Qualitative analysis of nuclear resonance fluorescence applications for special nuclear material detection in Homeland Security

Bryan T Sims, Purdue University

Abstract

The September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks brought attention to the growing operational capabilities of terrorist organizations. A decade after the fall of the Soviet Union, the probability of a nuclear attack arriving by air has been increasingly replaced with the risk of a subnational group transporting a nuclear device into the United States. To counter this emerging threat, the Department of Homeland Security began to look at passive and active interrogation systems to identify concealed special nuclear materials(SNM) at U.S. border crossings. One of the more promising approaches uses the Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) effect to identify concealed SNM entering the U.S. via seagoing cargo container. The internal structure of a nucleus provides nearly every isotope a unique photon fingerprint that is difficult to shield against. To evaluate the use of NRF, and its photon fingerprints, for cargo interrogation a computer script is developed to add a NRF modeling capability to the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended radiation transport code. The model is then validated to computational and experimental results. Finally, a full scale cargo container model is developed with detectors placed to pick up the emitted photons to determine if the NRF technique can be combined with current technology to identifying SNM.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Choi, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Nuclear engineering

COinS