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U.S. Department of Energy
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Plutonium isotopic composition by gamma-ray spectroscopy

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6742725· OSTI ID:6742725
We discuss the general approach, computerized data analysis methods, and results of measurements to determine the isotopic composition of plutonium by gamma-ray spectroscopy. The simple techniques are designed to be applicable to samples of arbitrary size, geometry, chemical and isotopic composition that have attained /sup 241/Pu-/sup 237/U equilibrium. The combination of the gamma spectroscopic measurement of isotopic composition coupled with calorimetric measurement of total sample power is shown to give a totally nondestructive determination of sample Pu mass with a precision of 0.6% for 1000-g samples of PuO/sub 2/ with 12% /sup 240/Pu content. The precision of isotopic measurements depends upon many factors including sample size, sample geometry, and isotopic content. Typical ranges are found to be /sup 238/Pu, < 1 to 10%; /sup 239/Pu, 0.1 to 0.5%; /sup 240/Pu, 2 to 5%; /sup 241/Pu, 0.3 to 0.7%; /sup 242/Pu (determined by isotopic correlation); and /sup 241/Am, 0.2 to 10%.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6742725
Report Number(s):
LA-8603-MS
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English