Reference Material Manufacture and Certification for the AVNG

Year
2010
Author(s)
Jonathan L. Thron - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Duncan MacArthur - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Mikhail Bulatov - All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
Alexander Livke - All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
Sergey Razinkov - All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
Danielle K. Hauck - Los Alamos National Laboratory
S. Kondratov - (All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
D. Sivachev - All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
S. Tsybryaev - All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
A. V’yushin - All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
M. Leplyavkina - All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics
Abstract
Testing and demonstration of any radiation measurement system requires the use of appropriate radioactive sources. An attribute measurement system (AVNG) was developed and fabricated at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, VNIIEF, Russia, under contract with LANL, USA. The AVNG detects neutron and gamma radiation signatures and compares the data analysis results with the specified threshold values for three unclassified attributes; plutonium is present or absent, plutonium mass is greater than or less than the specified threshold value and plutonium isotopic ratio (240Pu to 239Pu) is greater than or less then the threshold value. A set of reference materials (RMs) was specially manufactured for the AVNG with masses and isotopic ratios above and below the selected thresholds. The set of RMs was certified in compliance with the Russian metrological requirements. The RMs were used to debug and test the AVNG and to demonstrate the AVNG operation to an American delegation in June 2009. In this presentation, we will describe the various steps in the manufacture and certification of these RM sources.