Characterization of 252Cf sources using high-resolution gamma spectroscopy

Mara M. Watson; Ramkumar Venkataraman; Stephen Croft

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109531

Characterization of ²⁵²Cf sources using high-resolution gamma spectroscopy

Mara M. Watson, Ramkumar Venkataraman, Stephen Croft

Nondestructive Measurement Science and T

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Californium-252 is used as a neutron calibration source for passive neutron correlation counting. Source age and isotopic information are needed to make decay corrections to the neutron emission rate due to the influence of ²⁵⁰Cf. Gamma-ray signatures present in the spectrum from spontaneous fission products and odd-numbered Cf isotopes can be used with high accuracy to confirm or query declared values on a technical data sheet. This method is good practice for independently verifying the content of ²⁵²Cf calibration sources.

Original language	English
Article number	109531
Journal	Applied Radiation and Isotopes
Volume	169
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109531
State	Published - Mar 2021

Funding

This research was performed under appointment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation International Safeguards Fellowship Program sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of International Nuclear Safeguards (NA-241). This research was performed under appointment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation International Safeguards Fellowship Program sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration 's Office of International Nuclear Safeguards (NA-241). Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).

Funders	Funder number
National Nuclear Security Administration 's Office of International Nuclear Safeguards	NA-241
National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of International Nuclear Safeguards
U.S. Department of Energy

Keywords

Gamma-ray spectroscopy
High-purity germanium detector
californium-252

Access to Document

10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109531

Cite this

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title = "Characterization of 252Cf sources using high-resolution gamma spectroscopy",

abstract = "Californium-252 is used as a neutron calibration source for passive neutron correlation counting. Source age and isotopic information are needed to make decay corrections to the neutron emission rate due to the influence of 250Cf. Gamma-ray signatures present in the spectrum from spontaneous fission products and odd-numbered Cf isotopes can be used with high accuracy to confirm or query declared values on a technical data sheet. This method is good practice for independently verifying the content of 252Cf calibration sources.",

keywords = "Gamma-ray spectroscopy, High-purity germanium detector, californium-252",

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