scholarly journals Characterizing Nuclear Material Out of Regulatory Control: Testing Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Nuclear Forensics Capabilities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa Marie Kayzar-Boggs
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Forensics ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Regulatory Control ◽  
Los Alamos

scholarly journals Nuclear Forensics of a Non-Traditional Sample: Neptunium

MRS Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (44) ◽  
pp. 2999-3005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie L. Doyle ◽  
Daniel Schwartz ◽  
Lav Tandon
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Forensics ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Regulatory Control ◽  
Specialized Software ◽  
Nuclear Security ◽  
Forensic Sample ◽  
Nuclear Forensic ◽  
Security Concern ◽  
Scanning Electron

ABSTRACT Recent nuclear forensics cases have focused primarily on plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U) materials. By definition however, nuclear forensics can apply to any diverted nuclear material. This includes neptunium (Np), an internationally safeguarded material like Pu and U, that could offer a nuclear security concern if significant quantities were found outside of regulatory control. This case study couples scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with quantitative analysis using newly developed specialized software, to evaluate a non-traditional nuclear forensic sample of Np. The results of the morphological analyses were compared with another Np sample of known pedigree, as well as other traditional actinide materials in order to determine potential processing and point-of-origin.

scholarly journals Analytical chemistry of nuclear material: case studies from Los Alamos National Laboratory

2018 ◽  
Vol 318 (3) ◽  
pp. 1697-1712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin N. Cross ◽  
Kevin J. Kuhn ◽  
David J. Kunsberg ◽  
John H. Matonic ◽  
Angela C. Olson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Chemistry ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory

scholarly journals Los Alamos National Laboratory Nuclear Material Management and Storage Program Storage Health Metrics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristy Lynn Abeyta ◽  
Denice Crenshaw-Smith ◽  
Simon Balkey ◽  
Michael Charles Baker ◽  
Tresa Faye Yarbro
Keyword(s):  
National Laboratory ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Material Management ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
And Storage

scholarly journals Nuclear Forensic Science: Analysis of Nuclear Material Out of Regulatory Control

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 555-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Kristo ◽  
Amy M. Gaffney ◽  
Naomi Marks ◽  
Kim Knight ◽  
William S. Cassata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Science ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Regulatory Control ◽  
Nuclear Forensic ◽  
Nuclear Forensic Science

Initial Thermal Testing of the Pipe Over-Pack Container With a Combustible Waste Matrix for Los Alamos National Laboratory

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude M. Oka ◽  
Tim A. Stone ◽  
Paul H. Smith ◽  
Jacob D. Riglin ◽  
Mike L. Caviness ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Source ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Temperature Limit ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Transportation Safety ◽  
Thermal Testing ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Material Degradation ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Technical Area 55 (TA 55) utilizes several different container types to store and transfer special nuclear material and waste for numerous programs. The Pipe Over-pack Container (POC) is a vented carbon steel container with a removable lid designed for storing or transferring nuclear waste. Additionally, TA 55 has been tasked to manage and store all of its Transuranic (TRU) waste for the foreseeable future. Being able to place more material into a single container conserves the physical storage space available at TA 55. Conducting thermal testing with a combustible waste matrix in the POC can benefit stakeholders on increasing the material limits of the container. The results of these measurements will establish new wattage limits to meet LANL’s transportation requirements. The current LANL Transportation Safety Document (TSD) limits the amount of heat source plutonium to 10 grams per POC, corresponding to approximately 5 Watts of heat. Combustible loading consisted of an arrangement of cellulosics, plastics, rubber and other contents such as tape. An initial arbitrary limit was set at 60 °C reflecting previous research on nitrate contaminated cheesecloth within a combustible loaded matrix. The limit will ensure the sensitivity of nitrate contaminated contents is undisturbed. Two tests were conducted on the waste matrix at 9.3 watts and 15 watts payloads. Each test was conducted within an 8 hour work day while observing the transient response to ensure the testing does not exceed the temperature limit. Results show that with a 15 watt payload the temperature at the source reaches the 60 °C limit within 5 hours of testing. Other areas such as the cheesecloth and plywood are under the arbitrary limit. Observations and pictures showed no signs of material degradation from heat loading which allow us to move past the limit and investigate higher payloads. ANSYS numerical modeling has complemented the efforts by producing predictions within 5% error of experimental results. These results along with previous POC thermal testing will be presented to the Packaging and Transportation (OS-PT) group at LANL to assist in raising the heat source plutonium loading limit.

scholarly journals NON-DESTRUCTIVE EXAMINATION USING NEUTRONS: A NUCLEAR WASTE AND ORPHANED SOURCE CHARACTERIZATION CASE STUDY APPLICABLE TO NUCLEAR FORENSICS

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-154
Author(s):  
Ronald B. Rogge ◽  
Ghaouti Bentoumi ◽  
F. (Ike) Dimayuga ◽  
Roxana Flacau ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Forensics ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
Source Characterization ◽  
Physical Form ◽  
Examination Techniques ◽  
Non Destructive

Found unknown radioactive material is often contained in a package so the chemical and physical form of the material itself is unknown, and the detail of the packaging is likewise unknown. Together, these present a significant risk on how to handle the package for destructive examination of its contents. Whether of nefarious origin or the result of less stringent practices of yesteryear the material needs to be properly identified and characterized for appropriate disposition. Results of neutron imaging, neutron diffraction, and delayed neutron analysis as applied to an examination of sealed capsules containing unknown radioactive materials are presented. The results demonstrate that neutron-based non-destructive examination techniques can be employed for inspecting encapsulated radioactive samples to identify the materials, to elucidate the internal physical structure of the radioactive material and encapsulation, and to estimate the mass of fissile and fissionable materials within. This characterization of orphaned radioactive special nuclear material illustrates the potential for these techniques in nuclear forensics investigations.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Los Alamos Nuclear Material Packaging Risk Ranking Method

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Smith ◽  
Elizabeth Kelly ◽  
Kimberly Kaufeld ◽  
Timothy Stone ◽  
David Prochnow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Ranking Method ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Risk Ranking

scholarly journals Nuclear Forensics at Los Alamos National Laboratory

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Scott Kinman ◽  
Robert Ernest Steiner ◽  
Stephen Philip Lamont
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Forensics ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory
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