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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
Detection of previous neutron irradiation and reprocessing of uranium materials for nuclear forensic purposes
1Radiation Safety Department, Institute of Isotopes, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Konkoly-Thege út 29-33, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary. varga@iki.kfki.hu
Abstract:
The paper describes novel analytical methods developed for the detection of previous neutron irradiation and reprocessing of illicit nuclear materials, which is an important characteristic of nuclear materials of unknown origin in nuclear forensics. Alpha spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma sector-field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) using solution nebulization and direct, quasi-non-destructive laser ablation as sample introduction were applied for the measurement of trace-level (232)U, (236)U and plutonium isotopes deriving from previous neutron irradiation of uranium-containing nuclear materials. The measured radionuclides and isotope ratios give important information on the raw material used for fuel production and enable confirm the supposed provenance of illicit nuclear material.
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