Experimental Validation of a Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Source Reactor-Type Discrimination of Chemically Separated Plutonium

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

An experimental validation of a nuclear forensics methodology for the source reactor-type discriminationof separated weapons-useable plutonium is presented. The methodology uses measured values of intraelementisotope ratios of plutonium and fission product contaminants. MCNP radiation transport codeswere used for various reactor core modeling and fuel burnup simulations. A reactor-dependent library ofintra-element isotope ratio values as a function of burnup and time since irradiation was created fromthe simulation results. The experimental validation of the methodology was achieved by performing twolow-burnup experimental irradiations, resulting in distinct fuel samples containing sub-milligramquantities of weapons-useable plutonium. The irradiated samples were subjected to gamma and massspectrometry to measure several intra-element isotope ratios. For each reactor in the library, a maximumlikelihood calculation was utilized to compare the measured and simulated intra-element isotope ratiovalues, producing a likelihood value which is proportional to the probability of observing the measuredratio values, given a particular reactor in the library. The measured intra-element isotope ratio values ofboth irradiated samples and its comparison with the simulation predictions using maximum likelihoodanalyses are presented. The analyses validate the nuclear forensics methodology developed

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 R. S. Kemp, "Two Methods for Converting a Heavy-Water Research Reactor to Use Low-Enriched-Uranium Fuel to Improve Proliferation Resistance After Startup" Informa UK Limited 2 (2): 39-46, 2015

2 Sunil S. Chirayath, "Trace Fission Product Ratios for Nuclear Forensics Attribution of Weapons-Grade Plutonium from Fast and Thermal Reactors" Informa UK Limited 23 (23): 48-67, 2015

3 S.C. Chetal, "The design of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor" Elsevier BV 236 (236): 852-860, 2006

4 S.S. Bajaj, "The Indian PHWR" Elsevier BV 236 (236): 701-722, 2006

5 Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR), "Safety Analysis Report" 2006

6 United States Department of Defense, "Nuclear Posture Review"

7 Jeremy M. Osborn, "Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Reactor-Type Attribution of Chemically Separated Plutonium" Informa UK Limited 201 (201): 1-10, 2018

8 M. Benedict, "Nuclear Chemical Engineering" McGraw-Hill Series in Nuclear Engineering 1981

9 C. Braun, "North Korean Nuclear Facilities after the Agreed Framework" Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University 2016

10 Sunil Sunny Chirayath, "Neutronic and nonproliferation characteristics of (PuO2–UO2) and (PuO2–ThO2) as fast reactor fuels" Elsevier BV 239 (239): 1916-1924, 2009

11 N. Xoubi, "Modeling of the High Flux Isotope Reactor Cycle 400" Oak Ridge National Laboratory 2005

12 D.B. Pelowitz, "MCNPX User's Manual, Version 2.7.0" Los Alamos National Laboratory 2011

13 J. Hendricks, "MCNPX 2.6.0 Extensions" Los Alamos National Laboratory 2008

14 D.B. Pelowitz, "MCNP6 User's Manual, Version 1.0" Los Alamos National Laboratory 2013

15 Paul M. Mendoza, "Fission product decontamination factors for plutonium separated by PUREX from low-burnup, fast-neutron irradiated depleted UO2" Elsevier BV 118 : 38-42, 2016

16 Mathew W. Swinney, "Experimental and Computational Forensics Characterization of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Produced in a Fast Reactor Neutron Environment" Informa UK Limited 197 (197): 1-11, 2017

17 E. Rauch, "Development of a Safeguards Approach for a Small Graphite Moderated Reactor and Associated Fuel Cycle Facilities" Thesis Texas A&M University 2009

18 S.E. Jensen, "Description of the Magnox Type of Gas Cooled Reactor (MAGNOX)" Riso National Laboratory 1998

19 Jeremy M. Osborn, "Computational and experimental forensics characterization of weapons-grade plutonium produced in a thermal neutron environment" 한국원자력학회 50 (50): 820-828, 2018

20 N. N. Greenwood, "Chemistry of the Elements" Elsevier 1997

21 First Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, "Canada Enters the Nuclear Age: a Technical History of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited as Seen from its Research Laboratories" McGill-Queen’s Press 1997

22 B. Efron, "Bootstrap methods : another look at the jackknife" 7 : 1-26, 1979

23 Tom L. Burr, "Assessing confidence in inferring reactor type and fuel burnup: A Markov chain Monte Carlo approach" Elsevier BV 555 (555): 426-434, 2005

24 Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, "AP1000 European Design Control Document, 4.3"

25 Ali Ahmad, "A Conversion Proposal for Iran’s IR-40 Reactor with Reduced Plutonium Production" Informa UK Limited 23 (23): 3-19, 2015