Year
2015
Abstract
Uranium enrichment measurements constitute a significant component of the international safeguards regime and should be included in training curriculum in the areas of nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards. However, for practical exercises, real nuclear materials are not always available at universities and other institutes, especially in the countries with developing nuclear infrastructure. An alternative to measuring real material is to generate spectra using Monte Carlo radiation transport codes. In this paper, we test the capabilities of several Monte Carlo codes to generate uranium spectra that can effectively be analyzed by NaIGEM (NaI Gamma Enrichment Measurements) software. NaIGEM is a powerful computer code used to analyze uranium spectra produced by low-resolution gamma detector systems. It is being actively used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and many domestic and regional inspectorates around the world. The tested Monte Carlo codes include MCNP5 (Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code), MCNP-CP (Correlated Particle), and MCBEND. Generated spectra cover the full range of enrichments from depleted to 93% enriched uranium. All data were benchmarked against experimental measurements using a Canberra Inspector-1000 NaI 2x2 inch detector. Based on the results of this work, virtual enrichment measurement exercises will be introduced into nuclear security education and training at Khalifa University and Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII).