Gamma-ray spectrometry analysis of pebble bed reactor fuel using Monte Carlo simulations

Monte Carlo simulations were used to study the gamma-ray spectra of pebble bed reactor fuel at various levels of burnup. A fuel depletion calculation was performed using the ORIGEN2.1 code, which yielded the gamma-ray source term that was introduced into the input of an MCNP4C simulation. The simulation assumed the use of a 100% efficient high-purity coaxial germanium (HPGe) detector, a pebble placed at a distance of 100 cm from the detector, and accounted for Gaussian broadening of the gamma-ray peaks. Previously, it was shown that 137Cs, 60Co (introduced as a dopant), and 134Cs are the relevant burnup indicators. The results show that the 662 keV line of 137Cs lies in close proximity to the intense 658 keV of 197Nb, which results in spectral interference between the lines. However, the 1333 keV line of 60Co, and selected 134Cs lines (e.g., at 605 keV) are free from spectral interference, which enhances the possibility of their utilization as relative burnup indicators.