High intensity direct third harmonic generation in BBO (open access)

High intensity direct third harmonic generation in BBO

The azimuthal dependence of second- and third-order coupling are used to measure the relative contributions of each to direct third harmonic generation with efficiencies up to 6%. The values of {xi}{sub ij}{sup (3)} are measured.
Date: February 23, 1998
Creator: Banks, P.S., LLNL
System: The UNT Digital Library
Active neutron interrogation for verification of storage of weapons components at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (open access)

Active neutron interrogation for verification of storage of weapons components at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant

A nuclear weapons identification system (NWIS), under development since 1984 at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant and presently in use there, uses active neutron interrogation with low-intensity {sup 252}Cf sources in ionization chambers to provide a timed source of fission neutrons from the spontaneous fission of {sup 252}Cf. To date, measurements have been performed on {approximately}15 different weapons systems in a variety of configurations both in and out of containers. Those systems included pits and fully assembled systems ready for deployment at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and weapons components at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. These measurements have shown that NWIS can identify nuclear weapons and/or components; nuclear weapons/components can be distinguished from mockups where fissile material has been replaced by nonfissile material; omissions of small amounts (4%) of fissile material can be detected; changes in internal configurations can be determined; trainer parts can be identified as was demonstrated by verification of 512 containers with B33 components at the Y-12 Plant (as many as 32 in one 8-hour shift); and nonfissile components can be identified. The current NWIS activities at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant include: (1) further development of the system for more portability and lower power …
Date: February 23, 1998
Creator: Mihalczo, J. T.; Valentine, T. E.; Mattingly, J. K.; Mullens, J. A. & Hughes, S. S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Design modeling of the 100-J diode-pumped solid-state laser for Project Mercury (open access)

Design modeling of the 100-J diode-pumped solid-state laser for Project Mercury

We present the energy, propagation, and thermal modeling for a diode-pumped solid-state laser called Mercury being designed and built at LLNL using Yb:S-FAP [i.e., Yb{sup 3+}-doped Sr{sub 5}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F crystals] for the gain medium. This laser is intended to produce 100 J pulses at 1 to 10 ns at 10 Hz with an electrical efficiency of {approximately}10%. Our modeling indicates that the laser will be able to meet its performance goals.
Date: February 23, 1998
Creator: Orth, C., LLNL
System: The UNT Digital Library
{sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis measurements with annular high enriched uranium metal castings (open access)

{sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis measurements with annular high enriched uranium metal castings

This summary describes measurements performed on four annular uranium metal castings of different enrichments to investigate the use of {sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis measurements as a means to quantify the amount of special nuclear material (SNM) in the casting. Previous measurements and calculational studies have shown that many of the signatures obtained from the source-driven measurement are sensitive to fissile mass. Measurements were performed to assess the applicability of this method to standard annular uranium metal castings at the Oak Ridge Y-12 plant under verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) using the Nuclear Weapons Identification System (NWIS) processor. The sensitivity of the measured parameters to fissile mass was investigated using four castings each with a different enrichment. Preliminary results are presented that demonstrate the sensitivity of the measured parameter to fissile mass. However, these preliminary results do not represent an optimized measurement configuration but are intended to demonstrate possible applications of this method.
Date: February 23, 1998
Creator: Valentine, T.E.; Mattingly, J.K. & Mihalczo, J.T.
System: The UNT Digital Library