VIRTUAL
 

Thursday, May 6th    2021

3:45 – 4:45 p.m.

WEBEX

Speaker:  Mark P. Croce

 

Nuclear Safeguards Science and Technology (NEN-1)

Los Alamos National Laboratory

 

 

“Low-Temperature Detectors for High Precision Measurements”

 

 

 

Abstract: 

Low-temperature microcalorimeter detectors are creating transformative new capabilities in nuclear material analysis, nuclear data measurements, and actinide science. With 10-50 times better energy resolution than semiconductor detectors, the development of microcalorimeters is intended to close the performance gap between nondestructive and destructive analysis methods. Extensive technology development over the past several years is now enabling the first deployed microcalorimeter instruments and quantitative performance evaluation with real-world nuclear material samples. We will present an overview of the LANL Low Temperature Detector program which focuses on three categories of microcalorimeter technology: X-ray, gamma-ray, and decay energy spectroscopy. The X1 X-ray fluorescence microcalorimeter spectrometer (in operation) and the SEM-coupled Hyperspectral X-ray Imaging instrument (in operation later this year), bring capabilities to the regular laboratory that were previously only available at synchrotrons. Ultra-high resolution enables chemical speciation through subtle features in the X-ray emission spectrum resulting from chemical bonding. The SOFIA (Spectrometer Optimized for Facility Integrated Applications) compact gamma spectrometer and a larger instrument being built for Idaho National Laboratory will be the first two microcalorimeter instruments deployed to nuclear facilities, with on-location measurement campaigns planned for this year. The SOFIA instrument is already being used to improve nuclear data and plutonium isotopic analysis, evaluate direct U-238 and Np-237 quantification, and quantify actinide signatures in spent fuel materials. Decay energy spectroscopy, as a new radiometric method with sensitivity and precision to complement mass spectrometry, is being evaluated for applications spanning safeguards to basic science: uranium, plutonium, actinide-containing waste, medical isotopes, post-detonation nuclear debris. We look forward to the opportunity to present our program, and discuss how low-temperature detector technologies may contribute to new applications.