Radiation Detection Group

Temporal gamma-ray spectroscopy is being used at OSU to estimate the amount of fissile material in a sample. A fast-rabbit sample transfer system was set up in the Oregon State University TRIGA Reactor (ORST) to irradiate samples and then quickly move them to the counting position in front of a high-purity germanium detector. This non-destructive assay method uses the time-dependent characteristics of gamma-ray peaks from fission product decay and in-growth instead of nuclear cross-section data, which can carry significant uncertainty. The method initially developed and demonstrated at OSU using a list-mode readout is being developed for use in real-time using a high-performance FPGA.