Experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for source reactor-type discrimination of chemically separated plutonium

doi:10.1016/j.net.2018.11.003

This content will become publicly available on November 10, 2019

Title: Experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for source reactor-type discrimination of chemically separated plutonium

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Abstract

An experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for the source reactor-type discrimination of separated weapons-useable plutonium is presented. The methodology uses measured values of intra-element isotope ratios of plutonium and fission product contaminants. MCNP radiation transport codes were used for various reactor core modeling and fuel burnup simulations. A reactor-dependent library of intra-element isotope ratio values as a function of burnup and time since irradiation was created from the simulation results. The experimental validation of the methodology was achieved by performing two low-burnup experimental irradiations, resulting in distinct fuel samples containing sub-milligram quantities of weapons-useable plutonium. The irradiated samples were subjected to gamma and mass spectrometry to measure several intra-element isotope ratios. For each reactor in the library, a maximum likelihood calculation was utilized to compare the measured and simulated intra-element isotope ratio values, producing a likelihood value which is proportional to the probability of observing the measured ratio values, given a particular reactor in the library. The measured intra-element isotope ratio values of both irradiated samples and its comparison with the simulation predictions using maximum likelihood analyses are presented. Finally, the analyses validate the nuclear forensics methodology developed.

Authors:

Osborn, Jeremy ^[1]; Glennon, Kevin ^[1]; Kitcher, Evans ^[1]; Burns, Jonathon ^[1]; Folden, Charles ^[1]; Chirayath, Sunil ^[1]

Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

Publication Date:: 2019-11-10

Research Org.:: Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (NA-20)

Contributing Org.:: Nuclear Science and Security Consortium

OSTI Identifier:: 1544433

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003180; NA0000979; ECCS-1140018; DHS-2012-DN-077-ARI1057-02&03; DHS-2015-DN-077-ARI1099

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 51; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1738-5733

Publisher:: Korean Nuclear Society

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Osborn, Jeremy, Glennon, Kevin, Kitcher, Evans, Burns, Jonathon, Folden, Charles, and Chirayath, Sunil. Experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for source reactor-type discrimination of chemically separated plutonium.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.  doi:10.1016/j.net.2018.11.003.

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                    Osborn, Jeremy, Glennon, Kevin, Kitcher, Evans, Burns, Jonathon, Folden, Charles, & Chirayath, Sunil. Experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for source reactor-type discrimination of chemically separated plutonium.  United States.  doi:10.1016/j.net.2018.11.003.

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                    Osborn, Jeremy, Glennon, Kevin, Kitcher, Evans, Burns, Jonathon, Folden, Charles, and Chirayath, Sunil. Sun .  
        "Experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for source reactor-type discrimination of chemically separated plutonium".  United States.  doi:10.1016/j.net.2018.11.003.

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@article{osti_1544433,

  title        = {Experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for source reactor-type discrimination of chemically separated plutonium},

  author       = {Osborn, Jeremy and Glennon, Kevin and Kitcher, Evans and Burns, Jonathon and Folden, Charles and Chirayath, Sunil},

  abstractNote = {An experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for the source reactor-type discrimination of separated weapons-useable plutonium is presented. The methodology uses measured values of intra-element isotope ratios of plutonium and fission product contaminants. MCNP radiation transport codes were used for various reactor core modeling and fuel burnup simulations. A reactor-dependent library of intra-element isotope ratio values as a function of burnup and time since irradiation was created from the simulation results. The experimental validation of the methodology was achieved by performing two low-burnup experimental irradiations, resulting in distinct fuel samples containing sub-milligram quantities of weapons-useable plutonium. The irradiated samples were subjected to gamma and mass spectrometry to measure several intra-element isotope ratios. For each reactor in the library, a maximum likelihood calculation was utilized to compare the measured and simulated intra-element isotope ratio values, producing a likelihood value which is proportional to the probability of observing the measured ratio values, given a particular reactor in the library. The measured intra-element isotope ratio values of both irradiated samples and its comparison with the simulation predictions using maximum likelihood analyses are presented. Finally, the analyses validate the nuclear forensics methodology developed.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.net.2018.11.003},

  journal      = {Nuclear Engineering and Technology},

  number       = 2,

  volume       = 51,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {11}

}

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