Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Physical Sciences and Mathematics (20)
- Physics (16)
- Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (7)
- Nuclear (6)
- Computer Sciences (4)
-
- Aerospace Engineering (2)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (2)
- Risk Analysis (2)
- Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (1)
- Astrodynamics (1)
- Atmospheric Sciences (1)
- Automotive Engineering (1)
- Aviation (1)
- Chemical Engineering (1)
- Chemistry (1)
- Curriculum and Instruction (1)
- Defense and Security Studies (1)
- Earth Sciences (1)
- Education (1)
- Electrical and Electronics (1)
- Electromagnetics and Photonics (1)
- Engineering Physics (1)
- Explosives Engineering (1)
- Fluid Dynamics (1)
- Hydrology (1)
- Management and Operations (1)
- Manufacturing (1)
- Materials Science and Engineering (1)
- Institution
- Keyword
-
- Machine learning (3)
- Nuclear forensics (3)
- Defense-in-depth (2)
- Gamma rays (2)
- Neutron detection (2)
-
- Neutron energy tuning (2)
- Observability-in-depth (2)
- Radiation hardening (2)
- Rotating scatter mask (2)
- #antcenter (1)
- 3D printing (1)
- Accident Pathogen (1)
- Accident pathogen (1)
- Activation foils (1)
- Additive manufacturing (1)
- Analytical chemistry (1)
- Analytical techniques (1)
- Artificial neural networks (1)
- Asteroid deflection (1)
- Asteroid planetary defense (1)
- Blast Pressure (1)
- Blow-off momentum impulse (1)
- CANDU (1)
- CBRN (1)
- Carbon/silicon segregation (1)
- Chemical analysis (1)
- ClassificationNuclear reactor power monitoringTransfer learningSelf-learning (1)
- Combat Operations (1)
- Continued Storage (1)
- Conventional-nuclear integragtion (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 34
Full-Text Articles in Nuclear Engineering
Impact Of Collodion Thickness On Fission Track Generation Within Lexan Employed For Nuclear Forensic Analyses, Ryan K. Chapman, Zachary P. Meisel, Abigail A. Bickley
Impact Of Collodion Thickness On Fission Track Generation Within Lexan Employed For Nuclear Forensic Analyses, Ryan K. Chapman, Zachary P. Meisel, Abigail A. Bickley
Faculty Publications
We report results from a computational study of fission track damage within a Lexan substrate caused by 235U suspended within a collodion film of varied thickness. MCNP6.3 was used to model energy deposition and displacements per atom within a Lexan film coated by a film of collodion, located within the air-filled 6 inch dry tube of a TRIGA reactor. The collodion layer was varied between 20 and 100 μm thickness, resulting in an 8.8% difference in energy deposition and 12% difference in displacements-per-atom within the Lexan substrate. These findings indicate that collodion adhesive thickness has a moderate impact on …
Radiation Protection Factor Research: The Keystone For Conventional-Nuclear Integration (Cni), Andrew W. Decker
Radiation Protection Factor Research: The Keystone For Conventional-Nuclear Integration (Cni), Andrew W. Decker
Faculty Publications
This article briefly describes Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) vehicle Radiation Protection Factor (RPF) research and explains its critical role in enabling future Operations in a Nuclear Environment (ONE) and Conventional-Nuclear Integration (CNI) on behalf of the US Department of War (DoW).1 As such, the background and practical utility of RPF values is discussed, as well as the justification for renewed Army and DoW investment into RPF research to enhance Joint military planning, survivability, and lethality on tomorrow’s nuclear battlefields. Advances in DTRA RPF research directly strengthen US strategic and extended deterrence efforts and support all Agencies and Departments responsible …
The Effects Of Snow Cover On The Dynamic Pressure Of Nuclear Detonation Blast Waves, Adam Card, Andrew W. Decker
The Effects Of Snow Cover On The Dynamic Pressure Of Nuclear Detonation Blast Waves, Adam Card, Andrew W. Decker
Faculty Publications
Blast pressure is the primary military targeting metric for nuclear weapons. Any local conditions that affect blast pressure have the potential for altering nuclear plans, both from defensive and offensive standpoints. Understanding the impact of snow to the blast wave, therefore, provides a benefit both to military planners and to warfighters on the ground, for any operation occurring in arctic environments. No existing data provides a quantitative description of how snow on the ground affects a nuclear detonation blast wave passing over it. Similar blast waves passing over dust have experimentally proven to enhance blast pressure in a localized region.1 …
Machine Learning For Reactor Power Monitoring With Limited Labeled Data, C. L. Stewart, B. L. Goldblum, R. G. Abbott, L. Appleby, Brett J. Borghetti, V. Hollingshead, J. H. Whetzel
Machine Learning For Reactor Power Monitoring With Limited Labeled Data, C. L. Stewart, B. L. Goldblum, R. G. Abbott, L. Appleby, Brett J. Borghetti, V. Hollingshead, J. H. Whetzel
Faculty Publications
Real-time reactor power monitoring is critical for a variety of nuclear applications, spanning safety, security, operations, and maintenance. While machine learning methods have shown promise in monitoring reactor power levels, there is limited research on their efficacy in label-starved environments. The goal of this work is to assess the feasibility of classifying nuclear reactor power level using multisource data in scenarios with limited labels. Data were collected using low-resolution multisensors at four nuclear reactor facilities: two large research reactors and two TRIGA reactors. Within each pair, one reactor dataset served as the source and the other as the target in …
The Evaluation Of Machine Learning Techniques For Isotope Identification Contextualized By Training And Testing Spectral Similarity, Aaron P. Fjelsted, Tyler J. Morrow, Clayton D. Scott, Yilun Zhu, Darren E. Holland, Azaree T. Lintereur, Douglas E. Wolfe
The Evaluation Of Machine Learning Techniques For Isotope Identification Contextualized By Training And Testing Spectral Similarity, Aaron P. Fjelsted, Tyler J. Morrow, Clayton D. Scott, Yilun Zhu, Darren E. Holland, Azaree T. Lintereur, Douglas E. Wolfe
Faculty Publications
Precise gamma-ray spectral analysis is crucial in high-stakes applications, such as nuclear security. Research efforts toward implementing machine learning (ML) approaches for accurate analysis are limited by the resemblance of the training data to the testing scenarios. The underlying spectral shape of synthetic data may not perfectly reflect measured configurations, and measurement campaigns may be limited by resource constraints. Consequently, ML algorithms for isotope identification must maintain accurate classification performance under domain shifts between the training and testing data. To this end, four different classifiers (Ridge, Random Forest, Extreme Gradient Boosting, and Multilayer Perceptron) were trained on the same dataset …
Pulsed-Power Neutron Production With Deuterated Polymer Accelerator Targets, Anthony O. Hagey, Juan J. Manfredi, Whitman T. Dailey, S. L. Jackson, E. R. Kaiser, J, W. Schumer
Pulsed-Power Neutron Production With Deuterated Polymer Accelerator Targets, Anthony O. Hagey, Juan J. Manfredi, Whitman T. Dailey, S. L. Jackson, E. R. Kaiser, J, W. Schumer
Faculty Publications
This document presents an investigation of the effect of deuterated accelerator targets on the neutron fluence from a local mass injection dense plasma focus (LMIDPF) driven by the United States Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Hawk pulsed-power generator. Deuterated targets were made using two methods: a well-established thin-film casting technique for flat targets and a more novel additive manufacturing technique that allowed targets to be three-dimensional (3D) printed in both flat and conical geometries. These targets were then tested during neutron-producing experiments conducted using Hawk, and theneutron fluences measured for the various target types were compared. Additive manufacturing was used as …
Measuring Radiation Protection: Partners From Across The Nuclear Enterprise Evaluate The Radiation Protection Of Us Army Vehicles, Andrew W. Decker, Robert Prins
Measuring Radiation Protection: Partners From Across The Nuclear Enterprise Evaluate The Radiation Protection Of Us Army Vehicles, Andrew W. Decker, Robert Prins
Faculty Publications
Recent mounting nuclear threats and postures from adversary nation-states, such as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, represent a clear danger to the interests and security of the United States of America and its Allies. To meet these threats, the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to design, develop, and manage a combat-credible U.S. military which, among other prioritizations, is survivable. A survivable force can generate combat power despite adversary attacks. As such, the US Army must prepare today to set the conditions for successful conventional warfare on the nuclear battlefields of tomorrow. Our Army cannot …
Fast-, Light-Cured Scintillating Plastic For 3d-Printing Applications, Brian G. Frandsen, Michael Febbraro, Thomas Ruland, Theodore W. Stephens, Paul A. Hausladen, Juan J. Manfredi, James E. Bevins
Fast-, Light-Cured Scintillating Plastic For 3d-Printing Applications, Brian G. Frandsen, Michael Febbraro, Thomas Ruland, Theodore W. Stephens, Paul A. Hausladen, Juan J. Manfredi, James E. Bevins
Faculty Publications
Additive manufacturing techniques enable a wide range of possibilities for novel radiation detectors spanning simple to highly complex geometries, multi-material composites, and metamaterials that are either impossible or cost prohibitive to produce using conventional methods. The present work identifies a set of promising formulations of photocurable scintillator resins capable of neutron-gamma pulse shape discrimination (PSD) to support the additive manufacturing of fast neutron detectors. The development of these resins utilizes a step-by-step, trial-and-error approach to identify different monomer and cross-linker combinations that meet the requirements for 3D printing followed by a 2-level factorial parameter study to optimize the radiation detection …
Data Augmentation For Neutron Spectrum Unfolding With Neural Networks, James Mcgreivy, Juan J. Manfredi, Daniel Siefman
Data Augmentation For Neutron Spectrum Unfolding With Neural Networks, James Mcgreivy, Juan J. Manfredi, Daniel Siefman
Faculty Publications
Neural networks require a large quantity of training spectra and detector responses in order to learn to solve the inverse problem of neutron spectrum unfolding. In addition, due to the under-determined nature of unfolding, non-physical spectra which would not be encountered in usage should not be included in the training set. While physically realistic training spectra are commonly determined experimentally or generated through Monte Carlo simulation, this can become prohibitively expensive when considering the quantity of spectra needed to effectively train an unfolding network. In this paper, we present three algorithms for the generation of large quantities of realistic and …
Aerial Radiation Detection Identification And Measurement System Detector Material Comparison Study, Benjamin C. Troxell, Kacey D. Mcgee, Christina L. Dugan
Aerial Radiation Detection Identification And Measurement System Detector Material Comparison Study, Benjamin C. Troxell, Kacey D. Mcgee, Christina L. Dugan
Faculty Publications
The 20th Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and Explosives Command (CBRNE) currently utilizes an airborne sodium iodide gamma and beta detection system to map radiation fields over large areas of interest. The 20th CBRNE explored emergent detector technologies utilizing two detection materials; thallium-activated cesium iodide and high purity germanium (HPGe). These detectors were simulated at various altitudes and compared to background measurements. The sodium iodide detector failed to provide isotopic discrimination at distance. The thallium-activated cesium iodide CsI(Tl) detector provided sufficient absolute efficiency and energy resolution to identify isotopics at distance. The HPGe detector provided the best energy resolution. However, current …
Athena: A Unique Radiation Environment Platform At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont, George Peterson, Colton Moran, Adib J. Samin, Buguo Wang, Charles Yeamans, Brandon Woodworth, Darren Holland, James C. Petrosky, James E. Bevins
Athena: A Unique Radiation Environment Platform At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont, George Peterson, Colton Moran, Adib J. Samin, Buguo Wang, Charles Yeamans, Brandon Woodworth, Darren Holland, James C. Petrosky, James E. Bevins
Faculty Publications
This paper describes the ATHENA platform, an energy tuning assembly, which was developed to spectrally shape the National Ignition Facility (NIF) deuterium–tritium fusion neutron source to a thermonuclear (fusion) plus prompt fission neutron spectrum with a capability to act as a short-pulse neutron source. This unique, otherwise inaccessible radiation environment complements existing experimental facilities and capabilities. The flexible ATHENA irradiation positions were modeled using an ensemble of Monte Carlo simulations with stochastic sampling of the nuclear cross-sections to characterize the radiation environments and uncertainty for the platform. Validation of the internal neutron spectrum produced from fielding ATHENA at NIF occurred …
Regularized Heuristic Method For Activation Monitor Neutron Spectrum Unfolding, Nicholas J. Quartemont, James E. Bevins
Regularized Heuristic Method For Activation Monitor Neutron Spectrum Unfolding, Nicholas J. Quartemont, James E. Bevins
Faculty Publications
his paper describes an activation foil measurement based neutron flux unfolding method utilizing a heuristic optimization approach. A regularization parameter based on the differential neutron flux was introduced into the optimization cost function to remove large nonphysical oscillations in the unfolded neutron energy spectrum. The procedure was completed for two example case studies ranging from thermal energies up to 20 MeV demonstrating recovery of neutron flux energy information on radiation environments where a model was partially missing or there was a discrepancy in a reaction channel. The unfolded results provided a distribution of unfolded spectra that conformed to the activation …
Uranium Integral Fission Product Yields For A Spectrally-Shaped 14.1 Mev Neutron Source At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont, N. Gharibyan, K. Moody, James E. Bevins
Uranium Integral Fission Product Yields For A Spectrally-Shaped 14.1 Mev Neutron Source At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont, N. Gharibyan, K. Moody, James E. Bevins
Faculty Publications
This paper describes the experimental results for an energy tuning assembly created to modify the National Ignition Facility deuterium–tritium fusion neutron source into a notional thermonuclear and prompt fission neutron spectrum, which has applications in integral measurements, nuclear data benchmarks, and radiation effects on microelectronics. The Monte Carlo neutron transport utilized MCNP5 to estimate the ETA-modified fluence using the ENDF-B/VIII.0 and IRDFF-II continuous energy nuclear data libraries, and SCALE Sampler was used to estimate the systematic nuclear data covariance using ENDF-B/VII.1 and IRDFF-II in a 252-group structure. The experiment fielded eight activation foils and a highly enriched uranium sample. This …
Acquiring And Modeling Of Si Solar Cell Transient Response To Pulsed X-Ray, Lei Pan, Praneeth Kandlakunta, Matthew Van Zile, Xuezeng Dai, Jinsong Huang, John W. Mcclory, Lei R. Cao
Acquiring And Modeling Of Si Solar Cell Transient Response To Pulsed X-Ray, Lei Pan, Praneeth Kandlakunta, Matthew Van Zile, Xuezeng Dai, Jinsong Huang, John W. Mcclory, Lei R. Cao
Faculty Publications
We report on the acquisition and modeling of the transient response of a commercial silicon (Si) solar cell using a benchtop pulsed X-ray source. The solar-cell transient output to the X-ray pulses was acquired under the dark and steady-state light illumination to mimic the practical operation of a solar cell under different light illumination levels. A solar-cell circuit model was created to develop a fundamental understanding of the transient current/voltage response of solar cell at read-out circuit level. The model was validated by a good agreement between the simulation and experimental results. It was found that the solar-cell resistance ( …
Characterization Of A Boron-Loaded Deuterated Liquid Scintillator For Fast And Thermal Neutron Detection, Bryan V. Egner, Michael Febbraro, James E. Bevins
Characterization Of A Boron-Loaded Deuterated Liquid Scintillator For Fast And Thermal Neutron Detection, Bryan V. Egner, Michael Febbraro, James E. Bevins
Faculty Publications
The preparation and characterization of novel boron-loaded deuterated liquid scintillators (BLDLS) are presented for the first time to investigate the performance of a detector sensitive to both fast and thermal neutrons intended for future neutron spectroscopy measurements. Three deuterated toluene-based scintillation cocktails were produced, one without boron, one loaded with ortho-carborane (natural boron isotopic abundance), and one with 96 wt% 10B enriched ortho-carborane. General optical and material properties were analyzed to include the composition, density, index of refraction, photoluminescence emission spectra, and absorbance spectra in addition to the relative light yield, resolution, relative efficiency, and pulse-shape-discrimination performance for all three …
An Assessment Of The Spatial Variation Of Isotopic Ratios In A Candu Reactor For Nuclear Treaty Monitoring, Aaron W. Burkhardt, James E. Bevins, Stephen H. Baxter
An Assessment Of The Spatial Variation Of Isotopic Ratios In A Candu Reactor For Nuclear Treaty Monitoring, Aaron W. Burkhardt, James E. Bevins, Stephen H. Baxter
Faculty Publications
A 3-D Quarter-Core CANDU-6 is modeled using Serpent 2 for nuclear treaty monitoring. The spatial variation of flux spectra and isotopic concentrations is analyzed to determine the potential isotopic distribution of key radionuclides from standard reactor operations relevant to non-proliferation. The initial results of the model show a 46% difference in overall flux magnitude throughout the core as well as a 2-30% difference in discrete energy flux. The coupled production rate (magnitude) and spectral differences can contribute to significant spatial variations in isotope ratios throughout the core. Initial results indicate 239 Pu/ 240 Pu ratios vary by as much as …
Development Of A Modular Mixed-Radiation Directional Rotating Scatter Mask Detection System, Bryan V. Egner, Darren E. Holland, Larry W. Burggraf, James E. Bevins
Development Of A Modular Mixed-Radiation Directional Rotating Scatter Mask Detection System, Bryan V. Egner, Darren E. Holland, Larry W. Burggraf, James E. Bevins
Faculty Publications
The ability to simultaneously identify the direction of both fast neutrons, above 1 MeV, and gamma rays using a light-weight system consisting of a single 1” EJ-309 organic liquid scintillator and a plastic Spartan rotating scatter mask (RSM) is demonstrated computationally through Monte Carlo simulations and validated with experimental measurements. Two sets of directional measurements were performed with an americium–beryllium source, emitting both neutrons and gamma rays. The RSM identified the direction of the source within one 10° rotational increment in the azimuthal and polar directions based on both the neutron and gamma-ray induced signals discriminated by charge integration pulse-shape …
Impact Of Neutron Energy On Asteroid Deflection Performance, Lansing S. Horan Iv, Darren E. Holland, Megan Bruck Syal, James E. Bevins, Joseph W. Wasem
Impact Of Neutron Energy On Asteroid Deflection Performance, Lansing S. Horan Iv, Darren E. Holland, Megan Bruck Syal, James E. Bevins, Joseph W. Wasem
Faculty Publications
In the future, a hazardous asteroid will find itself on a collision course with Earth. 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 the output neutron energy from a nuclear device standoff detonation affects the deflection of a notional asteroid that is 300 meters in diameter and composed of silicon dioxide at a bulk density of 1.855 g/cm3. 14.1 MeV and 1 MeV neutron energy sources were modeled in MCNP to …
Applications Of Portable Libs For Actinide Analysis, Ashwin P. Rao, John D. Auxier Ii, Dung Vu, Michael B. Shattan
Applications Of Portable Libs For Actinide Analysis, Ashwin P. Rao, John D. Auxier Ii, Dung Vu, Michael B. Shattan
Faculty Publications
A portable LIBS device was used for rapid elemental impurity analysis of plutonium alloys. This device demonstrates the potential for fast, accurate in-situ chemical analysis and could significantly reduce the fabrication time of plutonium alloys.
A Physics-Based Machine Learning Study Of The Behavior Of Interstitial Helium In Single Crystal W–Mo Binary Alloys, Adib J. Samin
A Physics-Based Machine Learning Study Of The Behavior Of Interstitial Helium In Single Crystal W–Mo Binary Alloys, Adib J. Samin
Faculty Publications
In this work, the behavior of dilute interstitial helium in W–Mo binary alloys was explored through the application of a first principles-informed neural network (NN) in order to study the early stages of helium-induced damage and inform the design of next generation materials for fusion reactors. The neural network (NN) was trained using a database of 120 density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the alloy. The DFT database of computed solution energies showed a linear dependence on the composition of the first nearest neighbor metallic shell. This NN was then employed in a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation, which took into …
Analysis Of An Energy Tuning Assembly For Simulating Nuclear Weapon Environments At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont, James E. Bevins, Rachel N. Slaybaugh, Lee A. Bernstein
Analysis Of An Energy Tuning Assembly For Simulating Nuclear Weapon Environments At The National Ignition Facility, Nicholas J. Quartemont, James E. Bevins, Rachel N. Slaybaugh, Lee A. Bernstein
Faculty Publications
An energy tuning assembly ETA was developed to spectrally shape the National Ignition Facility NIF deuterium-tritium D-T fusion neutron source to a notional thermonuclear and prompt fission neutron spectrum TNPFNS to approximate a boosted nuclear device. The spectrally shaped neutron environment can be used to create realistic synthetic post-detonation weapon debris that contain spectrally accurate fission products across all mass chains to enhance U.S. technical nuclear forensics capabilities for nuclear weapon attribution and device reconstruction. This research performed nuclear data covariance analysis through stochastic sampling techniques to predict the performance of an ETA to create the objective TNPFNS, assess anticipated …
Nuclear Data Covariance Analysis In Radiation-Transport Simulations Utilizing Scale Sampler And The Irdff Nuclear Data Library, Nicholas J. Quartemont, Abigail A. Bickley, James E. Bevins
Nuclear Data Covariance Analysis In Radiation-Transport Simulations Utilizing Scale Sampler And The Irdff Nuclear Data Library, Nicholas J. Quartemont, Abigail A. Bickley, James E. Bevins
Faculty Publications
This article describes the nuclear data covariance analysis of an experimental design for a neutron energy-tuning assembly (ETA) created to shape a 14-MeV neutron point source to an objective spectrum. Underlying nuclear data uncertainties play a large role in the radiation transport and reaction rates for the range of responses to be expected from an experiment. The methodology leveraged the Standardized Computer Analysis for Licensing Evaluation (SCALE) Sampler module to determine the uncertainty in the neutron transport. The reaction uncertainty was perturbed with the International Reactor Dosimetry and Fusion File v.1.05 uncertainty, correlation matrix, and reaction cross section through multivariate …
Monte Carlo And Experimental Analysis Of A Novel Directional Rotating Scatter Mask Gamma Detection System, Julie V. Logan, Darren E. Holland, Larry W. Burggraf, Justin A. Clinton, Buckley E. O'Day Iii
Monte Carlo And Experimental Analysis Of A Novel Directional Rotating Scatter Mask Gamma Detection System, Julie V. Logan, Darren E. Holland, Larry W. Burggraf, Justin A. Clinton, Buckley E. O'Day Iii
Faculty Publications
Excerpt: This work demonstrates successful experimental operation of a prototype system to identify source direction which was modeled using a library of signals simulated using GEANT and a novel algorithm....
Possible Detection Of Low Energy Solar Neutrons Using Boron Based Materials, Nicole Benker, Elena Echeverria, Robert Olesen, Brant E. Kananen, John W. Mcclory, Yaroslav V. Burak, Volodymyr T. Adamiv, Ihor M. Teslyuk, George Glenn Peterson, Ben Bradley, Ethiyal R. Wilson, James C. Petrosky, Bin Dong, Jeffry Kelber, Jennifer Hamblin, Jaques Doumani, Peter A. Dowben, Alex Enders
Possible Detection Of Low Energy Solar Neutrons Using Boron Based Materials, Nicole Benker, Elena Echeverria, Robert Olesen, Brant E. Kananen, John W. Mcclory, Yaroslav V. Burak, Volodymyr T. Adamiv, Ihor M. Teslyuk, George Glenn Peterson, Ben Bradley, Ethiyal R. Wilson, James C. Petrosky, Bin Dong, Jeffry Kelber, Jennifer Hamblin, Jaques Doumani, Peter A. Dowben, Alex Enders
Faculty Publications
Solar neutrons have been detected aboard the International Space Station (ISS), using lithium tetraborate and boron carbide detector elements. We find that evidence of a solar neutron flux, as detected in a neutron calorimeter following subtraction of the proton background, with an energy of about 2 to 4 MeV. This solar neutron flux is likely no more than 250 to 375 neutrons cm−2sec−1, with a lower bound of 50–75 neutrons cm−2sec−1 at one au.
Quantitative Analysis Of Cerium-Gallium Alloys Using A Hand-Held Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Device, Ashwin P. Rao, Matthew Cook, Howard L. Hall, Michael B. Shattan
Quantitative Analysis Of Cerium-Gallium Alloys Using A Hand-Held Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Device, Ashwin P. Rao, Matthew Cook, Howard L. Hall, Michael B. Shattan
Faculty Publications
A hand-held laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy device was used to acquire spectral emission data from laser-induced plasmas created on the surface of cerium-gallium alloy samples with Ga concentrations ranging from 0–3 weight percent. Ionic and neutral emission lines of the two constituent elements were then extracted and used to generate calibration curves relating the emission line intensity ratios to the gallium concentration of the alloy. The Ga I 287.4-nm emission line was determined to be superior for the purposes of Ga detection and concentration determination. A limit of detection below 0.25%was achieved using a multivariate regression model of the Ga I …
Nuclear Engineering At The Air Force Institute Of Technology: A Unique Graduate School Experience For A Unique Set Of Students, Michael B. Shattan
Nuclear Engineering At The Air Force Institute Of Technology: A Unique Graduate School Experience For A Unique Set Of Students, Michael B. Shattan
Faculty Publications
In August 2018, the Air University Commander formed a task force to review the Air Force’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduate education programs that are delivered and administered through the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). The study was rooted in strategies to support the 2018 National Defense Strategy, and provided the necessary technologically equipped personnel for the 21st century. The study was commonly referred to as “reimagining AFIT”. Several themes emerged from the study, which include reaching a broader community of Airmen through alternate educational modes (e.g. distance learning, short course etc.), forming strategic educational and research …
Evaluation Of Eu:Licaf For Neutron Detection Utilizing Sipms And Portable Electronics, Michael A. Ford, Buckley E. O'Day Iii, John W. Mcclory, Manish K. Sharma, Areg Danagoulian
Evaluation Of Eu:Licaf For Neutron Detection Utilizing Sipms And Portable Electronics, Michael A. Ford, Buckley E. O'Day Iii, John W. Mcclory, Manish K. Sharma, Areg Danagoulian
Faculty Publications
With the increasing cost and decreasing availability of 3He, there have been many efforts to find alternative neutron detection materials. Lithium calcium aluminum fluoride (LiCAF) enriched to 95% 6Li doped with europium was evaluated here as a replacement material for 3He. Wafers 0.5 cm thick, consisting of LiCAF crystals in a rubberized matrix, were embedded with wavelength shifting fibers (WSF) and mated to silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs) to measure the photon response in a flux of neutrons from a DD neutron generator. Excellent discrimination was realized between neutrons and gammas, and both pulse-height discrimination and pulse-shape analysis were …
The U.S. Nuclear Waste Impasse: Transportation Implications, Robin M. Rotman, Michael F. Mcbride
The U.S. Nuclear Waste Impasse: Transportation Implications, Robin M. Rotman, Michael F. Mcbride
Faculty Publications
For several years there has been an impasse, in the political branches, over how to make progress on dealing with the intractable problem of nuclear waste disposal in the United States. Currently, over 120 sites, spread across 39 states, host commercial spent fuel—many of these sites are former reactors that have become de facto interim nuclear waste storage sites, pending a permanent solution. Transportation considerations are central in this discussion. With the potential for Congress to make progress on this issue following the 2018 midterm elections, this article reviews the potential paths forward and considers possible implications for the transportation …
Developments In Capture- Γ Libraries For Nonproliferation Applications, A. M. Hurst, R. B. Firestone, B. W. Sleaford, D. L. Bleuel, M. S. Basunia, F. Becvar, T. Belgya, L. A. Bernstein, J. J. Carroll, B. Detwiler, J. E. Escher, C. Genreith, B. L. Goldblum, M. Krticka, A. G. Lerch, David A. Matters, John W. Mcclory, Stephen R. Mchale, Zs. Revay, L. Szentmiklosi, D. Turkoglu, A. Ureche, J. Vulic
Developments In Capture- Γ Libraries For Nonproliferation Applications, A. M. Hurst, R. B. Firestone, B. W. Sleaford, D. L. Bleuel, M. S. Basunia, F. Becvar, T. Belgya, L. A. Bernstein, J. J. Carroll, B. Detwiler, J. E. Escher, C. Genreith, B. L. Goldblum, M. Krticka, A. G. Lerch, David A. Matters, John W. Mcclory, Stephen R. Mchale, Zs. Revay, L. Szentmiklosi, D. Turkoglu, A. Ureche, J. Vulic
Faculty Publications
The neutron-capture reaction is fundamental for identifying and analyzing the γ-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly because it provides unambiguous information on the neutron-absorbing isotopes. Nondestructive-assay applications may exploit this phenomenon passively, for example, in the presence of spontaneous-fission neutrons, or actively where an external neutron source is used as a probe. There are known gaps in the Evaluated Nuclear Data File libraries corresponding to neutron-capture γ-ray data that otherwise limit transport-modeling applications. In this work, we describe how new thermal neutron-capture data are being used to improve information in the neutron-data libraries for isotopes relevant to nonproliferation applications. We …
Investigation Of 186Re Via Radiative Thermal-Neutron Capture On 185Re, David A. Matters, Andrew G. Lerch, A. M. Hurst, L. Szentmiklosi, J. J. Carroll, B. Detwiler, Zs. Revay, John W. Mcclory, Stephen R. Mchale, R. B. Firestone, B. W. Sleaford, M. Krticka, T. Belgya
Investigation Of 186Re Via Radiative Thermal-Neutron Capture On 185Re, David A. Matters, Andrew G. Lerch, A. M. Hurst, L. Szentmiklosi, J. J. Carroll, B. Detwiler, Zs. Revay, John W. Mcclory, Stephen R. Mchale, R. B. Firestone, B. W. Sleaford, M. Krticka, T. Belgya
Faculty Publications
Partial ��-ray production cross sections and the total radiative thermal-neutron capture cross section for the 185Re(n,��)186Re reaction were measured using the Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis facility at the Budapest Research Reactor with an enriched 185Re target. The 186Re cross sections were standardized using well-known 35Cl(n,��)36Cl cross sections from irradiation of a stoichiometric natReCl3 target. The resulting cross sections for transitions feeding the 186Re ground state from low-lying levels below a cutoff energy of Ec=746keV were combined with a modeled probability of ground-state feeding from levels above E …