On the search for nuclear resonance fluorescence signatures of 235U and 238U above 3 MeV
- Resource Type
- Conference
- Authors
- Warren, Glen A.; Caggiano, Joseph A.; Bertozzi, William; Korbly, Stephen E.; Ledoux, Robert J.; Park, William H.
- Source
- 2008 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record, 2008. NSS '08. IEEE. :675-680 Oct, 2008
- Subject
- Nuclear Engineering
Power, Energy and Industry Applications
Fields, Waves and Electromagnetics
Engineered Materials, Dielectrics and Plasmas
Signal Processing and Analysis
Bioengineering
Resonance
Fluorescence
Laboratories
Isotopes
Detectors
Explosives
Collaboration
Containers
Energy measurement
Aluminum
- Language
- ISSN
- 1082-3654
Nuclear resonance fluorescence is a physical process that provides an isotope-specific signature that could be used for the identification and characterization of materials. The technique involves the detection of prompt discrete-energy photons emitted from a sample that is exposed to photons in the MeV energy range. Potential applications of the technique range from detection of high explosives to characterization of special nuclear materials such as 235 U. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Passport Systems have collaborated to conduct a a pair of measurements to search for a nuclear resonance fluorescence response of 235 U above 3 MeV and of 238 U above 5 MeV using an 8 g sample of highly enriched uranium and a 90 g sample of depleted uranium. No new signatures were observed. The minimum detectable integrated cross section for 235 U is presented.