Using anisotropies in prompt fission neutron coincidences to assess the neutron multiplication of highly multiplying subcritical plutonium assemblies

摘要

There is a significant and well-known anisotropy between the prompt neutrons emitted from a single fission event; these neutrons are most likely to be observed at angles near 0° or 180° relative to each other. However, the propagation of this anisotropy through different generations of a fission chain reaction has not been previously studied. We have measured this anisotropy in neutron-neutron coincidences from a subcritical highly-multiplying assembly of plutonium metal. The assembly was a 4.5 kg α-phase plutonium metal sphere composed of 94% ~(239)Pu and 6% ~(240)Pu by mass. Data were collected using two EJ-309 liquid scintillators and two EJ-299 plastic scintillators. The angular distribution of neutron-neutron coincidences was measured at 90° and 180° and found to be largely isotropic. Simulations were performed using MCNPX-PoliMi of similar plutonium metal spheres of varying sizes and a correlation between the neutron multiplication of the assembly and the anisotropy of neutron-neutron coincidences was observed. In principle, this correlation could be used to assess the neutron multiplication of an unknown assembly.