Non-Destructive Assay of Plutonium and Uranium with the RPI LSDS

Lead Slowing-Down Spectroscopy (LSDS) is a candidate for non-destructive assay of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) [4]. Research was collaborated via the Material Protection, Accounting, and Control Technology (MPACT) campaign under the Department of Energy. Researchers include: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Idaho State University (ISU). The development of an LSDS assay system would provide a characterization method for the direct assay of the fissile content of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) to the benefit of nuclear safeguards and nuclear material accountability. Additionally, the LSDS could be used to determine the burn up level for the purpose of reprocessing and recycling SNF. The three main tasks of this project involve development of an algorithm for interpreting fissile masses, development of suitable detectors, and the experimental benchmarking of the system.