Feasibility study on detection and verification of minor actinides by NDA technique based on photonuclear reactions

The photon-induced multiple neutron generation reaction rate ratio (PMNRR) method is a novel active gamma-ray method that detects fissionable materials based on the photonuclear reaction rate ratio. In the present study, the feasibility of detection of
²⁴¹
Am by the PMNRR method was verified using numerical analysis simulations. As a result, the separated
²⁴¹
Am could be discriminated from
²³⁷
Np,
²³⁵
U and
²³⁸
U using the PMNRR　with the optimal combination of incident photon energies, even if a 10% uncertainty was considered in the nuclear data of the (γ, fission/2n) reaction. In addition, the prospect of estimation of Am composition ratios in UO
2
using PMNRR was also obtained.