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Scientific paper

Performance of FRAM isotopic analysis of shielded plutonium with an electrically cooled coaxial gamma-spectrometer

ESARDA Bulletin - The International Journal of Nuclear Safeguards and Non-Proliferation

Details

Identification
ISSN: 1977-5296, DOI: 10.3011/ESARDA.IJNSNP.2020.1
Publication date
1 June 2020
Author
Joint Research Centre

Description

Volume: 60, June 2020, pages 2-19,

Authors: Jozsef Zsigrai1, Andrey Berlizov2, Darcy van Eerten1,3, Janos Bagi1, Artur Muehleisen1

1European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2International Atomic Energy Agency,3Durham University

Abstract: The capability of the FRAM software to accurately determine the isotopic composition of shielded plutonium was tested by the Joint Research Centre in Karlsruhe to support the use of FRAM for the verification of plutoniumbearing items by safeguards inspectors in the field. More than ten thousand spectra of eight certified referencematerial items were analysed using different FRAM parameter sets. The spectra were recorded by the “ORTEC microDetective” portable electrically cooled coaxial gamma spectrometer. The performance of FRAM was evaluated as a function of shielding thickness, measurement time, sample composition and “spectrum quality”. The spectrum quality was quantified using a numerical figure of merit that included the uncertainties of the peak areas relevant for the isotopic analysis. Thereby, it combined the ef fects of shielding, measurement time and sample isotopic composition into a single indicator. It was confirmed that using FRAM’s automatic analysis option improves the isotopic results, especially in the case of lower quality spectra. The results of this work will help safeguards inspectors to optimize the use of electrically cooled gamma-spectrometers and to improve the accuracy of plutonium isotopic composition measurements in the field.

Keywords: gamma spectrometry, electrically cooled gamma spectrometer, plutonium isotopic composition, FRAM

Reference guidline:

Zsigrai, J., Berlizov, A., van Eerten, D., Bagi, J., & Muehleisen, A. (2020). Performance of FRAM isotopic analysis of shielded plutonium with an electrically cooled coaxial gamma-spectrometer. ESARDA Bulletin - The International Journal of Nuclear Safeguards and Non-proliferation, 60, 2-19. https://doi.org/10.3011/ESARDA.IJNSNP.2020.1

THMB_Bulletin-60_p.2-19-Zsigrai

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20 MAY 2022
Performance of FRAM isotopic analysis of shielded plutonium with an electrically cooled coaxial gamma-spectrometer
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