Motivation

The WORDMAp Workshop will involve R&D performers and users from DOE national laboratories, universities, industrial companies, and other organizations engaged in nonproliferation R&D and product development. The purpose is to build a consensus view among subject-matter experts on existing methods for radiation detection, shortcomings in the current state of the art, commercialization issues that are restricting the adoption of new technology, and new materials-related R&D priorities leading to significant improvements in next-generation radiation detectors useful in a variety of nonproliferation applications.

The primary focus of recommended materials R&D priorities will be related to advances in gamma- and neutron- spectroscopy and thermal neutron detection. The following overarching needs will shape the workshop's organization and technical program: development of low-cost, large volume scintillators with improved performance; large-volume and uniform response semiconductors capable of high energy- and spatial-resolution; organic scintillators with high effective atomic number; and ultrafast detectors. The specific development aims for these different classes of detectors will be dependent on the nonproliferation application under consideration. Working groups will be established in the areas of inorganic scintillators, organic and plastic scintillators, semiconductors, and basic research needs. Cross-cutting themes, such as crystal growth and manufacturing challenges, will be discussed and considered as distinct working groups.

The WORDMAp workshop will take place over 3 days.

Day 1 will emphasize plenary lectures on the current state of the area, plus a poster session. Day 2 will focus on consensus with respect to the formation of specific working groups. Additionally, attendees will be asked to commit to inclusion in the working groups of their choosing. Break-out sessions will be held for each working group. Day 3 will involve plenaries to out-brief on the outcomes of the working group deliberations and allow for further discussion, followed by a workshop wrap-up.

A second workshop will be held about 3 months later (hosted at LBNL) to finalize the consensus building, leading to the generation of a roadmap for delivery to the DOE Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Office of Research and Development. The written report will include recommendations from each working group regarding materials R&D priorities to support advances in nuclear nonproliferation mission capabilities.