Neutron flux source and use thereof

• US 20090225922A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (Purdue University)
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (Purdue University)
• Inventors: Koltick, David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/157,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 376/159
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 3/06 Generating neutron beams targets for producing nuclear reactions H05H6/00; neutron sources G21G4/02

Abstract

The patent specification and claims disclose a neutron flux source supplying both monoenergentic neutrons and a spectrum of neutron energies similar to the neutron emission of ²⁵²Cf. The neutron flux source is applied to interrogate unknown materials in closed containers for classification of the contents.

Claims

1. A source for slow neutrons comprising

a deuterium-tritium neutron generator and a reflector/amplifier.

2. The slow neutron source of claim 1 wherein the reflector/amplifier is selected from the group consisting of carbon, lead, beryllium, uranium, or a combination thereof.

3. The slow neutron source of claim 1 that is switchable on and off.

4. The slow neutron source of claim 1 that also is a source of fast neutrons.

5. The slow neutron source of claim 2 wherein the reflector/amplifier is uranium.

6. The slow neutron source of claim 5 wherein the uranium is depleted uranium.

7. The slow neutron source of claim 1 that is capable of exciting the nuclei of the group consisting of carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, fluorine, sodium, potassium, silver, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, manganese, iron, zinc, arsenic, tin, and lead with fast neutrons.

8. The slow neutron source of claim 1 having detectors for gamma rays emitted by excited nuclei.

9. The slow neutron source of claim 8 wherein the detectors are high purity germanium detectors.

10. The slow neutron source of claim 1 wherein the deuterium-tritium generator produces from 10⁷ to 10⁹ neutrons per second.

11. Classification of unknown material comprising:

interrogation of the material with fast and slow neutrons generated according to claim 1;

detecting the gamma radiation emitted from the nuclei of the interrogated material;

detecting the elements present from gamma radiation characteristic of the element;

classification of the interrogated material by ratios of elements present therein.

12. The classification of claim 11 wherein the fast neutrons impact the unknown material in a pulsed sequence.

13. The classification of claim 11 wherein the slow neutrons impact the unknown material in a pulsed sequence.

14. The classification of claim 11 wherein both fast and slow neutrons impact the unknown material in pulsed sequence.

15. Classification according to claim 11 of travelers'"'"' baggage.

16. Classification of baggage according to claim 15 in combination with x-ray interrogation.

17. The classification of claim 11 wherein the ratios of elements present in the material to be classified is calculated with the aid of a computer.

18. Classification of unknown material comprising:

interrogation of the material with fast and slow neutrons generated according to claim 5;

detecting the gamma radiation emitted from the nuclei of the interrogated material;

detecting the elements present from gamma radiation characteristic of the element;

classification of the interrogated material by ratios of elements present therein.

19. Classification of travelers'"'"' baggage according to claim 18 in combination with x-ray interrogation.

20. Classification of travelers'"'"' baggage according to claim 19 wherein the wherein the ratios of elements present in the material to be classified is calculated with the aid of a computer.