arXiv subjects

Mark Croce

Publications and source records attributed to Mark Croce.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Nuclear Data Needs for Microcalorimetry and Non-destructive Assay

Cryogenic microcalorimeters are state-of-the-art radiation detectors using superconducting and quantum technologies. They can resolve complex X-ray and low-energy {\gamma}-ray spectra with ultra-high energy resolution of an order of 10 eV at 100 keV, enabling high-precision non-destructive assay (NDA) analysis of nuclear materials containing uranium, plutonium and other actinides. With significant technical advancements in microcalorimetry technology, microcalorimeters are now deployable to end-users such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for improved NDA. However, the accuracy of microcalorimetry analysis can be limited by nuclear data. There are several cases that the current nuclear data obtained by conventional radiation detector technologies is not sufficient to support microcalorimetry analysis. To address the growing need for improved nuclear data in microcalorimetry, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of International Nuclear Safeguards hosted a workshop on Microcalorimetry and Nuclear Data (MiND) in June 2023. Microcalorimetry experts and users, and nuclear structure evaluators and managers, and program sponsors attended the workshop with the main objective of identifying a roadmap for priority nuclear data, stakeholders, partnerships, and opportunities. This paper summarizes the outcome of the MiND workshop, including the priority list of nuclear data for microcalorimetry and a multi-laboratory measurement campaign to improve such nuclear data.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Measuring the electron neutrino mass using the electron capture decay of 163Ho

While the mass differences between neutrino mass states are known, their absolute masses and mass hierarchy have not yet been determined. Determining the mass of neutrinos provides access to physics beyond the Standard Model and the resulting value has implications for the growth of large-scale structure in the universe over cosmic history. Because of the importance of the topic, a number of efforts are already underway to determine the mass of neutrinos including direct kinematic measurements and indirect measurements of astrophysical phenomena that constrain the sum of the mass eigenstates through models of cosmic evolution. Here, we advocate for a collaborative international effort to perform a kinematic determination of the effective electron neutrino mass using calorimetric measurements of the decay of 163Ho. This effort is justified by the success of current experiments using the technique, its high benefit-to-cost ratio, the value of approaches with different systematic errors, and the value of measuring the electron neutrino mass rather than the electron anti-neutrino mass.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2021

Improved Nondestructive Isotopic Analysis with Practical Microcalorimeter Gamma Spectrometers

Advances in both instrumentation and data analysis software are now enabling the first ultra-high-resolution microcalorimeter gamma spectrometers designed for implementation in nuclear facilities and analytical laboratories. With approximately ten times better energy resolution than high-purity germanium detectors, these instruments can overcome important uncertainty limits. Microcalorimeter gamma spectroscopy is intended to provide nondestructive isotopic analysis capabilities with sufficient precision and accuracy to reduce the need for sampling, chemical separations, and mass spectrometry to meet safeguards and security goals. Key milestones were the development of the SOFIA instrument (Spectrometer Optimized for Facility Integrated Applications) and the SAPPY software (Spectral Analysis Program in PYthon). SOFIA is a compact instrument that combines advances in large multiplexed transition-edge sensor arrays with optimized cryogenic performance to overcome many practical limitations of previous systems. With a 256-pixel multiplexed detector array capable of 5000 counts per second, measurement time can be comparable to high-purity germanium detectors. SAPPY was developed to determine isotopic ratios in data from SOFIA and other microcalorimeter instruments with an approach similar to the widely-used FRAM software. SAPPY provides a flexible framework with rigorous uncertainty analysis for both microcalorimeter and HPGe data, allowing direct comparison. We present current results from the SOFIA instrument, preliminary isotopic analysis using SAPPY, and describe how the technology is being used to explore uncertainty limits of nondestructive isotopic characterization, inform safeguards models, and extract improved nuclear data including gamma-ray branching ratios.

physics.ins-det↗