Development of Test Facilities for Studies Relevant to Replacing Dangerous Radiological Sources

One of the vulnerabilitiesfaced in modem society is the accidental or intentional dispersal of significant quantities of radionuclides into the environment. The term "dirty bomb" refers to a conventional explosive coupled with radionuclides that are intentionally dispersed when the explosive is detonated. Soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States Government commissioned a National Academy of Sciences study to consider the issue of replacement of dangerous radiological sources. Kansas State University is a member of a consortium studying nonproliferation enabling capabilities, including replacement of dangerous radiological sources. Test facilities have been constructed that allow use of a deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron generator, a machine source of X rays, and radionuclide sources. Various materials can be placed around a tube containing the neutron generator or radionuclide neutron and photon sources, providing an effectively-infinite interaction medium. These test facilities and a tool used to benchmark simulation codes for oil-well-logging and other applications are described. Representative test results are also presented.