Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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AGA: Arbeitsgruppe Physik und Abrüstung

AGA 13: Warhead Dismantlement and Verification Technologies

AGA 13.1: Talk

Thursday, March 19, 2015, 17:00–17:30, EMH 225

Plutonium characterisation with prompt high energy gamma-rays from (n,gamma) reactions for nuclear warhead dismantlement verification — •Frederik Postelt and Kirchner Gerald — Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker-Centre for Science and Peace Research, Beim Schlump 83, 20144 Hamburg, Germany, Tel +49 40 42838 7286 Fax +49 40 42838 3052, http://www.znf.uni-hamburg.de

Measurements of neutron induced gammas allow the characterisation of fissile material (i.e. plutonium and uranium), despite self- and additional shielding. Most prompt gamma-rays from radiative neutron capture reactions in fissile material have energies between 3 and 6.5 MeV. Such high energy photons have a high penetrability and therefore minimise shielding and self-absorption effects. They are also isotope specific and therefore well suited to determine the isotopic composition of fissile material. As they are non-destructive, their application in dismantlement verification is desirable.

Disadvantages are low detector efficiencies at high gamma energies, as well as a high background of gammas which result from induced fission reactions in the fissile material, as well as delayed gammas from both, (n,f) and(n,gamma) reactions.

In this talk, simulations of (n,gamma) measurements and their implications are presented. Their potential for characterising fissile material is assessed and open questions are addressed.