A highly‑enriched ²⁴⁴Pu reference material for nuclear safeguards and nuclear forensics measurements

Area of Science:

• Nuclear chemistry
• Metrology
• Isotope analysis

Background:

• Accurate quantification of trace plutonium (<1 ng) is essential for nuclear safeguards and forensics.
• Existing methods require significant spike corrections for plutonium isotopic composition analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize a highly-enriched ²⁴⁴Pu isotope dilution reference material.
• To enable metrologically traceable measurements of very small plutonium quantities.
• To minimize spike corrections in isotope dilution measurements.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of a highly-enriched ²⁴⁴Pu reference material.
• Characterization of the reference material.
• Isotope dilution mass spectrometry.

Main Results:

• A highly-enriched ²⁴⁴Pu reference material has been successfully prepared and characterized.
• The material facilitates accurate quantification of trace plutonium.
• It reduces the need for extensive spike corrections in isotopic analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed ²⁴⁴Pu reference material is a valuable tool for precise plutonium measurements.
• It supports advancements in nuclear safeguards and forensic science.
• This material enhances the accuracy of isotopic composition determination from single analyses.