Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence with Bremsstrahlung PDF Download

Author: Raymond George Arnold
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bremsstrahlung
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence measurements were performed at the free electron laser facility at UC Santa Barbara using a bremsstrahlung beam. Three endpoint energies were chosen for the bremsstrahlung to cover as much area above 2.5 MeV as possible. We were able to set an upper limit of NRF state strengths between 2.5 and 3.8 MeV at roughly 38(5) eV barns at the 4-sigma level and 9(2) eV barns at the 1-sigma level. Published results on states near 2.4 MeV indicate strengths about 10(2) eV barns. Details of the results are presented in this report.

Author: Charles P. Swann
Publisher:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 16

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This is the final report of work done under these grants. The resonance fluorescence technique was used in these studies with the source of radiation being either gamma rays from the 19F(p, alpha gamma)16O reaction or from electron bremsstrahlung. Properties of levels at about 7 MeV in 16O, 23Na, 207, 208Pb and 209Bi and from 1 - 5 MeV in 59Co, 24Mg, 206,207, 208Pb, 209Bi and 63, 65Cu were deduced from these measurements. Seven papers have been or are to be published and two additional ones are being prepared. (Modified author abstract).

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Languages : en
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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. NRF promises the unique capability of directly quantifying a specific isotope without the need for unfolding the combined responses of several fissile isotopes as is required in other measurement techniques. We have analyzed the potential of NRF as a non-destructive analysis technique for quantitative measurements of Pu isotopes in spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Given the low concentrations of 239Pu in SNF and its small integrated NRF cross sections, the main challenge in achieving precise and accurate measurements lies in accruing sufficient counting statistics in a reasonable measurement time. Using analytical modeling, and simulations with the radiation transport code MCNPX that has been experimentally tested recently, the backscatter and transmission methods were quantitatively studied for differing photon sources and radiation detector types. Resonant photon count rates and measurement times were estimated for a range of photon source and detection parameters, which were used to determine photon source and gamma-ray detector requirements. The results indicate that systems based on a bremsstrahlung source and present detector technology are not practical for high-precision measurements of 239Pu in SNF. Measurements that achieve the desired uncertainties within hour-long measurements will either require stronger resonances, which may be expressed by other Pu isotopes, or require quasi-monoenergetic photon sources with intensities that are approximately two orders of magnitude higher than those currently being designed or proposed. This work is part of a larger effort sponsored by the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative to develop an integrated instrument, comprised of individual NDA techniques with complementary features, that is fully capable of determining Pu mass in spent fuel assemblies.

Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 7

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A search for nuclear resonance fluorescence excitations in 235U and 239Pu within the energy range of 1.0- to 2.5-MeV was performed using a 4-MeV continuous bremsstrahlung source at the High Voltage Research Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Measurements utilizing high purity Ge detectors at backward angles identified 9 photopeaks in 235U and 12 photopeaks in 239Pu in this energy range. These resonances provide unique signatures that allow the materials to be non-intrusively detected in a variety of environments including fuel cells, waste drums, vehicles and containers. The presence and properties of these states may prove useful in understanding the mechanisms for mixing low-lying collective dipole excitations with other states at low excitations in heavy nuclei.

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Languages : en
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Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF), which is possible for nuclei with atomic numbers greater than helium (Z=2), occurs when a nuclear level is excited by resonant absorption of a photon and subsequently decays by reemission of a photon. The excited nuclear states can become readily populated, provided the incident photon's energy is within the Doppler-broadened width of the energy level being excited. Utilizing continuous energy photon spectra, as is characteristic of a bremsstrahlung photon beam, as the inspection source, ensures that at least some fraction of the impinging beam will contribute to the population of the excited energy levels in the material of interest. Upon de-excitation, either to the ground state or to a lower-energy excited state, the emitted fluorescence photon's energy will correspond to the energy difference between the excited state and the state to which it decays. As each isotope inherently contains unique nuclear energy levels, the NRF states for each isotope are also unique. By exploiting this phenomenon, NRF photon detection provides a well-defined signature for identifying the presence of individual nuclear species. This report summarizes the second year (Fiscal Year [FY] 2009) of a collaborative research effort between Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho State University's Idaho Accelerator Center, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This effort focused on continuing to assess and optimize NRF-based detection techniques utilizing a slightly modified, commercially available, pulsed medical electron accelerator.

Author: Wynand Louw Mouton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nuclear physics
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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Category :
Languages : en
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This summarizes the first year of a multi-laboratory/university, multi-year effort focusing on high repetition rate, pulsed LINAC-based nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) measurements. Specifically, this FY2008 effort centered on experimentally assessing NRF measurements using pulsed linear electron accelerators, operated at various repetition rates, and identifying specific detection requirements to optimize such measurements. Traditionally, interest in NRF as a detection technology, which continues to receive funding from DHS and DOE/NA-22, has been driven by continuous-wave (CW), Van de Graff-based bremsstrahlung sources. However, in addition to the relatively sparse present-day use of Van de Graff sources, only limited NRF data from special nuclear materials has been presented; there is even less data available regarding shielding effects and photon source optimization for NRF measurements on selected nuclear materials.

Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 35

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The authors present calculations describing the production of photons through multi-step processes occurring when a beam of gamma rays interacts with a macroscopic material. These processes involve the creation of energetic electrons through Compton scattering, photo-absorption and pair production, the subsequent scattering of these electrons, and the creation of energetic photons occurring as these electrons are slowed through Bremsstrahlung emission. Unlike single Compton collisions, during which an energetic photon that is scattered through a large angle loses most of its energy, these multi-step processes result in a sizable flux of energetic photons traveling at large angles relative to an incident photon beam. These multi-step processes are also a key background in experiments that measure nuclear resonance fluorescence by shining photons on a thin foil and observing the spectrum of back-scattered photons. Effective cross sections describing the production of backscattered photons are presented in a tabular form that allows simple estimates of backgrounds expected in a variety of experiments. Incident photons with energies between 0.5 MeV and 8 MeV are considered. These calculations of effective cross sections may be useful for those designing NRF experiments or systems that detect specific isotopes in well-shielded environments through observation of resonance fluorescence.

Author: Takehito Hayakawa
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814635464
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 379

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Nuclear nonproliferation is a critical global issue. A key technological challenge to ensuring nuclear nonproliferation and security is the detection of long-lived radioisotopes and fissionable nuclides in a non-destructive manner. This technological challenge requires new methods for detecting relevant nuclides and the development of new quantum-beam sources. For example, one new method that has been proposed and studied is nuclear resonance fluorescence with energy-tunable, monochromatic gamma-rays generated by Compton scattering of laser photons with electrons.The development of new methods requires the help of researchers from a wide range of fields, such as nuclear physics, accelerator physics, laser physics, etc. Furthermore, any new method must be compatible with the requirements of administrators and nuclear-material inspectors.