Nuclear Forensics

Question 1

What is nuclear forensics used for?

Answer 1

Characterising signatures/footprints to different materials based on provenance.
e.g. U concentration

Can use to trace U-ores or yellowcake to their region of origin.

Question 2

What are the main proliferation issues? (rapid increases in)

Answer 2

• Nuclear threats from countries and terrorist groups
• Smuggling nuclear fission bombs
• Building nuclear bombs
• Dirty bombs

Question 3

What can a dirty bomb cause?

Answer 3

Mass disruption.

If materials are sourced, can easily be made with info online.

Question 4

What is the role of the IAEA? (International Atomic Energy Agency)

Answer 4

• Track trafficking and movement of radioactive materials

- Use a incident and trafficking data base

Question 5

What techniques are used in nuclear forensics?

Answer 5

• Radiological
• Physical characterisation
• isotope analysis
• element/chemical analysis
• Pu/Pu signatures: the time plutonium spends in the reactor will generate different signatures

e.g., longer time in reactor = larger Pu signal

Question 6

How can nuclear forensics be used non anthropogenically?

Answer 6

• Can trace back to singular mines using grain size and crystal growth etc.
• Can pinpoint signatures to specific sources

Each reactor is different, so will always get different signatures.