Uncertainty of Plutonium Isotopic Measurements with Microcalorimeter and High-Purity Germanium Detectors

Hoover, A.; Winkler, R.; Rabin, Michael W.; Bennett, Douglas A.; Doriese, W. B.; Fowler, Joseph W.; Hayes-Wehle, James; Horansky, Robert D.; Reintsema, C. D.; Schmidt, D. R.; Vale, Leila R.; Ullom, Joel N.; Schaffer, K. K.

doi:10.1109/tns.2014.2332275

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…High-quality spectral data suitable for quantitative analysis were collected from reference standards with well-established isotopic compositions (see Table 1). Specifically, we obtained data from: PIDIE samples 1, 3, 6; CBNM samples 61, 70, 84, 93; and FZC-158 [Hoover, 2014] [Winkler, 2015]. The mass of these samples ranges from 0.4 for the PIDIE series, 5.5 g for the CBNM series, and 0.7 g for FZC-158.…”

Section: Instrument Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Initially the work focused on statistical (or random) uncertainty [Hoover, 2013]. This was later expanded to include systematic uncertainties [Hoover, 2014]. As is clearly evident in Figure 8, the 100 keV region of Pu samples is dense with gamma-ray lines.…”

Section: Quantitative Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Table 3 summarizes the approximate order of magnitude uncertainty for each effect. A detailed accounting of these values across isotope ratios and sample composition is available in [Hoover, 2014]. A key point is evident from the data.…”

Section: Figure 13 -Summary Of Microcalorimeter Isotopic Ratio Measurmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adjustment , but much smaller uncertainties in the microcalorimeter analysis (red highlight). [Hoover, 2014] of the branching fractions might reduce the overall systematic uncertainty of analysis results, but would require a large library of measured spectra from a variety of items. This approach could be interpreted by some as the application of ad hoc correction factors, thereby reducing the perceived level of scientific rigor.…”

Section: Figure 13 -Summary Of Microcalorimeter Isotopic Ratio Measurmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also at this time new algorithms for pulse-processing in high event-rate scenarios were developed, showing that pile-up pulses could be used for analysis [Alpert, 2013]. In 2014, as a follow-on to the paper on statistical uncertainty, we reported on systematic uncertainty and identified limiting factors of the analysis for HPGe and microcalorimeter data [Hoover, 2014]. We also demonstrated operation of the 256pixel array for total event rates exceeding 1 kcps, and published a summary of Pu measurements using the 256-pixel array [Winkler, 2015].…”

Section: Project Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Progress, Performance, and Prospects of Ultra-High Resolution Microcalorimeter Spectrometers

Hoover¹,

Bennett²,

Croce³

et al. 2017

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Section: Instrument Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Quantitative Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Figure 13 -Summary Of Microcalorimeter Isotopic Ratio Measurmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Figure 13 -Summary Of Microcalorimeter Isotopic Ratio Measurmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Project Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Progress, Performance, and Prospects of Ultra-High Resolution Microcalorimeter Spectrometers

Hoover¹,

Bennett²,

Croce³

et al. 2017

Self Cite

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Plutonium Isotopic Composition by Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

Vo,

Koehler,

Sampson

2024

Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials for Safeguards and Security

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Plutoium isotopic composition can vary dramatically depending on the application. In the nuclear fuel cycle plutonium is typically found with high burnup while low burnup is necessary for military applications. Measurement of the plutonium isotopic composition can assist in verifying that the plutonium is being used in the application as declared and is necessary in combination with a neutron-based measurement to determine the total plutonium mass. This chapter introduces the characteristics of plutonium spectra that influence isotopic measurements, describes useful spectral regions, and presents the principles of spectral analysis important to isotopic measurements. It includes descriptions of typical data collection hardware, details of data analysis methods, and descriptions of several implemented systems with examples of their accuracy and precision.

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256-pixel microcalorimeter array for high-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy of mixed-actinide materials

Winkler

Hoover

Rabin

et al. 2015

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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8The application of cryogenic microcalorimeter detectors to γ-ray spectroscopy 9 allows for measurements with unprecedented energy resolution. These detec-10 tors are ideally suited for γ-ray spectroscopy applications for which the mea-11 surement quality is limited by the spectral overlap of many closely spaced tran-12 sitions using conventional detector technologies. The non-destructive analysis 13 of mixed-isotope Pu materials is one such application where the precision can 14 be potentially improved utilizing microcalorimeter detectors compared to cur-15 rent state-of-the-art high-purity Ge detectors (HPGe). The LANL-NIST γ-ray 16 spectrometer, a 256-pixel microcalorimeter array based on transition-edge sen-17 sors (TESs), was recently commissioned and used to collect data on a variety 18 of Pu isotopic standards to characterize the instrument performance. These 19 measurements represent the first time the simultaneous readout of all 256 pix-20 els for measurements of mixed-isotope Pu materials has been achieved. The 21LANL-NIST γ-ray spectrometer has demonstrated an average pixel resolution 22 of 55 eV full-width-at-half-maximum at 100 keV, nearly an order of magnitude 23 better than HPGe detectors. Some challenges of the analysis of many-channel 24 ultra-high resolution data and the techniques used to produce quality spectra 25 for isotopic analysis will be presented. The LANL-NIST γ-ray spectrometer has 26 also demonstrated stable operation and obtained high resolution measurements 27 Email address: rwinkler@lanl.gov (R. Winkler) at total array event rates beyond 1 kHz. For a total event rate of 1.25 kHz, ap-28 proximately 5.6 cps/pixel, a 72.2 eV average FWHM for the 103 keV photopeak 29 of 153 Gd was achieved. 30 Introduction 32 Detectors based on cryogenic microcalorimeter sensors have emerged as pow-33 erful tools for the detection of a variety of radiation types. These novel detectors 34 are capable of photon and charged particle measurements with extraordinary 35 energy resolution and have been essential for high-precision measurements in a 36 multitude of spectroscopy applications. Experiments employing microcalorime-37 ter detectors span a wide energy range; from sub-keV X-ray measurements to 38 α-decay spectroscopy beyond an MeV [1-4]. In the realm of γ-ray spectroscopy, 39 microcalorimeter detectors have achieved energy resolutions with FWHM res-40 olution as low as 22 eV at 97.4 keV [5]. In the following, the operation and 41 performance of the 256-pixel LANL-NIST microcalorimeter array and its appli-42 cation to difficult γ-and X-ray emission measurements are presented. While 43 the applications for this instrument in γ-ray spectroscopy are plentiful, this ar-44 ticle focuses on the high-precision, non-destructive analyses of complex, mixed-45 actinide materials. These material types emit a complex spectrum of both X-46and γ-rays, particularly in the 100 keV region, that results in spectra containing 47 many strongly overlapping peaks in measurements performed with state-of-the-48 art high-p...

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Uncertainty of Plutonium Isotopic Measurements with Microcalorimeter and High-Purity Germanium Detectors

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Progress, Performance, and Prospects of Ultra-High Resolution Microcalorimeter Spectrometers

Progress, Performance, and Prospects of Ultra-High Resolution Microcalorimeter Spectrometers

Plutonium Isotopic Composition by Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

256-pixel microcalorimeter array for high-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy of mixed-actinide materials

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