Neutron Calibration Center Establishment and Support

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) of Argentina have collaborated over the past 10 years through the (DOE-ARN) Safeguards Cooperation Agreement to strengthen the international regime. Under this framework, ARN and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been working together since 2003 to establishing a neutron calibration center at the Ezeiza Atomic Center near Buenos Aires City, Argentina. The center's main purpose is to train inspectors from the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials, the International Atomic Energy Agency and other ARN personnel in passive and active neutron non-destructive assay measurement methods. In 2005, equipment was provided to ARN to replace exhausted radiation sources and personnel- operated irradiation equipment. The existing equipment included an instrument position track that required personnel to physically move the source to the irradiation location and to be in the room with the source. This made calibrations and/or testing problematic due to the inaccuracies and effects caused by the person being in the radiation field. The new equipment permits the user to perform irradiations automatically from a remote location. The remote location is a control room obtained by ARN as part of the joint effort. Lastly, the exhausted sources are being replaced to improve their capabilities and effectiveness. Once the neutron calibration center is in place, ARN personnel will be able to calibrate instrumentation needed to measure material for accountancy aspects, radiation exposure of personnel, inspections at facilities, and conduct training courses for inspectors and customs officials in the region. Additionally, the calibration center could be used to calibrate instrumentation that would be deployed for border security at airports and ports.