Application of CdTe Detector for Determining Uranium Enrichment on 89–100 keV γ- and X-ray Radiation

The results of studies of a standards-free method of determining uranium enrichment according to characteristic γ- and x-ray radiation detected with a CdTe detector (sensitive surface area 25 mm2) are presented. A method for processing the spectra based on fitting with analytic functions that effectively take account of the asymmetry of the total absorption peaks is proposed to separate the lines of the photon radiation of the isotopes 235U and 238U in the energy range 89–100 keV. The enrichment with the isotope 235U in uranium dioxide pellets is measured. It is shown that the new method makes it possible to measure the enrichment of uranium with relative error 1–5% for 235U content in the isotope mixture 0.4–26%.