Prompt gamma neutron activation analysis of toxic elements in radioactive waste packages

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• 作者：J.-L. Ma^a ; C. Carasco^a ; ^{cedric.carasco@cea.fr} ; B. Perot^a ; E. Mauerhofer^b ; J. Kettler^b ; A. Havenith^b
• 关键词：Radioactive waste characterization ; PGNAA ; Monte Carlo simulation
• 刊名：Applied Radiation and Isotopes
• 出版年：2012
• 期刊代码：6_09698043
• 类别：ce
• 出版时间：July, 2012
• 卷：70
• 期：7
• 页码：1261-1263
• 文件大小：364 K

摘要

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (ANDRA) are conducting an R&D program to improve the characterization of long-lived and medium activity (LL-MA) radioactive waste packages. In particular, the amount of toxic elements present in radioactive waste packages must be assessed before they can be accepted in repository facilities in order to avoid pollution of underground water reserves. To this aim, the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA-Cadarache has started to study the performances of Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) for elements showing large capture cross sections such as mercury, cadmium, boron, and chromium. This paper reports a comparison between Monte Carlo calculations performed with the MCNPX computer code using the ENDF/B-VII.0 library and experimental gamma rays measured in the REGAIN PGNAA cell with small samples of nickel, lead, cadmium, arsenic, antimony, chromium, magnesium, zinc, boron, and lithium to verify the validity of a numerical model and gamma-ray production data. The measurement of a 鈭?0 kg test sample of concrete containing toxic elements has also been performed, in collaboration with Forschungszentrum J眉lich, to validate the model in view of future performance studies for dense and large LL-MA waste packages.