Sensitive imaging of actinide materials in shielded radioactive waste.

This paper reports on the development of a method for enhanced non-destructive assay (NDA) of radioactive waste using the novel technique neutron-gamma emission tomography (NGET). The technique relies on the detection of correlated fast neutrons and gamma rays emitted in spontaneous or induced fission. It is based on fast organic scintillators and enables sensitive detection and three-dimensional (3D) localization of the fission events.

Search for Na in novae supported by a novel method for measuring femtosecond nuclear lifetimes.

Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions in stellar binary systems, and important sources of Al and Na. While γ rays from the decay of the former radioisotope have been observed throughout the Galaxy, Na remains untraceable. Its half-life (2.

Rapid imaging of special nuclear materials for nuclear nonproliferation and terrorism prevention.

We introduce a neutron-gamma emission tomography (NGET) technique for rapid detection, three-dimensional imaging, and characterization of special nuclear materials like weapons-grade plutonium and uranium. The technique is adapted from fundamental nuclear physics research and represents a previously unexplored approach to the detection and imaging of small quantities of these materials. The method is demonstrated on a radiation portal monitor prototype system based on fast organic scintillators, measuring the characteristic fast time and energy correlations between particles emitted in nuclear fission processes.

A new device to expose cells to changing dose rates of ionising radiation.

In many exposure scenarios to ionising radiation, the dose rate is not constant. Despite this, most in vitro studies aimed at investigating the effects of ionising radiation are carried out exposing samples at constant dose rates. Consequently, very little data exist on the biological effects of exposures to changing dose rates.