252cf Source Driven Noise Analysis Measurements With Annular High Enriched Uranium Metal Castings

This summary describes measurements performed on four annular uranium metal castings of different enrichments to investigate the use of 252Cf-source-driven noise analysis measurements as a means to quantify the amount of special nuclear material (SNM) in the casting. Previous measurements and calculational studies have shown that many of the signatures obtained from the source-driven measurement are sensitive to fissile mass. Measurements were performed to assess the applicability of this method to standard annular uranium metal castings at the Oak Ridge Y-12 plant under verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) using the Nuclear Weapons Identification System (NWIS) processor. The sensitivity of the measured parameters to fissile mass was investigated using four castings each with a different enrichment. Preliminary results are presented that demonstrate the sensitivity of the measured parameter to fissile mass. However, these preliminary results do not represent an optimized measurement configuration but are intended to demonstrate possible applications of this method.