Spent-fuel characterization with small CZT detectors

CdTe detectors may be utilised as miniature instruments for the measurement of gamma spectra in safeguards applications [R. Arlt, V. Gryshchuk, P. Sumah, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 428 (1999) 127]. This is applicable for measurements both to fresh fuel and irradiated nuclear fuel. The spectrum analysis, however, is more complicated than with Ge detectors. Some reasons are: the peaks are asymmetric, the peak/Compton ratio is low, peak parameters depend on the count rate and on the properties of individual detector crystals. We developed a spectrum-unfolding code for spectra obtained with CdTe detectors. The code makes use of a series of pattern spectra of the individual instrument. It is applied to fission-product spectra and allows the coarse characterisation of the spent fuel in safeguards inspections.