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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Determination of Method Detection Limits for Trace 232-Thorium and 238-Uranium in Copper using Ion Exchange and ICPMS

Based on the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR (MJD) simulations task group calculations, the copper used in the inner shield and detector components require purity levels of <0.3 µBq 238 U/kg Cu and <0.3 µBq 232 Th/kg Cu. The MAJORANA Collaboration is endeavoring to achieve this goal by electroforming copper using ultra-clean materials in facilities at PNNL and SURF. In this document, a broadly accepted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method is used to evaluate an ion exchange technique, developed at PNNL, for determining sensitivity in the assay of copper for trace levels of thorium and uranium. These data indicate that, in all cases, the assay sensitivity and material limits are being met.

Hoppe, Eric W.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Air and radon pathways screenings methodologies for the next revision of the E-area PA

The strategic plan for the next E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility Performance Assessment includes recommended changes to the screening criteria used to reduce the number of radioisotopes that are to be considered in the air and radon pathways incorporated into the GoldSim® atmospheric release model (ARM). For the air pathway, a revised screening methodology was developed based on refinement of previous E-Area PA screening approaches and consideration of the strategic plan recommendations. The revised methodology has three sequential screening steps for each radioisotope: (1) volatility test using the Periodic Table of the Elements, (2) stability test based on half-life, and (3) stability test based on volatility as measured by the Henry’s Law constant for the assumed dominant gaseous species or vapor pressure in the case of tritiated water. Of the 1252 radioisotopes listed in the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 107, only the 10 that satisfied all three steps of the revised screening methodology will be included in the ARM. They are: Ar-37, Ar-39, Ar-42, C-14, H-3, Hg-194, Hg-203, Kr-81, Kr-85, and Xe-127. For the radon pathway, a revised screening methodology was developed that also has three sequential steps: (1) identify all decay chains that terminate at Rn-222, (2) screen out parents that decay through U-238 because of its 4.5-billion-year primordial half-life, and (3) eliminate remaining parents whose half-life is shorter than one day. Of the 86 possible decay chains leading to Rn-222, six decay chains consist of 15 unique radioisotopes that will be incorporated into the ARM. The 15 radioisotopes are: U-238, Th-234, Pa-234m, Pu-238, U-234, Th-230, Ra-226, Cf-246, Cm-242, Am-242m, Am-242, Np-238, Np-234, Pa-230, and Rn-222.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

High power ring methods and accelerator driven subcritical reactor application

High power proton accelerators allow providing, by spallation reaction, the neutron fluxes necessary in the synthesis of fissile material, starting from Uranium 238 or Thorium 232. This is the basis of the concept of sub-critical operation of a reactor, for energy production or nuclear waste transmutation, with the objective of achieving cleaner, safer and more efficient process than today’s technologies allow. Designing, building and operating a proton accelerator in the 500-1000 MeV energy range, CW regime, MW power class still remains a challenge nowadays. There is a limited number of installations at present achieving beam characteristics in that class, e.g., PSI in Villigen, 590 MeV CW beam from a cyclotron, SNS in Oakland, 1 GeV pulsed beam from a linear accelerator, in addition to projects as the ESS in Europe, a 5 MW beam from a linear accelerator. Furthermore, coupling an accelerator to a sub-critical nuclear reactor is a challenging proposition: some of the key issues/requirements are the design of a spallation target to withstand high power densities as well as ensure the safety of the installation. These two domains are the grounds of the PhD work: the focus is on the high power ring methods in the frame of the KURRI FFAG collaboration in Japan: upgrade of the installation towards high intensity is crucial to demonstrate the high beam power capability of FFAG. Thus, modeling of the beam dynamics and benchmarking of different codes was undertaken to validate the simulation results. Experimental results revealed some major losses that need to be understood and eventually overcome. By developing analytical models that account for the field defects, one identified major sources of imperfection in the design of scaling FFAG that explain the important tune variations resulting in the crossing of several betatron resonances. A new formula is derived to compute the tunes and properties established that characterize the effect of the field imperfections on the transverse beam dynamics. The results obtained allow to develop a correction scheme to minimize the tune variations of the FFAG. This is the cornerstone of a new fixed tune non-scaling FFAG that represents a potential candidate for high power applications. As part of the developments towards high power at the KURRI FFAG, beam dynamics studies have to account for space charge effects. In that framework, models have been installed in the tracking code ZGOUBI to account for the self-interaction of the particles in the accelerator. Application to the FFAG studies is shown. Finally, one focused on the ADSR concept as a candidate to solve the problem of nuclear waste. In order to establish the accelerator requirements, one compared the performance of ADSR with other conventional critical reactors by means of the levelized cost of energy. A general comparison between the different accelerator technologies that can satisfy these requirements is finally presented. In summary, the main drawback of the ADSR technology is the high Levelized Cost Of Energy compared to other advanced reactor concepts that do not employ an accelerator. Nowadays, this is a show-stopper for any industrial application aiming at producing energy (without dealing with the waste problem). Besides, the reactor is not intrinsically safer than critical reactor concepts, given the complexity of managing the target interface between the accelerator and the reactor core.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Minor actinide transmutation in thorium and uranium matrices in heavy water moderated reactors

The irradiation of Th{sup 232} breeds fewer of the problematic minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm) than the irradiation of U{sup 238}. This characteristic makes thorium an attractive potential matrix for the transmutation of these minor actinides, as these species can be transmuted without the creation of new actinides as is the case with a uranium fuel matrix. Minor actinides are the main contributors to long term decay heat and radiotoxicity of spent fuel, so reducing their concentration can greatly increase the capacity of a long term deep geological repository. Mixing minor actinides with thorium, three times more common in the Earth's crust than natural uranium, has the additional advantage of improving the sustainability of the fuel cycle. In this work, lattice cell calculations have been performed to determine the results of transmuting minor actinides from light water reactor spent fuel in a thorium matrix. 15-year-cooled group-extracted transuranic elements (Np, Pu, Am, Cm) from light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel were used as the fissile component in a thorium-based fuel in a heavy water moderated reactor (HWR). The minor actinide (MA) transmutation rates, spent fuel activity, decay heat and radiotoxicity, are compared with those obtained when the MA were mixed instead with natural uranium and taken to the same burnup. Each bundle contained a central pin containing a burnable neutron absorber whose initial concentration was adjusted to have the same reactivity response (in units of the delayed neutron fraction β) for coolant voiding as standard NU fuel. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2013

SYSTEMATICS OF DYNAMICAL MASS EJECTION, NUCLEOSYNTHESIS, AND RADIOACTIVELY POWERED ELECTROMAGNETIC SIGNALS FROM NEUTRON-STAR MERGERS

We investigate systematically the dynamical mass ejection, r-process nucleosynthesis, and properties of electromagnetic counterparts of neutron-star (NS) mergers in dependence on the uncertain properties of the nuclear equation of state (EOS) by employing 40 representative, microphysical high-density EOSs in relativistic, hydrodynamical simulations. The crucial parameter determining the ejecta mass is the radius R{sub 1.35} of a 1.35 M{sub Sun} NS. NSs with smaller R{sub 1.35} (''soft'' EOS) eject systematically higher masses. These range from {approx}10{sup -3} M{sub Sun} to {approx}10{sup -2} M{sub Sun} for 1.35-1.35 M{sub Sun} binaries and from {approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} M{sub Sun} to {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} M{sub Sun} for 1.2-1.5 M{sub Sun} systems (with kinetic energies between {approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 49} erg and 10{sup 51} erg). Correspondingly, the bolometric peak luminosities of the optical transients of symmetric (asymmetric) mergers vary between 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1} and 14 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1} (9 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1} and 14.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1}) on timescales between {approx}2 hr and {approx}12 hr. If these signals with absolute bolometric magnitudes from -15.0 to -16.7 are measured, the tight correlation of their properties with those of the merging NSs might provide valuable constraints on the high-density EOS. The r-process nucleosynthesis exhibits a remarkable robustness independent of the EOS, producing a nearly solar abundance pattern above mass number 130. By the r-process content of the Galaxy and the average production per event the Galactic merger rate is limited to 4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} yr{sup -1} (4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} yr{sup -1}) for a soft (stiff) NS EOS, if NS mergers are the main source of heavy r-nuclei. The production ratio of radioactive {sup 232}Th to {sup 238}U attains a stable value of 1.64-1.67, which does not exclude NS mergers as potential sources of heavy r-material in the most metal-poor stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

An assessment of natural radionuclides in water of Langat River estuary, Selangor

An estuary is an area that has a free connection with the open sea and it is a dynamic semi-enclosed coastal bodies. Ex-mining, aquaculture and industrial areas in Selangor are the sources of pollutants discharged into the estuary water. Radionuclides are considered as pollutants to the estuary water. Gamma radiations emitted by natural radionuclides through their decaying process may give impact to human. The radiological effect of natural radionuclides which are {sup 226}Ra, {sup 228}Ra, {sup 40}K, {sup 238}U and {sup 232}Th, were explored by determining the respective activity concentrations in filtered water along the Langat estuary, Selangor. Meanwhile, in- situ water quality parameters such as temperature, dissolve oxygen (DO), salinity, total suspended solid (TSS), pH and turbidity were measured by using YSI portable multi probes meter. The activity concentration of {sup 226}Ra, {sup 228}Ra and {sup 40}K were determined by using gamma-ray spectrometry with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The activity concentrations of {sup 226}Ra, {sup 228}Ra and {sup 40}K in samples are in the range of 0.17 - 0.67 Bq/L, 0.16 - 0.97 Bq/L and 1.22 - 5.57 Bq/L respectively. On the other hand, the concentrations of uranium-238 and thorium-232 were determined by using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF). The thorium concentrations are between 0.17 ppm to 0.28 ppm and uranium concentrations were 0.25 ppm to 0.31 ppm. The results show activity concentrations of radionuclides are slightly high near the river estuary. The Radium Equivalent, Absorbed Dose Rate, External Hazard Index, and Annual Effective Dose of {sup 226}Ra, {sup 228}Ra and {sup 40}K are also studied.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Prompt and Delayed Inelastic Scattering Reactions from Fission Neutron PGAA - First Results of FaNGaS

The new instrument Fast Neutron Gamma Spectroscopy (FaNGaS) has been installed at the SR10 beam line of the FRM II Research Reactor in Garching and tested successfully. Complimentary to cold neutron PGAA, with FaNGaS inelastic scattering reactions induced by fission neutrons can be studied. Gamma lines from (n,n'γ) reactions up to now have been rarely studied and no adequate compilation of the emitted gamma energies exist. In developing nondestructive analytical techniques using neutron generator based PGAA such data are badly needed for quantification of heavy metals and actinides in e.g. nuclear waste or safeguards samples. A number of elements and relevant actinides have been irradiated in the fast neutron beam SR10 at the FRM II reactor in Garching, Germany. A heavily shielded 50% eff. HPGe detector perpendicular to the beam is looking at the samples exposed to 2.3 E8 cm{sup -2}s{sup -1} fission neutrons. Prompt gamma spectra have been taken and evaluated using the available data in scattered sources. Additional gamma lines have been detected and are being compiled to create a data base for (n,n') reactions. Particular emphasis is given on actinides including {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th, {sup 237}Np, {sup 242}Pu and {sup 241}Am. Some examples will be given and first results will be discussed in this contribution. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Radiopurity measurement of acrylic for DEAP-3600

The spherical acrylic vessel that contains the liquid argon target is the most critical detector component in the DEAP-3600 dark matter experiment. Alpha decays near the inner surface of the acrylic vessel are one of the main sources of background in the detector. A fraction of the alpha energy, or the recoiling nucleus from the alpha decay, could misreconstruct in the fiducial volume and result in a false candidate dark matter event. Acrylic has low levels of inherent contamination from {sup 238}U and {sup 232}Th. Another background of particular concern is diffusion of {sup 222}Rn during manufacturing, leading to {sup 210}Pb contamination. The maximum acceptable concentrations in the DEAP-3600 acrylic vessel are ppt levels of {sup 238}U and {sup 232}Th equivalent, and 10{sup −8} ppt {sup 210}Pb. The impurities in the bulk acrylic will be measured by vaporizing a large quantity of acrylic and counting the concentrated residue with ultra-low background HPGe detectors and a low background alpha spectrometer. An overview of the acrylic assay technique is presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Geoneutrinos

Academician M.A. Markov in the 1960s first proposed detecting the electron antineutrino in the reaction of inverse beta decay on a proton to study the processes inside the Earth. The radioactive isotopes {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th, and {sup 40}K present in our planet decay with radiation of neutrinos (antineutrinos). Neutrinos that are produced reach the Earth’s surface practically without absorption and carry information about the internal structure of the planet. However, because of the smallness of the antineutrino fluxes and interaction cross sections with matter, antineutrinos of geological origin were first registered in only two experiments (Borexino and Kamland) in recent years. The experimental observation of antineutrinos from the isotope decays in the depths of the Earth is the only way to study the radiation in our planetary interior.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Void reactivity feedback analysis for U-based and Th-based LWR incineration cycles

In reduced-moderation LWRs, an external supply of transuranic (TRU) can be incinerated by mixing it with a fertile isotope ({sup 238}U or {sup 232}Th) and recycling all the actinides after each cycle. Performance is limited by coolant reactivity feedback - the moderator density coefficient (MDC) must be kept negative. The MDC is worse when more TRU is loaded, but TRU feed is also needed to maintain criticality. To assess the performance of this fuel cycle in different neutron spectra, three LWRs are considered: 'reference' PWRs and reduced-moderation PWRs and BWRs. The MDC of the equilibrium cycle is analysed by reactivity decomposition with perturbed coolant density by isotope and neutron energy. The results show that using {sup 232}Th as a fertile isotope yields superior performance to {sup 238}U. This is due essentially to the high resonance η of U bred from Th (U3), which increases the fissility of the U3-TRU isotope vector in the Th-fueled system relative to the U-fueled system, and also improves the MDC in a sufficiently hard spectrum. Spatial separation of TRU and U3 in the Th-fueled system renders further improvement by hardening the neutron spectrum in the TRU and softening it in the U3. This improves the TRU η and increases the negative MDC contribution from reduced thermal fission in U3. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Vertical and horizontal distribution of radionuclides ({sup 232}Th, {sup 238}U and {sup 40}K) in sediment from Manjung coastal water area Perak, Malaysia

Distribution of radionuclides from anthropogenic activities has been widely studied in marine coastal area. Due to rapid population growth and socio-economic development in Manjung area such as coal fired power plant, iron foundries, port development, waste discharged from factories and agriculture runoff may contribute to increase in pollution rate. The radioactive materials from anthropogenic activities could deteriorate the quality of the marine ecosystem and thus lead to possible radiological health risk to the population. Radionuclides ({sup 232}Th, {sup 238}U and {sup 40}K) content in surface and profile sediment from Manjung coastal area was determined in this study. Radionuclides in sediment from seven locations were collected using sediment core sampling and measurements were carried out using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectroscopy. The results show that the concentration of radionuclides in surface sediment and distribution trend of depth vertical profile sediment generally varies depending on locations. Enrichment factors (EF), geo-accumulation index (I{sub geo}) and pollution index (PI) were applied to determine level of pollution of this study area. The radiological risks related to human exposure were evaluated based on external hazard index (H{sub ex})

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

The natural radioactivity measurements in coastal sediment samples along the East Coast of Tamilnadu using gamma spectrometry technique

The natural radioactivity concentration in beach sediment samples collected from Pattipulam to Devanampattinam of East Coast of Tamilnadu have been determined by NaI (TI) gamma ray spectrometer. The specific activity concentrations range from ≤ 2.21 (BDL) to 37.02 Bq kg{sup −1} with a mean of 3.79 Bqkg{sup −1} for {sup 238}U, ≤ 2.11 (BDL) to 643.77 Bqkg{sup −1} with a mean of 49.60 Bqkg{sup −1} for {sup 232}Th and 300.34 Bqkg{sup −1} to 449.08 Bqkg{sup −1} with a mean of 360.23 Bqkg{sup −1} for {sup 40}K. The potential radiological hazards due to natural radionuclides content such as Radium Equivalent activity (Ra{sub eq}), Representative level index (RLI), External hazard index (H{sub ex}), absorbed gamma does rate (D{sub R}), and Annual effective dose rate (AEDR) are estimated to assess the radiation hazard associated with the sediments. The obtained data are compared with the recommended safety limits and international approved values. All the values are well below the recommended safety limits indicating that radiation levels do not poses any significant health hazard to the public in the area as a result of the natural radioactivity of beach sediments. This study may help the baseline data for more extensive works in the same subjects of future studies.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ultra Low Level Environmental Neutron Measurements Using Superheated Droplet Detectors

Through the application of superheated droplet detectors (SDDs), the SIMPLE project for the direct search for dark matter (DM) reached the most restrictive limits on the spin-dependent sector to date. The experiment is based on the detection of recoils following WIMP-nuclei interaction, mimicking those from neutron scattering. The thermodynamic operation conditions yield the SDDs intrinsically insensitive to radiations with linear energy transfer below ∼150 keVμm{sup -1} such as photons, electrons, muons and neutrons with energies below ∼40 keV. Underground facilities are increasingly employed for measurements in a low-level radiation background (DM search, gamma-spectroscopy, intrinsic soft-error rate measurements, etc.), where the rock overburden shields against cosmic radiation. In this environment the SDDs are sensitive only to α-particles and neutrons naturally emitted from the surrounding materials. Recently developed signal analysis techniques allow discrimination between neutron and α-induced signals. SDDs are therefore a promising instrument for low-level neutron and α measurements, namely environmental neutron measurements and α-contamination assays. In this work neutron measurements performed in the challenging conditions of the latest SIMPLE experiment (1500 mwe depth with 50-75 cm water shield) are reported. The results are compared with those obtained by detailed Monte Carlo simulations of the neutron background induced by {sup 238}U and {sup 232}Th traces in the facility, shielding and detector materials. Calculations of the neutron energy distribution yield the following neutron fluence rates (in 10{sup -8} cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}): thermal (<0.5 eV): 2.5; epithermal (0.5 eV-100 keV): 2.2; fast (>1 MeV): 3.9. Signal rates were derived using standard cross sections and codes routinely employed in reactor dosimetry. The measured and calculated neutron count rates per unit of active mass were 0.15 ct/kgd and 0.33 ct/kg-d respectively. As the major signal contribution (98%) originates from radio-impurities in the detector container, alternative materials will be employed in future devices. Latest results regarding the improvement of the detector characterization accuracy towards its application in environmental neutron detection are in progress and will be described. (authors)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Reuse of Material Containing Natural Radionuclides - 12444

Disposal of and use of wastes containing natural radioactive material (NORM) or technologically enhanced natural radioactive material (TENORM) with excessive natural background as a building material is very important in the supervision body activity. At the present time, the residents of Octyabrsky village are under resettlement. This village is located just near the Priargunsky mining and chemical combine (Ltd. 'PPGHO'), one of the oldest uranium mines in our country. The vacated wooden houses in the village are demolished and partly used as a building material. To address the issue of potential radiation hazard of the wooden beams originating from demolition of houses in Octyabrsky village, the contents of the natural radionuclides (K-40, Th-232, Ra-226, U- 238) are being determined in samples of the wooden beams of houses. The NORM contents in the wooden house samples are higher, on average, than their content in the reference sample of the fresh wood shavings, but the range of values is rather large. According to the classification of waste containing the natural radionuclides, its evaluation is based on the effective specific activity. At the effective specific activity lower 1.5 kBq/kg and gamma dose rate lower 70 μR/h, the material is not considered as waste and can be used in building by 1 - 3 classes depending upon A{sub eff} value. At 1.5 kBq/kg < A{sub eff} ≤ 4 kBq/kg (4 class), the wooden beams might be used for the purpose of the industrial building, if sum of ratios between the radionuclide specific activity and its specific activity of minimum significance is lower than unit. The material classified as the waste containing the natural radionuclides has A{sub eff} higher 1.5 kBq /kg, and its usage for the purpose of house-building and road construction is forbidden. As for the ash classification and its future usage, such usage is unreasonable, because, according to the provided material, more than 50% of ash samples are considered as radioactive waste containing natural radionuclides. All materials originated from demolition of houses in Octyabrsky village are subjected to the obligatory radiation control. The decision to use the wooden beams shall enter into force after agreement with the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision bodies. Conclusions: 1 - The wooden beam originated from the house demolition in Octyabrsky village might be used as the construction material only in case of compliance with the requirements of the regulatory documents, as well as under approval of the authorities responsible for the state sanitary and epidemiological supervision in this area. 2 - The industrial control is introduced to verify the compliance with the current regulations. 3 - The material originated from the house demolition might be used only if such usage does not cause increasing radiation exposure to the public. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

True coincidence summing corrections for an extended energy range HPGe detector

True coincidence summing (TCS) effect for natural radioactive families of U-238 and Th-232 represents a problem when an environmental sample with a close source-detector geometry measurement is performed. By using a certified multi-nuclide standard source to calibrate an energy extended range (XtRa) HPGe detector, it is possible to obtain an intensity spectrum slightly affected by the TCS effect with energies from 46 to 1836 keV. In this work, the equations and some other considerations required to calculate the TCS correction factor for isotopes of natural radioactive chains are described. It is projected a validation of the calibration, performed with the IAEA-CU-2006-03 samples (soil and water)

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

A Case Study Correlating Innovative Gamma Ray Scanning Detection Systems Data to Surface Soil Gamma Spectrometry Results - 13580

HydroGeoLogic (HGL), Inc. completed a United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) study to characterize radiological contamination at a site near Canoga Park, California. The characterized area contained 470 acres including the site of a prototype commercial nuclear reactor and other nuclear design, testing, and support operations from the 1950's until 1988 [1]. The site history included radiological releases during operation followed by D and D activities. The characterization was conducted under an accelerated schedule and the results will support the project remediation. The project has a rigorous cleanup to background agenda and does not allow for comparison to risk-based guidelines. To target soil sample locations, multiple lines of evidence were evaluated including a gamma radiation survey, geophysical surveys, historical site assessment, aerial photographs, and former worker interviews. Due to the time since production and decay, the primary gamma emitting radionuclide remaining is cesium-137 (Cs-137). The gamma ray survey covered diverse, rugged terrain using custom designed sodium iodide thallium-activated (NaI(Tl)) scintillation detection systems. The survey goals included attaining 100% ground surface coverage and detecting gamma radiation as sensitively as possible. The effectiveness of innovative gamma ray detection systems was tested by correlating field Cs-137 static count ratios to Cs-137 laboratory gamma spectrometry results. As a case study, the area encompassing the former location of the first nuclear power station in the U. S. was scanned, and second by second global positioning system (GPS)-linked gamma spectral data were evaluated by examining total count rate and nuclide-specific regions of interest. To compensate for Compton scattering from higher energy naturally occurring radionuclides (U-238, Th-232 and their progeny, and K-40), count rate ratios of anthropogenic nuclide-specific regions of interest to the total count rate were calculated. From the scanning data, locations with observed Cs-137 ratios exceeding six standard deviations above the mean ratio were mapped in high resolution [2]. Field teams returned to those locations to collect static count measurements using the same detection systems. Soil surface samples were collected at 30 locations and analyzed for Cs-137. An exponential correlation was identified between Cs-137 concentrations in surface soil and field-scanned Cs-137 ratios. The data indicate field minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of Cs-137 at 0.02 Bq/g (0.5 pCi/g) or lower depending on contaminant distribution in soil. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Depleted Uranium Discrimination Using Spectral Ratios from Data-Starved Spectra - 18619

The Institute for Clean Energy Technology (ICET) has developed mobile surveying platforms for the retrieval of fired depleted uranium (DU) munitions. ICET surveying platforms are fitted with differential global positioning system (GPS), scintillation detectors, and central processing units (CPUs). The surveying technology has historically been used to assist facilities where DU contamination is a concern to locate, retrieve, and remediate DU-contaminated areas. Residence times over DU sources for mobile systems normally do not produce enough data to use gamma ray spectroscopy to verify the source type. Discussed is a potential method used to discriminate DU signatures in data-starved gamma ray spectral data collected during field surveys. Laboratory tests have shown that data-starved gamma ray spectra for zero-valence, oxide, and uranium ores can be distinguished from each other and from background by spectral ratioing. Zero-valence DU and DU oxide gamma ray signatures differ due to the attenuation of low-energy gammas emitted from U-238 daughters. DU signatures can be differentiated from naturally occurring uranium spectra due to the presence of daughters below U-234, primarily bismuth (Bi)-214, in the uranium decay series. Three primary regions of interest (ROI) within the analyzed test spectra are used to roughly characterize the shape of each test spectrum and compare them to background. The three ROIs are focused around the gamma-emitting daughters of U-238: thorium (Th)-234, protactinium (Pa)-234 metastable (m), and Bi-214. One of the three regions is considered the base region. This region is used to estimate what the counts in the other two regions should be by multiplying the counts in the ROIs by a ratio of background counts from an area previously found to be impacted. Using this spectral ratioing technique, a non-zero difference in spectral ratio values indicates a shift in the test spectra away from background. Calculating ratios between the base region and the other two regions allows for a graphical representation of the data in a two-dimensional spectral ratioing space, which is used to differentiate between the types of uranium sources previously mentioned. Surveying processes that are based on gross counts from scintillation counters can result in a large number of false positives as a result of shifting background signals or the presence of naturally occurring uranium. Application of the spectral ratioing technique can further assist in site characterization by analyzing all of the data-starved survey spectra to identify false positives or the need for additional data collection. Accurate surveys of DU testing and training ranges reduces the costs associated with range clean-up by discriminating clean areas from those requiring remediation. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗