Noble gas, a potential nuclear proliferation indicator

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6473585

Chapman, T C

In the post cold war era, it appears that nuclear proliferation will be a continuing problem. At least one reliable technique to detect nuclear activities is needed to deter potential proliferators. This paper proposes a candidate technique for detection. Early efforts to measure nuclear fuel performance, resulted in consideration of a variety of potential techniques. In 1965, Maeck proposed determination of nuclear fuel burnup based on the ratio of two stable fission product isotopes of the same element. Maeck proposed using, three ratios; [sup 84]Kr/[sup 83]Kr, [sup 132]Xe/[sup 131]Xe, and [sup 144]Nd/[sup 143]Nd. More recent work includes useful application of krypton and xenon isotope correlation techniques to safeguards at nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities. The safeguards application requires very precise measurement of the fission product isotopes, detailed fuel exposure history, and knowledge of the neutron spectrum. Meeting all these requirements is extremely, difficult and requires carefully controlled conditions. The most likely scenario for a proliferator to produce nuclear material suitable for weapons applications is reprocessing of reactor fuel to recovery the plutonium. Since useful amounts of plutonium is produced in all uranium fueled reactors, reprocessing the reactor fuel would be much easier and less expensive compared to mining and enriching uranium to weapons grade material. Reprocessing nuclear reactor fuel releases the noble gases, krypton and xenon, from the fuel. Because capture of the noble gases is difficult, expensive, and produces a radiation, the gases will normally be released during reprocessing. These factors provide the basis of this proposed technique of detecting proliferators.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co., Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-84ID12435
• OSTI ID: 6473585
• Report Number(s): WINCO-11907; CONF-930601-21; ON: DE93014908
• Resource Relation: Conference: American Nuclear Society (ANS) annual meeting, San Diego, CA (United States), 20-24 Jun 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PROLIFERATION
RARE GASES
DETECTION
MEASURING METHODS
AIR SAMPLERS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FISSION PRODUCTS
KRYPTON
MASS SPECTROMETERS
PLUTONIUM
REPROCESSING
XENON
ACTINIDES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
NONMETALS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
SAMPLERS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROMETERS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WEAPONS
350200* - Arms Control- Proliferation- (1987-)