反应堆瞬发γ活化成像技术研究进展

Research Progress of Prompt Gamma Activation Imaging Technology

瞬发γ活化成像技术(Prompt Gamma Activation Imaging,PGAI)是基于瞬发γ中子活化分析技术(Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis,PGAA)的一种新型元素成像技术,具有PGAA非破坏性、高灵敏度的多元素分析特点,同时可研究大体积样品内元素含量的三维分布情况。与移动中子源(如同位素中子源、加速器中子源)相比,反应堆中子源具有高通量的冷/热中子,因此,基于反应堆中子源的PGAI装置具有更加广阔的应用前景。鉴于PGAI技术的重要性,主要介绍了PGAI技术原理和测量方法、列举了国内外具有代表性的PGAI装置及特点,并指出当前PGAI技术研究现状与应用进展。其中,与中子层析成像(Neutron Tomography,NT)结合的PGAI是目前研究的重点。随着国内高通量中子反应堆的持续稳定运行以及PGAI装置的建立和技术发展,相信未来PGAI技术能在我国更多领域得到广泛和深入应用。

Prompt Gamma Activation Imaging(PGAI)is a new elemental imaging technique based on Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis(PGAA).It has the characteristics of non-destructive,high sensitivity and multi-elemental analysis of PGAA,and can study the three-dimensional spatial distribution of element content in large samples.Compared with mobile neutron sources(such as isotopic neutron sources and accelerator-based neutron sources),reactor-based neutron sources have higher cold/thermal neutron flux.Therefore,PGAI devices based on reactor neutron sources have broader application prospects.In view of the importance of PGAI,the principle and measurement method of PGAI were introduced in this paper,the representative PGAI devices and characteristics both at home and abroad were listed,and the current research status and application progress of PGAI were also given.Among them,PGAI combined with neutron tomography(NT)is the focus of current research.With the stable operation of high flux neutron research reactors in China and the establishment and development of PGAI devices,it is believed that PGAI technology can be widely applied in more fields in China in the future.