Laser Ablation Plasmas and Spectroscopy for Nuclear Applications

Area of Science:

• Nuclear spectroscopy
• Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
• Plasma physics

Background:

• Growing interest in nuclear materials detection for energy, nonproliferation, safeguards, and forensics.
• Optical spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas (LPPs) is a key technique for field measurements.
• Current capabilities include standoff, isotopically resolved, and phase-identifiable detection of elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review Laser Ablation (LA) plasmas and spectroscopy for nuclear applications.
• To cover fundamental research and development over the past two decades.
• To explore applications from environmental sampling to real-time analysis using machine learning.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes laser ablation (LA) to create luminous microplasmas from samples.
• Analyzes the emitted electromagnetic radiation as a spectroscopic fingerprint.
• Incorporates multivariate machine learning for real-time spectrochemical analysis.

Main Results:

• Provides background on physical breakdown mechanisms and laser-matter interactions.
• Describes transient plasma conditions influencing spectroscopic signatures.
• Examines high-temperature chemical processes, condensation pathways, and associated shockwaves.

Conclusions:

• LA plasma spectroscopy enables standoff detection of radioactive aerosols and fission gases.
• Applications include monitoring atmospheric radiation plumes and reactor off-gas streams.
• Highlights the future role of LA plasma spectroscopy in the nuclear community.