Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Nuclear material accountancy is essential for nuclear security and non-proliferation, requiring fast and accurate measurement methods. To overcome the limitations of conventional thermal neutron multiplicity counting, this study developed a fast neutron multiplicity counting (FNMC) system using organic scintillators.Materials and Methods: An FNMC system was constructed using a pixelated trans-stilbene array and a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array. Performance was evaluated through Monte Carlo N-Particle Extended (MCNPX)-PoliMi simulations and experiments at 50 keVee and 100 keVee energy thresholds, analyzing detection efficiency, crosstalk, and singles (S), doubles (D), and triples (T) rates.Results and Discussion: The FNMC system showed a linear relationship between S, D, and T values and mass, with mass estimation errors of 0.4% at 50 keVee and 2.2% at 100 keVee threshold. Lower energy thresholds provided higher detection efficiency and accuracy. The system effectively minimized crosstalk and pile-up errors.Conclusion: The FNMC system provides a precise and reliable method for rapid nuclear material verification. It demonstrates strong potential for non-destructive analysis and nuclear safeguards applications, offering improved efficiency and accuracy compared to conventional methods.
Authors: Changyu Ko, Sungjun Shim, Jeehoon Koo, Jooyoung Kim, Manhee Jeong
Institution: Jeju National University
Language: English
Subfield: Radiation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4409970699