J. Imaging 2018, 4(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging4020045
Neutron Imaging at LANSCE—From Cold to Ultrafast
Ronald O. Nelson 1,*
, Sven C. Vogel 2
, James F. Hunter 3, Erik B. Watkins 4, Adrian S. Losko 2, Anton S. Tremsin 5, Nicholas P. Borges 2,6, Theresa E. Cutler 7, Lee T. Dickman 8, Michelle A. Espy 3, Donald Cort Gautier 3, Amanda C. Madden 9, Jaroslaw Majewski 10,11, Michael W. Malone 12, Douglas R. Mayo 13, Kenneth J. McClellan 2, David S. Montgomery 14, Shea M. Mosby 1, Andrew T. Nelson 15, Kyle J. Ramos 16, Richard C. Schirato 9, Katlin Schroeder 17, Sanna A. Sevanto 8, Alicia L. Swift 18, Long K. Vo 2,19, Thomas E. Williamson 20 and Nicola M. Winch 7
, James F. Hunter 3, Erik B. Watkins 4, Adrian S. Losko 2, Anton S. Tremsin 5, Nicholas P. Borges 2,6, Theresa E. Cutler 7, Lee T. Dickman 8, Michelle A. Espy 3, Donald Cort Gautier 3, Amanda C. Madden 9, Jaroslaw Majewski 10,11, Michael W. Malone 12, Douglas R. Mayo 13, Kenneth J. McClellan 2, David S. Montgomery 14, Shea M. Mosby 1, Andrew T. Nelson 15, Kyle J. Ramos 16, Richard C. Schirato 9, Katlin Schroeder 17, Sanna A. Sevanto 8, Alicia L. Swift 18, Long K. Vo 2,19, Thomas E. Williamson 20 and Nicola M. Winch 71
LANSCEWeapons Physics (P-27), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
2
Materials Science in Radiation Extremes (MST-8), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
3
Applied Engineering Technology (AET-6), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
4
Materials Synthesis and Integrated Devices (MPA-11), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
5
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
6
Department of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
7
Advanced Nuclear Technology (NEN-2), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
8
Earth System Observations (EES-14), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
9
Space Science and Applications (ISR-1), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
10
Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (MPA-CINT), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
11
Molecular Biophysics Cluster BIO/MCB Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
12
Applied Modern Physics (P-21), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
13
Monte Carlo Codes (XCP-3), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
14
Plasma Physics (P-24), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
15
Engineered Materials (MST-7), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
16
HE Science and Technology (M-7), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
17
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
18
Y-12 National Security Complex, P.O. Box 2009, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8245, USA
19
Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
20
Paleontology, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 5 December 2017 / Revised: 9 February 2018 / Accepted: 9 February 2018 / Published: 23 February 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neutron Imaging)
Abstract
In recent years, neutron radiography and tomography have been applied at different beam lines at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), covering a very wide neutron energy range. The field of energy-resolved neutron imaging with epi-thermal neutrons, utilizing neutron absorption resonances for contrast as well as quantitative density measurements, was pioneered at the Target 1 (Lujan center), Flight Path 5 beam line and continues to be refined. Applications include: imaging of metallic and ceramic nuclear fuels, fission gas measurements, tomography of fossils and studies of dopants in scintillators. The technique provides the ability to characterize materials opaque to thermal neutrons and to utilize neutron resonance analysis codes to quantify isotopes to within 0.1 atom %. The latter also allows measuring fuel enrichment levels or the pressure of fission gas remotely. More recently, the cold neutron spectrum at the ASTERIX beam line, also located at Target 1, was used to demonstrate phase contrast imaging with pulsed neutrons. This extends the capabilities for imaging of thin and transparent materials at LANSCE. In contrast, high-energy neutron imaging at LANSCE, using unmoderated fast spallation neutrons from Target 4 [Weapons Neutron Research (WNR) facility] has been developed for applications in imaging of dense, thick objects. Using fast (ns), time-of-flight imaging, enables testing and developing imaging at specific, selected MeV neutron energies. The 4FP-60R beam line has been reconfigured with increased shielding and new, larger collimation dedicated to fast neutron imaging. The exploration of ways in which pulsed neutron beams and the time-of-flight method can provide additional benefits is continuing. We will describe the facilities and instruments, present application examples and recent results of all these efforts at LANSCE. View Full-TextKeywords:
neutron imaging; energy-selective; time-of-flight; high-energy neutron; fast neutron; nuclear resonances; thermal neutron; cold neutron; neutron computed tomography; phase contrast imaging; flat panel
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Nelson, R.O.; Vogel, S.C.; Hunter, J.F.; Watkins, E.B.; Losko, A.S.; Tremsin, A.S.; Borges, N.P.; Cutler, T.E.; Dickman, L.T.; Espy, M.A.; Gautier, D.C.; Madden, A.C.; Majewski, J.; Malone, M.W.; Mayo, D.R.; McClellan, K.J.; Montgomery, D.S.; Mosby, S.M.; Nelson, A.T.; Ramos, K.J.; Schirato, R.C.; Schroeder, K.; Sevanto, S.A.; Swift, A.L.; Vo, L.K.; Williamson, T.E.; Winch, N.M. Neutron Imaging at LANSCE—From Cold to Ultrafast. J. Imaging 2018, 4, 45.
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