Concealed contraband (e.g., explosives, illicit drugs, and special nuclear material) can be detected by neutron active interrogation. For detecting explosives and narcotics, prompt gamma rays from fast neutron inelastic scattering on carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen and delayed gamma rays from thermal neutron capture on hydrogen, nitrogen, and chlorine are the primary signatures. Pulsed...
The photofission reaction, which forms the basis of the Active Photon Interrogation (API) nuclear measurement technique, is of great interest from fundamental to applied physics, in particular as part of security checks on cargo containers to detect Special Nuclear Material (SNM) at border controls, as uranium and plutonium isotopes could be potentially involved in terrorist attacks. To...
Over the last five years starting in 2019, several nuclear measurement systems have been conceived and realized for specific nuclear safeguards applications, as well as for nuclear security, implementing some innovative technologies and methods for attended and unattended nuclear measurements.
Some of those technologies imply the integration of combined gamma and neutron detection systems...
Photofission prompt neutron detection methods are of great interest for research and development in the field of nuclear instrumentation and measurement, whether for nuclear waste package characterization, border control and homeland security, but also fundamental nuclear physics. The photofission reaction is generally induced by a linear electron accelerator (LINAC), converting electrons into...
The growing threat posed by the trafficking of illicit materials, including explosives, narcotics, and chemical weapons, requires the development of robust, non-intrusive detection techniques capable of providing fast and accurate on-site assessments. In this context, active photon interrogation methods have shown potential interest but have remained underexplored in applications not related...
The reinforcement of detection and control measures for Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) and other radioactive substances used in sectors such as medicine, industry, environment, energy, agriculture, space, and research are critical for global security and the safe, sustainable use of radiation sources. SNM, including plutonium and highly enriched uranium, pose significant risks if misused,...
Identification of radionuclides is an essential problem especially for border security and field measurements. Today there are two widely used types of methods for identification. They are: classical methods that process separate peaks (so called โpeak-by-peakโ methods) and newer methods that include different types of machine learning or spectrum convolution (โfit-at-onceโ methods). Each type...
In recent years, the management of radioactive materials, especially High Activity Sealed Sources (HASS), has come under increased scrutiny due to heightened concerns regarding radiation safety and regulatory compliance. These sources, which have a wide array of applications in industry, medicine, and research, require strict control mechanisms to ensure their safe use and handling. To address...
Robust and timely detection, localisation and identification of a radioactive source are critical to applications in security, verification treaty and decommissioning. These measurements are usually done with different instruments. Here, we present results from a detector system relevant to security, non-proliferation or decommissioning activities. Nfacet 3D is a segmented dual-scintillator...
Gamma-spectrometry is a widely used technique for identifying and quantifying gamma-emitting radionuclides in many nuclear applications such as rapid identification to prevent illegal trafficking of nuclear materials, decommissioning of nuclear facilities or in situ environmental analysis following a radiological or nuclear accident. For many years, there has been a growing trend to address...
The SNIPER-GN, a special nuclear material (SNM) portable identifier developed by CAEN S.p.A., was tested at ENEA's Nuclear Material Characterization and Radioactive Waste Management Laboratory. This advanced neutron-gamma detection system underwent thorough evaluation with a variety of neutron and gamma sources. The primary goal was to assess the system's performance, particularly its neutron...
The increasing threat of terrorism involving Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDDs) necessitates comprehensive evaluation and preparedness strategies, especially in densely populated public areas. This study aims to assess the potential consequences of an RDD detonation, focusing on the effective doses received by individuals and the ground deposition of radioactive materials in a hypothetical...
The NaTIF (NaIL-based Threats radIation emitters Finder) project is developing a patented next generation Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM) at CEA List Institute. This technology highlights a RPM that can be deployed, on the ground or mounted on vehicles, in highly frequented civilian areas and at national borders. The main goals are to ensure the monitoring and protection of these areas against...
The Micro-irradiation, Neutron Metrology and Dosimetry Laboratory (i.e. the LMDN) from IRSN Cadarache in France, is responsible for the national references in the field of neutron dosimetry. For this purpose, the LMDN produces reference neutron fields and has spectrometers to characterize them. Among these instruments is ROSPEC (ROtating SPECtrometer), a multidetector system comprising six...
The international radiological and nuclear (RN) community recognizes Improvised Nuclear Devices (INDs) as a significant security threat. Therefore, efficient, and reliable detection solutions at points of entry, our first line of defense, are critical for maintaining secure yet open borders. Screening of containerized cargo for INDs, and RN materials in general, is primarily done using...
Electricity production primarily based on uranium fission is considered a viable alternative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the generation and subsequent storage of radioactive waste remain significant challenges associated with this technology. Given the cost, duration and limited space for radioactive waste storage, effective management is essential to minimize the amount of...
Photofission reactions represent an important aspect of photonuclear physics, with significant implications for various applications, including the detection of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) in cargo containers for homeland security, radioactive waste packages characterisation or production of radioisotopes. To obtain the precision required in these high-stakes applications, accurate...
Containment and surveillance (C/S) and monitoring are important measures to complement nuclear material accountancy and control (NMAC) in pursuing IAEAโs Nuclear Safeguards objective of timely detecting the diversion of significant quantities of nuclear material to proscribed purposes. They address the need for maintaining the continuity of knowledge of a safeguarded area or item over the...
For nuclear fuel cycle reprocessing, accurate determination of the isotopic composition of nuclear materials, including Uranium, Plutonium, and minor actinides, is crucial for optimizing the spent fuel reprocessing process and ensuring nuclear safety. Current physico-chemical analysis methods face limitations concerning time-consumption, complex chemical operations, and/or lack of precise...
When facing unknown sources of radiation, first responders are often confronted to the problem of choosing an apparatus to evaluate the nature of the contamination. Multiple detection solutions exist but all are specialized or assume some kind of knowledge of the targeted radiation nature. From the past three years, we developed the Omniscintiโข technology to answer this challenge.
Omniscintiโข...
Special nuclear material is often identified and quantified through gamma-ray spectroscopy or characteristic neutron signatures. However, the passive gamma signature of $^{235}$U can be easily shielded, and its passive neutron signature is negligible. To address this challenge, we propose using a neutron generator to probe uranium and induce fission, from which the prompt and delayed neutrons...
Customs organizations are using since the last 90โs high energies X-rays scanners as a routine inspection technic for detecting smuggling or tax fraud in trucks at terrestrial borders or in containers at ports. This technic is actually 2D radioscopy in a range of energy from 3 to 9 MeV of X-rays. The X-rays source is most of the time a linear accelerator while detection is insured by a...
The measurement of pure ฮฒ-emitting radioactive gases, such as tritium (ยณH) and krypton-85 (โธโตKr), is critically important for nuclear safety authorities, particularly for environmental and safety assessments of nuclear facilities. The demand for these measurements is expected to increase with the global expansion of nuclear energy production and the growing need for radioactive waste...
New nuclear power plants such as Small Modular Reactors (SMR) are making efforts to replace conventional analogue instrumentation and control devices, electronic cards, and etc. or to introduce the latest programmable digital devices (PDD) such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for securing diversity and device stability. In Korean nuclear power plants, the systems based on FPGAs are...
Neutron detection is important in the field of Nuclear Safeguards, Homeland Security, and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) defense. In these areas, precise as well as efficient detection and analysis of neutron emissions are necessary for identifying nuclear material or monitoring radioactive sources. On the one hand, neutrons are very difficult to shield and, taking into...
The active fast neutron multiplicity counting apparatus was consisted of 26 pieces of liquid scintillator detectors in two rings layout, multi-board 500M14bit digitizers based on PXIe platform, the DT neutron generator which was located on the bottom of detector ring, the shielding cone with a hole for neutron injecting to the sample assay area and mechanical mounting structure. The DT neutron...
The fast neutron multiplicity counting apparatus was consisted of 26 pieces of liquid scintillator detectors in two rings layout, multi-board 500M 14bit digitizers based on PXIe platform, and mechanical mounting structure. Each detectorโs light output was calibration with Cs-137 source. The apparatus efficiency for fast neutron detection calibrated with Cf-252 source was about 0.17, and the...
The European MULTISCAN 3D project addresses the urgent need for enhanced container inspection technologies for customs border checks, especially in high-throughput seaports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp. Current 2D X-ray systems : suffer from limitation when threat have not well defined shape . This is the case of drugs for example.. Customs agencies typically select containers for inspection...
The presence of water in a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) analogue has been determined by measuring the prompt 2.223 MeV $\gamma$-ray produced by neutron capture in hydrogen (or deuterium production). These measurements have been made using a 1โ diameter Stilbene scintillator, an EJ-309 liquid scintillator (both from Scionix) and a GR5021 reverse electrode germanium detector (REGe) from Mirion. The...
Environmental radioactivity monitoring is of fundamental importance not only in routine situations but also in the event of accidental occurrences, such as the Fukushima incident in 2011, and extraordinary situations, such as those currently experienced in war-torn countries with nuclear facilities. In Italy, the National Network for Environmental Radioactivity Surveillance โ RESORAD is...
Radiological emergencies, such as those involving contamination of food supplies and inhalation of radioactive isotopes like I-131, pose a significant threat to both public health and environmental safety. The accurate detection and quantification of radiological contamination are critical for implementing effective countermeasures, minimizing exposure, and guiding emergency response efforts....
The long-term safe disposal of neutron-emitting radioactive waste necessitates advanced container designs that effectively attenuate neutron radiation and reduce dose rates. This study introduces a multi-layered shielding approach for optimizing waste containers such as boron-based materials, gadolinium-based alloys or oxides, hydrogen-rich moderators, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and...
In the evolving landscape of radiation imaging for applications in astrophysics, medical imaging, and homeland security, the Compton gamma camera has proven to be a highly advantageous and versatile tool for imaging and localizing gamma radiation sources. Compton cameras take advantage of Compton scattering kinematics to reconstruct the direction of the incoming gamma rays and hence to...
The international community has consistently prioritized the peaceful application of nuclear energy, establishing a framework of safeguard agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor and verify nuclear materials globally. A cornerstone of these efforts is uranium verification, a critical process designed to ensure that nuclear materials are not diverted for non-peaceful...
