Abstract
The analysis of nuclear materials and environmental samples is an important issue in nuclear safeguards and nuclear forensics. An analysis technique for safeguard samples has been developed for the detection of undeclared nuclear activities and verification of declared nuclear activities, while nuclear forensics has been developed to trace the origins and intended use of illicitly trafficked nuclear or radioactive materials. In these two analytical techniques, mass spectrometry has played an important role in determining the isotope ratio of various nuclides, contents of trace elements, and production dates. These two techniques typically use similar analytical instruments, but the analytical procedure and the interpretation of analytical results differ depending on the analytical purpose. The isotopic ratio of the samples is considered the most important result in an environmental sample analysis, while age dating and impurity analysis may also be important for nuclear forensics. In this review, important aspects of these techniques are compared and the role of mass spectrometry, along with recent progress in related technologies, are discussed.
Highlights
The analysis of nuclear materials, environmental samples, and nuclear forensic samples is important for nuclear safeguards and security
In 1992, McCormick reported the use of thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) in the isotopic analysis of U and Pu19 and was able to obtain an accuracy of 0.2%
Godoy et al reported the application of inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) for the sensitive detection of Pu isotopes in sediment samples.[27]
Summary
The analysis of nuclear materials, environmental samples, and nuclear forensic samples is important for nuclear safeguards and security. The main purpose of nuclear forensics is to identify the origin and intended use of illicitly trafficked nuclear materials.[6,7,8] sample analysis is the most important component of nuclear forensics Through such analyses, important data, such as the isotope ratios of U and Pu, impurities contained in the target samples, and production dates, can be obtained and used to trace the origins of seized samples. Because the swipes contain a very small amount of nuclear material, analytical methods such as chemical separation and isotope measurement procedures must be adjusted to deal with an ultra-trace amount of sample. Recent Developments in Nuclear Forensic and Nuclear Safeguards Analysis using Mass Spectrometry
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