Nuclear Fuel Accountancy with via HPC and Anti-Neutrino Data
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The Verification Instrument for the Direct Assay of Reactors at Range (VIDARR) is a detector designed to measure (v_e) from reactors for safeguarding and non-proliferation purposes. The VIDARR detector is based upon the ECal technology, designed and built by the UK for the T2K experiment's near-detector. Anti-neutrinos are detected in VIDARR via inverse B decay (IBD).
The PhD use GEANT4 simulations to characterise the behaviour of the upgraded detector. Machine learning is used to develop a trigger using a support vector machine (SVM). By comparing simulation to data collected from the detector it is possible to achieve a full characterisation of the VIDARR detector using big data analysis techniques and high performance computing (HPC).
The PhD use GEANT4 simulations to characterise the behaviour of the upgraded detector. Machine learning is used to develop a trigger using a support vector machine (SVM). By comparing simulation to data collected from the detector it is possible to achieve a full characterisation of the VIDARR detector using big data analysis techniques and high performance computing (HPC).
People |
ORCID iD |
| Jonathon Coleman (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Ronald Collins (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST/P006752/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2024 | |||
| 2021478 | Studentship | ST/P006752/1 | 01/10/2017 | 31/12/2021 | Ronald Collins |
| Description | VIDARR |
| Organisation | John Caunt Scientific Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The research team consists of: Full-time members of staff: Dr.Jon Coleman, Dr. Carl Metelko, Dr.Yan-Jie Schnellbach Ph.D. students: Mr.George Holt, Mr.Ronald Collins(myself) and engineer: Mr.Kieran Bridges The research team has been responsible for: The building of the detector. The simulation of the detector. The analysis of the data from both the simulated and real-world detector. I have contributed to all three of these areas. Helping to Cut scintillator, assemble basic electronic components and wire up the detector in building the detector. I have added physical and detector effects in the simulation of the detector (such as quenching, attenuation, and dark noise). And have been working on the analysis of cosmic muons from the original deployment of the precursor to VIDARR as well as spearheading the machine learning analysis on the collaboration. The simulation is using GEANT4 and is multithreaded whereas the analysis code at present uses multiple instances. The final version of the analysis code is intended to use multithreading instead. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All of the collaborators at the University of Liverpool are part of the research team. John Caunt Scientific has provided the materials required to build the VIDARR detector. As well as the container required for the detector which is a custom-fitted shipping container. The National Nuclear Laboratory is helping to provide an anti-neutrino model from gas-cooled reactors which is helping with collaborator George Holt's Ph.D. |
| Impact | This is a physics experiment, multi-disciplinary between particle physics and applied nuclear physics (safeguards and security). So far there have been no outputs or outcomes from this collaboration due to the persistent detector construction and supply issues. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | VIDARR |
| Organisation | National Nuclear Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The research team consists of: Full-time members of staff: Dr.Jon Coleman, Dr. Carl Metelko, Dr.Yan-Jie Schnellbach Ph.D. students: Mr.George Holt, Mr.Ronald Collins(myself) and engineer: Mr.Kieran Bridges The research team has been responsible for: The building of the detector. The simulation of the detector. The analysis of the data from both the simulated and real-world detector. I have contributed to all three of these areas. Helping to Cut scintillator, assemble basic electronic components and wire up the detector in building the detector. I have added physical and detector effects in the simulation of the detector (such as quenching, attenuation, and dark noise). And have been working on the analysis of cosmic muons from the original deployment of the precursor to VIDARR as well as spearheading the machine learning analysis on the collaboration. The simulation is using GEANT4 and is multithreaded whereas the analysis code at present uses multiple instances. The final version of the analysis code is intended to use multithreading instead. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All of the collaborators at the University of Liverpool are part of the research team. John Caunt Scientific has provided the materials required to build the VIDARR detector. As well as the container required for the detector which is a custom-fitted shipping container. The National Nuclear Laboratory is helping to provide an anti-neutrino model from gas-cooled reactors which is helping with collaborator George Holt's Ph.D. |
| Impact | This is a physics experiment, multi-disciplinary between particle physics and applied nuclear physics (safeguards and security). So far there have been no outputs or outcomes from this collaboration due to the persistent detector construction and supply issues. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | VIDARR |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research team consists of: Full-time members of staff: Dr.Jon Coleman, Dr. Carl Metelko, Dr.Yan-Jie Schnellbach Ph.D. students: Mr.George Holt, Mr.Ronald Collins(myself) and engineer: Mr.Kieran Bridges The research team has been responsible for: The building of the detector. The simulation of the detector. The analysis of the data from both the simulated and real-world detector. I have contributed to all three of these areas. Helping to Cut scintillator, assemble basic electronic components and wire up the detector in building the detector. I have added physical and detector effects in the simulation of the detector (such as quenching, attenuation, and dark noise). And have been working on the analysis of cosmic muons from the original deployment of the precursor to VIDARR as well as spearheading the machine learning analysis on the collaboration. The simulation is using GEANT4 and is multithreaded whereas the analysis code at present uses multiple instances. The final version of the analysis code is intended to use multithreading instead. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All of the collaborators at the University of Liverpool are part of the research team. John Caunt Scientific has provided the materials required to build the VIDARR detector. As well as the container required for the detector which is a custom-fitted shipping container. The National Nuclear Laboratory is helping to provide an anti-neutrino model from gas-cooled reactors which is helping with collaborator George Holt's Ph.D. |
| Impact | This is a physics experiment, multi-disciplinary between particle physics and applied nuclear physics (safeguards and security). So far there have been no outputs or outcomes from this collaboration due to the persistent detector construction and supply issues. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Title | Machine learning Influenced Trigger |
| Description | The VIDARR detector uses a neutron trigger to determine when an event is worth considering. The software developed allowed us to see the impact of each indiviual variable on the trigger. By use of a machine learning technique called a support vector machine (SVM). The evolution of the SVM could be plotted as each different combination of variables was used. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | This code allowed us to see which variables were effective choices for the trigger. This reduced the number of variables required from 3 to 2 whilst improving the efficiency and purity of the signal. |
| Description | AIT-WATCHMAN meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Went to a AIT-WATCHMAN meeting with colleges from the USA and UK at the University of Edinburgh gave a talk on backgrounds at reactor environments, based on the PROSPECT experiment. We decided to move forward with a particular method of cosmic muon detection |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |