Active (Activation) Gamma-Spectrometric Methodology for Mass Determination of Nuclear Materials Samples

This paper describes experimental studies on neutron irradiation of nuclear material samples by Pu-Be sources with aim to initiate high-energy gamma radiation of short-lived fission products. The radiation intensity allows the determination of the mass of the nuclear material samples. Combination of these measurements with experimental determination of nuclear material isotopic composition on its own gamma emission is able to give complete information on the most significant nuclear material parameters with application to only one experimental methodology and only one the measuring system. Distinctive features of nuclear material assay procedures and some capabilities of the proposed methodology are considered in details.