Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening
A number of fields in nuclear security require isotopic analysis and identification. Nuclear resonance fluorescence(NRF) has provided a non-intrusive isotope-sensitive measurement technique to detect special nuclear material in cargo [8], and has been proposed to be used as a verification technique...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2022
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139592 |
| _version_ | 1826198657123221504 |
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| author | Bickus, Jacob E. |
| author2 | Danagoulian, Areg |
| author_facet | Danagoulian, Areg Bickus, Jacob E. |
| author_sort | Bickus, Jacob E. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | A number of fields in nuclear security require isotopic analysis and identification. Nuclear resonance fluorescence(NRF) has provided a non-intrusive isotope-sensitive measurement technique to detect special nuclear material in cargo [8], and has been proposed to be used as a verification technique in arms control treaty verification [41]. Standard methods of performing NRF involve the use of expensive HPGe detectors to detect a scattered signal to discriminate between isotopes of special nuclear materials. Furthermore these require a continuous wave (CW) beam, which currently can be delivered only by large and static accelerators [40]. We propose a system using an energy-modulating chopper wheel and a simpler, pulsed electron accelerator beam as the radiation source. This work builds upon a concept presented by Kemp et al. [24], with the difference of a measurement of NRF in a scattering mode. In this approach the chopper wheel serves as a switch effectively modulating the beam to include or exclude photons of NRF energies for interrogating the test object. Comparison between the chopper "On" and "Of" will provide a differential signal which upon integration can allow inference of special nuclear materials based on their NRF signals. The approach places integrating calorimetric Cherenkov detectors at a back-scattered angle which will eliminate much of the background typically found in a transmitted spectra. Cherenkov detectors will replace the HPGe detectors in effort to decrease the low energy background. We present a thoroughly tested Monte Carlo model to compare with experimental testing using Cherenkov detectors and nuclear resonance fluorescence to discriminate between isotopes of special nuclear material. Preliminary simulation results show that a uranium interrogation object could not be determined within a 5 minute interrogation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:07:52Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/139592 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:07:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1395922022-01-15T03:44:48Z Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening Bickus, Jacob E. Danagoulian, Areg Naqvi, Farheen Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering A number of fields in nuclear security require isotopic analysis and identification. Nuclear resonance fluorescence(NRF) has provided a non-intrusive isotope-sensitive measurement technique to detect special nuclear material in cargo [8], and has been proposed to be used as a verification technique in arms control treaty verification [41]. Standard methods of performing NRF involve the use of expensive HPGe detectors to detect a scattered signal to discriminate between isotopes of special nuclear materials. Furthermore these require a continuous wave (CW) beam, which currently can be delivered only by large and static accelerators [40]. We propose a system using an energy-modulating chopper wheel and a simpler, pulsed electron accelerator beam as the radiation source. This work builds upon a concept presented by Kemp et al. [24], with the difference of a measurement of NRF in a scattering mode. In this approach the chopper wheel serves as a switch effectively modulating the beam to include or exclude photons of NRF energies for interrogating the test object. Comparison between the chopper "On" and "Of" will provide a differential signal which upon integration can allow inference of special nuclear materials based on their NRF signals. The approach places integrating calorimetric Cherenkov detectors at a back-scattered angle which will eliminate much of the background typically found in a transmitted spectra. Cherenkov detectors will replace the HPGe detectors in effort to decrease the low energy background. We present a thoroughly tested Monte Carlo model to compare with experimental testing using Cherenkov detectors and nuclear resonance fluorescence to discriminate between isotopes of special nuclear material. Preliminary simulation results show that a uranium interrogation object could not be determined within a 5 minute interrogation. S.M. 2022-01-14T15:22:02Z 2022-01-14T15:22:02Z 2021-06 2021-07-08T14:00:03.303Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139592 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright MIT http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Bickus, Jacob E. Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening |
| title | Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening |
| title_full | Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening |
| title_fullStr | Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening |
| title_short | Monte Carlo Method for Calorimetric NRF Cargo Screening |
| title_sort | monte carlo method for calorimetric nrf cargo screening |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139592 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bickusjacobe montecarlomethodforcalorimetricnrfcargoscreening |