Feasibility Study for the Development of Plutonium Reference Materials for Age Dating in Nuclear Forensics

Preliminary measurement results of a feasibility study for the development of plutonium reference materials for age dating will be presented. NBS SRM 946, 947 and 948 will be investigated amongst others. The first step is to verify known separation dates by measuring the mother (238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, 242Pu) and daughter (234U, 235U, 236U, 238U and 241Am) isotope abundances and to estimate the uncertainties of the calculated ages. Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) will be applied for the measurement of the plutonium and uranium isotope ratios after chemical separation, while 241Am will be measured by gamma-ray spectrometry.

STURM Monika;  RICHTER Stephan;  AREGBE Yetunde;  WELLUM Roger;  ALTZITZOGLOU Timotheos;  VERBRUGGEN Andre;  MAYER Klaus;  PROHASKA Thomas; 

2011-03-08

IAEA

JRC60800

http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/SV/Safeguards/Symposium/2010/Documents/PapersRepository/0167132905206450701734.pdf,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC60800,