Phys.org January 29, 2020
Researchers at MIT describe the Monte Carlo (MC) based design of a compact epithermal Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA) radiographic instrument, which uses a moderated, compact deuterium-tritium neutron source and an epithermal neutron detector. The MC simulations presented in this work demonstrate accurate time-of-flight reconstructions for transmitted neutron energies, capable of differentiating isotopic compositions of nuclear material with high levels of accuracy. A new generation of miniaturized neutron sources will allow this technique to achieve measurements with greater precision and speed, with significant impact on a variety of engineering and societal problems. The instrument would have applications in nuclear inspection and arms control verification exercises, where system complexity and mobility may be of critical importance…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
The schematic of a compact neutron resonance transmission analysis platform using a deuterium-tritium source (not to scale), shielding, a moderator for slowing down the neutrons to the eV regime and a boron-lined collimator. Credit: Ezra M. Engel and Ethan A. Klein, MIT