Advanced active interrogation sources for remote detection of special nuclear material
AWE has recently commenced a research programme to develop techniques for the remote detection of illicitly trafficked, special nuclear material. Three techniques that are being investigated as part of this programme utilise an active interrogation source to stimulate a radiation signature within SNM. A photonuclear technique and nuclear resonance fluorescence require an active gamma source while a technique stimulating fission with low energy neutrons requires a low energy neutron source. The potential for consolidation of the photonuclear and neutron technique is discussed. Conceptual designs of intense, pulsed, ion beam diodes to generate suitable sources of 6-7MeV gamma photons for the photonuclear technique and ≪100keV neutron sources for the active neutron technique are presented. The sources required for remote detection via the 60keV neutron or photofission techniques are contrasted with the source requirements for nuclear resonance fluorescence.
Proof-of-Concept Assessment of a Photofission-Based Interrogation System for the Detection of Shielded Nuclear Material
A photonuclear interrogation method was experimentally assessed for the detection of shielded nuclear materials. Proof-of-Concept assessment was performed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) TA-18 facility and used the INEEL VARITRON electron accelerator. Experiments were performed to assess and characterize the delayed neutron emission responses for different nuclear materials with various shield configurations using three ''nominal'' electron beam energies; 8-, 10-, and 11-MeV. With the exception of highly enriched uranium (HEU), the nuclear materials assessed represent material types commonly encountered in commerce. The specific nuclear materials studied include a solid 4.8-kg HEU sphere, a 5-kg multiple-object, depleted uranium (DU) [uranium with about 0.2% enrichment with U-235] target, and two 11-kg thorium disks. The shield materials selected include polyethylene, borated-polyethylene, and lead. Experimental results, supported with numerical predictions, have shown that the photonuclear interrogation technique is quite capable of detecting shielded nuclear material via the direct measurement of the photofission-induced delayed neutron emissions. To identify or discriminate between nuclear material types (i.e., depleted uranium, HEU, and thorium), a ratio of delayed neutron counts at two different beam energies is utilized. This latter method, referred to as the dual-beam energy ratio Figure-of-Merit, allows one to differentiate among the three nuclear materialmore » types.« less
The application of adsorptive stripping voltammetry for a study of the reaction of human serum albumin with anti-human serum albumin
Abstract Adsorptive stripping voltammetry has been used to study the interaction of human serum albumin with anti-human serum albumin. The adsorptive stripping voltammetric behaviour of both proteins has been optimised with respect to accumulation potential, accumulation time and scan rate. It has been demonstrated that adsorptive stripping voltammetry can be a useful technique for the study of the interaction of these two proteins directly in solution.