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Establishing reactor operations from uranium targets used for the production of plutonium

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Abstract

This paper presents results from the examination of a number of archived neutron-irradiated uranium targets used for past plutonium production testing. Three of these targets were destructively characterized using Los Alamos National Laboratory actinide analytical chemistry capabilities. A validated conduct-of-operations protocol was followed for this characterization effort. Chemical analyses included measurements for radionuclides, uranium assay, uranium isotopic abundances, trace actinides, trace metals, and non-metals. Material scientists also examined materials for morphological and microstructural properties and individual particles were examined for trace impurities. After characterization of the targets was completed, a reactor modeling effort was undertaken to corroborate target details in historical records. Time since irradiation calculations utilized both activation and fission products. The described examination of uranium targets has a tremendous impact from a safeguards verification and nuclear forensics perspective.

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Acknowledgements

U. S. Department of Energy NNSA-NA-22 and NA-241, Programs from Los Alamos National Laboratory supported the work described. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract number DE-AC52-06NA25396. This publication is LAUR-09-2075. We would like to thank Cari Zocco at Los Alamos National Laboratory for her assistance with the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA

    Lav Tandon, Kevin Kuhn, Patrick Martinez, Joseph Banar, Laurie Walker, Terry Hahn, David Beddingfield, Donivan Porterfield, Steven Myers, Stephen LaMont, Daniel Schwartz, David Gallimore, Scott Garner, Khalil Spencer, Lisa Townsend, Heather Volz, Russ Gritzo, Rodney McCabe, Ramiro Pereyra, Dominic Peterson, Mark Scott, Christy Ruggiero, Diana Decker & Amy Wong

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  1. Lav Tandon
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  2. Kevin Kuhn
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  14. Khalil Spencer
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  15. Lisa Townsend
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  16. Heather Volz
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  17. Russ Gritzo
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  18. Rodney McCabe
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  19. Ramiro Pereyra
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  20. Dominic Peterson
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  22. Christy Ruggiero
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  23. Diana Decker
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Correspondence to Kevin Kuhn.

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Tandon, L., Kuhn, K., Martinez, P. et al. Establishing reactor operations from uranium targets used for the production of plutonium. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 282, 573–579 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0297-y

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