Tomographic Assay Techniques in the Combined Thermal/Epithermal Neutron (CTEN) Method

Year
1999
Author(s)
Constance A. Buenafe - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Robert J. Estep - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Sheila Melton - Los Alamos National Laboratory
David K. Miko - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Abstract
We have developed methods for applying tomographic matrix corrections to CTEN (combined thermal/epithermal neutron) active and passive assays, and for applying active CTEN radionuclide images to the analysis of tomographic gamma scanner (TGS) data at lower SNM (spent nuclear material) mass loadings. Our analysis of data collected from plutonium standards in a set of surrogate 55-gallon drums shows that the tomographic corrections are significantly more accurate than uniform-drum methods in general and provide a reasonable physical basis for the integration of results from TGS and CTEN active and passive assays.