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Application of the 226Ra–230Th–234U and 227Ac–231Pa–235U radiochronometers to uranium certified reference materials

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Abstract

Uranium certified reference materials (CRM) issued by New Brunswick Laboratory were subjected to dating using four independent uranium-series radiochronometers. In all cases, there was acceptable agreement between the model ages calculated using the 231Pa–235U, 230Th–234U, 227Ac–235U or 226Ra–234U radiochronometers and either the certified 230Th–234U model date (CRM 125-A and CRM U630), or the known purification date (CRM U050 and CRM U100). The agreement between the four independent radiochronometers establishes these uranium certified reference materials as ideal informal standards for validating dating techniques utilized in nuclear forensic investigations in the absence of standards with certified model ages for multiple radiochronometers.

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Acknowledgements

This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344. Funding was provided by the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office through the National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. LLNL-JRNL- 737009.

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  1. Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA

    John M. Rolison, Kerri C. Treinen, Kelly C. McHugh, Amy M. Gaffney & Ross W. Williams

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  1. John M. Rolison
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  2. Kerri C. Treinen
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  3. Kelly C. McHugh
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  4. Amy M. Gaffney
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  5. Ross W. Williams
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Correspondence to John M. Rolison.

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Rolison, J.M., Treinen, K.C., McHugh, K.C. et al. Application of the 226Ra–230Th–234U and 227Ac–231Pa–235U radiochronometers to uranium certified reference materials. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 314, 2459–2467 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5619-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5619-x

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