Uranium and plutonium isotopic analysis using MGA++

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory develops sophisticated gamma-ray analysis codes for the isotopic analysis of nuclear materials based on the principles used in the original MultiGroup Analysis (MGA) code. Over the years, the MGA methodology has been upgraded and expanded far beyond its original capabilities and is now comprised of a suite of codes known as MGA++. The early MGA code analyzed Pu gamma-ray data collected with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors to yield Pu isotopic ratios. While the original MGA code relied solely on the lower-energy gamma rays (around 100 keV), the most recent addition to the MGA++ code suite, MGAHI, analyzes Pu data using higher-energy gamma rays (200 keV and higher) and is particulatly useful for Pu samples - that are enclosed in thick-walled containers. The MGA++ suite also includes capabilities to perform U isotopic analysis on data collected with either HPGe or cadmium-zinc-tellutide (CZT) detectors. These codes are commercially available and are known as U235 and CZTU, respectively. A graphical user interface has also been developed for viewing the data and the fitting procedure. In addition, we are developing new codes that will integrate into the MGA++ suite. These will include Pu isotopic analysis capabilities for data collected with CZT detectors, U isotopic analysis with HPGe detectors which utilizes only higher energy gamma rays, and isotopic analyses on mixtures of Pu and U