Quantitative comparison between experimental and simulated gamma-ray spectra induced by 14 MeV tagged neutrons

Fast neutron interrogation with the associated particle technique can be used to identify explosives in cargo containers (EURITRACK FP6 project) and unexploded ordnance on the seabed (UNCOSS FP7 project), by detecting gamma radiations induced by 14 MeV neutrons produced in the 2H(3H,α)n reaction. The origin of the gamma rays can be determined in 3D by the detection of the alpha particle, which provides the direction of the opposite neutron and its time-of-flight. Gamma spectroscopy provides the relative counts of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, which are converted to chemical fractions to differentiate explosives from other organic substances. To this aim, Monte Carlo calculations are used to take into account neutron moderation and gamma attenuation in cargo materials or seawater. This paper presents an experimental verification that C, N, and O counts are correctly reproduced by numerical simulation. A quantitative comparison is also reported for silicon, iron, lead, and aluminium.

► Gamma-ray spectra produced by 14 MeV neutrons in C, N, O, Si, Al, Fe, and Pb elements.
► Quantitative comparison with MCNPX simulations using the ENDF/B-VII.0 library.
► C, N, and O counts correctly reproduced and chemical proportions recovered using calculation.
► Application to the detection of explosives or illicit drugs in cargo containers.