Investigation of Combined Measurements with Three dimensional Design Information Verification System and Gamma-Ray Imaging Systems for International Safeguards Applications

In the framework of the technical cooperation agreements between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the European Atomic Energy Commission (EURATOM), and between DOE and the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of nuclear materials (ABACC), a collaborative effort has been established to investigate the use of a three dimensional (3D) laser imaging system combined with gamma imaging systems for international safeguards applications. The effort is being conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the Joint Research Centre at Ispra, Italy (JRC-Ispra) and ABACC. In a previous study, ORNL, LLNL and JRC-Ispra demonstrated the capability of combining outputs from a commercially available 3D laser system and gamma-ray imager prototypes. Because safeguards inspections rely heavily on design information verification, gamma and neutron measurements, the possibility of combining different measurement techniques into one tool would optimize inspection effort and increase effectiveness. This paper describes the collaborative effort, presents the technology under investigation ¿ a Compton imaging and a coded aperture gamma-imager prototypes, and the 3D laser imager ¿, and introduces the preliminary results of measurements conducted in controlled environments.JRC.G.8-Nuclear securit