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Discrimination of plutonium from thermal reactors in the frame of nuclear forensics

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Abstract

The potential discrimination of 1st generation Pu, averaged over different assemblies of spent fuels from thermal reactors, has been assessed through a simulated fingerprinting procedure. Plutonium, retrieved from spent fuels of burnup in the range 5–50 GWd/MTU and different 235U enrichments at charge, has been considered. The study was based on the Pu isotopic composition, as the required characteristic signatures, retrieved from the reprocessing of spent fuels from PWR, VVER, BWR, RBMK, AGR, MAGNOX and CANDU reactors, charged with different assemblies. The procedure has resolved the Pu of the spent fuels from the different reactors and burnup range considered. The Pu from the different PWR, VVER and BWR spent fuels were clustered together in accordance with the reactor type and the initial enrichment of the fuels. Regarding the AGR, MAGNOX, RBMK and CANDU reactors, the Pu from the spent fuels are discriminated between them and from the LWR reactors considered.

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Author notes

  1. S. R. Biegalski

    Present address: The George Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street, Atlanta, GA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‘Demokritos’ University of Thrace, Kimeria Campus, 67100, Xanthi, Greece

    G. Nicolaou

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Rd, Bldg. 159, Austin, TX, 78758, USA

    S. R. Biegalski

Authors
  1. G. Nicolaou
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  2. S. R. Biegalski
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Correspondence to G. Nicolaou.

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Nicolaou, G., Biegalski, S.R. Discrimination of plutonium from thermal reactors in the frame of nuclear forensics. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 317, 559–564 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5902-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5902-5

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