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Nuclear Transmutation03:20

Nuclear Transmutation

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...
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Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon—that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56. Sometimes neutrons are also produced. This decomposition of a large nucleus into smaller pieces is called fission. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large number of different...
Nuclear Stability03:18

Nuclear Stability

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Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium01:25

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
12:22

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films

Published on: November 9, 2015

Provenance of unknown plutonium material.

G Nicolaou1

  • 1Demokritus University of Thrace, School of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laboratory of Nuclear Technology, Vas. Sofias 12, 67100 Xanthi, Greece. nicolaou@ee.duth.gr

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
|July 22, 2008
PubMed
Summary

This study demonstrates isotopic fingerprinting to determine plutonium provenance. The method accurately identified the origin of an

Area of Science:

  • Nuclear Chemistry
  • Radiochemistry
  • Nuclear Forensics

Background:

  • Determining the origin of plutonium material is crucial for nuclear security and non-proliferation efforts.
  • Traditional methods for provenance determination can be complex and time-consuming.
  • Isotopic analysis offers a potential pathway for more efficient material tracking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of an isotopic fingerprinting approach for determining the provenance of unknown plutonium samples.
  • To assess the predictive capabilities of factor analysis in matching plutonium isotopic compositions to known sources.
  • To identify challenges and future research directions for this technique.

Main Methods:

  • A simulation study was conducted using plutonium of known provenance as the 'unknown' material.

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Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
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Published on: November 9, 2015

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  • Factor analysis was employed to compare the isotopic composition of the unknown plutonium with simulated spent fuels from various commercial nuclear power stations.
  • Similarity in Pu isotopic composition was used to assign the provenance of the unknown material.

    • Main Results:

    • The isotopic fingerprinting approach successfully predicted the provenance of the single simulated unknown plutonium sample.
    • The method assigned the unknown material to the commercial fuel source with the highest Pu isotopic composition similarity.
    • The study highlights the promising potential of this technique for material attribution.

    Conclusions:

    • Isotopic fingerprinting, utilizing factor analysis, shows promise for determining plutonium provenance.
    • The approach accurately identified the source of a simulated unknown sample, validating its predictive capability.
    • Further research is necessary to address simulation uncertainties and validate the method with real laboratory samples before widespread application.