Neutron and gamma-ray energy reconstruction for characterization of special nuclear material

Characterization of special nuclear material may be performed using energy spectroscopy of either the neutron or gamma-ray emissions from the sample. Gamma-ray spectroscopy can be performed relatively easily using high-resolution semiconductors such as high-purity germanium. Neutron spectroscopy, by contrast, is a complex inverse problem. Here, results are presented for 252Cf and PuBe energy spectra unfolded using a single EJ309 organic scintillator; excellent agreement is observed with the reference spectra. Neutron energy spectroscopy is also possible using a two-plane detector array, whereby time-of-flight kinematics can be used. With this system, energy spectra can also be obtained as a function of position. Spatial-dependent energy spectra are presented for neutron and gamma-ray sources that are in excellent agreement with expectations.