Discriminating Uranium Isotopes Based on Fission Signatures Induced by Delayed Neutrons

TL;DR

This paper presents experimental methods to distinguish uranium isotopes, specifically $^{235}$U and $^{238}$U, by analyzing delayed neutron signatures and prompt fission products induced during active interrogation.

Contribution

The work introduces two novel experimental approaches for isotope discrimination based on delayed neutron-induced fission signatures and coincident radiation measurements.

Findings

High-energy prompt neutrons differentiate HEU from depleted uranium.

Coincident radiation measurements reveal distinct fission event rates and timing.

Delayed neutron signatures enable isotope identification in bulk materials.

Abstract

The use of active interrogation (AI) to induce delayed neutron emission is a well-established technique for the characterization of special nuclear materials (SNM). Delayed neutrons have isotope-characteristic spectral and temporal signatures, which provide the basis for isotope identification. However, in bulk materials that contain an appreciable fissile (e.g., $^{235}$U or $^{233}$U) fraction, such as highly-enriched uranium (HEU), delayed neutrons have a high probability of inducing additional fissions. As a result, the overall delayed neutron signature consists of two distinct components: the "primary" delayed neutrons (emitted directly by fission fragments), and the "secondary prompt" fission neutrons produced in fission induced by primary delayed neutrons. These prompt products differ from "primary" delayed neutrons both in their energy spectra and in the presence of coincident radiation released by the parent fission event. The presence and relative quantity of prompt products from delayed fission depend on the cross-section of the material in the energy range of delayed neutrons, which may differ significantly between isotopes, thus providing an exploitable means for isotope differentiation. In this work, we demonstrate two experimental approaches for discriminating between $^{235}$U and $^{238}$U isotopes based on the measurement of delayed neutron-induced fission products. First, HEU and depleted uranium objects are differentiated through the detection of high-energy prompt neutrons from delayed fission using both recoil-based organic liquid scintillators and thermalization spectra from a custom-built capture-gated composite detector. Secondly, coincident radiation measurements are used as the basis for discrimination by comparing the overall rates and time evolution of fission events when delayed neutrons are present.