrogation. Measurements were then performed with this system at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy on low-enriched uranium samples. Liquid scintillators measured induced fission neutrons to characterize the samples in terms of their uranium mass and enrichment. Results are presented to investigate and support the use of organic liquid scintillators with active interrogation techniques to characterize uranium containing materials. •We studied low-enriched uranium using active-interrogation experiments including a deuterium–tritium neutron generator and an americium–lithium isotopic neutron source.•Liquid scintillators measured induced-fission neutrons from the active-interrogation methods.•Fast-neutron (DT) and thermal-neutron (Am–Li) interrogation resulted in the measurement of trends in uranium mass and 235U enrichment respectively.•MCNPX-PoliMi, the Monte Carlo transport code, simulated the measured induced-fission neutron trends in the liquid scintillators.