Development of spectroscopic tools for nuclear forensics signatures development

Abstract

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has been developing advanced spectroscopic tools for the characterization of plutonium-bearing compounds with the intent to develop material and process signatures for nuclear forensics. Plutonium in a production, refining, or finishing facility will exist in many forms including oxide precursors (PuF4, PuF3, Pu oxalate, etc.), oxide, and metal. The ability to identify plutonium in each of these chemical forms and determine their processing history is crucial for the development of spectroscopic signatures. This presentation will focus on our work to develop and apply spectroscopic tools at SRNL using doubled-walled cells (DWC) to characterize the thermal decomposition of oxalates, calcination chemistry, alpha-decay-induced chemistry, age dating since last calcination, and other signatures related to plutonium processing.