Nondestructive measurements of x-ray and gamma-ray emissions can be used to determine the abundances of various actinides in a sample. Volume 1 of this report describes the methods and algorithms we have developed to determine the relative isotopic abundances of actinides in a sample, by analyzing gamma-ray spectra obtained using germanium detector systems. Volume 2 is a guide to using the MGA (Multiple Group Analysis) computer program we have written to perform plutonium isotopic analyses. This report contains a listing of the FORTRAN instructions of the code.

MGA calculates relative isotopic abundances of plutonium and other actinides in a sample. The code performs its analysis using data from a gamma-ray spectrum of the sample taken with a germanium detector. This volume describes the structure of the program and the procedures used for measuring samples and analyzing the spectra. It is assumed that the user is familiar with standard practices and equipment used in gamma-ray spectrometry.

Nondestructive measurements of x-ray and gamma-ray emissions can be used to analyze a sample for plutonium. This report describes the methods and algorithms we have developed for analyzing gamma-ray spectra obtained by using a germanium detector system to accurately determine the relative abundances of various actinide isotopes in a sample. Our methodology requires no calibrations and can be used to measure virtually any size and type of plutonium sample. Measurement times can be as short as a few minutes; measurements are frequently accurate to within 1%. Our methods have been programmed into a computerized analysis code called MGA (Multi-Group Analysis). Our current versions can be run on personal computers (IBM type) and on the DEC VAX microcomputer. Spectral analysis times are usually far less than a minute. 28 refs., 26 figs., 1 tab.

The Multi-Group Analysis (MGA) code is widely used to determine nondestructively the relative isotopic abundances of plutonium by gamma-ray spectrometry. MGA users have expressed concern about the lack of flexibility and transparency in the code. Users often have to ask the code developers for modifications to the code to accommodate new measurement situations, such as additional peaks being present in the plutonium spectrum or expected peaks being absent. We are testing several new improvements to a prototype, general gamma-ray isotopic analysis tool with the intent of either revising or replacing the MGA code. These improvements will give the user the ability to modify, add, or delete the gamma- and x-ray energies and branching intensities used by the code in determining a more precise gain and in the determination of the relative detection efficiency. We have also fully integrated the determination of the relative isotopic abundances with the determination of the relative detection efficiency to provide a more accurate determination of the errors in the relative isotopic abundances. We provide details in this paper on these improvements and a comparison of results obtained with current versions of the MGA code.

MGA is a gamma-ray spectrum analysis program for determining relative plutonium isotopic abundances. The isotopic composition of a plutonium sample is needed to calculate 24°Pu{sub eff} that is used to interpret passive neutron coincidence measurements in units of absolute plutonium mass. MGA can determine plutonium isotopic abundances with accuracies better than 1% using a high-resolution, low-energy, planar germanium detector and measurement times ten minutes or less. MGA can include analysis of a second spectrum of the high-energy (300--600 keV) plutonium gamma rays that significantly improves the determination of 24°P{sub eff} in high-burnup plutonium. For the high-energy gamma-ray measurements we have devised a new hardware configuration, so that both the low- and high-energy gamma-ray detectors are mounted in a single cryostat thereby reducing weight and volume of the detector systems. We describe the detector configuration and our experience with it using a combined neutron-gamma measurement system and the two-detector version of MGA. We discuss the sources of uncertainty in the determination of 24°Pu{sub eff} and propose a new correlation for the determination of 242Pu.