Identifying Neutron Sources using Recoil and Time-of-Flight Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper presents a Bayesian method for identifying neutron sources from measured spectra, enabling robust discrimination of source configurations with limited data, applicable to various scientific and security contexts.

Contribution

The authors introduce a novel Bayesian protocol that combines full-spectrum template matching with probabilistic evidence to identify neutron sources from spectral data.

Findings

Successfully distinguishes single- and two-source configurations with high statistical significance

Operates effectively with as few as 1,000 events

Demonstrates spectral signatures can reliably identify neutron sources

Abstract

Neutron-source identification is central to nuclear physics and its applications, from planetary science to nuclear security, yet direct source discrimination from measured neutron spectra remains fundamentally elusive. Here, we introduce a Bayesian protocol that directly infers source ensembles from measured neutron spectra by combining full-spectrum template matching with probabilistic evidence evaluation. Applying this protocol to recoil and time-of-flight spectroscopy, we recover single- and two-source configurations with strong statistical significance ($>\!\!4\sigma$) at event counts as low as $\sim\!\!10^{3}$. These results demonstrate that neutron spectral signatures can be leveraged for robust source identification, opening a new observational window for both fundamental research and operationally driven applications.