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Characterization of nuclear materials signatures using statistical analysis processing in conjunction with quantitative morphology: a preliminary study

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Abstract

Quantitative isotopic, elemental, and morphological data collected for five uranium oxide materials were subjected to advanced statistical processing. Materials were initially distinguished based on quantitative isotopic values and trace elemental analyses. Then, for the first time, quantitative morphological data was incorporated using advanced, custom software tools. Chemical and physical distinctions allowed for differentiation with 95% confidence levels in predicted class assignments for similar sample types. This study indicates that there is significant potential in applying statistical analysis processing to the detection and exploitation of quantitative morphology signatures within nuclear materials, both individually and in addition to more traditional data.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the technical and support staff of the various teams and groups at LANL whose work contributed to this publication. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. Transformational and Applied Research Directorate and National Technical Nuclear Forensic Center, under competitively awarded contract IAA HSHQDC-13-X-B0004. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and do not represent the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the Federal Government. Government support of this work is neither an express or implied endorsement. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Los Alamos National Security, L.L.C. for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-AC52-06NA25396). This document is LA-UR-17-30603. This work has been authored by an employee of Triad National Security, LLC, operator of the Los Alamos National Laboratory under Contract No.89233218CNA000001 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting this work for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce this work, or allow others to do so for United States Government purposes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Department of Forensic Science, 6600 Northside High School Rd, Roanoke, VA, 24019, USA

    Ashton D. Lesiak

  2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA

    Floyd E. Stanley

  3. Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA

    Lav Tandon

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  1. Ashton D. Lesiak
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Correspondence to Lav Tandon.

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Lesiak, A.D., Stanley, F.E. & Tandon, L. Characterization of nuclear materials signatures using statistical analysis processing in conjunction with quantitative morphology: a preliminary study. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 328, 259–266 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07640-z

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