Test Suite for Nuclear Data I: Deterministic Calculations for Critical Assemblies and Replacement Coefficients

The authors describe tools developed by the Computational Nuclear Physics group for testing the quality of internally developed nuclear data and the fidelity of translations from ENDF formatted data to ENDL formatted data used by Livermore. These tests include S{sub n} calculations for the effective k value characterizing critical assemblies and for replacement coefficients of different materials embedded in the Godiva and Jezebel critical assemblies. For those assemblies and replacement materials for which reliable experimental information is available, these calculations provide an integral check on the quality of data. Because members of the ENDF and reactor communities use calculations for these same assemblies in their validation process, a comparison between their results with ENDF formatted data and their results with data translated into the ENDL format provides a strong check on the accuracy of translations. As a first application of the test suite they present a study comparing ENDL 99 and ENDF/B-V. They also consider the quality of the ENDF/B-V translation previously done by the Computational Nuclear Physics group. No significant errors are found

Detector design for high-resolution MeV photon imaging of cargo containers using spectral information

Monte Carlo simulations of a pixelated detector array of inorganic scintillators for high spatial resolution imaging of 1-9 MeV photons are presented. The results suggest that a detector array of 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm x 5 cm pixels of bismuth germanate may provide sufficient efficiency and spatial resolution to permit imaging of an object with uncertainties in dimension of several mm. The cross talk between pixels is found to be in the range of a few percent when pixels are shielded by {approx} 1mm of lead or tungsten. The contrast at the edge of an object is greatly improved by rejection of events depositing less than {approx} 1 MeV. Given the relatively short decay time of BGO, the simulations suggest that such a detector may prove adequate for the purpose of rapid scanning of highly-shielded cargos for possible presence of high atomic number (including clandestine fissionable) materials when used with low current high duty factor x-ray sources

Neutron and Photon Transport in Sea-Going Cargo Containers

Factors affecting sensing of small quantities of fissionable material in large sea-going cargo containers by neutron interrogation and detection of {beta}-delayed photons are explored. The propagation of variable-energy neutrons in cargos, subsequent fission of hidden nuclear material and production of the {beta}-delayed photons, and the propagation of these photons to an external detector are considered explicitly. Detailed results of Monte Carlo simulations of these stages in representative cargos are presented. Analytical models are developed both as a basis for a quantitative understanding of the interrogation process and as a tool to allow ready extrapolation of the results to cases not specifically considered here

HEX-P: the High-Energy X-Ray Probe

The High-Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P) is a next-generation high-energy X-ray observatory with broadband (2-200 keV) response that has 40 times the sensitivity of any previous mission in the 10-80 keV band and > 100 times the sensitivity of any previous mission in the 80-200 keV band. With this leap in observational capability, HEX-P will address a broad range of science objectives beyond any planned mission in the hard X-ray bandpass. HEX-P will probe the extreme environments around black holes and neutron stars, map the growth of supermassive black holes, and quantify the effect they have on their environments. HEX-P will resolve the hard X-ray emission from dense regions of our Galaxy to understand the high- energy source populations and investigate dark matter candidate particles through their decay channel signatures. If developed and launched on a timescale similar to Athena, the complementary abilities of the two missions will greatly enhance the Communitys ability to address the important science questions of the hot universe. HEX-P addresses science that is not planned by any flagship-class missions, and is beyond the capability of an Explorer-class mission

Optical instrument design of the high-energy x-ray probe (HEX-P)

The High-Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P) is a probe-class next-generation high-energy X-ray mission concept that will vastly extend the reach of broadband X-ray observations. Studying the 2-200 keV energy range, HEXP has 40 times the sensitivity of any previous mission in the 10-80 keV band, and will be the first focusing instrument in the 80-200 keV band. A successor to the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), a NASA Small Explorer launched in 2012, HEX-P addresses key NASA science objectives, and will serve as an important complement to ESA’s L-class Athena mission. HEX-P will utilize multilayer coated X-ray optics, and in this paper we present the details of the optical design, and discuss the multilayer prescriptions necessary for the reflection of hard X-ray photons. We consider multiple module designs with the aim of investigating the tradeoff between high- and low-energy effective area, and review the technology development necessary to reach that goal within the next decade

A Monte Carlo Model for Interrogation of Thick Cargos for Clandestine Fissionable Materials; Tests with 14-MeV Neutrons

A Monte Carlo model has been developed for interrogation of fissionable material embedded in thick cargos when high-energy {beta}-delayed {gamma} rays are detected following neutron-induced fission. The model includes the principal structural components of the laboratory, the neutron source and collimator assembly in which it resides, the assembly that represents cargo of given characteristics, a target of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) and large external plastic scintillators for photon detection. The ability of this model to reproduce experimental measurements was tested by comparing simulations with measurements of the number of induced fissions and the number of detected photons when the HUE target was irradiated with 14.25-MeV neutrons in the absence of any cargo and while embedded in assemblies of plywood and iron pipes. The simulations agreed with experimental measurements within a factor of about 2 for irradiation of the bare target and when the areal density of intervening cargo was 33 g cm{sup -2} (wood) and 61 g cm{sup -2} (steel pipes). This suggests that the model can permit exploration of a large range in parameter space with reasonable fidelity