ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS USING TEMPORAL GATING OF A PULSED NEUTRON GENERATOR

摘要

Technologies related to determining elemental composition of a sample that comprises fissile material are described herein. In a general embodiment, a pulsed neutron generator periodically emits bursts of neutrons, and is synchronized with an analyzer circuit. The bursts of neutrons are used to interrogate the sample, and the sample outputs gamma rays based upon the neutrons impacting the sample. A detector outputs pulses based upon the gamma rays impinging upon the material of the detector, and the analyzer circuit assigns the pulses to temporally-based bins based upon the analyzer circuit being synchronized with the pulsed neutron generator. A computing device outputs data that is indicative of elemental composition of the sample based upon the binned pulses.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a pulsed neutron generator that is configured to emit a burst of neutrons; a detector that is configured to output a pulse based upon a gamma ray that exits a sample impinging upon the detector, the sample comprises fissile material, and the pulse has an amplitude; an analyzer circuit that is configured to assign the pulse to a temporally-based bin from amongst a plurality of temporally-based bins, the bin selected based upon a difference in time between:
when the pulse was received at the analyzer circuit; andwhen the pulsed neutron generator commenced emitting the burst of neutrons; and a computing device that is configured to generate data that is indicative of elemental composition of the sample based upon the bin to which the pulse is assigned and the amplitude of the pulse, the computing device is configured to generate the data in situ.