RADIOLOGICAL SEALED SOURCE LIBRARY: A NUCLEAR FORENSICS TOOL
If a terrorist were to obtain and possibly detonate a device that contained radiological material, radiological forensic analysis of the material and source capsule could provide law enforcement with valuable clues about the origin of the radiological material; this information could then provide further leads on where the material and sealed source was obtained, and the loss of control point. This information could potentially be utilized for attribution and prosecution. Analyses of nuclear forensic signatures for radiological materials are generally understood to include isotopic ratios, trace element concentrations, the time since irradiation or purification, and morphology. Radiological forensic signatures for sealed sources provide additional information that leverages information on the physical design and chemical composition of the source capsule and containers, physical markings indicative of an owner or manufacturer. Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has been working since 2003 to understand signatures that could be used to identify specific source manufacturers. These signatures include the materials from which the capsule is constructed, dimensions, weld details, elemental composition, and isotopic abundances of the radioactive material. These signatures have been compiled in a library known as the Argonne/INL Radiological Sealed Source Library. Data collected for the library has included open-source information from vendor catalogs and web pages; discussions with source manufacturers and touring of production facilities (both protected through non-disclosure agreements); technical publications; and government registries such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Sealed Source and Device Registry.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 1336944
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 56th Institute of Nuclear Materials Management Annual Meeting, 07/12/15 - 07/16/15, Indian Wells, CA, US
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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