Characterisation of Radioactive Particles by SIMS |
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Authors: | Gabriele Tamborini Maria Betti |
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Institution: | (1) European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe P.O. Box 2340, D-76125 Karlsruhe, Germany, DE |
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Abstract: | Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was optimised for characterisation of uranium- and plutonium-containing particles
in soils, swipes and forensic samples. This was done by analysing in-house produced spherical UO2-particles. Screening techniques as α-autoradiography together with SIMS analysis were employed to detect UO2-particles in a soil sample from Chernobyl.
The use of SIMS was exploited for the identification of uranium- and plutonium-containing particles and for the determination
of their isotopic composition. The particles collected on swipe samples were transferred to a special adhesive support for
the analysis by SIMS. Particles containing highly enriched uranium with diameters up to 10 μm were also detected in a forensic
sample. For the measurements of the isotopic ratios a mass resolution of 1000 was used. At this resolution flat-top peaks
were obtained which greatly improve the accuracy of the measurement. The isotopic composition of the particles was measured
with a typical accuracy and precision of 0.5%. Statistically meaningful results can be obtained, for instance, from a specimen
containing as few as 1010 atoms/μm3 of uranium in particles of UO2 weighing a few picograms. |
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Keywords: | : SIMS radioactive particles nuclear forensic samples contaminated soil |
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