Determination of Actinide Isotope Ratios Using Glow Discharge Optogalvanic Spectroscopy

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:624635

Young, J P; Shaw, R W; Barshick, C M; Ramsey, J M

Diode-laser excited optogalvanic spectroscopy (OGS) of a glow discharge has been utilized to measure U-235/U-235 + U-238 isotope ratios. This ``optical mass spectrometric`` measurement has been demonstrated for a number of samples including uranium oxide, fluoride, and metal. Various diode-laser accessible atomic transitions in the 775 to 835 nm region have been evaluated; these transitions were chosen by considering OGS sensitivity and isotope shift. Using the 831.84 nm uranium line, for example, it was possible to measure the U-235/U-235 + U-238 isotope ratio (0.0026) of depleted uranium samples. A prototypical field instrument to make these measurements has been assembled and demonstrated. A U-236 spectral line was identified in a sample of enriched uranium, and an abundance sensitivity was measured.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-96OR22464
• OSTI ID: 624635
• Report Number(s): CONF-970907--1; ON: DE97009369; CNN: Contract DE-AC05-96OR22464
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
DEPLETED URANIUM
DESIGN
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
ENRICHMENT
EXCITATION
GLOW DISCHARGES
ISOTOPE RATIO
LASER SPECTROSCOPY
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
METALS
OGS(OPTOGALVANIC SPECTROSCOPY)
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OPTICAL SPECTROMETERS
SAMPLING
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
SENSITIVITY
SIGNALS
SPECTRAL SHIFT
SPECTROSCOPY
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 236
URANIUM 238
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM OXIDES