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Mitchell, Stephen E.

Publications and source records attributed to Mitchell, Stephen E..

16 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Cygnus Performance on Vega

The Cygnus Dual Beam Radiographic Facility consists of two identical radiographic sources, Cygnus 1 and Cygnus 2, each with the following specifications: 4-Rad dose at 1 m, 1-mm spot size, 50-ns pulse length, and 2.25-MeV endpoint energy. Cygnus 1 and 2 have been used for radiography of subcritical experiments at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) since 2004. The Cygnus Facility is located in an underground tunnel complex named U1a. The Cygnus sources were developed as a primary diagnostic for these experiments. The first subcritical experiment to utilize Cygnus, Armando, was executed on May 25, 2004. Since Armando, several other subcritical experiments have been executed in front of Cygnus, as well as physics experiments and plutonium calibration tests.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

MCNP Estimate of ZLS Lens Sensitivity in an X-Ray Field

The telecentric zoom lens system (ZLS) has proven to be invaluable in flash x-ray field operations and recent successful experiments pertaining to stockpile stewardship. The ZLS contains 11 custom-manufactured lenses, a turning mirror (pellicle), and an x-ray-to-visible-light converting scintillator. Images are recorded on a fully characterized CCD. All hardware is supported by computerized, programmable, electro-mechanical mounts and alignment apparatus. Seven different glass material types varying in chemical stoichiometry comprise the 11 ZLS lenses. All lenses within the ZLS are out of the path of direct x-ray radiation during normal operation. However, any unshielded scattered x-ray radiation can result in energy deposition into the lenses, which may generate some scintillating light that can couple into the CCD. This extra light may contribute to a decrease in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and lower the overall fidelity of the radiograph images.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

MCNP Estimate of ZLS Lens Sensitivity in an X-Ray Field

The telecentric zoom lens system (ZLS) has proven to be invaluable in flash x-ray field operations and recent successful experiments pertaining to stockpile stewardship. The ZLS contains 11 custom-manufactured lenses, a turning mirror (pellicle), and an x-ray-to-visible-light converting scintillator. Images are recorded on a fully characterized CCD. All hardware is supported by computerized, programmable, electro-mechanical mounts and alignment apparatus. Seven different glass material types varying in chemical stoichiometry comprise the 11 ZLS lenses. All lenses within the ZLS are out of the path of direct x-ray radiation during normal operation. However, any unshielded scattered x-ray radiation can result in energy deposition into the lenses, which may generate some scintillating light that can couple into the CCD. This extra light may contribute to a decrease in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and lower the overall fidelity of the radiograph images. An estimate of the scintillation generation and sensitivities for each of the seven types of glass used as lenses in the ZLS is presented. This report also includes estimates of the total observed background decoupling that each of the lens material types contribute.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Bayesian Abel Inversion in Quantitative X-Ray Radiography

A common image formation process in high-energy X-ray radiography is to have a pulsed power source that emits X-rays through a scene, a scintillator that absorbs X-rays and uoresces in the visible spectrum in response to the absorbed photons, and a CCD camera that images the visible light emitted from the scintillator. The intensity image is related to areal density, and, for an object that is radially symmetric about a central axis, the Abel transform then gives the object's volumetric density. Two of the primary drawbacks to classical variational methods for Abel inversion are their sensitivity to the type and scale of regularization chosen and the lack of natural methods for quantifying the uncertainties associated with the reconstructions. In this work we cast the Abel inversion problem within a statistical framework in order to compute volumetric object densities from X-ray radiographs and to quantify uncertainties in the reconstruction. A hierarchical Bayesian model is developed with a likelihood based on a Gaussian noise model and with priors placed on the unknown density pro le, the data precision matrix, and two scale parameters. This allows the data to drive the localization of features in the reconstruction and results in a joint posterior distribution for the unknown density pro le, the prior parameters, and the spatial structure of the precision matrix. Results of the density reconstructions and pointwise uncertainty estimates are presented for both synthetic signals and real data from a U.S. Department of Energy X-ray imaging facility.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Networked Gamma Radiation System for Tactical Deployment

A networked gamma radiation detection system with directional sensitivity and energy spectral data acquisition capability is being developed by the National Security Technologies, LLC, Remote Sensing Laboratory to support the close and intense tactical engagement of law enforcement who carry out counterterrorism missions. In the proposed design, three clusters of 2" × 4" × 16" sodium iodide crystals (4 each) with digiBASE-E (for list mode data collection) would be placed on the passenger side of a minivan. To enhance localization and facilitate rapid identification of isotopes, advanced smart real-time localization and radioisotope identification algorithms like WAVRAD (wavelet-assisted variance reduction for anomaly detection) and NSCRAD (nuisance-rejection spectral comparison ratio anomaly detection) will be incorporated. We will test a collection of algorithms and analysis that centers on the problem of radiation detection with a distributed sensor network. We will study the basic characteristics of a radiation sensor network and focus on the trade-offs between false positive alarm rates, true positive alarm rates, and time to detect multiple radiation sources in a large area. Empirical and simulation analyses of critical system parameters, such as number of sensors, sensor placement, and sensor response functions, will be examined. This networked system will provide an integrated radiation detection architecture and framework with (i) a large nationally recognized search database equivalent that would help generate a common operational picture in a major radiological crisis; (ii) a robust reach back connectivity for search data to be evaluated by home teams; and, finally, (iii) a possibility of integrating search data from multi-agency responders.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Radiation Anomaly Detection Algorithms for Field-Acquired Gamma Energy Spectra

The Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) is developing a tactical, networked radiation detection system that will be agile, reconfigurable, and capable of rapid threat assessment with a high degree of fidelity and certainty. Our design is driven by the needs of users such as law enforcement personnel who must make decisions by evaluating threat signatures in urban settings. The most efficient tool available to identify the nature of the threat object is real-time gamma spectroscopic analysis, as it is fast and has a very low probability of producing false positive alarm conditions. Urban radiological searches are inherently challenged by the rapid and large spatial variation of background gamma radiation, the presence of benign radioactive materials in terms of the normally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), and shielded and/or masked threat sources. Multiple spectral anomaly detection algorithms have been developed by national laboratories and commercial vendors. For example, the Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) a one-dimensional deterministic radiation transport software capable of calculating gamma ray spectra using physics-based detector response functions, was developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The nuisance-rejection spectral comparison ratio anomaly detection algorithm (or N-SCRAD), developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, uses spectral comparison ratios to detect deviation from benign medical and NORM radiation source and can work in spite of strong presence of NORM and or medical sources. RSL has developed its own wavelet-based gamma energy spectral anomaly detection algorithm called WAVRAD. Test results and relative merits of these different algorithms will be discussed and demonstrated.

networked sensor, gamma spectroscopy, false alarm ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Networked Gamma Radiation Detection System for Rapid Tactical Response

A networked gamma radiation detection system with directional sensitivity and energy spectral data acquisition capability is being developed by the National Security Technologies, LLC, to support the close and intense tactical engagement of law enforcement who carry out counterterrorism missions. In the proposed design, three clusters of 2' × 4' × 16' sodium iodide crystals (4 each) with digiBASE-E (for list mode data collection) would be placed on the passenger side of a minivan. To enhance localization and facilitate rapid identification of isotopes, advanced smart realtime localization and radioisotope identification algorithms like WAVRAD (wavelet-assisted variance reduction for anomaly detection) and NSCRAD (nuisance-rejection spectral comparison ratio anomaly detection) will be incorporated. We are testing a collection of algorithms and analysis on the problem of radiation detection with a distributed sensor network, examining such a network’s associated characteristics, and also the trade-offs between false positive alarm rates, true positive alarm rates, and time to detect multiple radiation sources in a large area. Empirical and simulation analyses of critical system parameters, such as number of sensors, sensor placement, and sensor response functions, are being examined. This networked system will provide an integrated radiation detection architecture and framework with (i) a large nationally recognized search database equivalent that would help generate a common operational picture in a major radiological crisis; (ii) a robust reach back connectivity for search data to be evaluated by home teams; and, finally, (iii) a possibility of integrating search data from multi-agency responders.

false alarm rate↗
DOE OSTI2015

A stochastic approach to quantifying the blur with uncertainty estimation for high-energy X-ray imaging systems

One of the primary causes of blur in a high-energy X-ray imaging system is the shape and extent of the radiation source, or ‘spot’. It is important to be able to quantify the size of the spot as it provides a lower bound on the recoverable resolution for a radiograph, and penumbral imaging methods – which involve the analysis of blur caused by a structured aperture – can be used to obtain the spot’s spatial profile. We present a Bayesian approach for estimating the spot shape that, unlike variational methods, is robust to the initial choice of parameters. The posterior is obtained from a normal likelihood, which was constructed from a weighted least squares approximation to a Poisson noise model, and prior assumptions that enforce both smoothness and non-negativity constraints. A Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is used to obtain samples from the target posterior, and the reconstruction and uncertainty estimates are the computed mean and variance of the samples, respectively. Lastly, synthetic data-sets are used to demonstrate accurate reconstruction, while real data taken with high-energy X-ray imaging systems are used to demonstrate applicability and feasibility.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2015

Neutron multiplicity ,easurements With 3 He alternative: Straw neutron detectors

Counting neutrons emitted by special nuclear material (SNM) and differentiating them from the background neutrons of various origins is the most effective passive means of detecting SNM. Unfortunately, neutron detection, counting, and partitioning in a maritime environment are complex due to the presence of high-multiplicity spallation neutrons (commonly known as “ship effect”) and to the complicated nature of the neutron scattering in that environment. In this study, a prototype neutron detector was built using 10 B as the converter in a special form factor called “straws” that would address the above problems by looking into the details of multiplicity distributions of neutrons originating from a fissioning source. This paper describes the straw neutron multiplicity counter (NMC) and assesses the performance with those of a commercially available fission meter. The prototype straw neutron detector provides a large-area, efficient, lightweight, more granular (than fission meter) neutron-responsive detection surface (to facilitate imaging) to enhance the ease of application of fission meters. Presented here are the results of preliminary investigations, modeling, and engineering considerations leading to the construction of this prototype. This design is capable of multiplicity and Feynman variance measurements. This prototype may lead to a near-term solution to the crisis that has arisen from the global scarcity of 3 He by offering a viable alternative to fission meters. This paper describes the work performed during a 2-year site-directed research and development (SDRD) project that incorporated straw detectors for neutron multiplicity counting. The NMC is a two-panel detector system. We used 10 B (in the form of enriched boron carbide: 10 B 4 C) for neutron detection instead of 3 He. In the first year, the project worked with a panel of straw neutron detectors, investigated its characteristics, and developed a data acquisition (DAQ) system to collect neutron multiplicity information from spontaneous fission sources using a single panel consisting of 60 straws equally distributed over three rows in high-density polyethylene moderator. In the following year, we developed the field-programmable gate array and associated DAQ software. Finally, this SDRD effort successfully produced a prototype NMC with ~33% detection efficiency compared to a commercial fission meter.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Scintillator Efficiency Study with MeV X-Rays

We have investigated scintillator efficiency for MeV radiographic imaging. This paper discusses the modeled detection efficiency and measured brightness of a number of scintillator materials. An optical imaging camera records images of scintillator emission excited by a pulsed x-ray machine. The efficiency of various thicknesses of monolithic LYSO:Ce (cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate) are being studied to understand brightness and resolution trade-offs compared with a range of micro-columnar CsI:Tl (thallium-doped cesium iodide) scintillator screens. The micro-columnar scintillator structure apparently provides an optical gain mechanism that results in brighter signals from thinner samples. The trade-offs for brightness versus resolution in monolithic scintillators is straightforward. For higher-energy x-rays, thicker materials generally produce brighter signal due to x-ray absorption and the optical emission properties of the material. However, as scintillator thickness is increased, detector blur begins to dominate imaging system resolution due to the volume image generated in the scintillator thickness and the depth of field of the imaging system. We employ a telecentric optical relay lens to image the scintillator onto a recording CCD camera. The telecentric lens helps provide sharp focus through thicker-volume emitting scintillators. Stray light from scintillator emission can also affect the image scene contrast. We have applied an optical light scatter model to the imaging system to minimize scatter sources and maximize scene contrasts.

scintillator, radiography, CCD camera, hard x-ray,↗