Abstract
Active interrogation in U-235 was demonstrated with LaBr3:Ce scintillation detectors using the nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) technique. An NRF experiment was performed at the High using Intensity gamma-ray Source (HI gamma S) facility using quasi-monochromatic circularly or linearly polarized gamma-ray beams. Photons scattered at 90 degrees relative to the incident beam were detected with two different sizes of cylindrical LaBr3:Ce detectors. Clear NRF peaks at 1733 and 1815 keV corresponding to de-excitations to the ground state and/or low-lying levels in U-235 were observed within 77 minutes of beam time even under the high background due to the self-activity of LaBr3:Ce and the radioactive decay of Bi-214 nuclei existing in the U-235 target. The present study shows a possibility of using LaBr3:Ce detector to perform NRF experiments, promoting many options for inspection of special nuclear materials. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.