Nuclear forensic analysis

Abstract A short history and treatment of the various aspects of nuclear forensic analysis is followed by a discussion of the most common chemical procedures, including applications of tracers, radioisotopic generators, and sample chronometry. Analytic methodology discussed includes sample preparation, radiation detection, various forms of microscopy, and mass-spectrometric techniques. The chapter concludes with methods for the production and treatment of special nuclear materials and with a description of several actual case studies conducted at Livermore. 

The solvent extraction method with which the analytical chemist is most familiar involves placing both liquid phases in a separatory funnel and agitating by hand to effect the partition due to issues of contamination control and limited solution volumes, this implementation is little used in nuclear forensic analysis. Often, phases are mixed in a capped centrifuge cone using a vortex mixer this is particularly convenient in a gloved box, where the loss of manual dexterity impedes the manipulation of a separatory funnel and stopcock. Phase separation is facilitated through the use of a centrifuge. 

A modern nuclear forensic analysis relies heavily on instrumentation. A well-equipped laboratory will have the means for making a variety of inorganic, isotopic, and organic analyses, in addition to having the support of a counting facility for radiation measurements. 

Analytic methods for nuclear forensic analysis (adapted from Kristo et al. 2006)... 

Although relevant exercises have been conducted, and Cold War nuclear weapons programs provide validated analytic platforms, there have been no actual post-det terrorist incidents involving an IND or RDD to date. Consequently, no technical investigations in the contemporary embodiment of nuclear forensic analysis exist for an actual post-det situation, and all discussed case studies necessarily focus on interdicted, pre-det materials. (However, a nuclear accident that is perhaps exemplary of maximum-credible consequences of successful terrorist activities was the uncontrolled criticality and resultant explosion of the Soviet RBMK power reactor at Chernobyl in 1986.)... 

Moody KJ, Hutcheon ID, Grant PM (2005) Nuclear forensic analysis. CRC/Taylor Francis, Boca Raton, FL Moskalev Yul (ed) (1968) Tritium oxide. Atomizdat, Moscow... 

FIGURE 20.14 Secondary ion mass spectrum of counts per second (logarithmic scale) versus m/z value (10-140 Th) for the analysis of a highly enriched uranium particle. Source Betti, M.,Tamborini, G., Koch, L. (1999), Use of secondary ion mass spectrometry in nuclear forensic analysis for the characterization of plutonium and highly enriched uranium particles. Analytical Chemistry, 7i (14), 2616-2622. 

Betti, M., et al. (1999) Use of secondary ion mass spectrometry in nuclear forensic analysis for the characterization of plutonium and highly enriched uranium particles. Analytical Chemistry, 71,2616-2622. 

Buerger, S., et al. (2007) A high efficiency cavity ion source using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) for nuclear forensic analysis. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 444-445, 660-662. 

Nuclear forensics has been the subject of many review articles, reports, presentations, and an excellent book dedicated to nuclear forensic analysis (Moody et al. 2005), as well as the focus of numerous international and national conferences and working groups sponsored by the IAEA and other organizations (IAEA 2002,2014). For example, in July 2014, the International conference on advances in nuclear forensics countering the evolving threat of nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control is scheduled. In this chapter, we will try to demonstrate some of these advances, with focus on the role played by uranium in the fleld of nuclear forensics. 

Highlights There are not many published examples of analysis of postdetonation debris. The reported results from the 1945 Trinity test show that information on the core and constituents of the device can be derived from advanced analytical techniques, with repercussions for nuclear forensics analysis. 

The existence of some of these databases is acknowledged publicly. For example, as mentioned earlier, LLNL has a database that includes 1800 samples of yellow cake (Kristo and Dirnet 2013), and the Nuclear Forensics Analysis Center (NFAC) in Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) provides support for the FBFs Radiological Evidence Examination Facility (REEF) (Nichols 2011). The latter contains a database of spent nuclear fuel from several reactors in the United States and other countries. An example of the processing of interdicted nuclear material at REEF uses traditional forensics combined with nuclear forensics to determine the origin and make attribution. The results of the isotopic measurements are compared to known compositions in the database based on reactor physics models (see flowchart in Figure 5.19). 

Will this be the nuclear forensics analysis that wiU launch a thousand missiles ,... 

Application of nuclear forensics provides a powerful tool for safeguards purposes and attribution of illicit activities involving nuclear materials. A generic flowchart of the processes involved in nuclear forensics analysis is shown in Figure 5.20. 

FIGURE 5.20 A generic flowchart of the processes involved in nuclear forensics analysis. 

Nevertheless, the technical and scientific achievements of nuclear forensics analysis are impressive. The ability to locate and detect minute amounts of uranium in a single particle in a swipe samples that may contain copious amounts of dust and soil particles is quite amazing. The fact that this individual particle may be singled out and its morphology, elanental, and isotopic compositions determined is indicative of the progress of analytical techniques. 

Mayer, K., WaUenius, M., and Eanhanel, T. (2007). Nuclear forensic analysis—Erom cradle to maturity, J. Alloys Compd. 444-445, 50-56. 

Moody, K., Grant, R, and Hatcheon, I. (2005). Nuclear Forensic Analysis. Boca Raton, EL Taylor Francis. 

Nichols, T.F. (2011). Nuclear Forensic Analysis Center Forensic analysis to data interpretation, DA-AC09-08SR22470. Savannah River, NC Savannah River National Laboratory... 

RoudU, D., Rigaux, C., Rivier, C. et al. (2012). CETAMA contribution to safeguards and nuclear forensic analysis based on nuclear reference materials, Procedia Chem. 7, 709-715. 

Moody, Kenton J., Ian D. Hutcheon, and Patrick M. Grant. Nuclear Forensic Analysis. Boca Raton, Fla. CRC Press, 2004. 

---