title: Evaluating laser-driven Bremsstrahlung radiation sources for imaging and analysis of nuclear waste packages.
abstract: A small scale sample nuclear waste package, consisting of a 28mm diameter uranium penny encased in grout, was imaged by absorption contrast radiography using a single pulse exposure from an X-ray source driven by a high-power laser. The Vulcan laser was used to deliver a focused pulse of photons to a tantalum foil, in order to generate a bright burst of highly penetrating X-rays (with energy >500keV), with a source size of <0.5mm. BAS-TR and BAS-SR image plates were used for image capture, alongside a newly developed Thalium doped Caesium Iodide scintillator-based detector coupled to CCD chips. The uranium penny was clearly resolved to sub-mm accuracy over a 30cm(2) scan area from a single shot acquisition. In addition, neutron generation was demonstrated in situ with the X-ray beam, with a single shot, thus demonstrating the potential for multi-modal criticality testing of waste materials. This feasibility study successfully demonstrated non-destructive radiography of encapsulated, high density, nuclear material. With recent developments of high-power laser systems, to 10Hz operation, a laser-driven multi-modal beamline for waste monitoring applications is envisioned.
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK. Electronic address: cj0810@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: Ceri M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: Camilla A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stitt
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK; Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK; Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.
authors.forename: Dean R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Rusby
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.
authors.forename: Seyed R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Mirfayzi
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.
authors.forename: Aarón
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alejo
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.
authors.forename: Hamad
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: Ric
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allott
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas M H
authors.initials: NMH
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haddock
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Gomez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Higginson
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Notley
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: Charilaos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paraskevoulakos
authors.affiliation: Ground Floor North B582, Sellafield Ltd, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jowsey
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.affiliation: Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.
authors.forename: Satya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Scott
keywords: Corrosion; Laser; Nuclear; Radiography; X-ray