The safeguarding of nuclear materials and facilities is a global challenge. There are different methods to maintain nuclear safeguarding, with a primary method being the use of cameras. Therefore it is fair to consider the vulnerabilities of the elements of this method of safeguarding. One of these vulnerabilities may be neutron damage to memory cards. This project aims to investigate whether...
NNL entered two teams into the SIGMA data challenge, one internal team and one in collaboration with K.Ward at the University of Lancaster. The internal team utilises the work of K.Ward and his Poisson-FoCuS algorithm, a fast online detection method to identify anomalies. As implemented in the SIGMA data challenge the method provides information on anomalies at a temporal scale but does not...
In the field of nuclear security, safeguard and non-proliferation antineutrino flux profiles have the potential to be used as a verification tool to ensure operations at a nuclear facility are being accurately reported. Due to this potential, there is an interest in performing antineutrino measurements on an operating reactor site, such as the Hartlepool Advanced Gas Reactor. To help assess...
The applications of neutron monitors extend to many critical fields such as leak detection in nuclear power plants, cosmic ray detection for space-weather monitoring, and homeland security in preventing the unauthorised transport of nuclear materials. The industry standard neutron monitor technologies are based on helium-3 but due to the volatile price and scarcity of this rare isotope, the...
We present a novel and condensed imaging technique for thermal neutrons utilizing a fast event mode optical camera (Timepix3) combined with a 6Li:LYSO scintillator. Previous studies have demonstrated the high spatial-resolution imaging capabilities of 6LiF:ZnS scintillators compared to traditional neutron imaging [1]. However, the proposed 6Li:LYSO scintillator exhibits a significantly faster...
Radiation detectors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be utilised to screen freight passing through a seaport for radioactive material that could be used in radiological dispersal or improvised nuclear explosive devices. Payload and battery life restrictions limit the size of the sensor package that can be deployed on a UAV and as a result a low-cost system is likely to deploy...
The Simulation and Optimisation of Position-Sensitive LaBr3 Detectors for Compton Imaging
By Emily Richardson and Dr Fraser Holloway
The University of Liverpool
Abstract: Scintillator-based Compton cameras are a practical choice for nuclear security applications; however, the energy resolution is comparatively poorer than semiconductor-based approaches and accurate...
