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U.S. Department of Energy
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Plutonium isotopic measurement for small product samples

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6161469· OSTI ID:6161469
An automated at-line plutonium isotopic analysis system for small-product plutonium samples in the range of 10 to 1000 ..mu..g has been developed. The analysis is based on low-energy gamma rays at 43.48 keV (/sup 238/Pu), 45.23 keV (/sup 240/Pu), 51.63 keV (/sup 239/Pu), 64.83 keV (/sup 241/Pu-/sup 237/U), 129.3 keV (/sup 239/Pu), and 148.6 keV (/sup 241/Pu). Within a 20-ks counting time, we demonstrated that for plutonium masses > 600 ..mu..g the precision is < 0.7% for /sup 238/Pu//sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu//sup 239/Pu ratios and approx. 4% for the /sup 241/Pu//sup 239/Pu ratio. The agreement between the results measured by gamma-ray spectroscopy and those measured by mass spectrometry for seven samples is within the gamma-ray precision limits.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6161469
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-83-1115; CONF-830423-10; ON: DE83011172
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English