NIR User Manual

Radiation detectors are used in nuclear security in an attempt to intercept illicit trafficking of radioactive or nuclear materials. In this field, several types of detectors are used to detect the presence of a source, to measure the exposure rate to men, to locate and to identify it. To test the performance of such detectors, many exposures with a radioactive source are required (typically 60), and the exposures need to be repeated with sources with different gamma-energies, and with neutron-emitting sources. For some tests, combinations of sources are used. IRMM and ITU jointly designed and built an instrument, named "NIR" that can expose a radioactive source for a defined amount of time. The instrument consists of a source holder, mounted on an electrically controlled cylinder. The cylinder pushes the source holder out of a radiation shield, and retracts the holder after the exposure time has elapsed. Unique about this instrument is the fact that it does not contain a fixed source. Instead, the user can choose any source available and mount it in the source holder. The motion of the source holder is very precisely controlled using a servo motor. It will always come to the same position, following the same motion profile. The instrument can be controlled from a distance using software running on a computer, thereby reducing exposure to operators, as compared to manually executed exposures. The instrument allows to test of several radiation detectors at the same time. The high speed of operation and precision results in a reduced total test time and an increased confidence in the test result. This document is the user manual of the instrument NIR, it contains the original instructions for transport, installation and operation.JRC.D.5-Nuclear physic

Use of a CAEN digitiser for nuclear safeguards and security applications with a scintillator detector

The performance of a CAEN DT5751 digitiser for nuclear safeguards and security applications is discussed. The pulse shape processing firmware embedded in the digitiser was tested with a EJ-309 liquid scintillator, exposed to gamma and neutron radiation from radioactive sources and from a Van de Graaff and cyclotron-based accelerator. Software modules were developed for data acquisition and online analysis, and for more advanced off-line processing of data acquired in list mode. The potential use of a scintillator coupled to the digitiser for the detection of both gamma-rays and neutrons has been demonstrated.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

List-mode data acquisition based on digital electronics - State-of-the-art report

This report deals with digital radiation detection systems employing list-mode data collection, which improves data analysis capabilities. Future data acquisition systems shall also ultimately enable the movement of detection data from first responders electronically to analysis centres rather than the costly and time consuming process of moving experts and/or samples. This new technology is especially useful in crisis events, when time and resources are sparse and increased analysis capacity is required. In order to utilise the opportunities opened by these new technologies, the systems have to be interoperable, so that the data from each type of detector can easily be analysed by different analysis centres. Successful interoperability of the systems requires that European and/or international standards are devised for the digitised data format. The basis of such a format is a list of registered events detailing an estimate of the energy of the detected radiation, along with an accurate time-stamp for recorded events (and optionally other parameters describing each event).JRC.G.5-Security technology assessmen

Illicit Trafficking Radiation Assessment Program (ITRAP+10) Test campaign summary report

The Illicit Trafficking Radiation Assessment Program (ITRAP+10) is a program initiated by the European Union and the United States to evaluate the performance of available commercial radiation detection equipment against consensus standards. Through ITRAP+10, the international partners worked to ensure that testing standards are clearly defined, comprehensive and realistic in order to provide decision makers and private sector stakeholders with reliable detection system performance information as well as possible methods to enhance equipment performance. To ensure the review of commercial equipment would be relevant to the global commons, the European Commission Directorate General for Home Affairs (EC-HOME), the Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (US-DHS DNDO), the U.S. Department of Energy (US-DOE), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to collaborate on the conduct of the ITRAP+10 test campaign and share in the design of the tests, their execution, and the analysis of the data. This summary report aims at making the results of the ITRAP+10 test campaign available to the international community. It includes an overview of the ITRAP+10 test program, a summary of test results across the nine classes of instruments (tested by US-DHS DNDO and by EC-JRC) with scientific and technical data, and information about the manufacturers of the instruments tested. Moreover, it also takes into account the discussion of the standards used for testing and the feedback provided to the standards community to help with the standards' revisions.JRC.A.7-Euratom Coordinatio

Characterisation of plastic scintillators used as an active background shield for neutron detection

This work is part of a JRC Exploratory Research project to develop an active shield that is used to reduce the background due to cosmic radiation in a low-level nuclear waste detection system. The shield consists of an array of plastic scintillators surrounding the detection system. Commercially available plastic scintillation detectors with different thicknesses were characterized for their response to gamma rays, neutrons and muons. Response functions to gamma rays were determined by measurements with radionuclide sources in the energy range from 0.6 MeV to 6.0 MeV. Neutron response functions were measured at mono-energetic neutron beams produced at the Van de Graaff accelerator of the JRC Geel (B) and were derived from results of time-of-flight measurements at the Van de Graaff accelerator of the INFN Legnaro (I). From the response functions for gamma rays and neutrons, light output and resolution functions for protons and electrons were derived. Experimental response functions for muons were determined with the detectors positioned at different orientations. The muon peak is more pronounced in horizontally oriented detectors. Using a scintillator with a minimum thickness of 20 mm a signal caused by the detection of a muon can be separated from events due to natural gamma ray background. For detectors that are stacked, signals caused by the detection of muons can be identified based on a coincidence pattern. Hence, requirements on such a coincidence pattern together with requirements on the light production are effective as parameters for the veto system to be designed.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

Critical parameters and performance tests for the evaluation of digital data acquisition hardware

Recent developments of digital data acquisition systems allow real-time pre-processing of detector signals at a high count rate. These so-called pulse processing digitizers are powerful and versatile instruments offering techniques which are important for nuclear security, critical infrastructure protection, nuclear physics and radiation metrology. Certain aspects of digital data acquisition affect the performance of the total system in a critical way and therefore require special attention. This report presents a short introduction to digital data acquisition, followed by a discussion of the critical parameters which affect the performance in the lab and in the field. For some of the parameters, tests are proposed to assess the performance of digital data acquisition systems. Good practices are offered to guide the selection and evaluation of digital data acquisition systems. More general performance criteria which are not specifically related to digital data acquisition systems are discussed separately.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

European Reference Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection: - Novel Detection Technologies for Nuclear Security

Radiation detectors are used in nuclear security to detect nuclear and other radioactive materials out of regulatory control. In nuclear security, both the operational environment and detector technologies are constantly evolving. This document provides an overview on recent development on radiation detection technologies that are likely to have an impact on nuclear security in the near future. The four main topics covered are: detectors for gamma-ray spectrometry, neutron detectors, data acquisition and source localisation. This document will be published together with another report that concentrates on the impact of novel detection technologies from operational point of view. Therefore, the focus of this document is on technical aspects of the technologies.JRC.E.2-Technology Innovation in Securit

Performance of the IEC 63047 demonstration device

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) published a new international standard, IEC 63047, specifying a data format for list-mode digital data acquisition used in radiation detection and measurement. IEC 63047 was developed under the lead of the JRC in the frame of Commission mandate M/487 issued by The Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW). The pre-normative research for this standard was performed by the European Reference Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection (ERNCIP), in particular its Thematic Group on Radiological and Nuclear threats to critical infrastructure. The JRC and the ERNCIP RN TG promote the use of the standard in a wide range of applications involving radiation detection and measurement: novel detector technologies, nuclear security, reachback/expert support and robotics. The standard can be applied to CBRNE detection equipment because it includes features to represent data from any kind of sensor, including geolocation. The JRC developed a demonstration device from off-the-shelf components and proposed and tested an open-source solution for encoding and decoding binary IEC 63047 messages. The ERNCIP RN Robotics subgroup developed a software interface between IEC 63047 and the Robot Operating System (ROS). The demonstration device consists of a single-board computer, a spectrometric radiation detector and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver which enables real-time-kinematics to achieve centimetre accurate positioning. Tests performed at the JRC-Geel site assessed the performance of the demonstration device in laboratory and field conditions. Using real-time kinematics and a base station, the positioning data from the GNSS receiver was found to be accurate up to a few centimetres, for speeds up to 3 m/s (faster was not tested). The demonstration device and the ROS software were also successfully tested by Fraunhofer FKIE, who mounted the device on a land robot. The basic performance of the radiation detector module corresponds with performance claimed by the manufacturer. The detector responds quickly to changing radiation fields. Data produced was fully compliant with the data format standard IEC 63047, and can be shared with subscribers over the ROS network using the device driver developed by Fraunhofer FKIE. It is fair to believe that the demonstration device is rugged enough and suitable for field conditions, providing adequate environmental protection. This report is Deliverable 4.3 of the ERNCIP RN Thematic Group for the 2018-2019 Work Programme.JRC.G.2-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

A non-destructive method to determine the neutron production rate of a sample of spent nuclear fuel under standard controlled area conditions

A method to determine the neutron production rate of a sample of spent nuclear fuel by means of non-destructive analysis conducted under controlled-area conditions is described, validated and demonstrated. A standard neutron well-counter designed for routine nuclear safeguards applications is applied. The method relies on a transfer procedure that is adapted to the hot-cell facilities at the laboratory for high and medium level activity of the SCK CEN. The sample transfer and measurement procedures are described together with results of Monte Carlo simulations. Experiments with radionuclide sources were carried out at the Joint Research Centre to test the procedures and to determine the performance characteristics of the detection device. Finally, measurements of a segment of a spent nuclear fuel rod were carried out at the SCK CEN to validate and demonstrate the method.JRC.G.2-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard