System design considerations for fast neutron interrogation systems

摘要

We are modelling a number of the fast-neutron interrogation techniques currently under consideration, to include fast neutron transmission spectroscopy, pulsed fast neutron analysis, and its variant, 14-MeV associated particle imaging. The goals of this effort are to determine the component requirements for each technique, identify trade-offs that system performance standards impose upon those component requirements, and assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches. In determining the component requirements, we will consider how they are driven by system performance standards, such as image resolution, scanning time, and statistical uncertainty. In considering the trade- offs between system components, we concentrate primarily on those which are common to all approaches, for example: source characteristics versus detector array requirements. We will then use the analysis to propose some figures of merit that enable performance comparisons between the various fast-neutron systems under consideration. The status of this ongoing effort is presented.