In:
EPJ Web of Conferences, EDP Sciences, Vol. 253 ( 2021), p. 08003-
Abstract:
The characterization of radioactive waste packages is mandatory for their transport, interim storage and final disposal. In this framework, the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA DES IRESNE Institute, at Cadarache, France, uses a high-energy electron linear accelerator (LINAC) to produce an interrogating bremsstrahlung beam with endpoint energies ranging from 9 to 21 MeV to perform X-ray imaging and high-energy photon interrogation on large concrete packages. In particular, highenergy photon beam induces photofission reactions in both fissile ( 235 U, 239 Pu, 241 Pu) and fertile ( 238 U, 240 Pu, 232 Th, etc.) actinides possibly present in the radioactive waste. In order to assess their mass, we use delayed gamma rays emitted by their photofission products, which are measured with a 50 % relative efficiency High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. Actinide differentiation, which is important for the fissile mass estimation, is based on the ratios of gamma rays emitted by different photofission products and requires appropriate corrections for the gamma attenuation in concrete. To this aim, we report here a localization method of point-like nuclear materials in the concrete matrix, based on the differential attenuation of several gamma rays emitted by a same photofission product. We use here the 1435.9 and 2639.6 keV lines of 138 Cs, with both experimental data and MCNP numerical simulations to determine the (r,θ) coordinates of nuclear materials. Then, the depth inside the concrete matrix, which is determined with a precision of a few percent, mainly depending on counting statistics on 1435.9 and 2639.6 keV net peak areas, is used to correct for the different gamma ratios used in the actinide identification method. Experimental tests with uranium samples have been performed to validate the localization method.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2100-014X
DOI:
10.1051/epjconf/202125308003
Language:
English
Publisher:
EDP Sciences
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2595425-8
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