Establishing a Nuclear Forensic Capability: Application of Analytical Techniques PDF Download

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789201184238
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Nuclear forensics supports national nuclear security measures and criminal investigations by providing information on the identity, origin and history of nuclear or other radioactive material found out of regulatory control. This publication provides information for States on the use of nuclear forensics in response to criminal or other unauthorized acts involving nuclear or other radioactive material, based on the guidance provided in IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 2-G (Rev. 1), Nuclear Forensics in Support of Investigations. It is intended for technical and non-technical personnel responsible for developing nuclear forensic analytical capabilities within the context of a broader national nuclear forensic programme stemming from national legislation. It provides technical information that describes the application of specific methods, analytical techniques and technical expertise used for nuclear forensic analysis in support of investigations of criminal or other unauthorized acts involving nuclear or other radioactive material.

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789201151131
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This publication presents the outcome of an IAEA coordinated research project (CRP), which served as a technical forum for sharing international experiences in the field of nuclear forensics with a focus on improved procedures and techniques, optimization of nuclear forensic analysis, preservation of evidence, and provision of support to Member States. The CRP results address both technical needs to develop the discipline of nuclear forensics as well as to promote confidence in the application of analytical methods and understanding of the nuclear fuel cycle applied to nuclear forensics. Topics include instrumentation and field work for evidence collection, novel laboratory methods supporting a nuclear forensic examination, and modeling for interpretation of nuclear forensic results.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Over the history of the Savannah River Site, the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) has developed high sensitivity analytical capabilities in support of the Site's Environmental Monitoring Program and nuclear material protection process. Many of these techniques are applicable to the developing need for nuclear forensic analysis capabilities. Radiological and critically control procedures are in place at the SRTC, as well as clean room practices, to minimize the potential for a radiological evidentiary sample to contaminate personnel and the facility, as well as to minimize contaminating the sample thus rendering it useless by law enforcement agencies. Some of the trace analytical techniques available at the SRTC include ultra-low-level gamma and alpha spectrometry, high-sensitivity thermal ionization mass spectrometry, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and trace organic analyses. These techniques have been tested during a planned domestic smuggling exercise and in the analysis of an unknown sample. In the event of an interdiction involving the illegal use or movement of radioactive material by U.S. law enforcement agencies (local, state or federal) forensic analyses will be used in developing and building a legal case against the perpetrators. The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, a former nuclear production site currently conducting nuclear material stabilization missions, located in Aiken South Carolina, has a long history of performing trace analytical analyses for environmental monitoring. Many of these techniques are also applicable to nuclear forensic analyses. A summary of the trace analytical techniques used at the SRTC, which are applicable to Nuclear Forensics, is presented in this paper. Contamination control, of facilities and personnel involved in the analytical analyses, as well as preventing contamination of the sample, is a unique challenge for nuclear forensic analyses. A discussion of sample handling and contamination control procedures is included in this paper. Some of the applicable analytical techniques available at the SRTC for nuclear forensic analyses include: ultra-low-level gamma and alpha spectroscopy, high-sensitivity thermal-ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and trace organic analyses. Results from analyses of special nuclear material (SNM) standards, materials from nuclear smuggling exercises, and materials of unknown origin will be presented.

Author: Division on Earth and Life Studies
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309159113
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Book Description
Nuclear forensics is important to our national security. Actions, including provision of appropriate funding, are needed now to sustain and improve the nation's nuclear forensics capabilities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working with cooperating agencies and national laboratories, should plan and implement a sustainable, effective nuclear forensics program. Nuclear forensics is the examination and evaluation of discovered or seized nuclear materials and devices or, in cases of nuclear explosions or radiological dispersals, of detonation signals and post-detonation debris. Nuclear forensic evidence helps law enforcement and intelligence agencies work toward preventing, mitigating, and attributing a nuclear or radiological incident. This report, requested by DHS, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Department of Defense, makes recommendations on how to sustain and improve U.S. nuclear forensics capabilities. The United States has developed a nuclear forensics capability that has been demonstrated in real-world incidents of interdicted materials and in exercises of actions required after a nuclear detonation. The committee, however, has concerns about the program and finds that without strong leadership, careful planning, and additional funds, these capabilities will decline.

Author: Kenton J. Moody
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 143988062X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 516

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Book Description
Now in its second edition, Nuclear Forensic Analysis provides a multidisciplinary reference for forensic scientists, analytical and nuclear chemists, and nuclear physicists in one convenient source. The authors focus particularly on the chemical, physical, and nuclear aspects associated with the production or interrogation of a radioactive sample.

Author: Edward C. Morse
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319297317
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
This book is intended to be used as a textbook and research reference for the field of nuclear nonproliferation. The book is primarily technical and focussed on methods of detecting clandestine nuclear material that might be illicitly transported. The book also touches on nuclear forensics, i.e. methods for identification, attribution, and establishment of transport pathways for illicit nuclear material. Also covered are topics of methods used for arms control and treaty verification, and an assessment of technologies under development for all of the above. A description of the government and international agencies involved in nuclear terrorism prevention, nuclear safeguards, and arms control is also included.

Author: Gene Aloise
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437918921
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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Book Description
The detonation of a nuclear weapon or radiological dispersal device in the U.S. or elsewhere would cause decision makers to demand info. on the nature of the device -- incl. its design, the materials used to build it, and the materials' source -- as well as the ident. of the perpetrators. Technical nuclear forensics -- the analysis of nuclear or radiological materials that are intercepted or the radioactive debris and prompt output signals produced by a nuclear event -- can contribute to the ident. of the sources of the materials and the processes used to create them. This report assesses the: (1) challenges the U.S. gov¿t. faces in developing and maintaining a comprehensive nuclear forensics capability; and (2) the current and future costs associated with this effort.

Author:
Publisher: IAEA
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The IAEA has compiled this overview of current applications of nuclear analytical techniques (NATs). The contributions included in this book describe a variety of nuclear techniques and applications, such as those in the fields of environment and health, industrial processes, non-destructive testing, forensic and archaeological investigations, cosmochemistry and method validation. The techniques covered range from classical instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), its radiochemical derivative RNAA, in-beam methods such as prompt y neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), to X ray fluorescence (XRF) and proton induced X ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy. Isotopic techniques to investigate element behaviour in biology and medicine, and also to validate other non-nuclear analytical techniques, are described. Destructive and non-destructiveapproaches are presented, along with their use to investigate very small and very large samples, archaeological samples and extraterrestrial samples. Several nuclear analytical applications in industry are described that have considerable socioeconomic impact wherever they can be implemented.

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
ISBN: 9789201082183
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
This publication provides the rationale for the development of a national nuclear forensics library and addresses how a State may use such a national system in investigations of nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control. Nuclear forensics is the examination of nuclear or other radioactive material, or of evidence that is contaminated with radionuclides, in the context of legal proceedings under international or national law related to nuclear security. The analysis of nuclear or other radioactive material seeks to identify what the materials are, how, when and where the materials were made, and what their intended uses were. Important when conducting a nuclear forensics examination is the ability of States to identify nuclear and other radioactive material within the State and determine whether those materials are consistent with domestic holdings. As a system for the identification of nuclear or other radioactive material, a national nuclear forensics library can facilitate interpretation of findings and assist States in this determination. This publication seeks to assist States that choose to develop such a library tailored to their individual circumstances, national legal requirements, and security needs.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Nuclear forensics of special nuclear materials is a highly specialized field because there are few analytical laboratories in the world that can safely handle nuclear materials, perform high accuracy and precision analysis using validated analytical methods. The goal of nuclear forensics is to establish an unambiguous link between illicitly trafficked nuclear material and its origin. The Los Alamos National Laboratory Nuclear Materials Signatures Program has implemented a graded 'conduct of operations' type approach for determining the unique nuclear, chemical, and physical signatures needed to identify the manufacturing process, intended use, and origin of interdicted nuclear material. In our approach an analysis flow path was developed for determining key signatures necessary for attributing unknown materials to a source. This analysis flow path included both destructive (i.e., alpha spectrometry, ICP-MS, ICP-AES, TIMS, particle size distribution, density and particle fractionation) and non-destructive (i.e., gamma-ray spectrometry, optical microscopy, SEM, XRD, and x-ray fluorescence) characterization techniques. Analytical techniques and results from three recent cases characterized by this analysis flow path along with an evaluation of the usefulness of this approach will be discussed in this paper.