Results of the ESARDA International Workshop on Passive Neutron Counting

This paper describes the results of the ESARDA International Workshop on passive neutron counting techniques. The ESARDA NDA working group in collaboration with the Buratom safeguards directorate and the IAEA has an ongoing programme of activities dealing with the performance of NDA methods in safeguards verification. This workshop focused on the performance of shift register based instruments as well as the assessment of the development status of multiplicity counters. Official participation in the workshop included ESARDA, American and Japanese laboratories as well as both international safeguards authorities. In addition to reporting on measurement results, the paper describes the safeguards authorities' reactions to the findings in terms of their perceived needs and recommendations for the orientation of future R and D in this field.