The accurate measurement of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) content such as uranium and plutonium is the most concerned issue in the fields of nuclear safeguards and security, and it is the key process in nuclear material accounting. Non-destructive assay (NDA) offers significant advantages by providing integrated measurements without causing damage to the sample, and is widely used in nuclear safeguards. As one of the NDA methods, active neutron measurement can be used for the measurement and analysis of nuclides with small spontaneous fission neutron yields, such as U-235. However, the geometry of the sample and the induced fission spatial response can introduce significant errors. To address the issue of induced fission spatial response in active neutron measurement, three simulation algorithms are introduced, building upon the conventional approach of directly employing Monte Carlo simulations and fission neutron time series to compute the coincidence count rate. These algorithms include setting 1, 3, or 5 accidental coincidence gates; using the number of fission neutrons and multiplication parameters obtained from Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the coincidence count rate; and eliminating the AmLi neutron signal to calculate the coincidence count rate. Through comparative analysis, the first method, which involves increasing the number of accidental coincidence gates, exhibits a considerable effect on mitigating statistical fluctuations and offers an advanced solution for the design of shift register circuits. The latter two methods, namely the F·M2 estimation algorithm and the median value adoption, significantly diminish statistical fluctuations and enhance the lower threshold for the simulation of spatial response in active neutron measurement.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Study on the Spatial Response Correction Algorithm of Induced Fission Neutrons in Active Coincidence Counting of Uranium Materials

  • Yuqi Zhang,
  • Yimei Cheng,
  • Haitao Zhao,
  • Lixin Bu

摘要

The accurate measurement of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) content such as uranium and plutonium is the most concerned issue in the fields of nuclear safeguards and security, and it is the key process in nuclear material accounting. Non-destructive assay (NDA) offers significant advantages by providing integrated measurements without causing damage to the sample, and is widely used in nuclear safeguards. As one of the NDA methods, active neutron measurement can be used for the measurement and analysis of nuclides with small spontaneous fission neutron yields, such as U-235. However, the geometry of the sample and the induced fission spatial response can introduce significant errors. To address the issue of induced fission spatial response in active neutron measurement, three simulation algorithms are introduced, building upon the conventional approach of directly employing Monte Carlo simulations and fission neutron time series to compute the coincidence count rate. These algorithms include setting 1, 3, or 5 accidental coincidence gates; using the number of fission neutrons and multiplication parameters obtained from Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the coincidence count rate; and eliminating the AmLi neutron signal to calculate the coincidence count rate. Through comparative analysis, the first method, which involves increasing the number of accidental coincidence gates, exhibits a considerable effect on mitigating statistical fluctuations and offers an advanced solution for the design of shift register circuits. The latter two methods, namely the F·M2 estimation algorithm and the median value adoption, significantly diminish statistical fluctuations and enhance the lower threshold for the simulation of spatial response in active neutron measurement.