Neutron-Resonance Transmission Analysis with a Compact Deuterium-Tritium Neutron Generator

Abstract

Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA) is a spectroscopic technique which uses the resonant absorption of neutrons in the epithermal range to infer the isotopic composition of an object. This spectroscopic technique has relevance in many traditional fields of science and nuclear security. NRTA in the past made use of large, expensive accelerator facilities to achieve precise neutron beams, significantly limiting its applicability. In this work we describe a series of NRTA experiments where we use a compact, low-cost deuterium-tritium (DT) neutron generator to produce short neutron beams (2.6~m) along with a $^6$Li-glass neutron detector. The time-of-flight spectral data from five elements -- silver, cadmium, tungsten, indium, and $^{238}$U -- clearly show the corresponding absorption lines in the 1-30 eV range. The experiments show the applicability of NRTA in this simplified configuration, and prove the feasibility of this compact and low-cost approach. This could significantly broaden the applicability of NRTA, and make it practical and applicable in many fields, such as material science, nuclear engineering, and arms control.