Some Applications of Stochastic Processes in Neutron Coincidence: Measurements Used in Nuclear Safeguards

Abstract

Pulse-correlation techniques are widely used in non-destructive analysis of the unknown amounts of fissile material in ‘Probes’. We present a model of a branching process which we think is flexible enough to cover all neutron multiple correlation counting experiments. Equations describing the statistical properties of pulse trains from detector outputs are given and explicit expression for the moments of the pulse distribution are derived.

By investigating the event sequences of neutron-detector outputs the loss of counts and the modification of the ‘pair-correlation’ function due to the deadtime of the detection system may become essential. We try to provide an approximate theoretical description of the effect of the deadtime on count rates and correlation functions.