Neutron fluence rate measurements in a PGNAA 208-liter drum assay system using silicon carbide detectors

Pulsed prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) is being implemented for the nondestructive assay (NDA) of mercury, cadmium and lead in containers of radioactive waste. A PGNAA prototype system capable of assaying 208-liter (55-gallon) drums has already been built and demonstrated. As part of the evaluation of this system, the thermal neutron fluence rate distribution in a drum containing a combustible waste surrogate was measured during PGNAA runs using a silicon carbide neutron detector. The fast charge-collection time of this detector type enabled the investigation of the neutron kinetics at various locations within the matrix during and between pulses of the system's 14-MeV neutron source. As expected, the response of a SiC detector equipped with a lithium-6 fluoride layer is dominated by thermal neutron-induced events between pulses. The measurement results showed that the thermal neutron fluence rate is relatively uniform over a radial depth of several centimeters in the matrix region that contributes a significant fraction of the prompt gamma radiation incident on the system's photon detector. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.