Using Muonic X Rays to Interrogate Special Nuclear Materials

This thesis reports the use and analysis of gamma-ray spectrometry to identify several peaks from a muon beam hitting a target of 238U. Two candidates for muonic x rays occurring from fission products were also identified. A 2p-1s mu x ray from 98Mo at 2738.0+-0.7 keV with a yield of 0.06+-0.02 x ray transitions per muon stop. A 2p-1s mu x ray from 133Cs at 3900.2+-1.7 keV with a yield of 0.04+-0.04 x ray transitions per muon stop. The equivalent dose from muons was calculated using a simulation of the Bethe-Bloch equation. An upper limit of 1.4e11 muons was calculated as the maximum number of muon stops before hitting an equivalent dose limit of 1 mSv in a human phantom. A minimum detectable transition rate of 4.29e5 x ray transitions per second was calculated for the strongest mu 238U x ray.