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Articles 1 - 30 of 99
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Enabling Rapid Chemical Analysis Of Plutonium Alloys Via Machine Learning-Enhanced Atomic Spectroscopy Techniques, Ashwin P. Rao
Enabling Rapid Chemical Analysis Of Plutonium Alloys Via Machine Learning-Enhanced Atomic Spectroscopy Techniques, Ashwin P. Rao
Theses and Dissertations
Analytical atomic spectroscopy methods have the potential to provide solutions for rapid, high fidelity chemical analysis of plutonium alloys. Implementing these methods with advanced analytical techniques can help reduce the chemical analysis time needed for plutonium pit production, directly enabling the 80 pit-per-year by 2030 manufacturing goal outlined in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. Two commercial, handheld elemental analyzers were validated for potential in situ analysis of Pu. A handheld XRF device was able to detect gallium in a Pu surrogate matrix with a detection limit of 0.002 wt% and a mean error of 8%. A handheld LIBS device was …
Verficiation And Validation Of Unstructured Meshing Capabilities In Mcnp6, Micah C. Jeroutek
Verficiation And Validation Of Unstructured Meshing Capabilities In Mcnp6, Micah C. Jeroutek
Theses and Dissertations
Discrepancies were found between the legacy CSGs and the new UMs with the latter's introduction in MCNP6. As such, V&V of UMs in MCNP must be conducted to assist in their further development and increase user confidence in them. Currently, the MCNP test suite is lacking in UM benchmarks, and of the few that are present, their range in problem type is limited. To address these issues, two preliminary test cases covering new applications of UMs were developed for future inclusion in the test suite. The first was for the Athena-I experiment which involved the study of electronic devices' responses …
Modeling Gadolinium Self Powered Neutron Detectors In A Transient Reactor, Alexander L. Q. Spring
Modeling Gadolinium Self Powered Neutron Detectors In A Transient Reactor, Alexander L. Q. Spring
Theses and Dissertations
Contributions to the electron current from the three components of a gadolinium SPND, emitter, insulator, and sheath, are identified, characterized, and quantified to provide information on how the SPND interacts within the transient neutron and photon flux of the TREAT to create a measurable current. These contributions are measured by defining the SPND interactions as a dose response function used within a Monte Carlo simulation of a TREAT experiment. The data obtained from the Monte Carlo simulations are then used to compare against two analytic models, developed by Jaschik and Warren, as well as the experimental results. It was found …
Neutron Spectral Effect On Microelectronic Performance Response, Wade Kloppenburg
Neutron Spectral Effect On Microelectronic Performance Response, Wade Kloppenburg
Theses and Dissertations
Response of 2N2222 bipolar junction transistors to neutrons from a pulsed thermonuclear or pulsed fission source are researched. Measurements used for comparing performance included the base-collector junction current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics and device gain degradation. Little change was detected in steady-state operation of the base-collector junction, but evidence in the dynamic and capacitance measurements establish effects based on environment. Experimental results are compared to literature results and parameters are explored using a device model simulation code.
Optimization Of A Multi-Layered Target For A Pulsed Power Neutron Source, Zachary D. Bretz
Optimization Of A Multi-Layered Target For A Pulsed Power Neutron Source, Zachary D. Bretz
Theses and Dissertations
The ability to create neutron environments is critical fora wide variety of applications including national security, materials science, and medical research. It is also helpful in medical, material, and other research. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Washington, DC, is interested in leveraging their pulsed-power facilities to produce an in-house, relatively inexpensive neutron source. NRL’s facilities produce 2 MeV (from Gamble II) and 5 MeV (from Mercury) protons and deuterons. This research explored combinations of target materials to produce the most neutrons in the forward direction. Models of the reactions involved were first validated against literature experiments, then target designs …
Deep Learning Approach To Multi-Phenomenological Nuclear Fuel Cycle Signals For Nonproliferation Applications, Preston J. Dicks
Deep Learning Approach To Multi-Phenomenological Nuclear Fuel Cycle Signals For Nonproliferation Applications, Preston J. Dicks
Theses and Dissertations
In order to reduce the time required for data analysis and decision-making relevant to nuclear proliferation detection, Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques are applied to multi-phenomenological signals emitted from nuclear fuel cycle facilities to identify non-human readable characteristic signatures of operations for use in detecting proliferation activities. Seismic and magnetic emanations were collected in the vicinity of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and the McClellan Nuclear Research Center (MNRC). A novel bi-phenomenology DL network is designed to test the viability of transfer learning between nuclear reactor facilities. It is found that the network produces an 84.1% accuracy (99.4% without transient …
Feasibility Of Fireball Trail Detection Using Ground-Based Gps Receivers, Ian R. Moffett
Feasibility Of Fireball Trail Detection Using Ground-Based Gps Receivers, Ian R. Moffett
Theses and Dissertations
The feasibility of using GPS data to detect fireballs is analyzed by first modeling the fireball’s trail diffusion and plasma chemistry to get a resulting ion density profile of the trail over time. The signal perturbation caused by the fireball trail is simulated for a ground receiver using an analytic solution for diffraction from a Gaussian lens. Five cases were modeled with varying initial peak ion densities and altitudes taken from fireball and reentry vehicle data. This paper shows that it is feasible to detect a fireball trail using GPS if the fireball has a sufficiently high initial ion density, …
Analysis Of Microscopic Carbon Fiber Fragments, Zachary R. Scott
Analysis Of Microscopic Carbon Fiber Fragments, Zachary R. Scott
Theses and Dissertations
Carbon Fiber (CF) has different tensile strengths and transverse moduli depending on how they are fabricated. Some CF is export controlled as it can be used for weapons, spacecraft, or gas centrifuges for enriching nuclear fuel. This research project explored a new way to prepare micron sized single CF threads to measure their transverse modulus and compare the moduli of non-export controlled CF to that of an export controlled CF. Five total polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers were used in this project, one of which was an export controlled fiber.
Capability Development For Advanced (N,X) Nuclear Data Measurements, Brian G. Frandsen
Capability Development For Advanced (N,X) Nuclear Data Measurements, Brian G. Frandsen
Theses and Dissertations
Nuclear reaction data are the heart of radiation transport calculations, models, and simulations. Unique approaches are required to improve the measurement capability for many reactions where data are inaccurate or do not exist. First, the newly developed Gamma Energy Neutron Energy Spectrometer for Inelastic Scattering (GENESIS) provides the ability to measure neutron inelastic scattering cross sections on different targets. An initial experiment measuring the 16O(n,n’𝛾) reaction calculated the count rate from the second excited state using the full energy and escape peaks. Second, a set of photocurable scintillator resin formulations capable of neutron-gamma discrimination were developed to support light-based …
Verification And Validation Of Radiation Protection Factors From Monte Carlo Simulations, William J. Erwin
Verification And Validation Of Radiation Protection Factors From Monte Carlo Simulations, William J. Erwin
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation describes the verification and validation of methods for producing radiation protection factors (RPFs) using experiments and Monte Carlo N-Particle 6 (MCNP6) simulations. RPF validation of a steel enclosure using a plutonium-beryllium source produced a validated RPF with statistically significant agreement between neutron MCNP6 models and experiments and a gamma protection factor (GPF) with statistically significant agreement to the measured GPF. Efforts to validate more complex enclosures using the Fast Burst Reactor (FBR) yielded the first-ever direct measurements of this reactor’s prompt gamma emission spectrum and revealed irreconcilable differences between the FBR facility-provided source spectrum and spectrometer measurements, resulting …
Neutron Energy Tuning Assemblies For Nuclear Weapon Environment Applications At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont
Neutron Energy Tuning Assemblies For Nuclear Weapon Environment Applications At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont
Theses and Dissertations
An energy tuning assembly was developed to spectrally shape the National Ignition Facility deuterium-tritium fusion neutron source to a notional thermonuclear and prompt fission neutron spectrum to fulfill neutron source capability gaps. The experimental neutron environment was characterized with activation dosimetry, neutronics and covariance models, and unfolded to determine the as-fielded neutron spectrum. The first energy tuning assembly was demonstrated to create synthetic spectrally accurate post-detonation fission products, enhancing U.S. technical nuclear forensics capabilities. ATHENA, a second-generation energy tuning assembly, was also optimized to meet similar objectives, but the new platform neutron fluence efficiency was increased by a factor of …
Characterization Of The Spatial Distribution And Evolution Of Cerium And Calcium In Laser Produced Plasma, Michael G. Rynders
Characterization Of The Spatial Distribution And Evolution Of Cerium And Calcium In Laser Produced Plasma, Michael G. Rynders
Theses and Dissertations
Understanding plasma plumes and the distribution of plasma species microseconds after their formation has a variety of applications in fields such as hypersonics, explosion and combustion dynamics, and nuclear fireball chemistry. In this work, Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) using double pulses of 532 nm light were used to analyze samples of cerium in atmospheres of air, vacuum, and argon. Cerium was used in this experiment to serve as a plutonium surrogate. CeO2 powder was pressed with CaO at 90-10 ratio to produce calcium doped pellets for use as sputtering targets. Inclusion of calcium impurities allowed the identification of …
Characterization And Analysis Of Bomarc Accident Debris, Aaron J. Heffelfinger
Characterization And Analysis Of Bomarc Accident Debris, Aaron J. Heffelfinger
Theses and Dissertations
Accidents involving nuclear weapons, such as the Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (BOMARC) accident in 1960, always pose a significant risk of allowing particles composed of nuclear materials to enter the environment. These particles often differ in characteristics and can be of greatly varying sizes. Gamma ray analysis was conducted on the soil sample and radioisotopes within the sample were identified. Two non-destructive methods for locating actinide bearing particles within the sample were testing, resulting in 70 actinide bearing particles ranging from 1-34 microns being identified. These 70 particles underwent both morphological and elemental characterization, indicating uranium and other elements.
Space To High-Altitude Region Adjoint Neutron Transport, Zachary W. Lamere
Space To High-Altitude Region Adjoint Neutron Transport, Zachary W. Lamere
Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this work was to use the adjoint transport equation to characterize the energy spectrum of a point neutron source using the time-energy fluence at the satellite. The adjoint transport was solved via Monte Carlo methods in the new program called Space to Air High-Altitude Region Adjoint (SAHARA). A new adjoint source event estimator was developed to improve the computational efficiency. This work explores SAHARA’s performance using mono-energetic and continuous sources. In general, the identified source spectra were noticeably shifted towards lower energies, but were able to capture the source spectrum shapes. Lastly, SAHARA was applied to the …
Application Of Artificial Neural Networks To Elemental Assay Data For Nuclear Forensics Analysis, Jason G. Seik
Application Of Artificial Neural Networks To Elemental Assay Data For Nuclear Forensics Analysis, Jason G. Seik
Theses and Dissertations
There is a need to quickly and accurately determine the likely physical origins of a collected sample for nuclear treaty verification purposes. The objective of this research is to prove there is a means to relate different samples (Q-values) to one another using a 'same versus not-same' artificial neural network called a Siamese network. This would provide the capability of comparing an unknown sample to a database of samples with known physical origins. Using moment transformations on current data has shown to increase the prediction capabilities of a Siamese network, and using a triplet loss function in connection with the …
Lithium Compound Characterization Via Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy And Raman Spectroscopy, James T. Stofel
Lithium Compound Characterization Via Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy And Raman Spectroscopy, James T. Stofel
Theses and Dissertations
Industries such as lithium-ion battery producers and the nuclear industry community seek to produce and store lithium in pure chemical forms. However, these lithium compounds are reactive with the atmosphere and quickly degrade into less desirable forms. Therefore, industry desires a fast and effective quality control approach to quantify the ingrowth of these secondary lithium chemical forms. This research presents a novel approach using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy in tandem to enhance lithium compound characterization beyond what is achieved by either technique alone. The resulting spectral data are aggregated using data fusion and analyzed using chemometrics for …
The Effect Of Aeration Rate And Free-Floating Carrier Media On The Emission Of Bacillus Globigii In Bioaerosols, Andrew J. Owens
The Effect Of Aeration Rate And Free-Floating Carrier Media On The Emission Of Bacillus Globigii In Bioaerosols, Andrew J. Owens
Theses and Dissertations
Aerosols produced by turbulent mechanical mixing and bubble aeration at Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) become bioaerosols with the entrainment of biological materials. Bioaerosols become a public health risk when human pathogens are present. This study evaluated bioaerosols containing Bacillus globigii (BG) spores, and the effects that aeration rate and the addition of Free-Floating Carrier Media (FFCM) had on the amount of BG spores collected following aerosolization. A series of laboratory-scale experiments investigated two different sizes of floating polystyrene spheres as FFCM and four different aeration rates. When the differences in compared aeration rates were sufficiently large, a positive correlation …
Measurement Of The 160Gd(P,N)160Tb Excitation Function From 4 18 Mev, Using A Stacked Foil Technique, Ryan K. Chapman
Measurement Of The 160Gd(P,N)160Tb Excitation Function From 4 18 Mev, Using A Stacked Foil Technique, Ryan K. Chapman
Theses and Dissertations
A stack of thin Gd, Ti, and Cu foils were irradiated with an 18 MeV proton beam at Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory's 88-Inch Cyclotron to investigate the 160Gd(p,n)160Tb nuclear reaction for nuclear forensics applications. This experiment will improve knowledge of 160Tb production rates, allowing 160Tb to be efficiently created in a foil stack consisting of other proton induced isotopes for forensics applications. A set of 15 measured cross sections between 4-18 MeV for 160Gd(p,n)160Tb were obtained using a stacked foil technique. The foil stack consisted of one stainless steel, one iron, fifteen gadolinium, …
Neutron Energy Effects On Asteroid Deflection, Lansing S. Horan Iv
Neutron Energy Effects On Asteroid Deflection, Lansing S. Horan Iv
Theses and Dissertations
In the future, a hazardous asteroid will find itself on a collision course with Earth. It is an inevitability; the question is not if, but when. For asteroids of moderate size or larger, a nuclear device is one of humanity's only technologies capable of mitigating this threat via deflection on a timescale of less than a decade. This work examined how changing the output neutron energy from a nuclear device detonation affects asteroid deflection. The notional asteroid target was 300 meters in diameter and composed of silicon dioxide at a bulk density of 1.855 g/cm3. To calculate the …
An Assessment Of The Spatial Variation Of Isotopic Ratios In A Candu-6 Reactor For Nuclear Treaty Monitoring, Aaron W. Burkhardt
An Assessment Of The Spatial Variation Of Isotopic Ratios In A Candu-6 Reactor For Nuclear Treaty Monitoring, Aaron W. Burkhardt
Theses and Dissertations
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization developed the International Monitoring System for monitoring for nuclear explosive testing and compliance with nuclear treaties. Many of the International Monitoring System stations are capable of detecting radionuclides that can be used to determine their origin and creation environment. However, there is not a single unique signature associated with each creation environment. Nuclear reactors, for example, can have a wide range of isotopic concentrations caused by spatial variations in neutron flux intensity and energy. As a single sample only provides a single isotopic measurement, this can make disambiguation difficult …
Neutron Displacement Damage In Germanium Tin Photodiodes, Nathan J. Gale
Neutron Displacement Damage In Germanium Tin Photodiodes, Nathan J. Gale
Theses and Dissertations
GeSn is a promising material for photodiodes in the near-to-mid infrared (IR) spectrum because of new growth methods that enable integration with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. While natural germanium has a threshold wavelength of 1800 nm, 6.9 Sn content extends the threshold wavelength to 2700 nm based on a Sn content dependent bandgap. Also, unlike other semiconductors that require liquid nitrogen cooling to act as an IR sensor, GeSn can be operated at room temperature, enabling a wide variety of applications. In this study, photodiodes ranging from 0 to 6.9 tin content were subjected to 1 MeV (Si) …
A Machine Learning Approach To Characterizing Particle Morphology In Nuclear Forensics, Daniel A. Gum
A Machine Learning Approach To Characterizing Particle Morphology In Nuclear Forensics, Daniel A. Gum
Theses and Dissertations
A machine learning approach is taken to characterizing a group of synthetic uranium bearing particles. SEM images of these lab-created particles were converted into a binary representation that captured morphological features in accordance with a guide established by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Each particle in the dataset contains an association with chemical creation conditions: processing method, precipitation temperature and pH, calcination temperature are most closely tied to particle morphology. Additionally, trained classifiers are able to relate final products between particles, implying that morphological features are shared between particles with similar composition.
Rapid Analysis Of Plutonium Surrogate Material Via Hand-Held Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Ashwin P. Rao
Rapid Analysis Of Plutonium Surrogate Material Via Hand-Held Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Ashwin P. Rao
Theses and Dissertations
This work investigated the capability of a portable LIBS device to detect and quantify dopants in plutonium surrogate alloys, specifically gallium, which is a common stabilizer used in plutonium alloys. The SciAps Z500-ER was utilized to collect spectral data from cerium-gallium alloys of varying gallium concentrations. Calibration models were built to process spectra from the Ce-Ga alloys and calculate gallium concentration from spectral emission intensities. Univariate and multivariate analysis techniques were used to determine limits of detection of different emission line ratios. Spatial mapping measurements were conducted to determine the device's ability to detect variations in gallium concentration on the …
Determination And Simulation Of The Neutron Spectrum Of Nuclear Detonations And Surrogate Sources, Taylor M. Nichols
Determination And Simulation Of The Neutron Spectrum Of Nuclear Detonations And Surrogate Sources, Taylor M. Nichols
Theses and Dissertations
This research determined a methodology for characterizing the Fast Beam Facility (FBF) at The Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Laboratory to test the response of photovoltaic arrays to nuclear weapon radiation. Additionally, this research developed neutron and gamma nuclear weapon output spectra of two environments for comparison to the FBF spectrum. A Bonner sphere spectrometer (BSS), coupled with the unfolding program Maximum Entropy Deconvolution (MAXED), was employed as a means of determining the energy spectrum of neutrons. Using the ISO 8529 americium beryllium (AmBe) source as the a priori default spectrum, MAXED was used to unfold the spectrum of neutrons …
Analysis Of The Correlation Between Re Filament Surface Features And Tims Performance, Christopher J. Mihal
Analysis Of The Correlation Between Re Filament Surface Features And Tims Performance, Christopher J. Mihal
Theses and Dissertations
Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) is an invaluable tool in nuclear forensics as it enables isotopic assays of actinides to be measured, permitting analysis to include special nuclear material isotopic assays, nuclear reactor monitoring, and treaty verification. In one method of measurement for the TIMS system, samples are deposited in solution form on high-purity rhenium filaments. The filaments are heated to evaporate the solvent, and then further heated to cause sample ionization, permitting the sample to be transmitted through a magnetic field which separates ions based on mass to charge ratio into detectors for counting. Heavier ions will be deflected …
Determination Of Lithium Isotope Concentration By Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Using Chemometrics, Jason C. Wood
Determination Of Lithium Isotope Concentration By Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Using Chemometrics, Jason C. Wood
Theses and Dissertations
The role of enriched 6Li in nuclear applications makes the ability to detect and monitor lithium enrichment activity imperative. Detecting levels of enrichment of this isotope currently requires sensitive, complex equipment operated by highly-trained technicians, which is prohibitive to rapid detection of enrichment activity. While commercial companies market portable laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with the ability to detect elements on the order or parts per million concentrations, they have not yet been demonstrated to possess the ability to quantitatively determine isotopic concentrations of lithium. This research performs single-pulse LIBS experiments under laboratory conditions to determine concentrations of 7Li and …
Enabling Mobile Neutron Detection Systems With Clyc, Matthew C. Recker
Enabling Mobile Neutron Detection Systems With Clyc, Matthew C. Recker
Theses and Dissertations
Cs2LiYCl6:Ce3+ (CLYC) has the desirable property of being sensitive to both gamma rays and neutrons while producing waveforms suitable for pulse shape discrimination (PSD) to determine which radiation was detected. This dissertation examines the behavior of CLYC to support its further development for mobile and portable applications. First, the feasibility of performing PSD with CLYC and an inexpensive data acquisition system was examined. This system was able to clearly distinguish both events with a figure of merit of 1.42. Next, the performance of a SiPM was compared to a traditional PMT. Analysis showed that the …
Investigations Of Point Defects In Kh2Po4 Crystals Using Ab Initio Quantum Methods, Tabitha E. R. Dodson
Investigations Of Point Defects In Kh2Po4 Crystals Using Ab Initio Quantum Methods, Tabitha E. R. Dodson
Theses and Dissertations
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4, or commonly called KDP) crystals can be grown to large sizes and are used for many important devices (fast optical switches, frequency conversion, polarization rotation) for high powered lasers. The nonlinear optical material has a wide intrinsic transparency range. Intrinsic point defects are responsible for several short-lived absorption bands in the visible and ultraviolet regions that affect high-power pulsed laser propagation. The primary intrinsic defects have been experimentally detected in KDP using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments. The defect models established thus far include (i) self-trapped holes, (ii) oxygen vacancies, and (iii) …
Point Defects In Lithium Gallate And Gallium Oxide, Christopher A. Lenyk
Point Defects In Lithium Gallate And Gallium Oxide, Christopher A. Lenyk
Theses and Dissertations
Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), thermoluminescence (TL), and wavelength-dependent TL are used to identify and characterize point defects in lithium gallate and β-gallium oxide doped with Mg and Fe acceptor impurities single crystals. EPR investigations of LiGaO2 identify fundamental intrinsic cation defects lithium (V−Li) and gallium (V2−Ga) vacancies. The defects’ principle g values are found through angular dependence studies and atomic-scale models for these new defects are proposed. Thermoluminescence measurements estimate the activation energy of lithium vacancies at Ea = 1.05 eV and gallium vacancies at Ea > 2 …
Development Of A Mixed-Radiation Directional Rotating Scatter Mask Detection System, Bryan V. Egner
Development Of A Mixed-Radiation Directional Rotating Scatter Mask Detection System, Bryan V. Egner
Theses and Dissertations
Previous work demonstrated gamma-ray directional detection through the integration of a radiation detection system and an additively manufactured rotating scatter mask (RSM). This work advances the RSM directional detection system through improvements in the system's design, validation of a new scatter mask, and the novel ability to directionally detect both neutrons and gamma rays, a desirable feature for many nuclear safeguard and counterproliferation applications. The mixed-radiation RSM system developed for this research utilized the Spartan I mask design coupled with a 1" EJ-309 liquid scintillator. A GEome-try ANd Tracking (Geant4) model is developed and quantitatively compared to experimental measurements for …