Principles of Neutron Multiplicity

A nondestructive assay (NDA) technique for plutonium, called passive neutron multiplicity counting, was developed during the 1990s as an extension of neutron coincidence counting. This technique has led to the design and fabrication of neutron multiplicity counters, accompanied by advances in data-processing electronics, analysis algorithms, and data-analysis software, discussed in Chap. 19. Altogether, this technology has led to significantly better measurement accuracy for plutonium metal, oxide, scrap, and residues without the need for empirical calibration curves as required for coincidence counting (see Chap. 17). An NDA technique for bulk, highly enriched uranium (HEU)—called active neutron multiplicity counting—has been developed as an extension of passive neutron multiplicity counting. Passive multiplicity analysis usually uses neutron singles, doubles, and triples count rates to solve for plutonium mass, multiplication, and alpha. Active multiplicity analysis was developed to provide a similar capability for uranium, and the doubles and triples count rates are used to solve for the sample multiplication and the induced fission rate. This chapter describes the principles of passive (Sect. 18.2) and active (Sect. 18.3) multiplicity counting.

HENZLOVA Daniela;  ENSSLIN N.;  FAVALLI Andrea;  GEIST William;  HOLZLEITNER Ludwig;  KOEHLER Peter;  KRICK M. S.;  PICKRELL M. M.;  REILLY T. D.;  STEWART J. E.;  VEAL K. D.; 

2025-07-25

Springer

JRC141114

978-3-031-58277-6 (online),    978-3-031-58276-9 (print),   

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-58277-6,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC141114,   

10.1007/978-3-031-58277-6 (online),