The Active Detection of Fissionable Materials using a Two Dimensional Signature Phase Space and Signature Interferences (making the title too long)

Dr. Alan W. Hunt
Idaho State University
Idaho Accelerator Center

Active detection techniques utilize a probing beam of radiation to induce nuclear reactions in an object under inspection and then monitor the secondary emissions for signatures of fissionable materials.  Of course for these signatures to be efficacious, they must be unique to fission in general or unique to a specific fissionable material.  Hence, the most common signatures exploited in active inspection have been delayed neutrons, high‑energy delayed g‑rays and high‑energy delayed neutrons.  In this colloquium, I will discuss how to make a decision of “detected” or “not detected” when two signatures are measured simultaneously.  This formalism will be applied to low‑energy (i.e. <20 MeV) bremsstrahlung inspections and if time permits, I will discuss what happens when you go to high‑energy (i.e. >20 MeV) bremsstrahlung inspections.