Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Unique challenges with recent gamma spectroscopy measurements at Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A variety of unique radioactive samples have been measured recently at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) using an electrically-cooled high-purity germanium detector. In each case the purpose of the measurements included one or more of the following objectives: (1) an accurate determination of the isotopic weight fractions of different plutonium or uranium materials; (2) an accurate determination of the isotopic quantity in the absence of relevant calibration standards; and (3) a qualitative determination of various sample impurities for additional forensic information. This paper discusses how simple modifications to the PC-FRAM parameter sets enabled a better determination of the isotopic content of the following samples: (1) high-purity plutonium metal, (2) plutonium-beryllium (PuBe) neutron sources, (3) neutron-irradiated natural uranium, and (4) re-processed HEU fuel with elevated 236U content. The isotopic quantity in a variety of samples was determined using a combination of the Spectral Nondestructive Assay Platform (SNAP™) routine from Eberline Services and the Monte Carlo Neutral Particle (MCNP) code developed at LANL. The non-traditional sources that were quantified with these gamma ray modeling codes included dozens of neutron-irradiated targets of natural uranium, several plutonium-beryllium neutron sources, and three high-purity samples of plutonium metal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sampsom TE (2003) Verification and validation of the FRAM Isotopic Analysis Software, LA-14057, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  2. Gunnik R, Ruhter WD (1990) MGA: a gamma-ray spectrum analysis code for determining plutonium isotopic abundances, Volume I and II, UCRL-LR-103220, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  3. Sood A, Reed MS, Forster RA (2003) New results for pulse height talley verification in MCNP5. Trans Am Nucl Soc 89:456

    Google Scholar 

  4. Venkataraman R, Bronson F, Abashkevich V, Young BM, Field M (1999) Validation of in situ object counting system (ISOCS) mathematical efficiency calibration. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 422(1–3):450–454

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hagenauer R, Mercer D Measurements of PDP Drums Evaluate Program Isotopic, Internal AMETEK/Ortec document, http://www.ortec-online.com/papers/pdp.pdf

  6. Myers SC, Gruetzmacher KM, Vigil GM (2008) Verification measurements of the SNAP™ gamma spectroscopy modeling routine, LA-UR-08-07733, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA

    S. C. Myers, D. R. Porterfield & L. Tandon

Authors
  1. S. C. Myers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. R. Porterfield
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. Tandon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. C. Myers.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Myers, S.C., Porterfield, D.R. & Tandon, L. Unique challenges with recent gamma spectroscopy measurements at Los Alamos National Laboratory. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 282, 533–537 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0190-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0190-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation