31. VIEW OF A WORKER HOLDING A PLUTONIUM 'BUTTON.' PLUTONIUM, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

31. VIEW OF A WORKER HOLDING A PLUTONIUM 'BUTTON.' PLUTONIUM, A MAN-MADE SUBSTANCE, WAS RARE. SCRAPS RESULTING FROM PRODUCTION AND PLUTONIUM RECOVERED FROM RETIRED NUCLEAR WEAPONS WERE REPROCESSED INTO VALUABLE PURE-PLUTONIUM METAL (9/19/73). - Rocky Flats Plant, Bounded by Indiana Street & Routes 93, 128 & 72, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-16

Unicorn ,” is to be conducted in a “down-hole” or vertical shaft configuration similar to an underground nuclear test, not in a tunnel, to exercise...operational readiness.42 It is scheduled for FY2006, as noted below. SCEs try to determine if radioactive decay of aged plutonium would degrade weapon...Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson called SCEs “a key part of our scientific program to provide new tools and data that assess age -related complications

Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-15

Unicorn ,” was conducted in a “down-hole” or vertical CRS-18 58 “Nanos Tours Nevada Test Site,” Daily Newsbulletin, Los Alamos National Laboratory...radioactive decay of aged plutonium would degrade weapon performance. Several SCEs have been used to support certification of the W88 pit. (A pit is the...tools and data that assess age -related complications and maintain the reliability and safety of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.”59 As they produce no

Utilization of non-weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium with breeding of the 233U isotope in the VVER reactors using thorium and heavy water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshalkin, V. E.; Povyshev, V. M.

2015-12-01

A method for joint utilization of non-weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium in the thorium-uranium—plutonium oxide fuel of a water-moderated reactor with a varying water composition (D2O, H2O) is proposed. The method is characterized by efficient breeding of the 233U isotope and safe reactor operation and is comparatively simple to implement.

Sources of plutonium in the atmosphere and stratosphere-troposphere mixing

PubMed Central

Hirose, Katsumi; Povinec, Pavel P.

2015-01-01

Plutonium isotopes have primarily been injected to the stratosphere by the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and the burn-up of the SNAP-9A satellite. Here we show by using published data that the stratospheric plutonium exponentially decreased with apparent residence time of 1.5 ± 0.5 years, and that the temporal variations of plutonium in surface air followed the stratospheric trends until the early 1980s. In the 2000s, plutonium and its isotope ratios in the atmosphere varied dynamically, and sporadic high concentrations of 239,240Pu reported for the lower stratospheric and upper tropospheric aerosols may be due to environmental events such as the global dust outbreaks and biomass burning. PMID:26508010

Nuclear pursuits

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-05-01

This table lists quantities of warheads (in stockpile, peak number per year, total number built, number of known test explosions), weapon development milestones (developers of the atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb, date of first operational ICBM, first nuclear-powered naval SSN in service, first MIRVed missile deployed), and testing milestones (first fission test, type of boosted fission weapon, multistage thermonuclear test, number of months from fission bomb to multistage thermonuclear bomb, etc.), and nuclear infrastructure (assembly plants, plutonium production reactors, uranium enrichment plants, etc.). Countries included in the tally are the United States, Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China.

Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) [SEC 1 THRU 11

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

ULLAH, M K

2001-02-26

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) is located on the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site in south central Washington State. The DOE Richland Operations (DOE-RL) Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC) is with Fluor Hanford Inc. (FH). Westinghouse Safety Management Systems (WSMS) provides management support to the PFP facility. Since 1991, the mission of the PFP has changed from plutonium material processing to preparation for decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). The PFP is in transition between its previous mission and the proposed D and D mission. The objective of the transition is to place the facility into a stablemore » state for long-term storage of plutonium materials before final disposition of the facility. Accordingly, this update of the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) reflects the current status of the buildings, equipment, and operations during this transition. The primary product of the PFP was plutonium metal in the form of 2.2-kg, cylindrical ingots called buttoms. Plutonium nitrate was one of several chemical compounds containing plutonium that were produced as an intermediate processing product. Plutonium recovery was performed at the Plutonium Reclamation Facility (PRF) and plutonium conversion (from a nitrate form to a metal form) was performed at the Remote Mechanical C (RMC) Line as the primary processes. Plutonium oxide was also produced at the Remote Mechanical A (RMA) Line. Plutonium processed at the PFP contained both weapons-grade and fuels-grade plutonium materials. The capability existed to process both weapons-grade and fuels-grade material through the PRF and only weapons-grade material through the RMC Line although fuels-grade material was processed through the line before 1984. Amounts of these materials exist in storage throughout the facility in various residual forms left from previous years of operations.« less

Utilization of non-weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium with breeding of the {sup 233}U isotope in the VVER reactors using thorium and heavy water

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marshalkin, V. E., E-mail: marshalkin@vniief.ru; Povyshev, V. M.

A method for joint utilization of non-weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium in the thorium–uranium—plutonium oxide fuel of a water-moderated reactor with a varying water composition (D{sub 2}O, H{sub 2}O) is proposed. The method is characterized by efficient breeding of the {sup 233}U isotope and safe reactor operation and is comparatively simple to implement.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Department of Energy (DOE) has contracted with Asea Brown Boveri-Combustion Engineering (ABB-CE) to provide information on the capability of ABB-CE`s System 80 + Advanced Light Water Reactor (ALWR) to transform, through reactor burnup, 100 metric tonnes (MT) of weapons grade plutonium (Pu) into a form which is not readily useable in weapons. This information is being developed as part of DOE`s Plutonium Disposition Study, initiated by DOE in response to Congressional action. This document Volume 2, provides a discussion of: Plutonium Fuel Cycle; Technology Needs; Regulatory Considerations; Cost and Schedule Estimates; and Deployment Strategy.

69. INTERIOR, BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE BUILDING) LOOKING SOUTHWEST THROUGH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

69. INTERIOR, BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE BUILDING) LOOKING SOUTHWEST THROUGH DOOR-WAY INTO PLUTONIUM STORAGE AREA. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

Zirconia ceramics for excess weapons plutonium waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, W. L.; Lutze, W.; Ewing, R. C.

2000-01-01

We synthesized a zirconia (ZrO 2)-based single-phase ceramic containing simulated excess weapons plutonium waste. ZrO 2 has large solubility for other metallic oxides. More than 20 binary systems A xO y-ZrO 2 have been reported in the literature, including PuO 2, rare-earth oxides, and oxides of metals contained in weapons plutonium wastes. We show that significant amounts of gadolinium (neutron absorber) and yttrium (additional stabilizer of the cubic modification) can be dissolved in ZrO 2, together with plutonium (simulated by Ce 4+, U 4+ or Th 4+) and impurities (e.g., Ca, Mg, Fe, Si). Sol-gel and powder methods were applied to make homogeneous, single-phase zirconia solid solutions. Pu waste impurities were completely dissolved in the solid solutions. In contrast to other phases, e.g., zirconolite and pyrochlore, zirconia is extremely radiation resistant and does not undergo amorphization. Baddeleyite (ZrO 2) is suggested as the natural analogue to study long-term radiation resistance and chemical durability of zirconia-based waste forms.

71. INTERIOR, BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE BUILDING) LOOKING NORTHEAST INTO ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

71. INTERIOR, BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE BUILDING) LOOKING NORTHEAST INTO PLUTONIUM STORAGE ROOM SHOWING CUBICLES FOR STORAGE. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

Advanced Quantification of Plutonium Ionization Potential to Support Nuclear Forensic Evaluations by Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

Research Committee nm Nanometer Np Neptunium NPT Treaty of Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ns Nanosecond ps Picosecond Pu Plutonium RIMS...discovery—credited also to Fritz Strassman— scientists realized these reactions also emitted secondary neutrons . These secondary neutrons could in...destructive capabilities of nuclear fission and atomic weapons . Figure 1. Uranium-235 Fission chain reaction, from [1

High-Temperature Oxidation of Plutonium Surrogate Metals and Alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sparks, Joshua C.; Krantz, Kelsie E.; Christian, Jonathan H.

The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) is a nuclear non-proliferation agreement designed to remove 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium from Russia and the United States. While several removal options have been proposed since the agreement was first signed in 2000, processing the weapons-grade plutonium to mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel has remained the leading candidate for achieving the goals of the PMDA. However, the MOX program has received its share of criticisms, which causes its future to be uncertain. One alternative pathway for plutonium disposition would involve oxidizing the metal followed by impurity down blending and burial in the Waste Isolationmore » Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. This pathway was investigated by use of a hybrid microwave and a muffle furnace with Fe and Al as surrogate materials. Oxidation occurred similarly in the microwave and muffle furnace; however, the microwave process time was significantly faster.« less

A long view of global plutonium management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagner, R.L. Jr.

1995-10-01

Dealing with the large and growing world inventories of fissile materials from all sources is a major part of the long term challenge of limiting the danger from nuclear weapons. Providing clean, safe nuclear power may also be needed to prevent conditions from arising which could lead to large scale nuclear weapon (re)armament. ADTT technologies might reconcile the seeming dilemma of providing nuclear power while maintaining a very low world inventory of nuclear materials which can be used in weapons. This vision for ADTT should be tested in a variety of ways, including comparisons with competing approaches and with othermore » objectives. Such testing is one part of constructing a path for a decades-long, worldwide implementation campaign for ADTT.« less

Assessment of plutonium in the Savannah River Site environment. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlton, W.H.; Evans, A.G.; Geary, L.A.

1992-12-31

Plutonium in the Savannah River Site Environment is published as a part of the Radiological Assessment Program (RAP). It is the fifth in a series of eight documents on individual radioisotopes released to the environment as a result of Savannah River Site (SRS) operations. These are living documents, each to be revised and updated on a two-year schedule. This document describes the sources of plutonium in the environment, its release from SRS, environmental transport and ecological concentration of plutonium, and the radiological impact of SRS releases to the environment. Plutonium exists in the environment as a result of above-ground nuclearmore » weapons tests, the Chernobyl accident, the destruction of satellite SNAP 9-A, plane crashes involving nuclear weapons, and small releases from reactors and reprocessing plants. Plutonium has been produced at SRS during the operation of five production reactors and released in small quantities during the processing of fuel and targets in chemical separations facilities. Approximately 0.6 Ci of plutonium was released into streams and about 12 Ci was released to seepage basins, where it was tightly bound by clay in the soil. A smaller quantity, about 3.8 Ci, was released to the atmosphere. Virtually all releases have occurred in F- and H-Area separation facilities. Plutonium concentration and transport mechanisms for the atmosphere, surface water, and ground water releases have been extensively studied by Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) and ecological mechanisms have been studied by Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). The overall radiological impact of SRS releases to the offsite maximum individual can be characterized by a total dose of 15 mrem (atmospheric) and 0.18 mrem (liquid), compared with the dose of 12,960 mrem from non-SRS sources during the same period of time (1954--1989). Plutonium releases from SRS facilities have resulted in a negligible impact to the environment and the population it supports.« less

Ceramics: Durability and radiation effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ewing, R.C.; Lutze, W.; Weber, W.J.

1996-05-01

At present, there are three seriously considered options for the disposition of excess weapons plutonium: (1) incorporation, partial burn-up and direct disposal of MOX-fuel; (2) vitrification with defense waste and disposal as glass {open_quotes}logs{close_quotes}; (3) deep borehole disposal. The first two options provide a safeguard due to the high activity of fission products in the irradiated fuel and the defense waste. The latter option has only been examined in a preliminary manner, and the exact form of the plutonium has not been identified. In this paper, we review the potential for the immobilization of plutonium in highly durable crystalline ceramicsmore » apatite, pyrochlore, zirconolite, monazite and zircon. Based on available data, we propose zircon as the preferred crystalline ceramic for the permanent disposition of excess weapons plutonium.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Department of Energy (DOE) has contracted with Asea Brown Boveri-Combustion Engineering (ABB-CE) to provide information on the capability of ABB-CE`s System 80 + Advanced Light Water Reactor (ALWR) to transform, through reactor burnup, 100 metric tonnes (MT) of weapons grade plutonium (Pu) into a form which is not readily useable in weapons. This information is being developed as part of DOE`s Plutonium Disposition Study, initiated by DOE in response to Congressional action. This document, Volume 1, presents a technical description of the various elements of the System 80 + Standard Plant Design upon which the Plutonium Disposition Study wasmore » based. The System 80 + Standard Design is fully developed and directly suited to meeting the mission objectives for plutonium disposal. The bass U0{sub 2} plant design is discussed here.« less

Plutonium release from Fukushima Daiichi fosters the need for more detailed investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Stephanie; Walther, Clemens; Bister, Stefan; Schauer, Viktoria; Christl, Marcus; Synal, Hans-Arno; Shozugawa, Katsumi; Steinhauser, Georg

2013-10-01

The contamination of Japan after the Fukushima accident has been investigated mainly for volatile fission products, but only sparsely for actinides such as plutonium. Only small releases of actinides were estimated in Fukushima. Plutonium is still omnipresent in the environment from previous atmospheric nuclear weapons tests. We investigated soil and plants sampled at different hot spots in Japan, searching for reactor-borne plutonium using its isotopic ratio 240Pu/239Pu. By using accelerator mass spectrometry, we clearly demonstrated the release of Pu from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant: While most samples contained only the radionuclide signature of fallout plutonium, there is at least one vegetation sample whose isotope ratio (0.381 +/- 0.046) evidences that the Pu originates from a nuclear reactor (239+240Pu activity concentration 0.49 Bq/kg). Plutonium content and isotope ratios differ considerably even for very close sampling locations, e.g. the soil and the plants growing on it. This strong localization indicates a particulate Pu release, which is of high radiological risk if incorporated.

Excess Weapons Plutonium Immobilization in Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jardine, L.; Borisov, G.B.

2000-04-15

The joint goal of the Russian work is to establish a full-scale plutonium immobilization facility at a Russian industrial site by 2005. To achieve this requires that the necessary engineering and technical basis be developed in these Russian projects and the needed Russian approvals be obtained to conduct industrial-scale immobilization of plutonium-containing materials at a Russian industrial site by the 2005 date. This meeting and future work will provide the basis for joint decisions. Supporting R&D projects are being carried out at Russian Institutes that directly support the technical needs of Russian industrial sites to immobilize plutonium-containing materials. Special R&Dmore » on plutonium materials is also being carried out to support excess weapons disposition in Russia and the US, including nonproliferation studies of plutonium recovery from immobilization forms and accelerated radiation damage studies of the US-specified plutonium ceramic for immobilizing plutonium. This intriguing and extraordinary cooperation on certain aspects of the weapons plutonium problem is now progressing well and much work with plutonium has been completed in the past two years. Because much excellent and unique scientific and engineering technical work has now been completed in Russia in many aspects of plutonium immobilization, this meeting in St. Petersburg was both timely and necessary to summarize, review, and discuss these efforts among those who performed the actual work. The results of this meeting will help the US and Russia jointly define the future direction of the Russian plutonium immobilization program, and make it an even stronger and more integrated Russian program. The two objectives for the meeting were to: (1) Bring together the Russian organizations, experts, and managers performing the work into one place for four days to review and discuss their work with each other; and (2) Publish a meeting summary and a proceedings to compile reports of all the excellent Russian plutonium immobilization contract work. This proceedings document presents the wide extent of Russian immobilization activities, provides a reference for their work, and makes it available to others.« less

Nevada Applied Ecology Group publications. [Bibliography of radioecological studies at NTS with special reference to plutonium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, M.G.; Pfuderer, H.A.

This bibliography serves as a guide to the environmental studies sponsored by the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) at the Department of Energy Nevada Test Site nuclear weapons complex. The NAEG is part of the Nevada Operations Office of the United States Department of Energy. The references included in the bibliography reflect the interests of the NAEG (e.g., hazard evaluation of the nuclear safety-shot sites). The objectives of the NAEG plutonium studies at the Nevada Test Site were defined as follows: (1) delineate locations of contamination; (2) determine concentrations in ecosystem components; (3) quantify rates of movements among ecosystem components;more » (4) evaluate radiological hazards of plutonium; (5) identify areas which need to be cleaned up or treated; and (6) develop techniques for cleanup or treatment.« less

The Manhattan Project; A very brief introduction to the physics of nuclear weapons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, B. Cameron

2017-05-01

The development of nuclear weapons by the Manhattan Project during World War II was one of the most dramatic scientific/technological episodes in human history. This book, prepared by a recognized expert on the Manhattan Project, offers a concise survey of the essential physics concepts underlying fission weapons. The text describes the energetics and timescales of fast-neutron chain reactions, why only certain isotopes of uranium and plutonium are suitable for use in fission weapons, how critical mass and bomb yield can be estimated, how the efficiency of nuclear weapons can be enhanced, how the fissile forms of uranium and plutonium were obtained, some of the design details of the 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' bombs, and some of the thermal, shock, and radiation effects of nuclear weapons. Calculation exercises are provided, and a Bibliography lists authoritative print and online sources of information for readers who wish to pursue more detailed study of this fascinating topic.

Plutonium in the atmosphere: A global perspective.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Khaing, H; Salminen-Paatero, S

2017-09-01

A number of potential source terms have contributed plutonium isotopes to the atmosphere. The atmospheric nuclear weapon tests conducted between 1945 and 1980 and the re-entry of the burned SNAP-9A satellite in 1964, respectively. It is generally believed that current levels of plutonium in the stratosphere are negligible and compared with the levels generally found at surface-level air. In this study, the time trend analysis and long-term behavior of plutonium isotopes ( 239+240 Pu and 238 Pu) in the atmosphere were assessed using historical data collected by various national and international monitoring networks since 1960s. An analysis of historical data indicates that 239+240 Pu concentration post-1984 is still frequently detectable, whereas 238 Pu is detected infrequently. Furthermore, the seasonal and time-trend variation of plutonium concentration in surface air followed the stratospheric trends until the early 1980s. After the last Chinese test of 1980, the plutonium concentrations in surface air dropped to the current levels, suggesting that the observed concentrations post-1984 have not been under stratospheric control, but rather reflect the environmental processes such as resuspension. Recent plutonium atmospheric air concentrations data show that besides resuspension, other environmental processes such as global dust storms and biomass burning/wildfire also play an important role in redistributing plutonium in the atmosphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 871 keV gamma ray from 17O and the identification of plutonium oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peurrung, Anthony; Arthur, Richard; Elovich, Robert; Geelhood, Bruce; Kouzes, Richard; Pratt, Sharon; Scheele, Randy; Sell, Richard

2001-12-01

Disarmament agreements and discussions between the United States and the Russian Federation for reducing the number of stockpiled nuclear weapons require verification of the origin of materials as having come from disassembled weapons. This has resulted in the identification of measurable "attributes" that characterize such materials. It has been proposed that the 871 keV gamma ray of 17O can be observed as an indicator of the unexpected presence of plutonium oxide, as opposed to plutonium metal, in such materials. We have shown that the observation of the 871 keV gamma ray is not a specific indicator of the presence of the oxide, but rather indicates the presence of nitrogen.

Tritium and plutonium in waters from the Bering and Chukchi Seas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landa, E.R.; Beals, D.M.; Halverson, J.E.; Michel, R.L.; Cefus, G.R.

1999-01-01

During the summer of 1993, seawater in the Bering and Chukchi Seas was sampled on a joint Russian-American cruise [BERPAC] of the RV Okean to determine concentrations of tritium, 239Pu and 240Pu. Concentrations of tritium were determined by electrolytic enrichment and liquid scintilation counting. Tritium levels ranged up to 420 mBq L-1 showed no evidence of inputs other than those attribute atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. Plutonium was recovered from water samples by ferric hydroxide precipitation, and concentrations were determined by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. 239+240Pu concentrations ranged from <1 to 5.5 [mu]Bq L-1. These concentrations are lower than those measured in water samples from other parts of the ocean during the mid-1960's to the late 1980's. The 240Pu:239Pu ratios, although associated with large uncertainties, suggest that most of the plutonium is derived from world-wide fallout. As points of comparison, the highest concentrations of tritium and plutonium observed here were about five orders of magnitude lower than the maximum permissible concentrations allowed in water released to the off-site environs from licensed nuclear facilities in the United States. This study and others sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Office of Naval Research's Arctic Nuclear Waste Assessment Program are providing data for the assessment of potential radiological impacts in the Arctic regions associated with nuclear waste disposal by the former Soviet Union.

NNSA B-Roll: MOX Facility

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

In 1999, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) signed a contract with a consortium, now called Shaw AREVA MOX Services, LLC to design, build, and operate a Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility. This facility will be a major component in the United States program to dispose of surplus weapon-grade plutonium. The facility will take surplus weapon-grade plutonium, remove impurities, and mix it with uranium oxide to form MOX fuel pellets for reactor fuel assemblies. These assemblies will be irradiated in commercial nuclear power reactors.

NNSA B-Roll: MOX Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2010-05-21

In 1999, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) signed a contract with a consortium, now called Shaw AREVA MOX Services, LLC to design, build, and operate a Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility. This facility will be a major component in the United States program to dispose of surplus weapon-grade plutonium. The facility will take surplus weapon-grade plutonium, remove impurities, and mix it with uranium oxide to form MOX fuel pellets for reactor fuel assemblies. These assemblies will be irradiated in commercial nuclear power reactors.

All About MOX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2009-07-29

In 1999, the Nuclear Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) signed a contract with a consortium, now called Shaw AREVA MOX Services, LLC to design, build, and operate a Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility. This facility will be a major component in the United States program to dispose of surplus weapon-grade plutonium. The facility will take surplus weapon-grade plutonium, remove impurities, and mix it with uranium oxide to form MOX fuel pellets for reactor fuel assemblies. These assemblies will be irradiated in commercial nuclear power reactors.

All About MOX

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

In 1999, the Nuclear Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) signed a contract with a consortium, now called Shaw AREVA MOX Services, LLC to design, build, and operate a Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility. This facility will be a major component in the United States program to dispose of surplus weapon-grade plutonium. The facility will take surplus weapon-grade plutonium, remove impurities, and mix it with uranium oxide to form MOX fuel pellets for reactor fuel assemblies. These assemblies will be irradiated in commercial nuclear power reactors.

Risk Assessment for Emergency Planning Related to Nuclear Weapons Accidents

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-25

accidents is higher than many of the other accidents, several reviewers thought it appropriate to evaluate these accidents in more detail. In particular, it...consequences is presented in Table 2-5. The plutonium releases in the 1F-3F gram range are due to plutonium burning in Type A weapons, while the higher ...explosion given a tanker casualty varies from 0.05 (in harbor) to 0.16 (at pier) to 0.19 (at sea). Although these numbers are somewhat higher than the

68. INTERIOR SHOT OF ENTRANCE TO BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

68. INTERIOR SHOT OF ENTRANCE TO BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE BUILDING) LOOKING WEST. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

Measurements of plutonium, 237Np, and 137Cs in the BCR 482 lichen reference material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lavelle, Kevin B.; Miller, Jeffrey L.; Hanson, Susan K.

Select anthropogenic radionuclides were measured in lichen reference material, BCR 482. This material was originally collected in Axalp, Switzerland in 1991 and is composed of the epiphytic lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea. Samples from three separate bottles of BCR 482 were analyzed for uranium, neptunium, and plutonium isotopes by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and analyzed for cesium-137 by gamma-ray spectrometry. The isotopic composition of the radionuclides measured in BCR 482 suggests contributions from both global fallout resulting from historical nuclear weapons testing and more volatile materials released following the Chernobyl accident.

Measurements of plutonium, 237Np, and 137Cs in the BCR 482 lichen reference material

DOE PAGES

Lavelle, Kevin B.; Miller, Jeffrey L.; Hanson, Susan K.; ...

2015-10-01

Select anthropogenic radionuclides were measured in lichen reference material, BCR 482. This material was originally collected in Axalp, Switzerland in 1991 and is composed of the epiphytic lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea. Samples from three separate bottles of BCR 482 were analyzed for uranium, neptunium, and plutonium isotopes by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and analyzed for cesium-137 by gamma-ray spectrometry. The isotopic composition of the radionuclides measured in BCR 482 suggests contributions from both global fallout resulting from historical nuclear weapons testing and more volatile materials released following the Chernobyl accident.

Controlling Weapons-Grade Fissile Material

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rotblat, J.

1977-01-01

Discusses the problems of controlling weapons-grade fissionable material. Projections of the growth of fission nuclear reactors indicates sufficient materials will be available to construct 300,000 atomic bombs each containing 10 kilograms of plutonium by 1990. (SL)

Study of plutonium disposition using the GE Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1994-04-30

The end of the cold war and the resulting dismantlement of nuclear weapons has resulted in the need for the U.S. to disposition 50 to 100 metric tons of excess of plutonium in parallel with a similar program in Russia. A number of studies, including the recently released National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study, have recommended conversion of plutonium into spent nuclear fuel with its high radiation barrier as the best means of providing long-term diversion resistance to this material. The NAS study {open_quotes}Management and Disposition of Excess Weapons Plutonium{close_quotes} identified light water reactor spent fuel as the most readilymore » achievable and proven form for the disposition of excess weapons plutonium. The study also stressed the need for a U.S. disposition program which would enhance the prospects for a timely reciprocal program agreement with Russia. This summary provides the key findings of a GE study where plutonium is converted into Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel and a 1350 MWe GE Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) is utilized to convert the plutonium to spent fuel. The ABWR represents the integration of over 30 years of experience gained worldwide in the design, construction and operation of BWRs. It incorporates advanced features to enhance reliability and safety, minimize waste and reduce worker exposure. For example, the core is never uncovered nor is any operator action required for 72 hours after any design basis accident. Phase 1 of this study was documented in a GE report dated May 13, 1993. DOE`s Phase 1 evaluations cited the ABWR as a proven technical approach for the disposition of plutonium. This Phase 2 study addresses specific areas which the DOE authorized as appropriate for more in-depth evaluations. A separate report addresses the findings relative to the use of existing BWRs to achieve the same goal.« less

The nuclear arsenals and nuclear disarmament.

PubMed

Barnaby, F

1998-01-01

Current world stockpiles of nuclear weapons and the status of treaties for nuclear disarmament and the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons are summarised. The need for including stockpiles of civil plutonium in a programme for ending production and disposing of fissile materials is emphasized, and the ultimate difficulty of disposing of the last few nuclear weapons discussed.

70. INTERIOR, BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE BUILDING) LOOKING WEST INTO ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

70. INTERIOR, BUILDING 272 (PLUTONIUM STORAGE BUILDING) LOOKING WEST INTO STORAGE AREA SHOWING THE FOUR STORAGE ROOM ENTRANCES. - Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

FMDP reactor alternative summary report. Volume 1 - existing LWR alternative

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greene, S.R.; Bevard, B.B.

1996-10-07

Significant quantities of weapons-usable fissile materials [primarily plutonium and highly enriched uranium (HEU)] are becoming surplus to national defense needs in both the United States and Russia. These stocks of fissile materials pose significant dangers to national and international security. The dangers exist not only in the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons but also in the potential for environmental, safety, and health (ES&H) consequences if surplus fissile materials are not properly managed. This document summarizes the results of analysis concerned with existing light water reactor plutonium disposition alternatives.

Safe disposal of surplus plutonium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, W. L.; Naz, S.; Lutze, W.; Busch, R.; Prinja, A.; Stoll, W.

2001-06-01

About 150 tons of weapons grade and weapons usable plutonium (metal, oxide, and in residues) have been declared surplus in the USA and Russia. Both countries plan to convert the metal and oxide into mixed oxide fuel for nuclear power reactors. Russia has not yet decided what to do with the residues. The US will convert residues into a ceramic, which will then be over-poured with highly radioactive borosilicate glass. The radioactive glass is meant to provide a deterrent to recovery of plutonium, as required by a US standard. Here we show a waste form for plutonium residues, zirconia/boron carbide (ZrO 2/B 4C), with an unprecedented combination of properties: a single, radiation-resistant, and chemically durable phase contains the residues; billion-year-old natural analogs are available; and criticality safety is given under all conceivable disposal conditions. ZrO 2/B 4C can be disposed of directly, without further processing, making it attractive to all countries facing the task of plutonium disposal. The US standard for protection against recovery can be met by disposal of the waste form together with used reactor fuel.

Plutonium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, David L.; Hecker, Siegfried S.; Jarvinen, Gordon D.; Neu, Mary P.

The element plutonium occupies a unique place in the history of chemistry, physics, technology, and international relations. After the initial discovery based on submicrogram amounts, it is now generated by transmutation of uranium in nuclear reactors on a large scale, and has been separated in ton quantities in large industrial facilities. The intense interest in plutonium resulted fromthe dual-use scenario of domestic power production and nuclear weapons - drawing energy from an atomic nucleus that can produce a factor of millions in energy output relative to chemical energy sources. Indeed, within 5 years of its original synthesis, the primary use of plutonium was for the release of nuclear energy in weapons of unprecedented power, and it seemed that the new element might lead the human race to the brink of self-annihilation. Instead, it has forced the human race to govern itself without resorting to nuclear war over the past 60 years. Plutonium evokes the entire gamut of human emotions, from good to evil, from hope to despair, from the salvation of humanity to its utter destruction. There is no other element in the periodic table that has had such a profound impact on the consciousness of mankind.

PLUTONIUM PROCESSING OPTIMIZATION IN SUPPORT OF THE MOX FUEL PROGRAM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

GRAY, DEVIN W.; COSTA, DAVID A.

2007-02-02

After Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) personnel completed polishing 125 Kg of plutonium as highly purified PuO{sub 2} from surplus nuclear weapons, Duke, COGEMA, Stone, and Webster (DCS) required as the next process stage, the validation and optimization of all phases of the plutonium polishing flow sheet. Personnel will develop the optimized parameters for use in the upcoming 330 kg production mission.

Screening study for evaluation of the potential for system 80+ to consume excess plutonium - Volume 1. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-04-30

As part of the U.S. effort to evaluate technologies offering solutions for the safe disposal or utilization of surplus nuclear materials, the fiscal year 1993 Energy and Water Appropriations legislation provided the Department of Energy (DOE) the necessary funds to conduct multi-phased studies to determine the technical feasibility of using reactor technologies for the triple mission of burning weapons grade plutonium, producing tritium for the existing smaller weapons stockpile, and generating commercial electricity. DOE limited the studies to five advanced reactor designs. Among the technologies selected is the ABB-Combustion Engineering (ABB-CE) System 80+. The DOE study, currently in Phase ID,more » is proceeding with a more detailed evaluation of the design`s capability for plutonium disposition.« less

DOUBLE TRACKS Test Site interim corrective action plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The DOUBLE TRACKS site is located on Range 71 north of the Nellis Air Force Range, northwest of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). DOUBLE TRACKS was the first of four experiments that constituted Operation ROLLER COASTER. On May 15, 1963, weapons-grade plutonium and depleted uranium were dispersed using 54 kilograms of trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive. The explosion occurred in the open, 0.3 m above the steel plate. No fission yield was detected from the test, and the total amount of plutonium deposited on the ground surface was estimated to be between 980 and 1,600 grams. The test device was composed primarilymore » of uranium-238 and plutonium-239. The mass ratio of uranium to plutonium was 4.35. The objective of the corrective action is to reduce the potential risk to human health and the environment and to demonstrate technically viable and cost-effective excavation, transportation, and disposal. To achieve these objectives, Bechtel Nevada (BN) will remove soil with a total transuranic activity greater then 200 pCI/g, containerize the soil in ``supersacks,`` transport the filled ``supersacks`` to the NTS, and dispose of them in the Area 3 Radioactive Waste Management Site. During this interim corrective action, BN will also conduct a limited demonstration of an alternative method for excavation of radioactive near-surface soil contamination.« less

Actinide Waste Forms and Radiation Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, R. C.; Weber, W. J.

Over the past few decades, many studies of actinides in glasses and ceramics have been conducted that have contributed substantially to the increased understanding of actinide incorporation in solids and radiation effects due to actinide decay. These studies have included fundamental research on actinides in solids and applied research and development related to the immobilization of the high level wastes (HLW) from commercial nuclear power plants and processing of nuclear weapons materials, environmental restoration in the nuclear weapons complex, and the immobilization of weapons-grade plutonium as a result of disarmament activities. Thus, the immobilization of actinides has become a pressing issue for the twenty-first century (Ewing, 1999), and plutonium immobilization, in particular, has received considerable attention in the USA (Muller et al., 2002; Muller and Weber, 2001). The investigation of actinides and

Plutonium Immobilization Project System Design Description for Can Loading System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kriikku, E.

2001-02-15

The purpose of this System Design Description (SDD) is to specify the system and component functions and requirements for the Can Loading System and provide a complete description of the system (design features, boundaries, and interfaces), principles of operation (including upsets and recovery), and the system maintenance approach. The Plutonium Immobilization Project (PIP) will immobilize up to 13 metric tons (MT) of U.S. surplus weapons usable plutonium materials.

Method of immobilizing weapons plutonium to provide a durable, disposable waste product

DOEpatents

Ewing, Rodney C.; Lutze, Werner; Weber, William J.

1996-01-01

A method of atomic scale fixation and immobilization of plutonium to provide a durable waste product. Plutonium is provided in the form of either PuO.sub.2 or Pu(NO.sub.3).sub.4 and is mixed with and SiO.sub.2. The resulting mixture is cold pressed and then heated under pressure to form (Zr,Pu)SiO.sub.4 as the waste product.

Transportation and storage of MOX and LEU assemblies at the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

The VVER-1000-type Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant has been chosen to dispose of the : plutonium created as part of Russian weapons program. The plutonium will be converted to mixed-oxide : (MOX), fabricated into assemblies and loaded into the reactor. ...

241Am Ingrowth and Its Effect on Internal Dose

DOE PAGES

Konzen, Kevin

2016-07-01

Generally, plutonium has been manufactured to support commercial and military applications involving heat sources, weapons and reactor fuel. This work focuses on three typical plutonium mixtures, while observing the potential of 241Am ingrowth and its effect on internal dose. The term “ingrowth” is used to describe 241Am production due solely from the decay of 241Pu as part of a plutonium mixture, where it is initially absent or present in a smaller quantity. Dose calculation models do not account for 241Am ingrowth unless the 241Pu quantity is specified. This work suggested that 241Am ingrowth be considered in bioassay analysis when theremore » is a potential of a 10% increase to the individual’s committed effective dose. It was determined that plutonium fuel mixtures, initially absent of 241Am, would likely exceed 10% for typical reactor grade fuel aged less than 30 years; however, heat source grade and aged weapons grade fuel would normally fall below this threshold. In conclusion, although this work addresses typical plutonium mixtures following separation, it may be extended to irradiated commercial uranium fuel and is expected to be a concern in the recycling of spent fuel.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konzen, Kevin

Generally, plutonium has been manufactured to support commercial and military applications involving heat sources, weapons and reactor fuel. This work focuses on three typical plutonium mixtures, while observing the potential of 241Am ingrowth and its effect on internal dose. The term “ingrowth” is used to describe 241Am production due solely from the decay of 241Pu as part of a plutonium mixture, where it is initially absent or present in a smaller quantity. Dose calculation models do not account for 241Am ingrowth unless the 241Pu quantity is specified. This work suggested that 241Am ingrowth be considered in bioassay analysis when theremore » is a potential of a 10% increase to the individual’s committed effective dose. It was determined that plutonium fuel mixtures, initially absent of 241Am, would likely exceed 10% for typical reactor grade fuel aged less than 30 years; however, heat source grade and aged weapons grade fuel would normally fall below this threshold. In conclusion, although this work addresses typical plutonium mixtures following separation, it may be extended to irradiated commercial uranium fuel and is expected to be a concern in the recycling of spent fuel.« less

Integrating workplace exposure databases for occupational medicine services and epidemiologic studies at a former nuclear weapons facility.

PubMed

Ruttenber, A J; McCrea, J S; Wade, T D; Schonbeck, M F; LaMontagne, A D; Van Dyke, M V; Martyny, J W

2001-02-01

We outline methods for integrating epidemiologic and industrial hygiene data systems for the purpose of exposure estimation, exposure surveillance, worker notification, and occupational medicine practice. We present examples of these methods from our work at the Rocky Flats Plant--a former nuclear weapons facility that fabricated plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons and is now being decontaminated and decommissioned. The weapons production processes exposed workers to plutonium, gamma photons, neutrons, beryllium, asbestos, and several hazardous chemical agents, including chlorinated hydrocarbons and heavy metals. We developed a job exposure matrix (JEM) for estimating exposures to 10 chemical agents in 20 buildings for 120 different job categories over a production history spanning 34 years. With the JEM, we estimated lifetime chemical exposures for about 12,000 of the 16,000 former production workers. We show how the JEM database is used to estimate cumulative exposures over different time periods for epidemiological studies and to provide notification and determine eligibility for a medical screening program developed for former workers. We designed an industrial hygiene data system for maintaining exposure data for current cleanup workers. We describe how this system can be used for exposure surveillance and linked with the JEM and databases on radiation doses to develop lifetime exposure histories and to determine appropriate medical monitoring tests for current cleanup workers. We also present time-line-based graphical methods for reviewing and correcting exposure estimates and reporting them to individual workers.

Dealing With Russian Tactical Nuclear Weapons

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

the plants, facilities, and equipment necessary to safely secure and store weapons pits (the plutonium “triggers” at the center of a thermonuclear ... bomb , and hence the most critical piece) proffered by either party. Furthermore, the statute requires the IAEA to establish control over the pits until

Exploding the myths about the fast breeder reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burns, S.

1979-01-01

This paper discusses the facts and figures about the effects of conservation policies, the benefits of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor demonstration plant, the feasibility of nuclear weapons manufacture from reactor-grade plutonium, diversion of plutonium from nuclear plants, radioactive waste disposal, and the toxicity of plutonium. The paper concludes that the U.S. is not proceeding with a high confidence strategy for breeder development because of a variety of false assumptions.

Heterogeneity Effects in Plutonium Contaminated Soil

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

masses up to one kilogram once the ratio of Americium - 241 (Am- 241 ) and plutonium concentrations was established (Rademacher, 2001). Alpha...with a sample number and tared weight with a non-smearing marker. A standard control was then set using a point source of Americium - 241 on an aluminum...During the fire the weapons grade plutonium (Pu- 239, Pu-240, and Pu- 241 ) ignited and was released into the surrounding area, due to both

Measurement of 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios in soils from the Marshall Islands using ICP-MS.

PubMed

Muramatsu, Y; Hamilton, T; Uchida, S; Tagami, K; Yoshida, S; Robison, W

2001-10-20

Nuclear weapons tests conducted by the United States in the Marshall Islands produced significant quantities of regional or tropospheric fallout contamination. Here we report on some preliminary inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements of plutonium isolated from seven composite soil samples collected from Bikini, Enewetak and Rongelap Atolls in the northern Marshall Islands. These data show that 240Pu/239Pu isotopic signatures in surface soils from the Marshall Island vary significantly and could potentially be used to help quantify the range and extent of fallout deposition (and associated impacts) from specific weapons tests. 137Cs and 60Co were also determined on the same set of soil samples for comparative purposes.

The effect of the composition of plutonium loaded on the reactivity change and the isotopic composition of fuel produced in a fast reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blandinskiy, V. Yu.

2014-12-01

This paper presents the results of a numerical investigation into burnup and breeding of nuclides in metallic fuel consisting of a mixture of plutonium and depleted uranium in a fast reactor with sodium coolant. The feasibility of using plutonium contained in spent nuclear fuel from domestic thermal reactors and weapons-grade plutonium is discussed. It is shown that the largest production of secondary fuel and the least change in the reactivity over the reactor lifetime can be achieved when employing plutonium contained in spent nuclear fuel from a reactor of the RBMK-1000 type.

A Graphical Examination of Uranium and Plutonium Fissility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, B. Cameron

2008-01-01

The issue of why only particular isotopes of uranium and plutonium are suitable for use in nuclear weapons is analyzed with the aid of graphs and semiquantitative discussions of parameters such as excitation energies, fission barriers, reaction cross-sections, and the role of processes such as [alpha]-decay and spontaneous fission. The goal is to…

Introduction to Pits and Weapons Systems (U)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kautz, D.

2012-07-02

A Nuclear Explosive Package includes the Primary, Secondary, Radiation Case and related components. This is the part of the weapon that produces nuclear yield and it converts mechanical energy into nuclear energy. The pit is composed of materials that allow mechanical energy to be converted to electromagnetic energy. Fabrication processes used are typical of any metal fabrication facility: casting, forming, machining and welding. Some of the materials used in pits include: Plutonium, Uranium, Stainless Steel, Beryllium, Titanium, and Aluminum. Gloveboxes are used for three reasons: (1) Protect workers and public from easily transported, finely divided plutonium oxides - (a) Plutoniummore » is very reactive and produces very fine particulate oxides, (b) While not the 'Most dangerous material in the world' of Manhattan Project lore, plutonium is hazardous to health of workers if not properly controlled; (2) Protect plutonium from reactive materials - (a) Plutonium is extremely reactive at ambient conditions with several components found in air: oxygen, water, hydrogen, (b) As with most reactive metals, reactions with these materials may be violent and difficult to control, (c) As with most fabricated metal products, corrosion may significantly affect the mechanical, chemical, and physical properties of the product; and (3) Provide shielding from radioactive decay products: {alpha}, {gamma}, and {eta} are commonly associated with plutonium decay, as well as highly radioactive materials such as {sup 241}Am and {sup 238}Pu.« less

Radiation Detection and Classification of Heavy Oxide Inorganic Scintillator Crystals for Detection of Fast Neutrons

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

of these three pillars, yet current detectors for fast neutrons from nuclear weapons materials are bulky, expensive, and have low efficiencies, well...passive fast neutron emissions. Similarly, isotopes present in weapons grade Plutonium (which is predominantly Pu-239), especially Pu-240, are... weapons material, and the propensity of the neutrons resulting from their fission to inelastically scatter, defines the interactions of interest

Why is weapons grade plutonium more hazardous to work with than highly enriched uranium?

DOE PAGES

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Costigan, Stephen A.; Schake, Bradley S.

2015-08-01

Highly Enriched Uranium and Weapons grade plutonium have assumed positions of dominant importance among the actinide elements because of their successful uses as explosive ingredients in nuclear weapons and the place they hold as key materials in the development of industrial use of nuclear power. While most chemists are familiar with the practical interest concerning HEU and WG Pu, fewer know the subtleties among their hazards. In this study, a primer is provided regarding the hazards associated with working with HEU and WG Pu metals and oxides. The care that must be taken to safely handle these materials is emphasizedmore » and the extent of the hazards is described. The controls needed to work with HEU and WG Pu metals and oxides are differentiated. Given the choice, one would rather work with HEU metal and oxides than WG Pu metal and oxides.« less

Why is weapons grade plutonium more hazardous to work with than highly enriched uranium?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Costigan, Stephen A.; Schake, Bradley S.

Highly Enriched Uranium and Weapons grade plutonium have assumed positions of dominant importance among the actinide elements because of their successful uses as explosive ingredients in nuclear weapons and the place they hold as key materials in the development of industrial use of nuclear power. While most chemists are familiar with the practical interest concerning HEU and WG Pu, fewer know the subtleties among their hazards. In this study, a primer is provided regarding the hazards associated with working with HEU and WG Pu metals and oxides. The care that must be taken to safely handle these materials is emphasizedmore » and the extent of the hazards is described. The controls needed to work with HEU and WG Pu metals and oxides are differentiated. Given the choice, one would rather work with HEU metal and oxides than WG Pu metal and oxides.« less

A perspective on the proliferation risks of plutonium mines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyman, E.S.

1996-05-01

The program of geologic disposal of spent fuel and other plutonium-containing materials is increasingly becoming the target of criticism by individuals who argue that in the future, repositories may become low-cost sources of fissile material for nuclear weapons. This paper attempts to outline a consistent framework for analyzing the proliferation risks of these so-called {open_quotes}plutonium mines{close_quotes} and putting them into perspective. First, it is emphasized that the attractiveness of plutonium in a repository as a source of weapons material depends on its accessibility relative to other sources of fissile material. Then, the notion of a {open_quotes}material production standard{close_quotes} (MPS) ismore » proposed: namely, that the proliferation risks posed by geologic disposal will be acceptable if one can demonstrate, under a number of reasonable scenarios, that the recovery of plutonium from a repository is likely to be as difficult as new production of fissile material. A preliminary analysis suggests that the range of circumstances under which current mined repository concepts would fail to meet this standard is fairly narrow. Nevertheless, a broad application of the MPS may impose severe restrictions on repository design. In this context, the relationship of repository design parameters to easy of recovery is discussed.« less

Using Downhole Probes to Locate and Characterize Buried Transuranic and Mixed Low Level Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steinman, Donald K; Bramblett, Richard L; Hertzog, Russel C

2012-06-25

Borehole logging probes were developed and tested to locate and quantify transuranic elements in subsurface disposal areas and in contaminated sites at USDOE Weapons Complex sites. A new method of measuring very high levels of chlroine in the subsurface was developed using pulsed neutron technology from oilfield applications. The probes were demonstrated at the Hanford site in wells containing plutonium and other contaminants.

Physicochemical characterization of discrete weapons grade plutonium metal particles originating from the 1960 BOMARC incident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowen, James M.

The goal of this research was to investigate the physicochemical properties of weapons grade plutonium particles originating from the 1960 BOMARC incident for the purpose of predicting their fate in the environment and to address radiation protection and nuclear security concerns. Methods were developed to locate and isolate the particles in order to characterize them. Physical, chemical, and radiological characterization was performed using a variety of techniques. And finally, the particles were subjected to a sequential extraction procedure, a series of increasingly aggressive reagents, to simulate an accelerated environmental exposure. A link between the morphology of the particles and their partitioning amongst environmental mechanisms was established.

Minimizing Glovebox Glove Breaches, Part III: Deriving Service Lifetimes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cournoyer, M.E.; Wilson, K.V.; Maestas, M.M.

At the Los Alamos Plutonium Facility, various isotopes of plutonium along with other actinides are handled in a glove box environment. Weapons-grade plutonium consists mainly in Pu-239. Pu-238 is another isotope used for heat sources. The Pu-238 is more aggressive regarding gloves due to its higher alpha-emitting characteristic ({approx}300 times more active than Pu-239), which modifies the change-out intervals for gloves. Optimization of the change-out intervals for gloves is fundamental since Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division generates approximately 4 m{sup 3}/yr of TRU waste from the disposal of glovebox gloves. To reduce the number of glovebox glove failures, the NMTmore » Division pro-actively investigates processes and procedures that minimize glove failures. Aging studies have been conducted that correlate changes in mechanical (physical) properties with degradation chemistry. This present work derives glovebox glove change intervals based on mechanical data of thermally aged Hypalon{sup R}, and Butasol{sup R} glove samples. Information from this study represent an important baseline in gauging the acceptable standards for polymeric gloves used in a laboratory glovebox environment and will be used later to account for possible presence of dose-rate or synergistic effects in 'combined-environment'. In addition, excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone and excess exposure to the radiological sources associated with unplanned breaches in the glovebox are reduced. (authors)« less

The North Korean nuclear dilemma.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hecker, Siegfried S.

2004-01-01

The current nuclear crisis, the second one in ten years, erupted when North Korea expelled international nuclear inspectors in December 2002, then withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), and claimed to be building more nuclear weapons with the plutonium extracted from the spent fuel rods heretofore stored under international inspection. These actions were triggered by a disagreement over U.S. assertions that North Korea had violated the Agreed Framework (which froze the plutonium path to nuclear weapons to end the first crisis in 1994) by clandestinely developing uranium enrichment capabilities providing an alternative path to nuclear weapons. With Stanford Universitymore » Professor John Lewis and three other Americans, I was allowed to visit the Yongbyon Nuclear Center on Jan. 8, 2004. We toured the 5 MWe reactor, the 50 MWe reactor construction site, the spent fuel pool storage building, and the radiochemical laboratory. We concluded that North Korea has restarted its 5 MWe reactor (which produces roughly 6 kg of plutonium annually), it removed the 8000 spent fuel rods that were previously stored under IAEA safeguards from the spent fuel pool, and that it most likely extracted the 25 to 30 kg of plutonium contained in these fuel rods. Although North Korean officials showed us what they claimed was their plutonium metal product from this reprocessing campaign, we were not able to conclude definitively that it was in fact plutonium metal and that it came from the most recent reprocessing campaign. Nevertheless, our North Korean hosts demonstrated that they had the capability, the facility and requisite capacity, and the technical expertise to produce plutonium metal. On the basis of our visit, we were not able to address the issue of whether or not North Korea had a 'deterrent' as claimed - that is, we were not able to conclude that North Korea can build a nuclear device and that it can integrate nuclear devices into suitable delivery systems. However, based on the capabilities we saw, we must assume that North Korea has the capability to produce a crude nuclear device. On the matter of uranium enrichment programs, our host categorically denied that North Korea has a uranium enrichment program - he said, 'we have no program, no equipment, and no technical expertise for uranium enrichment.' The denials were not convincing at the time and since then have proven to be quite hollow by the revelations of A.Q. Khan's nuclear black market activities. There is no easy solution to the nuclear crisis in North Korea. A military strike to eliminate the nuclear facilities was never very attractive and now has been overcome by events. The principal threat is posed by a stockpile of nuclear weapons and weapons-grade plutonium. We have no way of finding where either may be hidden. A diplomatic solution remains the only path forward, but it has proven elusive. All sides have proclaimed a nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula as the end goal. The U.S. Government has chosen to negotiate with North Korea by means of the six-party talks. It has very clearly outlined its position of insisting on complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of all North Korean nuclear programs. North Korea has offered several versions of 're-freezing' its plutonium program while still denying a uranium enrichment program. It has insisted on simultaneous and reciprocal steps to a final solution. Regardless of which diplomatic path is chosen, the scientific challenges of eliminating the North Korean nuclear weapons programs (and its associated infrastructure) in a safe, secure, and verifiable manner are immense. The North Korean program is considerably more complex and developed than the fledgling Iraqi program of 1991 and Libyan program of 2004. It is more along the lines, but more complex than that of South Africa in the early 1990s. Actions taken or not taken by the North Koreans at their nuclear facilities during the course of the ongoing diplomatic discussions are key to whether or not the nuclear program can be eliminated safely and securely, and they will greatly influence the price tag for such operations. Moreover, they will determine whether or not one can verify complete elimination. Hence, cooperation of the North Koreans now and during the dismantlement and elimination stages is crucial. Technical discussions among specialists, perhaps within the framework of the working groups of the six-party talks, could be very productive in setting the stage for an effective, verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.« less

On the distribution and inventories of radionuclides in dated sediments around the Swedish coast.

PubMed

Olszewski, Grzegorz; Andersson, Pål; Lindahl, Patric; Eriksson, Mats

2018-06-01

The activity concentrations and distribution of 137 Cs, 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu, 241 Am, and 210 Pb was determined by the analysis of six sediment cores from the Baltic Sea and Kattegat. The chronology of the sediment cores has been used to evaluate the origin and time trend of the radionuclide sources in these sediments. The sediment cores were dated with a 210 Pb model and the results were validated with fallout peaks, assumed to originate from the global nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl accident. Source identification, using the isotopic and radionuclide activity ratios, showed that the Chernobyl accident is the main source of 137 Cs in the Baltic Sea; for 239+240 Pu and 241 Am the dominant source was shown to be fallout from nuclear weapons tests. For 238 Pu and 241 Am the Chernobyl accident had a significant impact on the direct fallout into the Baltic Proper, with up to a 65% contribution in the sediment slices dated to 1986. In these sediment slices the maximum activity ratios of 238 Pu/ 239+240 Pu and 241 Am/ 239+240 Pu were 0.314 ± 0.008 and 1.29 ± 0.06, respectively. The ratios clearly deviate from the corresponding ratios for global nuclear weapons fallout (around 0.028 and 0.54, respectively). Calculated inventories were 63-175 Bq·m -2 for 239+240 Pu, 2.8-7.8 for 238 Pu Bq·m -2 and 0.92-44.4 kBq·m -2 for 137 Cs. Different fallout patterns for 137 Cs and plutonium isotopes from the Chernobyl accident were confirmed through depth profiles analyses. The maximum inventory of 137 Cs was observed in the Bothnian Sea, while Chernobyl-derived plutonium was found to be mostly present in Northern Baltic Proper. The radionuclides distribution in the depth profiles shows how contaminated water affects the sediment as it passes sampling stations according to the current circulation pattern in the Baltic Sea. Additionally, the effect of increased activity concentrations from of river discharges in the most contaminated area in the Bothnian Sea was observed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomedical aspects of natural and manufactured environmental radioactivity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hodge, V.

1996-12-31

While weapons testing has altered natural radioactivity background, manufactured radioactivity in most parts of the world constitutes but a very small fraction of the total alpha, beta, and gamma radioactivity in soil, air, water, and the biota. For example, in the early 1970s, we found what appeared to be the highest natural concentration of radioactivity ever reported in fish while attempting to measure the manufactured plutonium ({sup 239}Pu and {sup 240}Pu) in organs of oceanic tuna. The natural alpha emitter polonium ({sup 210}Po) was discovered in the same organs at orders of magnitude higher concentrations. In particular, the caecum, whichmore » is a digestive organ composed of many small closed-ended sacs, contained concentrations of polonium as high as 79 pCi/g of wet tissue and lesser amounts of two manufactured isotopes: 0.0001 pCi/g of plutonium and 0.01 pCi/g of radiocesium ({sup 137}Cs). This equates to {approximately}80 rem/yr of radiation dose to this organ, overwhelmingly from the natural polonium, or {approximately}5000 times higher than is found in the human liver, the highest polonium concentration in man. The average background radiation for humans, for comparison, is {approximately}0.2 rem/yr, but the dose for Japanese, whose diet is high in seafood, is {approximately}15 rem/yr. The question arose: {open_quotes}Are these high concentrations of natural polonium limited to oceanic fish?{close_quotes} To answer this question, polonium was determined in the organs of striped bass and catfish from Lake Mead. In a related study, the plutonium and radiocesium ({sup 137}Cs) distributions in soils were determined to ascertain the impact of weapons testing on the natural background radioactivity of soils.« less

A Physicist Looks at the Terrorist Threat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Richard

2009-05-01

Many people fear a terrorist nuclear device, smuggled into the United States, as the one weapon that could surpass the destruction and impact of 9-11. I'll review the design of nuclear weapons, with emphasis on the kinds that can be developed by rogue nations, terrorist groups, and high-school students. Saddam, prior to the first gulf war, was developing a uranium bomb, similar to the one that destroyed Hiroshima. His calutrons (named after my university) were destroyed by the United Nations. The North Korean nuclear weapon was, like the U.S. bomb used on Nagasaki, based on plutonium. Its test released the energy equivalent of about 400 tons of TNT. Although some people have speculated that they were attempting to build a small bomb, it is far more likely that this weapon was a fizzle, with less than 1 percent of the plutonium exploded. In contrast, the energy released from burning jet fuel at the 9-11 World Trade Center attack was the equivalent of 900 tons of TNT for each plane -- over twice that of the North Korean Nuke. The damage came from the fact that gasoline delivers 10 kilocalories per gram, about 15 times the energy of an equal weight of TNT. It is this huge energy per gram that also accounts for our addiction to gasoline; per gram, high performance lithium-ion computer batteries carry only 1 percent as much energy. A dirty bomb (radiological weapon) is also unattractive to terrorists because of the threhold effect: doses less than 100 rem produce no radiation illness and will leave no dead bodies at the scene. That may be why al Qaeda instructed Jose Padilla to abandon his plans for a dirty bomb attack in Chicago, and to try a fossil fuel attack (natural gas) instead. I will argue that the biggest terrorist threat is the conventional low-tech one, such as an airplane attack on a crowded stadium using the explosive fuel that they can legally buy at the corner station.

Mortality among workers with chronic radiation sickness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shilnikova, N.S.; Koshurnikova, N.A.; Bolotnikova, M.G.

1996-07-01

This study is based on a registry containing medical and dosimetric data of the employees who began working at different plants of the Mayak nuclear complex between 1948 and 1958 who developed chronic radiation sickness. Mayak is the first nuclear weapons plutonium production enterprise built in Russia and includes nuclear reactors, a radiochemical plant for plutonium separation, and a plutonium production enterprise built in Russia and includes nuclear reactors, a radiochemical plant for plutonium separation, and a plutonium production plant.Workers whose employment began between 1948 and 1958 exhibited a 6-28% incidence of chronic radiation sickness at the different facilities. Theremore » were no cases of chronic radiation sickness among those who began working after 1958. Data on doses of external whole-body gamma-irradiation and mortality in workers with chronic radiation sickness are presented. 6 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Scope and verification of a Fissile Material (Cutoff) Treaty

DOE PAGES

von Hippel, Frank N.

2014-01-01

A Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) would ban the production of fissile material – in practice highly-enriched uranium and separated plutonium – for weapons. It has been supported by strong majorities in the United Nations. After it comes into force, newly produced fissile materials could only be produced under international – most likely International Atomic Energy Agency – monitoring. There are many non-weapon states that argue the treaty should also place under safeguards pre-existing stocks of fissile material in civilian use or declared excess for weapons so as to make nuclear-weapons reductions irreversible. Our paper discusses the scope of themore » FMCT, the ability to detect clandestine production and verification challenges in the nuclear-weapons states.« less

In search of plutonium: A nonproliferation journey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hecker, Siegfried

2010-02-01

In February 1992, I landed in the formerly secret city of Sarov, the Russian Los Alamos, followed a few days later by a visit to Snezhinsk, their Livermore. The briefings we received of the Russian nuclear weapons program and tours of their plutonium, reactor, explosives, and laser facilities were mind boggling considering the Soviet Union was dissolved only two months earlier. This visit began a 17-year, 41 journey relationship with the Russian nuclear complex dedicated to working with them in partnership to protect and safeguard their weapons and fissile materials, while addressing the plight of their scientists and engineers. In the process, we solved a forty-year disagreement about the plutonium-gallium phase diagram and began a series of fundamental plutonium science workshops that are now in their tenth year. At the Yonbyon reprocessing facility in January 2004, my North Korean hosts had hoped to convince me that they have a nuclear deterrent. When I expressed skepticism, they asked if I wanted to see their ``product.'' I asked if they meant the plutonium; they replied, ``Well, yes.'' Thus, I wound up holding 200 grams of North Korean plutonium (in a sealed glass jar) to make sure it was heavy and warm. So began the first of my six journeys to North Korea to provide technical input to the continuing North Korean nuclear puzzle. In Trombay and Kalpakkam a few years later I visited the Indian nuclear research centers to try to understand how India's ambitious plans for nuclear power expansion can be accomplished safely and securely. I will describe these and other attempts to deal with the nonproliferation legacy of the cold war and the new challenges ahead. )

Generalized Rate Theory for Void and Bubble Swelling and its Application to Delta-Plutonium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, P. G.; Wall, M. A.; Wolfer, W. G.

2016-10-04

A rate theory for void and bubble swelling is derived that allows both vacancies and self-interstitial atoms to be generated by thermal activation at all sinks. In addition, they can also be produced by displacement damage from external and internal radiation. This generalized rate theory (GRT) is applied to swelling of gallium-stabilized δ-plutonium in which α-decay causes the displacement damage. Since the helium atoms produced also become trapped in vacancies, a distinction is made between empty and occupied vacancies. The growth of helium bubbles observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in weapons-grade and in material enriched with Pu238 is analyzed,more » using different values for the formation energy of self-interstitial atoms (SIA) and two different sets of relaxation volumes for the vacancy and for the SIA. One set allows preferential capture of SIA at dislocations, while the other set gives equal preference to both vacancy and SIA. It is found that the helium bubble diameters observed are in better agreement with GRT predictions if no preferential capture occurs at dislocations. Therefore, helium bubbles in δ-plutonium will not evolve into voids. The helium density within the bubbles remains sufficiently high to cause thermal emission of SIA. Based on a helium density between two to three helium atoms per vacant site, the sum of formation and migration energies must be around 2.0 eV for SIA in δ-plutonium.« less

Plutonium release from the 903 pad at Rocky Flats.

PubMed

Mongan, T R; Ripple, S R; Winges, K D

1996-10-01

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDH) sponsored a study to reconstruct contaminant doses to the public from operations at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. This analysis of the accidental release of plutonium from the area known as the 903 Pad is part of the CDH study. In the 1950's and 1960's, 55-gallon drums of waste oil contaminated with plutonium, and uranium were stored outdoors at the 903 Pad. The drums corroded, leaking contaminated oil onto soil subsequently carried off-site by the wind. The plutonium release is estimated using environmental data from the 1960's and 1970's and an atmospheric transport model for fugitive dust. The best estimate of total plutonium release to areas beyond plant-owned property is about 0.26 TBq (7 Ci). Off-site airborne concentrations and deposition of plutonium are estimated for dose calculation purposes. The best estimate of the highest predicted off-site effective dose is approximately 72 microSv (7.2 mrem).

Nuclear energy and security

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BLEJWAS,THOMAS E.; SANDERS,THOMAS L.; EAGAN,ROBERT J.

2000-01-01

Nuclear power is an important and, the authors believe, essential component of a secure nuclear future. Although nuclear fuel cycles create materials that have some potential for use in nuclear weapons, with appropriate fuel cycles, nuclear power could reduce rather than increase real proliferation risk worldwide. Future fuel cycles could be designed to avoid plutonium production, generate minimal amounts of plutonium in proliferation-resistant amounts or configurations, and/or transparently and efficiently consume plutonium already created. Furthermore, a strong and viable US nuclear infrastructure, of which nuclear power is a large element, is essential if the US is to maintain a leadershipmore » or even participatory role in defining the global nuclear infrastructure and controlling the proliferation of nuclear weapons. By focusing on new fuel cycles and new reactor technologies, it is possible to advantageously burn and reduce nuclear materials that could be used for nuclear weapons rather than increase and/or dispose of these materials. Thus, the authors suggest that planners for a secure nuclear future use technology to design an ideal future. In this future, nuclear power creates large amounts of virtually atmospherically clean energy while significantly lowering the threat of proliferation through the thoughtful use, physical security, and agreed-upon transparency of nuclear materials. The authors must develop options for policy makers that bring them as close as practical to this ideal. Just as Atoms for Peace became the ideal for the first nuclear century, they see a potential nuclear future that contributes significantly to power for peace and prosperity.« less

Radiochemical determination of 237NP in soil samples contaminated with weapon grade plutonium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antón, M. P.; Espinosa, A.; Aragón, A.

2006-01-01

The Palomares terrestrial ecosystem (Spain) constitutes a natural laboratory to study transuranics. This scenario is partially contaminated with weapon-grade plutonium since the burnout and fragmentation of two thermonuclear bombs accidentally dropped in 1966. While performing radiometric measurements in the field, the possible presence of 237Np was observed through its 29 keV gamma emission. To accomplish a detailed characterization of the source term in the contaminated area using the isotopic ratios Pu-Am-Np, the radiochemical isolation and quantification by alpha spectrometry of 237Np was initiated. The selected radiochemical procedure involves separation of Np from Am, U and Pu with ionic resins, given that in soil samples from Palomares 239+240Pu levels are several orders of magnitude higher than 237Np. Then neptunium is isolated using TEVA organic resins. After electrodeposition, quantification is performed by alpha spectrometry. Different tests were done with blank solutions spiked with 236Pu and 237Np, solutions resulting from the total dissolution of radioactive particles and soil samples. Results indicate that the optimal sequential radionuclide separation order is Pu-Np, with decontamination percentages obtained with the ionic resins ranging from 98% to 100%. Also, the addition of NaNO2 has proved to be necessary, acting as a stabilizer of Pu-Np valences.

Plutonium isotopes in the Hungarian environment.

PubMed

Varga, Beata; Tarján, Sandor; Vajda, Nora

2008-04-01

More than 50 soil samples were analysed from different parts of the country, the activity concentration of 239+240Pu was in the range of 0.01-0.84 Bq/kg dry soil with the average of 0.10 Bq/kg. 238Pu could be detected only in few moss samples and 238Pu/239+240Pu ratio determines the origin of plutonium. 241Pu was determined by liquid scintillation spectrometry. The activity concentration of this isotope in the soil is between 0.04 and 3.74 Bq/kg with the average of 0.82 Bq/kg, while in the moss is also similar 0.01-2.07 Bq/kg fresh mass with the average of 0.43 Bq/kg. Significant difference could not be observed between the different types of soils occurring in the country, but the results could be sorted according to the sampling carried out on undisturbed or cultivated area. The isotope ratios 241Pu/239+240Pu prove that the origin of the plutonium in Hungary is the global fallout determined by the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests.

JOWOG 22/2 - Actinide Chemical Technology (July 9-13, 2012)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jackson, Jay M.; Lopez, Jacquelyn C.; Wayne, David M.

2012-07-05

The Plutonium Science and Manufacturing Directorate provides world-class, safe, secure, and reliable special nuclear material research, process development, technology demonstration, and manufacturing capabilities that support the nation's defense, energy, and environmental needs. We safely and efficiently process plutonium, uranium, and other actinide materials to meet national program requirements, while expanding the scientific and engineering basis of nuclear weapons-based manufacturing, and while producing the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists. Actinide Process Chemistry (NCO-2) safely and efficiently processes plutonium and other actinide compounds to meet the nation's nuclear defense program needs. All of our processing activities are done in amore » world class and highly regulated nuclear facility. NCO-2's plutonium processing activities consist of direct oxide reduction, metal chlorination, americium extraction, and electrorefining. In addition, NCO-2 uses hydrochloric and nitric acid dissolutions for both plutonium processing and reduction of hazardous components in the waste streams. Finally, NCO-2 is a key team member in the processing of plutonium oxide from disassembled pits and the subsequent stabilization of plutonium oxide for safe and stable long-term storage.« less

Reconstructed plutonium fallout in the GV7 firn core from Northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, H.; Han, Y.; Kang, J.; Lee, K.; Hong, S.; Hur, S. D.; Narcisi, B.; Frezzotti, M.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric nuclear explosions during the period from the 1940s to the 1980s are the major anthropogenic source of plutonium (Pu) in the environment. In this work, we analyzed fg g-1 levels of artificial Pu, released predominantly by atmospheric nuclear weapons tests. We measured 351 samples which collected a 78 m-depth fire core at the site of GV7 (S 70°41'17.1", E 158°51'48.9", 1950 m a.s.l.), Northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica. To determine the Pu concentration in the samples, we used an inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry coupled with an Apex high-efficiency sample introduction system, which has the advantages of small sample consumption and simple sample preparation. We reconstructed the firn core Pu fallout record for the period after 1954 CE shows a significant fluctuation in agreement with past atmospheric nuclear testing. These data will contribute to ice core research by providing depth-age information.

Amarillo National Resource Center for plutonium. Work plan progress report, November 1, 1995--January 31, 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cluff, D.

1996-04-01

The Center operates under a cooperative agreement between DOE and the State of Texas and is directed and administered by an education consortium. Its programs include developing peaceful uses for the materials removed from dismantled weapons, studying effects of nuclear materials on environment and public health, remedying contaminated soils and water, studying storage, disposition, and transport of Pu, HE, and other hazardous materials removed from weapons, providing research and counsel to US in carrying out weapons reductions in cooperation with Russia, and conducting a variety of education and training programs.

Detection of Nuclear Weapons and Materials: Science, Technologies, Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-04

extensive use of photons, packets of energy with no rest mass and no electrical charge. Electromagnetic radiation consists of photons, and may be measured...bulk property, expressed as mass per unit volume. In general, the densest materials are those of high Z. These properties may be used to detect...SNM by detecting the time pattern of neutron generation. A subcritical mass of highly enriched uranium or weapons-grade plutonium can support a

Limiting Regret: Building the Army We Will Need

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-18

Recently, U.S. and Chinese experts have estimated that the North Koreans may be able to produce enough fissionable plutonium and uranium to build up...long-range missiles, but their recently revealed ability to separate uranium could give them the ability to build gun-assembled fission weapons similar...weapons programs and living up to their international obligations.” 36North Korea has had a uranium enrichment capacity since at least November 2010

Detection Technology in the 21st Century: The Case of Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-26

Weapons of Mass Destruction FORMAT : Strategy Research Project DATE: 26 March 2008 WORD COUNT: 6,764 PAGES: 25 KEY TERMS: National Security, Deterrence...stocks remaining in Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and other former Soviet and Eastern European states, and the unknown amounts of highly enriched uranium ...detect emissions from the decay of radioactive nuclides, which can occur naturally, such as uranium and thorium, or are manmade, such as plutonium

Physics overview of AVLIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solarz, R. W.

1985-02-01

Atomic vapor laster isotope separation (AVLIS) represents the largest-scale potential application of tunable lasers that has received serious attention. The underlying physical principles were identified and optimized, the major technology components were developed, and the integrated enrichment performance of the process was tested. The central physical processes are outlined, progress to date on the technology elements is reviewed, and scaling laws are fomulated. Two primary applications are the production of light-water reactor fuel and the conversion of fuel-grade plutonium to weapons-grade material. A variety of applications exist that all potentially use a common base of AVLIS technology. These include missions such as the enrichment of mercury isotopes to improve fluorescent lamp efficiency, the enrichment of iodine isotopes for medical isotope use, and the cleanup of strontium from defense waste for recovering strontium isotopes for radiothermal mechanical generators. The ability to radidly assess the economic and technical feasibility of each mission is derived from the general applicability of AVLIS physics and AVLIS technology.

Accelerator-based conversion (ABC) of weapons plutonium: Plant layout study and related design issues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cowell, B.S.; Fontana, M.H.; Krakowski, R.A.

1995-04-01

In preparation for and in support of a detailed R and D Plan for the Accelerator-Based Conversion (ABC) of weapons plutonium, an ABC Plant Layout Study was conducted at the level of a pre-conceptual engineering design. The plant layout is based on an adaptation of the Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR) detailed conceptual design that was completed in the early 1070s. Although the ABC Plant Layout Study included the Accelerator Equipment as an essential element, the engineering assessment focused primarily on the Target; Primary System (blanket and all systems containing plutonium-bearing fuel salt); the Heat-Removal System (secondary-coolant-salt and supercritical-steam systems); Chemicalmore » Processing; Operation and Maintenance; Containment and Safety; and Instrumentation and Control systems. Although constrained primarily to a reflection of an accelerator-driven (subcritical) variant of MSBR system, unique features and added flexibilities of the ABC suggest improved or alternative approaches to each of the above-listed subsystems; these, along with the key technical issues in need of resolution through a detailed R&D plan for ABC are described on the bases of the ``strawman`` or ``point-of-departure`` plant layout that resulted from this study.« less

Modeling and Comparison of Options for the Disposal of Excess Weapons Plutonium in Russia

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-04-01

fuel LWR cooling time LWR Pu load rate LWR net destruction frac ~ LWR reactors op life mox core frac Excess Separated Pu HTGR Cycle Pu in Waste LWR MOX...reflecting the cycle used in this type of reactor. For the HTGR , the entire core consists of plutonium fuel , therefore a core fraction is not specified...cooling time Time spent fuel unloaded from HTGR reactor must cool before permanently stored 3 years Mox core fraction Fraction of

Assessment of Non-traditional Isotopic Ratios by Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Nuclear Activities. Annual Report 2011

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biegalski, Steven R.; Buchholz, Bruce A.

2011-08-24

The objective of this work is to identify isotopic ratios suitable for analysis via mass spectrometry that distinguish between commercial nuclear reactor fuel cycles, fuel cycles for weapons grade plutonium, and products from nuclear weapons explosions. Methods will also be determined to distinguish the above from medical and industrial radionuclide sources. Mass spectrometry systems will be identified that are suitable for field measurement of such isotopes in an expedient manner.

Environmental Information Document: L-reactor reactivation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, H.E. Jr.

1982-04-01

Purpose of this Environmental Information Document is to provide background for assessing environmental impacts associated with the renovation, restartup, and operation of L Reactor at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). SRP is a major US Department of Energy installation for the production of nuclear materials for national defense. The purpose of the restart of L Reactor is to increase the production of nuclear weapons materials, such as plutonium and tritium, to meet projected needs in the nuclear weapons program.

An independent evaluation of plutonium body burdens in populations near Los Alamos Laboratory using human autopsy data.

PubMed

Gaffney, Shannon H; Donovan, Ellen P; Shonka, Joseph J; Le, Matthew H; Widner, Thomas E

2013-06-01

In the mid-1940s, the United States began producing atomic weapon components at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). In an attempt to better understand historical exposure to nearby residents, this study evaluates plutonium activity in human tissue relative to residential location and length of time at residence. Data on plutonium activity in the lung, vertebrae, and liver of nearby residents were obtained during autopsies as a part of the Los Alamos Tissue Program. Participant residential histories and the distance from each residence to the primary plutonium processing buildings at LANL were evaluated in the analysis. Summary statistics, including Student t-tests and simple regressions, were calculated. Because the biological half-life of plutonium can vary significantly by organ, data were analyzed separately by tissue type (lung, liver, vertebrae). The ratios of plutonium activity (vertebrae:liver; liver:lung) were also analyzed in order to evaluate the importance of timing of exposure. Tissue data were available for 236 participants who lived in a total of 809 locations, of which 677 were verified postal addresses. Residents of Los Alamos were found to have higher plutonium activities in the lung than non-residents. Further, those who moved to Los Alamos before 1955 had higher lung activities than those who moved there later. These trends were not observed with the liver, vertebrae, or vertebrae:liver and liver:lung ratio data, however, and should be interpreted with caution. Although there are many limitations to this study, including the amount of available data and the analytical methods used to analyze the tissue, the overall results indicate that residence (defined as the year that the individual moved to Los Alamos) may have had a strong correlation to plutonium activity in human tissue. This study is the first to present the results of Los Alamos Autopsy Program in relation to residential status and location in Los Alamos. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Comparative safety assessment of surface versus submarine plutonium shipments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knepper, D.S.; Feltus, M.A.

1993-01-01

The recent shipment of plutonium from France to Japan aboard the freighter Akatsuki Maru touched off protests from environmental and antinuclear organizations. These protests arose from the fear of an accidental sinking of the vessel that would release its cargo to the sea, as well as the threat of a terrorist nation highjacking the ship for its cargo to produce atomic weapons. The sinking of a merchant ship is not uncommon, as illustrated by the famous losses of the tankers Amoco Cadiz and Exxon Valdez. The highjacking of a lightly armed freighter such as the Akatsuki Maru is possible andmore » would not be unduly difficult for a well-equipped terrorist nation. The combined threats of weapons proliferation and environmental damage arising from the diversion or destruction of a sea vessel carrying plutonium will continue to abound as the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel increases. An alternate method for the transportation with reduced risks of both diversion and destruction needs to be developed. The shipment aboard the Akatsuki Maru was originally proposed to be flown from France to Japan over the continental United States. This proposal was rejected by the Reagan administration in 1988. A third alternative to the current ideas of air transport and surface transport is subsurface transport. This research project investigates the transportation of plutonium by submarine and compares it to the current method of transportation by freighter. This analysis involves a study of the military threat to a submarine by a terrorist nation and comparable threat to a surface vessel. To study the nonmilitary aspects of plutonium shipping, a fault-tree evaluation is performed for transportation by submarine and compared with the current risk analysis performed for surface vessels.« less

On the public perception of the risks from nuclear weapons: Would oralloy be more acceptable than plutonium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kunsman, D.M.

We technologists generally only address risk magnitudes in our analyses, although other studies have found nineteen additional dimensions for the way the public perceives risk. These include controllability, voluntariness, catastrophic potential, and trust in the institution putting forth the risk. We and the geneml public use two different languages, and to understand what their concerns are, we need to realize that the culture surrounding nuclear weapons is completely alien to the general public. Ultimately, the acceptability of a risk is a values question, not a technical question. For most of the risk dimensions, the public would perceive no significant differencemore » between using oralloy and plutonium. This does not mean that the suggested design change should not be proposed, only that the case for, or against, it be made comprehensively using the best information available today. The world has changed: the ending of the cold war has decreased the benefit of nuclear weapons in the minds of the public and the specter of Chernobyl has increased the perceived risks of processes that use radioactive materials. Our analyses need to incorporate the lessons pertinent to this newer world.« less

On the public perception of the risks from nuclear weapons: Would oralloy be more acceptable than plutonium?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kunsman, D.M.

We technologists generally only address risk magnitudes in our analyses, although other studies have found nineteen additional dimensions for the way the public perceives risk. These include controllability, voluntariness, catastrophic potential, and trust in the institution putting forth the risk. We and the geneml public use two different languages, and to understand what their concerns are, we need to realize that the culture surrounding nuclear weapons is completely alien to the general public. Ultimately, the acceptability of a risk is a values question, not a technical question. For most of the risk dimensions, the public would perceive no significant differencemore » between using oralloy and plutonium. This does not mean that the suggested design change should not be proposed, only that the case for, or against, it be made comprehensively using the best information available today. The world has changed: the ending of the cold war has decreased the benefit of nuclear weapons in the minds of the public and the specter of Chernobyl has increased the perceived risks of processes that use radioactive materials. Our analyses need to incorporate the lessons pertinent to this newer world.« less

Plutonium Isotopes in the Terrestrial Environment at the Savannah River Site, USA. A Long-Term Study

DOE PAGES

Armstrong, Christopher R.; Nuessle, Patterson R.; Brant, Heather A.; ...

2015-01-16

This work presents the findings of a long term plutonium study at Savannah River Site (SRS) conducted between 2003 and 2013. Terrestrial environmental samples were obtained at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in A-area. Plutonium content and isotopic abundances were measured over this time period by alpha spectrometry and three stage thermal ionization mass spectrometry (3STIMS). Here we detail the complete sample collection, radiochemical separation, and measurement procedure specifically targeted to trace plutonium in bulk environmental samples. Total plutonium activities were determined to be not significantly above atmospheric global fallout. However, the 238Pu/ 239+240Pu activity ratios attributed to SRS aremore » above atmospheric global fallout ranges. The 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios are reasonably consistent from year to year and are lower than fallout, while the 242Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios are higher than fallout values. Overall, the plutonium signatures obtained in this study reflect a mixture of weapons-grade, higher burn-up, and fallout material. This study provides a blue print for long term low level monitoring of plutonium in the environment.« less

Plutonium Isotopes (239-241Pu) Dissolved in Pacific Ocean Waters Detected by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry: No Effects of the Fukushima Accident Observed.

PubMed

Hain, Karin; Faestermann, Thomas; Fimiani, Leticia; Golser, Robin; Gómez-Guzmán, José Manuel; Korschinek, Gunther; Kortmann, Florian; Lierse von Gostomski, Christoph; Ludwig, Peter; Steier, Peter; Tazoe, Hirofumi; Yamada, Masatoshi

2017-02-21

The concentration of plutonium (Pu) and the isotopic ratios of 240 Pu to 239 Pu and 241 Pu to 239 Pu were determined by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in Pacific Ocean water samples (20 L each) collected in late 2012. The isotopic Pu ratios are important indicators of different contamination sources and were used to identify a possible release of Pu into the ocean by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. In particular, 241 Pu is a well-suited indicator for a recent entry of Pu because 241 Pu from fallout of nuclear weapon testings has already significantly decayed. A total of 10 ocean water samples were prepared at the Radiochemie München of the TUM and analyzed at the Vienna Environmental Research Laboratory (VERA). Several samples showed a slightly elevated 240 Pu/ 239 Pu ratio of up to 0.22 ± 0.02 compared to global fallout ( 240 Pu/ 239 Pu = 0.180 ± 0.007), whereas all measured 241 Pu-to- 239 Pu ratios were consistent with nuclear weapon fallout ( 241 Pu/ 239 Pu < 2.4 × 10 -3 ), which means that no impact from the Fukushima accident was detected. From the average 241 Pu-to- 239 Pu ratio of 8 -2 +3 ×10 -4 at a sampling station located at a distance of 39.6 km to FDNPP, the 1-σ upper limit for the FDNPP contribution to the 239 Pu inventory in the water column was estimated to be 0.2%. Pu, with the signature of weapon-grade Pu was found in a single sample collected around 770 km off the west coast of the United States.

Zirconia-magnesia inert matrix fuel and waste form: Synthesis, characterization and chemical performance in an advanced fuel cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holliday, Kiel Steven

There is a significant buildup in plutonium stockpiles throughout the world, because of spent nuclear fuel and the dismantling of weapons. The radiotoxicity of this material and proliferation risk has led to a desire for destroying excess plutonium. To do this effectively, it must be fissioned in a reactor as part of a uranium free fuel to eliminate the generation of more plutonium. This requires an inert matrix to volumetrically dilute the fissile plutonium. Zirconia-magnesia dual phase ceramic has been demonstrated to be a favorable material for this task. It is neutron transparent, zirconia is chemically robust, magnesia has good thermal conductivity and the ceramic has been calculated to conform to current economic and safety standards. This dissertation contributes to the knowledge of zirconia-magnesia as an inert matrix fuel to establish behavior of the material containing a fissile component. First, the zirconia-magnesia inert matrix is synthesized in a dual phase ceramic containing a fissile component and a burnable poison. The chemical constitution of the ceramic is then determined. Next, the material performance is assessed under conditions relevant to an advanced fuel cycle. Reactor conditions were assessed with high temperature, high pressure water. Various acid solutions were used in an effort to dissolve the material for reprocessing. The ceramic was also tested as a waste form under environmental conditions, should it go directly to a repository as a spent fuel. The applicability of zirconia-magnesia as an inert matrix fuel and waste form was tested and found to be a promising material for such applications.

Guide of good practices for occupational radiological protection in plutonium facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-06-01

This Technical Standard (TS) does not contain any new requirements. Its purpose is to provide guides to good practice, update existing reference material, and discuss practical lessons learned relevant to the safe handling of plutonium. the technical rationale is given to allow US Department of Energy (DOE) health physicists to adapt the recommendations to similar situations throughout the DOE complex. Generally, DOE contractor health physicists will be responsible to implement radiation protection activities at DOE facilities and DOE health physicists will be responsible for oversight of those activities. This guidance is meant to be useful for both efforts. This TSmore » replaces PNL-6534, Health Physics Manual of Good Practices for Plutonium Facilities, by providing more complete and current information and by emphasizing the situations that are typical of DOE`s current plutonium operations; safe storage, decontamination, and decommissioning (environmental restoration); and weapons disassembly.« less

Fuzzy-probabilistic model for risk assessment of radioactive material railway transportation.

PubMed

Avramenko, M; Bolyatko, V; Kosterev, V

2005-01-01

Transportation of radioactive materials is obviously accompanied by a certain risk. A model for risk assessment of emergency situations and terrorist attacks may be useful for choosing possible routes and for comparing the various defence strategies. In particular, risk assessment is crucial for safe transportation of excess weapons-grade plutonium arising from the removal of plutonium from military employment. A fuzzy-probabilistic model for risk assessment of railway transportation has been developed taking into account the different natures of risk-affecting parameters (probabilistic and not probabilistic but fuzzy). Fuzzy set theory methods as well as standard methods of probability theory have been used for quantitative risk assessment. Information-preserving transformations are applied to realise the correct aggregation of probabilistic and fuzzy parameters. Estimations have also been made of the inhalation doses resulting from possible accidents during plutonium transportation. The obtained data show the scale of possible consequences that may arise from plutonium transportation accidents.

The Manhattan Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, B. Cameron

2014-10-01

The Manhattan Project was the United States Army’s program to develop and deploy nuclear weapons during World War II. In these devices, which are known popularly as ‘atomic bombs’, energy is released not by a chemical explosion but by the much more violent process of fission of nuclei of heavy elements via a neutron-mediated chain-reaction. Three years after taking on this project in mid-1942, the Army’s Manhattan Engineer District produced three nuclear bombs of two different designs. Two of these devices were fueled with the 239 isotope of the synthetic element plutonium, while the third employed the rare 235 isotope of uranium. One of the plutonium devices, code-named Trinity, was detonated in a test in southern New Mexico on 16 July 1945; this was the world’s first nuclear explosion. Three weeks later, on 6 August, the uranium bomb, Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. On 9 August the second plutonium device, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki. Together, the two bombings killed over 100 000 people and were at least partially responsible for the Japanese government’s 14 August decision to surrender. This article surveys, at an undergraduate level, the science and history of the Manhattan Project.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, T.; Tietjen, G.L.; McInroy, J.F.

The Autopsy Tissue Program was begun in 1960. To date, tissues on 900 or more persons in 7 geographic regions have been collected and analyzed for plutonium content. The tissues generally consist of lung, liver, kidney, lymph, bone, and gonadal tissues for each individual. The original objective of the program was to determine the level of plutonium in human tissues due solely to fallout from weapons testing. The baseline thus established was to be used to evaluate future changes. From the first, this program was beset with chemical and statistical difficulties. Many factors whose effects were not recognized and notmore » planned for were found later to be important. Privacy and ethical considerations hindered the gathering of adequate data. Since the chemists were looking for amounts of plutonium very close to background, possible contamination was a very real problem. Widely used chemical techniques introduced a host of statistical problems. The difficulties encountered touch on areas common to large data sets, unusual outlier detection methods minimum detection limits, problems with aliquot sizes, and time-trends in the data. The conclusions point out areas to which the biologists will have to devote much more careful attention than was believed.« less

NCSP IER 422 CED-3b Documentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hutchinson, Jesson D.; Cutler, Theresa Elizabeth; Bahran, Rian Mustafa

2017-11-22

A Subcritical Copper-Reflected α-phase Plutonium (SCRαP) integral benchmark experiment has been designed and measured. In this experiment, multiplication is approximated using correlated neutron data from a detector system consisting of 3He tubes inside high density polyethylene (HDPE). Measurements were performed on various subcritical experimental configurations consisting of a weapons-grade plutonium sphere surrounded by different Cu thicknesses. In addition to the proposed base experimental configurations with Cu, additional configurations were performed with the plutonium ball nested in various thicknesses of interleaved HDPE spherical shells mixed in with the Cu shells. The HDPE is intended to provide fast neutron moderation and reflection,more » resulting in additional measurements with differing multiplication, spectra, and nuclear data sensitivity.« less

Stabilizing stored PuO2 with addition of metal impurities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moten, Shafaq; Huda, Muhammad

Plutonium oxides is of widespread significance due its application in nuclear fuels, space missions, as well as the long-termed storage of plutonium from spent fuel and nuclear weapons. The processes to refine and store plutonium bring many other elements in contact with the plutonium metal and thereby affect the chemistry of the plutonium. Pure plutonium metal corrodes to an oxide in air with the most stable form of this oxide is stoichiometric plutonium dioxide, PuO2. Defects such as impurities and vacancies can form in the plutonium dioxide before, during and after the refining processes as well as during storage. An impurity defect manifests itself at the bottom of the conduction band and affects the band gap of the unit cell. Studying the interaction between transition metals and plutonium dioxide is critical for better, more efficient storage plans as well as gaining insights to provide a better response to potential threats of exposure to the environment. Our study explores the interaction of a few metals within the plutonium dioxide structure which have a likelihood of being exposed to the plutonium dioxide powder. Using Density Functional Theory, we calculated a substituted metal impurity in PuO2 supercell. We repeated the calculations with an additional oxygen vacancy. Our results reveal interesting volume contraction of PuO2 supercell when one plutonium atom is substituted with a metal atom. The authors acknowledge the Texas Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin and High Performance Computing (HPC) at The University of Texas at Arlington.

Quarterly technical progress report, February 1, 1996--April 30, 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This report from the Amarillo National REsource Center for PLutonium provides research highlights and provides information regarding the public dissemination of information. The center is a a scientific resource for information regarding the issues of the storage, disposition, potential utilization and transport of plutonium, high explosives, and other hazardous materials generated from nuclear weapons dismantlement. The center responds to informational needs and interpretation of technical and scientific data raised by interested parties and advisory groups. Also, research efforts are carried out on remedial action programs and biological/agricultural studies.

Migration of conservative and sorbing radionuclides in heterogeneous fractured rock aquifers at the Nevada Test Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boryta, J. R.; Wolfsberg, A. V.

2003-12-01

The Nevada Test Site (NTS) is the United States continental nuclear weapons testing site. The larger underground tests, including BENHAM and TYBO, were conducted at Pahute Mesa. The BENHAM test, conducted in 1968, was detonated 1.4 km below the surface and the TYBO test, conducted in 1975, was detonated at a depth of 765 m. Between 1996 and 1998, several radionuclides were discovered in trace concentrations in a monitoring well complex 273 m from TYBO and 1300 m from BENHAM. Previous studies associated with these measurements have focused primarily on a) plutonium discovered in the observation wells, which was identified through isotopic finger printing as originating at BENHAM, b) colloid-facilitated plutonium transport processes, and c) vertical convection in subsurface nuclear test collapse chimneys. In addition to plutonium, several other non-, weakly-, and strongly-sorbing radionuclides were discovered in trace concentrations in the observation wells, including tritium, carbon-14, chlorine-36, iodine-129, technetium-99, neptunium-237, strontium-90, cesium-137, americium-241, and europium-152,154,155. The range in retardation processes affecting these different radionuclides provides additional information for assessing groundwater solute transport model formulations. For all radionuclides, simulation results are most sensitive to the fracture porosity and fracture aperture. Additionally, for weakly sorbing Np, simulation results are highly sensitive to the matrix sorption coefficient. For strongly sorbing species, migration in the absence of colloids can only be simulated if fracture apertures are set very large, reducing the amount of diffusion that can occur. For these species, colloid-facilitated transport appears to be a more likely explanation for the measurements. This is corroborated with colloid-transport model simulations.

Complex chromosome aberrations persist in individuals many years after occupational exposure to densely ionizing radiation: an mFISH study.

PubMed

Hande, M Prakash; Azizova, Tamara V; Burak, Ludmilla E; Khokhryakov, Valentin F; Geard, Charles R; Brenner, David J

2005-09-01

Long-lived, sensitive, and specific biomarkers of particular mutagenic agents are much sought after and potentially have broad applications in the fields of cancer biology, epidemiology, and prevention. Many clastogens induce a spectrum of chromosome aberrations, and some of them can be exploited as biomarkers of exposure. Densely ionizing radiation, for example, alpha particle radiation (from radon or plutonium) and neutron radiation, preferentially induces complex chromosome aberrations, which can be detected by the 24-color multifluor fluorescence in situ hybridization (mFISH) technique. We report the detection and quantification of stable complex chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of healthy former nuclear-weapons workers, who were exposed many years ago to plutonium, gamma rays, or both, at the Mayak weapons complex in Russia. We analyzed peripheral-blood lymphocytes from these individuals for the presence of persistent complex chromosome aberrations. A significantly elevated frequency of complex chromosome translocations was detected in the highly exposed plutonium workers but not in the group exposed only to high doses of gamma radiation. No such differences were found for simple chromosomal aberrations. The results suggest that stable complex chromosomal translocations represent a long-lived, quantitative, low-background biomarker of densely ionizing radiation for human populations exposed many years ago. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Manhattan Project

Science.gov Websites

Short History of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1943 - 1993) Los Alamos, New Mexico * Selected as Atomic Weapons Laboratory * Site Selection * History @ Los Alamos Hanford, Washington * Selected as Plutonium Production Facility * History of the Hanford Site 1943 - 1990 Chicago, Illinois * Promethean Boldness at

Some less conventional options for plutonium disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoll, Dr. Wolfgang, Prof.

2000-07-01

Disposition of weapons Pu (W-Pu) aims at the replacement of military access restrictions by inherent longlasting technical barriers to make the return into the weapons state difficult and not rewarding anymore. At the time of the NAS-study in 1994, two ways were perceived to be mature and selected: Fissioning of W-Pu as LWR-MOX and the disposal in a vitrified radionuclide-spiked form.1 Both options since have been questioned for equality, met different acceptance at both superpowers and showed slow progress. A criterion to measure disarmament would be the amount of W-Pu in the different proliferation resistant forms, multiplied by the effort needed for each form to return to weapons quality.

Uranium and Thorium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finch, Warren I.

1978-01-01

The results of President Carter's policy on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons are expected to slow the growth rate in energy consumption, put the development of the breeder reactor in question, halt plans to reprocess and recycle uranium and plutonium, and expand facilities to supply enriched uranium. (Author/MA)

Crystalline matrices for the immobilization of plutonium and actinides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, E.B.; Burakov, E.E.; Galkin, Ya.B.

1996-05-01

The management of weapon plutonium, disengaged as a result of conversion, is considered together with the problem of the actinide fraction of long-lived high level radioactive wastes. It is proposed to use polymineral ceramics based on crystalline host-phases: zircon ZrSiO{sub 4} and zirconium dioxide ZrO{sub 2}, for various variants of the management of plutonium and actinides (including the purposes of long-term safe storage or final disposal from the human activity sphere). It is shown that plutonium and actinides are able to form with these phases on ZrSiO{sub 4} and ZrO{sub 2} was done on laboratory level by the hot pressingmore » method, using the plasmochemical calcination technology. To incorporate simulators of plutonium into the structure of ZrSiO{sub 4} and ZrO{sub 2} in the course of synthesis, an original method developed by the authors as a result of studying the high-uranium zircon (Zr,U) SiO{sub 4} form Chernobyl {open_quotes}lavas{close_quotes} was used.« less

SHIELDING AND DETECTOR RESPONSE CALCULATIONS PERTAINING TO CATEGORY 1 QUANTITIES OF PLUTONIUM AND HAND-HELD PLASTIC SCINTILLATORS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Couture, A.

2013-06-07

Nuclear facilities sometimes use hand-held plastic scintillator detectors to detect attempts to divert special nuclear material in situations where portal monitors are impractical. MCNP calculations have been performed to determine the neutron and gamma radiation field arising from a Category I quantity of weapons-grade plutonium in various shielding configurations. The shields considered were composed of combinations of lead and high-density polyethylene such that the mass of the plutonium plus shield was 22.7 kilograms. Monte-Carlo techniques were also used to determine the detector response to each of the shielding configurations. The detector response calculations were verified using field measurements of high-,more » medium-, and low- energy gamma-ray sources as well as a Cf-252 neutron source.« less

Policy and Technical Issues Facing a Fissile Material (Cutoff) Treaty

DOE PAGES

von Hippel, Frank; Mian, Zia

2015-05-18

We report the largest obstacle to creating nuclear weapons, starting with the ones that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, has been to make sufficient quantities of fissile materials – highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium – to sustain an explosive fission chain reaction.1 Recognition of this fact has, for more than fifty years, underpinned both the support for and the opposition to adoption of an international treaty banning at a minimum the production of more fissile materials for nuclear weapons, commonly referred to as a fissile material cutoff treaty (FMCT).

High level radioactive waste vitrification process equipment component testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemens, D. H.; Health, W. C.; Larson, D. E.; Craig, S. N.; Berger, D. N.; Goles, R. W.

1985-04-01

Remote operability and maintainability of vitrification equipment were assessment under shielded cell conditions. The equipment tested will be applied to immobilize high level and transuranic liquid waste slurries that resulted from plutonium production for defense weapons. Equipment tested included: a turntable for handling waste canisters under the melter; a removable discharge cone in the melter overflow section; a thermocouple jumper that extends into a shielded cell; remote instrument and electrical connectors; remote, mechanical, and heat transfer aspects of the melter glass overflow section; a reamer to clean out plugged nozzles in the melter top; a closed circuit camera to view the melter interior; and a device to retrieve samples of the glass product. A test was also conduucted to evaluate liquid metals for use in a liquid metal sealing system.

Microdistribution and Long-Term Retention of 239Pu (NO3)4 in the Respiratory Tracts of an Acutely Exposed Plutonium Worker and Experimental Beagle Dogs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nielsen, Christopher E.; Wilson, Dulaney A.; Brooks, Antone L.

The long-term retention of inhaled soluble forms of plutonium raises concerns as to the potential health effects in persons working in nuclear energy or the nuclear weapons program. The distributions of long-term retained inhaled plutonium-nitrate [239Pu (NO3)4] deposited in the lungs of an accidentally exposed nuclear worker (Human Case 0269) and in the lungs of experimentally exposed beagle dogs with varying initial lung depositions were determined via autoradiographs of selected histological lung, lymph node, trachea, and nasal turbinate tissue sections. These studies showed that both the human and dogs had a non-uniform distribution of plutonium throughout the lung tissue. Fibroticmore » scar tissue effectively encapsulated a portion of the plutonium and prevented its clearance from the body or translocation to other tissues and diminished dose to organ parenchyma. Alpha radiation activity from deposited plutonium in Human Case 0269 was observed primarily along the sub-pleural regions while no alpha activity was seen in the tracheobronchial lymph nodes of this individual. However, relatively high activity levels in the tracheobronchial lymph nodes of the beagles indicated the lymphatic system was effective in clearing deposited plutonium from the lung tissues. In both the human case and beagle dogs, the appearance of retained plutonium within the respiratory tract was inconsistent with current biokinetic models of clearance for soluble forms of plutonium. Bound plutonium can have a marked effect on the dose to the lungs and subsequent radiation exposure has the potential increase in cancer risk.« less

A simple model for the critical mass of a nuclear weapon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, B. Cameron

2018-07-01

A probability-based model for estimating the critical mass of a fissile isotope is developed. The model requires introducing some concepts from nuclear physics and incorporating some approximations, but gives results correct to about a factor of two for uranium-235 and plutonium-239.

1990 Environmental monitoring report, Tonopah Test Range, Tonopah, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hwang, A.; Phelan, J.; Wolff, T.

1991-05-01

There is no routine radioactive emission from Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range (SNL, TTR). However, based on the types of test activities such as air drops, gun firings, ground- launched rockets, air-launched rockets, and other explosive tests, possibilities exist that small amounts of depleted uranium (DU) (as part of weapon components) may be released to the air or to the ground because of unusual circumstances (failures) during testing. Four major monitoring programs were used in 1990 to assess radiological impact on the public. The EPA Air Surveillance Network (ASN) found that the only gamma ({gamma}) emitting radionuclide on themore » prefilters was beryllium-7 ({sup 7}Be), a naturally-occurring spallation product formed by the interaction of cosmic radiation with atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen. The weighted average results were consistent with the area background concentrations. The EPA Thermoluminescent Dosimetry (TLD) Network and Pressurized Ion Chamber (PIC) reported normal results. In the EPA Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring Program (LTHMP), analytical results for tritium ({sup 3}H) in well water were reported and were well below DOE-derived concentration guides (DCGs). In the Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company (REECo) Drinking Water Sampling Program, analytical results for {sup 3}H, gross alpha ({alpha}), beta ({beta}), and {gamma} scan, strontium-90 ({sup 90}Sr) and plutonium-239 ({sup 239}Pu) were within the EPA's primary drinking water standards. 29 refs., 5 figs., 15 tabs.« less

A Plutonium-Contaminated Wound, 1985, USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doran M. Christensen, DO, REAC /TS Associate Director and Staff Physician Eugene H. Carbaugh, CHP, Staff Scientist, Internal Dosimetry Manager, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

2012-02-02

A hand injury occurred at a U.S. facility in 1985 involving a pointed shaft (similar to a meat thermometer) that a worker was using to remove scrap solid plutonium from a plastic bottle. The worker punctured his right index finger on the palm side at the metacarpal-phalangeal joint. The wound was not through-and- through, although it was deep. The puncture wound resulted in deposition of ~48 kBq of alpha activity from the weapons-grade plutonium mixture with a nominal 12 to 1 Pu-alpha to {sup 241}Am-alpha ratio. This case clearly showed that DTPA was very effective for decorporation of plutonium andmore » americium. The case is a model for management of wounds contaminated with transuranics: (1) a team approach for dealing with all of the issues surrounding the incident, including the psychological, (2) early surgical intervention for foreign-body removal, (3) wound irrigation with DTPA solution, and (4) early and prolonged DTPA administration based upon bioassay and in vivo dosimetry.« less

Excess plutonium disposition: The deep borehole option

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ferguson, K.L.

1994-08-09

This report reviews the current status of technologies required for the disposition of plutonium in Very Deep Holes (VDH). It is in response to a recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report which addressed the management of excess weapons plutonium and recommended three approaches to the ultimate disposition of excess plutonium: (1) fabrication and use as a fuel in existing or modified reactors in a once-through cycle, (2) vitrification with high-level radioactive waste for repository disposition, (3) burial in deep boreholes. As indicated in the NAS report, substantial effort would be required to address the broad range of issues relatedmore » to deep bore-hole emplacement. Subjects reviewed in this report include geology and hydrology, design and engineering, safety and licensing, policy decisions that can impact the viability of the concept, and applicable international programs. Key technical areas that would require attention should decisions be made to further develop the borehole emplacement option are identified.« less

Uncertainties in the North Korean Nuclear Threat

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Bermudez, Joseph S., “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Unconventional Weapons,” in Peter R. Lavoy, Scott D. Sagan , and James J. Wirtz, eds...Korea Has ‘Weaponized’ Plutonium,” Associated Press, January 17, 2009. Robbins, Carla Anne, and Gordon Fairclough, “North Korea Sparks Proliferation

A Clear Success for International Transport of Plutonium and MOX Fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blachet, L.; Jacot, P.; Bariteau, J.P.

2006-07-01

An Agreement between the United States and Russia to eliminate 68 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium provided the basis for the United States government and its agency, the Department of Energy (DOE), to enter into contracts with industry leaders to fabricate mixed oxide (MOX) fuels (a blend of uranium oxide and plutonium oxide) for use in existing domestic commercial reactors. DOE contracted with Duke, COGEMA, Stone and Webster (DCS), a limited liability company comprised of Duke Energy, COGEMA Inc. and Stone and Webster to design a Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) which would be built and operated atmore » the DOE Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. During this same time frame, DOE commissioned fabrication and irradiation of lead test assemblies in one of the Mission Reactors to assist in obtaining NRC approval for batch implementation of MOX fuel prior to the operations phase of the MFFF facility. On February 2001, DOE directed DCS to initiate a pre-decisional investigation to determine means to obtain lead assemblies including all international options for manufacturing MOX fuels. This lead to implementation of the EUROFAB project and work was initiated in earnest on EUROFAB by DCS on November 7, 2003. (authors)« less

The Feed Materials Program of the Manhattan Project: A Foundational Component of the Nuclear Weapons Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, B. Cameron

2014-12-01

The feed materials program of the Manhattan Project was responsible for procuring uranium-bearing ores and materials and processing them into forms suitable for use as source materials for the Project's uranium-enrichment factories and plutonium-producing reactors. This aspect of the Manhattan Project has tended to be overlooked in comparison with the Project's more dramatic accomplishments, but was absolutely vital to the success of those endeavors: without appropriate raw materials and the means to process them, nuclear weapons and much of the subsequent cold war would never have come to pass. Drawing from information available in Manhattan Engineer District Documents, this paper examines the sources and processing of uranium-bearing materials used in making the first nuclear weapons and how the feed materials program became a central foundational component of the postwar nuclear weapons complex.

Effects of Aging on PuO2∙xH2O Particle Size in Alkaline Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delegard, Calvin H.

Between 1944 and 1989, 54.5 metric tons of the United States’ weapons-grade plutonium and an additional 12.9 metric tons of fuel-grade plutonium were produced and separated from irradiated fuel at the Hanford Site. Acidic high-activity wastes containing around 600 kg of plutonium were made alkaline and discharged to underground storage tanks from separations, isolation, and recycle processes to yield average plutonium concentration of about 0.003 grams per liter (or ~0.0002 wt%) in the ~200 million liter tank waste volume. The plutonium is largely associated with low-solubility metal hydroxide/oxide sludges where its low concentration and intimate mixture with neutron-absorbing elements (e.g.,more » iron) are credited in nuclear criticality safety. However, concerns have been expressed that plutonium, in the form of plutonium hydrous oxide, PuO2∙xH2O, could undergo sufficient crystal growth through dissolution and reprecipitation in the alkaline tank waste to potentially become separable from neutron absorbing constituents by settling or sedimentation. Thermodynamic considerations and laboratory studies of systems chemically analogous to tank waste show that the plutonium formed in the alkaline tank waste by precipitation through neutralization from acid solution probably entered as 2–4-nm PuO2∙xH2O crystallite particles that, because of their low solubility and opposition from radiolytic processes, grow from that point at exceedingly slow rates, thus posing no risk of physical segregation.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robertson, Janeen Denise

In a mortality study of white males who had worked at the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant between 1952 and 1979, an increased number of deaths from benign and unspecified intracranial neoplasms was found. A case-control study nested within this cohort investigated the hypothesis that an association existed between brain tumor death and exposure to either internally deposited plutonium or external ionizing radiation. There was no statistically significant association found between estimated radiation exposure from internally deposited plutonium and the development of brain tumors. Exposure by job or work area showed no significant difference between the cohort and the controlmore » groups. An update of the study found elevated risk estimates for (1) all lymphopoietic neoplasms, and (2) all causes of death in employees with body burdens greater than or equal to two nanocuries of plutonium. There was an excess of brain tumors for the entire cohort. Similar cohort studies conducted on worker populations from other plutonium handling facilities have not yet shown any elevated risks for brain tumors. Historically, the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant used large quantities of chemicals in their production operations. The use of solvents, particularly carbon tetrachloride, was unique to Rocky Flats. No investigation of the possible confounding effects of chemical exposures was done in the initial studies. The objectives of the present study are to (1) investigate the history of chemical use at the Rocky Flats facility; (2) locate and analyze chemical monitoring information in order to assess employee exposure to the chemicals that were used in the highest volume; and (3) determine the feasibility of establishing a chemical exposure assessment model that could be used in future epidemiology studies.« less

Plutonium Decontamination of Uranium using CO2 Cleaning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blau, M

A concern of the Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) and Defense Programs (DP), and of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), is the disposition of thousands of legacy and recently generated plutonium (Pu)-contaminated, highly enriched uranium (HEU) parts. These parts take up needed vault space. This presents a serious problem for LLNL, as site limit could result in the stoppage of future weapons work. The Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (NN-60) will also face a similar problem as thousands of HEU parts will be created with the disassembly of site-return pitsmore » for plutonium recovery when the Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility (PDCF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) becomes operational. To send HEU to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 Plant for disposition, the contamination for metal must be less than 20 disintegrations per minute (dpm) of swipable transuranic per 100 cm{sup 2} of surface area or the Pu bulk contamination for oxide must be less than 210 parts per billion (ppb). LANL has used the electrolytic process on Pu-contaminated HEU weapon parts with some success. However, this process requires that a different fixture be used for every configuration; each fixture cost approximately $10K. Moreover, electrolytic decontamination leaches the uranium metal substrate (no uranium or plutonium oxide) from the HEU part. The leaching rate at the uranium metal grain boundaries is higher than that of the grains and depends on the thickness of the uranium oxide layer. As the leaching liquid flows past the HEU part, it carries away plutonium oxide contamination and uranium oxide. The uneven uranium metal surface created by the leaching becomes a trap for plutonium oxide contamination. In addition, other DOE sites have used CO{sub 2} cleaning for Pu decontamination successfully. In the 1990's, the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory investigated this technology and showed that CO{sub 2} pellet blasting (or CO{sub 2} cleaning) reduced both fixed and smearable contamination on tools. In 1997, LLNL proved that even tritium contamination could be removed from a variety of different matrices using CO{sub 2}cleaning. CO{sub 2} cleaning is a non-toxic, nonconductive, nonabrasive decontamination process whose primary cleaning mechanisms are: (1) Impact of the CO{sub 2} pellets loosens the bond between the contaminant and the substrate. (2) CO{sub 2} pellets shatter and sublimate into a gaseous state with large expansion ({approx}800 times). The expanding CO{sub 2} gas forms a layer between the contaminant and the substrate that acts as a spatula and peels off the contaminant. (3) Cooling of the contaminant assists in breaking its bond with the substrate. Thus, LLNL conducted feasibility testing to determine if CO{sub 2} pellet blasting could remove Pu contamination (e.g., uranium oxide) from uranium metal without abrading the metal matrix. This report contains a summary of events and the results of this test.« less

(236)U and (239,)(240)Pu ratios from soils around an Australian nuclear weapons test site.

PubMed

Tims, S G; Froehlich, M B; Fifield, L K; Wallner, A; De Cesare, M

2016-01-01

The isotopes (236)U, (239)Pu and (240)Pu are present in surface soils as a result of global fallout from nuclear weapons tests carried out in the 1950's and 1960's. These isotopes potentially constitute artificial tracers of recent soil erosion and sediment movement. Only Accelerator Mass Spectrometry has the requisite sensitivity to measure all three isotopes at these environmental levels. Coupled with its relatively high throughput capabilities, this makes it feasible to conduct studies of erosion across the geographical extent of the Australian continent. In the Australian context, however, global fallout is not the only source of these isotopes. As part of its weapons development program the United Kingdom carried out a series of atmospheric and surface nuclear weapons tests at Maralinga, South Australia in 1956 and 1957. The tests have made a significant contribution to the Pu isotopic abundances present in the region around Maralinga and out to distances ∼1000 km, and impact on the assessment techniques used in the soil and sediment tracer studies. Quantification of the relative fallout contribution derived from detonations at Maralinga is complicated owing to significant contamination around the test site from numerous nuclear weapons safety trials that were also carried out around the site. We show that (236)U can provide new information on the component of the fallout that is derived from the local nuclear weapons tests, and highlight the potential of (236)U as a new fallout tracer. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Superconducting RF Linacs Driving Subcritical Reactors for Profitable Disposition of Surplus Weapons-grade Plutonium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummings, Mary Anne; Johnson, Rolland

Acceptable capital and operating costs of high-power proton accelerators suitable for profitable commercial electric-power and process-heat applications have been demonstrated. However, studies have pointed out that even a few hundred trips of an accelerator lasting a few seconds would lead to unacceptable thermal stresses as each trip causes fission to be turned off in solid fuel structures found in conventional reactors. The newest designs based on the GEM*STAR concept take such trips in stride by using molten-salt fuel, where fuel pin fatigue is not an issue. Other aspects of the GEM*STAR concept which address all historical reactor failures include an internal spallation neutron target and high temperature molten salt fuel with continuous purging of volatile radioactive fission products such that the reactor contains less than a critical mass and almost a million times fewer volatile radioactive fission products than conventional reactors. GEM*STAR is a reactor that without redesign will burn spent nuclear fuel, natural uranium, thorium, or surplus weapons material. It will operate without the need for a critical core, fuel enrichment, or reprocessing making it an excellent candidate for export. As a first application, the design for a pilot plant is described for the profitable disposition of surplus weapons-grade plutonium by using process heat to produce green diesel fuel for the Department of Defense (DOD) from natural gas and renewable carbon.

The myth of the ``proliferation-resistant'' closed nuclear fuel cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyman, Edwin S.

2000-07-01

National nuclear energy programs that engage in reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and the development of "closed" nuclear fuel cycles based on the utilization of plutonium process and store large quantities of weapons-usable nuclear materials in forms vulnerable to diversion or theft by national or subnational groups. Proliferation resistance, an idea dating back at least as far as the International Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) of the late 1970s, is a loosely defined term referring to processes for chemical separation of SNF that do not extract weapons-usable materials in a purified form.

Improving proliferation resistance of high breeding gain generation 4 reactors using blankets composed of light water reactor waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hellesen, C.; Grape, S.; Haakanson, A.

2013-07-01

Fertile blankets can be used in fast reactors to enhance the breeding gain as well as the passive safety characteristics. However, such blankets typically result in the production of weapons grade plutonium. For this reason they are often excluded from Generation IV reactor designs. In this paper we demonstrate that using blankets manufactured directly from spent light water (LWR) reactor fuel it is possible to produce a plutonium product with non-proliferation characteristics on a par with spent LWR fuel of 30-50 MWd/kg burnup. The beneficial breeding and safety characteristics are retained. (authors)

North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-26

Warren Strobel , “North Korean nuclear documents challenge CIA assertions,” McClatchyNewspapers, May 28, 2008. 23 “N.K. says plutonium ‘weaponized’ and...Chosun Ilbo, January 29, 2008. 78 Lee Chi-dong, “N Korea Complains About Slow Provision of Energy Aid,” Yonhap News, June 5, 2008. 79 “N. Korea

An equivalent n-source for WGPu derived from a spectrum-shifted PuBe source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghita, Gabriel; Sjoden, Glenn; Baciak, James; Walker, Scotty; Cornelison, Spring

2008-04-01

We have designed, built, and laboratory-tested a unique shield design that transforms the complex neutron spectrum from PuBe source neutrons, generated at high energies, to nearly exactly the neutron signature leaking from a significant spherical mass of weapons grade plutonium (WGPu). This equivalent "X-material shield assembly" (Patent Pending) enables the harder PuBe source spectrum (average energy of 4.61 MeV) from a small encapsulated standard 1-Ci PuBe source to be transformed, through interactions in the shield, so that leakage neutrons are shifted in energy and yield to become a close reproduction of the neutron spectrum leaking from a large subcritical mass of WGPu metal (mean energy 2.11 MeV). The utility of this shielded PuBe surrogate for WGPu is clear, since it directly enables detector field testing without the expense and risk of handling large amounts of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) as WGPu. Also, conventional sources using Cf-252, which is difficult to produce, and decays with a 2.7 year half life, could be replaced by this shielded PuBe technology in order to simplify operational use, since a sealed PuBe source relies on Pu-239 (T½=24,110 y), and remains viable for more than hundreds of years.

The scheme for evaluation of isotopic composition of fast reactor core in closed nuclear fuel cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saldikov, I. S.; Ternovykh, M. Yu; Fomichenko, P. A.; Gerasimov, A. S.

2017-01-01

The PRORYV (i.e. «Breakthrough» in Russian) project is currently under development. Within the framework of this project, fast reactors BN-1200 and BREST-OD-300 should be built to, inter alia, demonstrate possibility of the closed nuclear fuel cycle technologies with plutonium as a main source of power. Russia has a large inventory of plutonium which was accumulated in the result of reprocessing of spent fuel of thermal power reactors and conversion of nuclear weapons. This kind of plutonium will be used for development of initial fuel assemblies for fast reactors. To solve the closed nuclear fuel modeling tasks REPRORYV code was developed. It simulates the mass flow for nuclides in the closed fuel cycle. This paper presents the results of modeling of a closed nuclear fuel cycle, nuclide flows considering the influence of the uncertainty on the outcome of neutron-physical characteristics of the reactor.

MOX fuel arrangement for nuclear core

DOEpatents

Kantrowitz, M.L.; Rosenstein, R.G.

1998-10-13

In order to use up a stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium, the plutonium is converted into a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel form wherein it can be disposed in a plurality of different fuel assembly types. Depending on the equilibrium cycle that is required, a predetermined number of one or more of the fuel assembly types are selected and arranged in the core of the reactor in accordance with a selected loading schedule. Each of the fuel assemblies is designed to produce different combustion characteristics whereby the appropriate selection and disposition in the core enables the resulting equilibrium cycle to closely resemble that which is produced using urania fuel. The arrangement of the MOX rods and burnable absorber rods within each of the fuel assemblies, in combination with a selective control of the amount of plutonium which is contained in each of the MOX rods, is used to tailor the combustion characteristics of the assembly. 38 figs.

Mox fuel arrangement for nuclear core

DOEpatents

Kantrowitz, Mark L.; Rosenstein, Richard G.

2001-05-15

In order to use up a stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium, the plutonium is converted into a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel form wherein it can be disposed in a plurality of different fuel assembly types. Depending on the equilibrium cycle that is required, a predetermined number of one or more of the fuel assembly types are selected and arranged in the core of the reactor in accordance with a selected loading schedule. Each of the fuel assemblies is designed to produce different combustion characteristics whereby the appropriate selection and disposition in the core enables the resulting equilibrium cycle to closely resemble that which is produced using urania fuel. The arrangement of the MOX rods and burnable absorber rods within each of the fuel assemblies, in combination with a selective control of the amount of plutonium which is contained in each of the MOX rods, is used to tailor the combustion. characteristics of the assembly.

MOX fuel arrangement for nuclear core

DOEpatents

Kantrowitz, Mark L.; Rosenstein, Richard G.

2001-07-17

In order to use up a stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium, the plutonium is converted into a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel form wherein it can be disposed in a plurality of different fuel assembly types. Depending on the equilibrium cycle that is required, a predetermined number of one or more of the fuel assembly types are selected and arranged in the core of the reactor in accordance with a selected loading schedule. Each of the fuel assemblies is designed to produce different combustion characteristics whereby the appropriate selection and disposition in the core enables the resulting equilibrium cycle to closely resemble that which is produced using urania fuel. The arrangement of the MOX rods and burnable absorber rods within each of the fuel assemblies, in combination with a selective control of the amount of plutonium which is contained in each of the MOX rods, is used to tailor the combustion characteristics of the assembly.

MOX fuel arrangement for nuclear core

DOEpatents

Kantrowitz, Mark L.; Rosenstein, Richard G.

1998-01-01

In order to use up a stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium, the plutonium is converted into a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel form wherein it can be disposed in a plurality of different fuel assembly types. Depending on the equilibrium cycle that is required, a predetermined number of one or more of the fuel assembly types are selected and arranged in the core of the reactor in accordance with a selected loading schedule. Each of the fuel assemblies is designed to produce different combustion characteristics whereby the appropriate selection and disposition in the core enables the resulting equilibrium cycle to closely resemble that which is produced using urania fuel. The arrangement of the MOX rods and burnable absorber rods within each of the fuel assemblies, in combination with a selective control of the amount of plutonium which is contained in each of the MOX rods, is used to tailor the combustion characteristics of the assembly.

Neutronics calculations on the impact of burnable poisons to safety and non-proliferation aspects of inert matrix fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pistner, C.; Liebert, W.; Fujara, F.

2006-06-01

Inert matrix fuels (IMF) with plutonium may play a significant role to dispose of stockpiles of separated plutonium from military or civilian origin. For reasons of reactivity control of such fuels, burnable poisons (BP) will have to be used. The impact of different possible BP candidates (B, Eu, Er and Gd) on the achievable burnup as well as on safety and non-proliferation aspects of IMF are analyzed. To this end, cell burnup calculations have been performed and burnup dependent reactivity coefficients (boron worth, fuel temperature and moderator void coefficient) were calculated. All BP candidates were analyzed for one initial BP concentration and a range of different initial plutonium-concentrations (0.4-1.0 g cm-3) for reactor-grade plutonium isotopic composition as well as for weapon-grade plutonium. For the two most promising BP candidates (Er and Gd), a range of different BP concentrations was investigated to study the impact of BP concentration on fuel burnup. A set of reference fuels was identified to compare the performance of uranium-fuels, MOX and IMF with respect to (1) the fraction of initial plutonium being burned, (2) the remaining absolute plutonium concentration in the spent fuel and (3) the shift in the isotopic composition of the remaining plutonium leading to differences in the heat and neutron rate produced. In the case of IMF, the remaining Pu in spent fuel is unattractive for a would be proliferator. This underlines the attractiveness of an IMF approach for disposal of Pu from a non-proliferation perspective.

Testing three explanations of the emergence of weapon carrying in peer context: the roles of aggression, victimization, and the social network.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Jan Kornelis; Gest, Scott D; Lindenberg, Siegwart; Veenstra, René; Cillessen, Antonius H N

2012-04-01

To examine the relative contribution of weapon carrying of peers, aggression, and victimization to weapon carrying of male and female adolescents over time. Data were derived from a population-based sample of male (N = 224) and female (N = 244) adolescents followed from grade 10 (M age = 15.5) to grade 11 (M age = 16.5). Peer networks were derived from best friend nominations. Self-reports were used to assess weapon carrying. Aggression and victimization were assessed using both self- and peer-reports. Use of dynamic social network modeling (SIENA) allowed prediction of weapon carrying in grade 11 as a function of weapon carrying of befriended peers, aggression, and victimization in grade 10, while selection processes and structural network effects (reciprocity and transitivity) were controlled for. Peer influence processes accounted for changes in weapon carrying over time. Self-reported victimization decreased weapon carrying 1 year later. Peer-reported victimization increased the likelihood of weapon carrying, particularly for highly aggressive adolescents. Boys were more likely to carry weapons than girls, but the processes associated with weapon carrying did not differ for boys and girls. These findings revealed that, in this population-based sample, weapon carrying of best friends, as well as aggression, contributed to the proliferation of weapons in friendship networks, suggesting processes of peer contagion as well as individual vulnerability to weapon carrying. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo calculations of the incineration of plutonium and minor actinides of laser fusion inertial confinement fusion fission energy (LIFE) engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adem, ACIR; Eşref, BAYSAL

2018-07-01

In this paper, neutronic analysis in a laser fusion inertial confinement fusion fission energy (LIFE) engine fuelled plutonium and minor actinides using a MCNP codes was investigated. LIFE engine fuel zone contained 10 vol% TRISO particles and 90 vol% natural lithium coolant mixture. TRISO fuel compositions have Mod①: reactor grade plutonium (RG-Pu), Mod②: weapon grade plutonium (WG-Pu) and Mod③: minor actinides (MAs). Tritium breeding ratios (TBR) were computed as 1.52, 1.62 and 1.46 for Mod①, Mod② and Mod③, respectively. The operation period was computed as ∼21 years when the reference TBR > 1.05 for a self-sustained reactor for all investigated cases. Blanket energy multiplication values (M) were calculated as 4.18, 4.95 and 3.75 for Mod①, Mod② and Mod③, respectively. The burnup (BU) values were obtained as ∼1230, ∼1550 and ∼1060 GWd tM–1, respectively. As a result, the higher BU were provided with using TRISO particles for all cases in LIFE engine.

Determination of 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios in human tissues collected from areas around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site by sector-field high resolution ICP-MS.

PubMed

Yamamoto, M; Oikawa, S; Sakaguchi, A; Tomita, J; Hoshi, M; Apsalikov, K N

2008-09-01

Information on the 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios in human tissues for people living around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) was deduced from 9 sets of soft tissues and bones, and 23 other bone samples obtained by autopsy. Plutonium was radiochemically separated and purified, and plutonium isotopes (239Pu and 240Pu) were determined by sector-field high resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. For most of the tissue samples from the former nine subjects, low 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios were determined: bone, 0.125 +/- 0.018 (0.113-0.145, n = 4); lungs, 0.063 +/- 0.010 (0.051-0.078, n = 5); and liver, 0.148 +/- 0.026 (0.104-0.189, n = 9). Only 239Pu was detected in the kidney samples; the amount of 240Pu was too small to be measured, probably due to the small size of samples analyzed. The mean 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratio for bone samples from the latter 23 subjects was 0.152 +/- 0.034, ranging from 0.088 to 0.207. A significant difference (a two-tailed Student's t test; 95% significant level, alpha = 0.05) between mean 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios for the tissue samples and for the global fallout value (0.178 +/- 0.014) indicated that weapons-grade plutonium from the atomic bombs has been incorporated into the human tissues, especially lungs, in the residents living around the SNTS. The present 239,240Pu concentrations in bone, lung, and liver samples were, however, not much different from ranges found for human tissues from other countries that were due solely to global fallout during the 1970's-1980's.

Critical assembly: A technical history of Los Alamos during the Oppenheimer years, 1943--1945

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoddeson, L.; Henriksen, P.W.; Meade, R.A.

1993-11-01

This volume treats the technical research that led to the first atomic bombs. The authors explore how the ``critical assembly`` of scientists, engineers, and military Personnel at Los Alamos collaborated during World War II, blending their traditions to create a new approach to large-scale research. The research was characterized by strong mission orientation, multidisciplinary teamwork, expansion of the scientists` traditional methodology with engineering techniques, and a trail-and-error methodology responding to wartime deadlines. The book opens with an introduction laying out major themes. After a synopsis of the prehistory of the bomb project, from the discovery of nuclear fission to themore » start of the Manhattan Engineer District, and an overview of the early materials program, the book examines the establishment of the Los Alamos Laboratory, the implosion and gun assembly programs, nuclear physics research, chemistry and metallurgy, explosives, uranium and plutonium development, confirmation of spontaneous fission in pile-produced plutonium, the thermonuclear bomb, critical assemblies, the Trinity test, and delivery of the combat weapons.« less

New Organic Scintillators for Neutron Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

highly enriched uranium and weapons grade plutonium. Neutrons and gamma rays are two signatures of these materials. Gamma ray detection techniques are...New Organic Scintillators for Neutron Detection Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. March...Title: New Organic Scintillators for Neutron Detection I. Abstract In this project, Radiation Monitoring Devices (RMD) proposes to develop novel

Nuclear Weapons Council: Enhancing Interagency Collaboration Could Help with Implementation of Expanded Responsibilities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

provide a cross section of the types of programs and activities the Council oversees. Specifically, we selected the B61 -12 life-extension program; the... B61 -12 life-extension program; the W76-1 life-extension program; the plutonium strategy; and budget- related activities,7 such as the Council’s

Plutonium weathering on Johnston Atoll

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wolf, S.E.; Bates, J.K.; Buck, E.C.

1995-12-31

Johnston Atoll was contaminated with transuranic elements, particularly plutonium, by atmospheric nuclear weapons tests and aborted nuclear devices. Initial cleanup operations and and an extensive soil remediation program were performed. However, many areas contained a low-level continuum of activity, and subsurface contamination has been detected. Discrete hot particles and contaminated soil were characterized to determine whether the spread of activity was caused by weathering. Analytical techniques included gamma spectrometry, alpha spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to determine transuranic elemental and isotopic composition. Ultrafiltration and small-particle handling techniques were employed to isolate individual particles. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, analyticalmore » transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy were used to characterize individual particles. Analyses of the hot particles showed that they are aborted nuclear warhead fragments that been melted and weathered in the presence of water and CaCO{sub 3}. It was concluded that the formation of aqueous ionic (Pu/Am)-CO{sub 3} coordinated complexes, during environmental exposure to large volumes of rainwater and carbonate-satured seawater, enhanced the solubility of transuranic elements. The (Pu/Am)-CO{sub 3} complexes sorbed onto colloidal CaCO{sub 3} and coral soil surfaces as they were exposed to rain and seawater. This mechanism led to greater dispersal of plutonium and americium than would be expected by physical transport of discrete hot particles alone.« less

DISSOLUTION OF LANTHANUM FLUORIDE PRECIPITATES

DOEpatents

Fries, B.A.

1959-11-10

A plutonium separatory ore concentration procedure involving the use of a fluoride type of carrier is presented. An improvement is given in the derivation step in the process for plutonium recovery by carrier precipitation of plutonium values from solution with a lanthanum fluoride carrier precipitate and subsequent derivation from the resulting plutonium bearing carrier precipitate of an aqueous acidic plutonium-containing solution. The carrier precipitate is contacted with a concentrated aqueous solution of potassium carbonate to effect dissolution therein of at least a part of the precipitate, including the plutonium values. Any remaining precipitate is separated from the resulting solution and dissolves in an aqueous solution containing at least 20% by weight of potassium carbonate. The reacting solutions are combined, and an alkali metal hydroxide added to a concentration of at least 2N to precipitate lanthanum hydroxide concomitantly carrying plutonium values.

Nuclear waste forms for actinides

PubMed Central

Ewing, Rodney C.

1999-01-01

The disposition of actinides, most recently 239Pu from dismantled nuclear weapons, requires effective containment of waste generated by the nuclear fuel cycle. Because actinides (e.g., 239Pu and 237Np) are long-lived, they have a major impact on risk assessments of geologic repositories. Thus, demonstrable, long-term chemical and mechanical durability are essential properties of waste forms for the immobilization of actinides. Mineralogic and geologic studies provide excellent candidate phases for immobilization and a unique database that cannot be duplicated by a purely materials science approach. The “mineralogic approach” is illustrated by a discussion of zircon as a phase for the immobilization of excess weapons plutonium. PMID:10097054

Atomic Bomb: The Story of the Manhattan Project; How nuclear physics became a global geopolitical game-changer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Bruce Cameron

2015-06-01

This volume, prepared by an acknowledged expert on the Manhattan Project, gives a concise, fast-paced account of all major aspects of the project at a level accessible to an undergraduate college or advanced high-school student familiar with some basic concepts of energy, atomic structure, and isotopes. The text describes the underlying scientific discoveries that made nuclear weapons possible, how the project was organized, the daunting challenges faced and overcome in obtaining fissile uranium and plutonium, and in designing workable bombs, the dramatic Trinity test carried out in the desert of southern New Mexico in July 1945, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Extreme ground motions and Yucca Mountain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanks, Thomas C.; Abrahamson, Norman A.; Baker, Jack W.; Boore, David M.; Board, Mark; Brune, James N.; Cornell, C. Allin; Whitney, John W.

2013-01-01

Yucca Mountain is the designated site of the underground repository for the United States' high-level radioactive waste (HLW), consisting of commercial and military spent nuclear fuel, HLW derived from reprocessing of uranium and plutonium, surplus plutonium, and other nuclear-weapons materials. Yucca Mountain straddles the western boundary of the Nevada Test Site, where the United States has tested nuclear devices since the 1950s, and is situated in an arid, remote, and thinly populated region of Nevada, ~100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Mountain was originally considered as a potential underground repository of HLW because of its thick units of unsaturated rocks, with the repository horizon being not only ~300 m above the water table but also ~300 m below the Yucca Mountain crest. The fundamental rationale for a geologic (underground) repository for HLW is to securely isolate these materials from the environment and its inhabitants to the greatest extent possible and for very long periods of time. Given the present climate conditions and what is known about the current hydrologic system and conditions around and in the mountain itself, one would anticipate that the rates of infiltration, corrosion, and transport would be very low—except for the possibility that repository integrity might be compromised by low-probability disruptive events, which include earthquakes, strong ground motion, and (or) a repository-piercing volcanic intrusion/eruption. Extreme ground motions (ExGM), as we use the phrase in this report, refer to the extremely large amplitudes of earthquake ground motion that arise at extremely low probabilities of exceedance (hazard). They first came to our attention when the 1998 probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Yucca Mountain was extended to a hazard level of 10-8/yr (a 10-4/yr probability for a 104-year repository “lifetime”). The primary purpose of this report is to summarize the principal results of the ExGM research program as they have developed over the past 5 years; what follows will be focused on Yucca Mountain, but not restricted to it.

Radioisotope contaminations from releases of the Tomsk-Seversk nuclear facility (Siberia, Russia).

PubMed

Gauthier-Lafaye, F; Pourcelot, L; Eikenberg, J; Beer, H; Le Roux, G; Rhikvanov, L P; Stille, P; Renaud, Ph; Mezhibor, A

2008-04-01

Soils have been sampled in the vicinity of the Tomsk-Seversk facility (Siberia, Russia) that allows us to measure radioactive contaminations due to atmospheric and aquatic releases. Indeed soils exhibit large inventories of man-made fission products including 137Cs (ranging from 33,000 to 68,500 Bq m(-2)) and actinides such as plutonium (i.e. 239+240Pu from 420 to 5900 Bq m(-2)) or 241Am (160-1220 Bq m(-2)). Among all sampling sites, the bank of the Romashka channel exhibits the highest radioisotope concentrations. At this site, some short half-life gamma emitters were detected as well indicating recent aquatic discharge in the channel. In comparison, soils that underwent atmospheric depositions like peat and forest soils exhibit lower activities of actinides and 137Cs. Soil activities are too high to be related solely to global fallout and thus the source of plutonium must be discharges from the Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC) plant. This is confirmed by plutonium isotopic ratios measured by ICP-MS; the low 241Pu/239Pu and 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratios with respect to global fallout ratio or civil nuclear fuel are consistent with weapons grade signatures. Up to now, the influence of Tomsk-Seversk plutonium discharges was speculated in the Ob River and its estuary. Isotopic data from the present study show that plutonium measured in SCC probably constitutes a significant source of plutonium in the aquatic environment, together with plutonium from global fallout and other contaminated sites including Tomsk, Mayak (Russia) and Semipalatinsk (Republic of Kazakhstan). It is estimated that the proportion of plutonium from SCC source can reach 45% for 239Pu and 60% for 241Pu in the sediments.

Natural radionuclide and plutonium content in Black Sea bottom sediments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strezov, A.; Stoilova, T.; Yordanova, I.

1996-01-01

The content of uranium, thorium, radium, lead, polonium, and plutonium in bottom sediments and algae from two locations at the Bulgarian Black Sea coast have been determined. Some parent:progeny ratios for evaluation of the geochemical behavior of the nuclides have been estimated as well. The extractable and total uranium and thorium are determined by two separate radiochemical procedures to differentiate the more soluble chemical forms of the elements and to estimate the potential hazard for the biosphere and for humans. No distinct seasonal variation as well as no significant change in total and extractable uranium (also for {sup 226}Ra) contentmore » is observed. The same is valid for extractable thorium while the total thorium content in the first two seasons is slightly higher. Our data show that {sup 210}Po content is accumulated more in the sediments than {sup 210}Pb, and the evaluated disequilibria suggest that the two radionuclides belong to more recent sediment layers deposited in the slime samples compared to the silt ones for the different seasons. The obtained values for plutonium are in the lower limits of the data cited in literature, which is quite clear as there are no plutonium discharge facilities at the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The obtained values for the activity ratio {sup 238}Pu: {sup 239+240}Pu are higher for Bjala sediments compared to those of Kaliakra. The ratio values are out of the variation range for the global contamination with weapon tests fallout plutonium which is probably due to Chernobyl accident contribution. The dependence of natural radionuclide content on the sediment type as well as the variation of nuclide accumulation for two types of algae in two sampling locations for five consecutive seasons is evaluated. No serious contamination with natural radionuclides in the algae is observed. 38 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs.« less

Residual radioactivity in the soil of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in the former USSR.

PubMed

Yamamoto, M; Tsukatani, T; Katayama, Y

1996-08-01

This paper deals with our efforts to survey residual radioactivity in the soil sampled at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and at off-site areas in Kazakhstan. The soil was sampled at the hypocenter where the first Soviet nuclear explosion was carried out on 29 August 1949, and at the bank of the crater called "Bolapan," which was formed by an underground nuclear detonation on 15 January 1965 along the Shagan River. As a comparison, other soil was also sampled in the cities of Kurchatov and Almaty. These data have allowed a preliminary evaluation of the contemporary radioactive contamination of the land in and around the test site. At the first nuclear explosion site and at Bolapan, higher than background levels of 239,240Pu with weapons-grade plutonium were detected together with fission and activation products such as 137Cs, 60Co, 152Eu, and 154Eu.

Chemical Disposition of Plutonium in Hanford Site Tank Wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delegard, Calvin H.; Jones, Susan A.

2015-05-07

This report examines the chemical disposition of plutonium (Pu) in Hanford Site tank wastes, by itself and in its observed and potential interactions with the neutron absorbers aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and sodium (Na). Consideration also is given to the interactions of plutonium with uranium (U). No consideration of the disposition of uranium itself as an element with fissile isotopes is considered except tangentially with respect to its interaction as an absorber for plutonium. The report begins with a brief review of Hanford Site plutonium processes, examining the various means used tomore » recover plutonium from irradiated fuel and from scrap, and also examines the intermediate processing of plutonium to prepare useful chemical forms. The paper provides an overview of Hanford tank defined-waste–type compositions and some calculations of the ratios of plutonium to absorber elements in these waste types and in individual waste analyses. These assessments are based on Hanford tank waste inventory data derived from separately published, expert assessments of tank disposal records, process flowsheets, and chemical/radiochemical analyses. This work also investigates the distribution and expected speciation of plutonium in tank waste solution and solid phases. For the solid phases, both pure plutonium compounds and plutonium interactions with absorber elements are considered. These assessments of plutonium chemistry are based largely on analyses of idealized or simulated tank waste or strongly alkaline systems. The very limited information available on plutonium behavior, disposition, and speciation in genuine tank waste also is discussed. The assessments show that plutonium coprecipitates strongly with chromium, iron, manganese and uranium absorbers. Plutonium’s chemical interactions with aluminum, nickel, and sodium are minimal to non-existent. Credit for neutronic interaction of plutonium with these absorbers occurs only if they are physically proximal in solution or the plutonium present in the solid phase is intimately mixed with compounds or solutions of these absorbers. No information on the potential chemical interaction of plutonium with cadmium was found in the technical literature. Definitive evidence of sorption or adsorption of plutonium onto various solid phases from strongly alkaline media is less clear-cut, perhaps owing to fewer studies and to some well-attributed tests run under conditions exceeding the very low solubility of plutonium. The several studies that are well-founded show that only about half of the plutonium is adsorbed from waste solutions onto sludge solid phases. The organic complexants found in many Hanford tank waste solutions seem to decrease plutonium uptake onto solids. A number of studies show plutonium sorbs effectively onto sodium titanate. Finally, this report presents findings describing the behavior of plutonium vis-à-vis other elements during sludge dissolution in nitric acid based on Hanford tank waste experience gained by lab-scale tests, chemical and radiochemical sample characterization, and full-scale processing in preparation for strontium-90 recovery from PUREX sludges.« less

Preparation of plutonium-bearing ceramics via mechanically activated precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chizhevskaya, S. V.; Stefanovsky, S. V.

2000-07-01

The problem of excess weapons plutonium disposition is suggested to be solved by means of its incorporation in stable ceramics with high chemical durability and radiation resistivity. The most promising host phases for plutonium as well as uranium and neutron poisons (gadolinium, hafnium) are zirconolite, pyrochlore, zircon, zirconia [1,2], and murataite [3]. Their production requires high temperatures and a fine-grained homogeneous precursor to reach final waste form with high quality and low leachability. Currently various routes to homogeneous products preparation such as sol-gel technology, wet-milling, and grinding in a ball or planetary mill are used. The best result demonstrates sol-gel technology but this route is very complicated. An alternative technology for preparation of ceramic precursors is the treatment of the oxide batch with high mechanical energy [4]. Such a treatment produces combination of mechanical (fine milling with formation of various defects, homogenization) and chemical (split bonds with formation of active centers—free radicals, ion-radicals, etc.) effects resulting in higher reactivity of the activated batch.

Determination of the 240Pu/ 239Pu atomic ratio in soils from Palomares (Spain) by low-energy accelerator mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamizo, E.; García-León, M.; Synal, H.-A.; Suter, M.; Wacker, L.

2006-08-01

In 1966, the nuclear fuel of two thermonuclear bombs was released over the Spanish region of Palomares, due to a B52 bomber accident during a refuelling operation. Since then, much effort has been made to assess its impact to the different environmental compartments of this area in South-East Spain, mostly by measuring the 239+240Pu activity concentration and the 238Pu/239+240Pu activity ratio. Nevertheless, these measurements do not give enough information on the problem. In order to recognize unambiguously small traces of the weapon-grade plutonium released in the accident, the ratio of the two major isotopes of plutonium, 240Pu/239Pu, has to be determined. In this work, this ratio has been measured in low- and high-activity samples from Palomares by means of low-energy accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). That way, we will show the potential of the new generation of compact AMS facilities in terms of plutonium characterization at ultra-trace levels.

Deploying Nuclear Detection Systems: A Proposed Strategy for Combating Nuclear Terrorism

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

lower cost than other gamma radiation detectors (if increased count rate is all one is looking for). Low cost makes plastic scintillation detectors...material, particularly enriched uranium and plutonium, the basic fuel for nuclear bombs. • Measures to strengthen international institutions to... uranium to specifications required for a nuclear weapon.1 This illicit shipment of centrifuges was part of an international nuclear materials

Science and technology review, April 1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Upadhye, R.

1997-04-01

This month's issue has the following articles: (1) The Laboratory in the News; (2) Commentary by Tom Isaacs--Shaping Nuclear Materials Policy; (3) Dealing with a Dangerous Surplus from the Cold War--Since the end of the Cold War, the Laboratory has been spearheading studies on the disposition of surplus weapons plutonium; (4) Volcanoes: A Peek into Our Planet's Plumbing; and (5) Optical Networks: The Wave of the Future.

Supplying the nuclear arsenal: Production reactor technology, management, and policy, 1942--1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlisle, R.P.; Zenzen, J.M.

1994-01-01

This book focuses on the lineage of America`s production reactors, those three at Hanford and their descendants, the reactors behind America`s nuclear weapons. The work will take only occasional sideways glances at the collateral lines of descent, the reactor cousins designed for experimental purposes, ship propulsion, and electric power generation. Over the decades from 1942 through 1992, fourteen American production reactors made enough plutonium to fuel a formidable arsenal of more than twenty thousand weapons. In the last years of that period, planners, nuclear engineers, and managers struggled over designs for the next generation of production reactors. The story ofmore » fourteen individual machines and of the planning effort to replace them might appear relatively narrow. Yet these machines lay at the heart of the nation`s nuclear weapons complex. The story of these machines is the story of arming the winning weapon, supplying the nuclear arms race. This book is intended to capture the history of the first fourteen production reactors, and associated design work, in the face of the end of the Cold War.« less

SEPARATION PROCESS USING COMPLEXING AND ADSORPTION

DOEpatents

Spedding, J.H.; Ayers, J.A.

1958-06-01

An adsorption process is described for separating plutonium from a solution of neutron-irradiated uranium containing ions of a compound of plutonium and other cations. The method consists of forming a chelate complex compound with plutoniunn ions in the solution by adding a derivative of 8- hydroxyquinoline, which derivative contains a sulfonic acid group, and adsorbing the remaining cations from the solution on a cation exchange resin, while the complexed plutonium remains in the solution.

Long-range tropospheric transport of uranium and plutonium weapons fallout from Semipalatinsk nuclear test site to Norway.

PubMed

Wendel, Cato Christian; Fifield, L Keith; Oughton, Deborah H; Lind, Ole Christian; Skipperud, Lindis; Bartnicki, Jerzy; Tims, Stephen G; Høibråten, Steinar; Salbu, Brit

2013-09-01

A combination of state-of-the-art isotopic fingerprinting techniques and atmospheric transport modelling using real-time historical meteorological data has been used to demonstrate direct tropospheric transport of radioactive debris from specific nuclear detonations at the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan to Norway via large areas of Europe. A selection of archived air filters collected at ground level at 9 stations in Norway during the most intensive atmospheric nuclear weapon testing periods (1957-1958 and 1961-1962) has been screened for radioactive particles and analysed with respect to the concentrations and atom ratios of plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U) using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Digital autoradiography screening demonstrated the presence of radioactive particles in the filters. Concentrations of (236)U (0.17-23nBqm(-3)) and (239+240)Pu (1.3-782μBqm(-3)) as well as the atom ratios (240)Pu/(239)Pu (0.0517-0.237) and (236)U/(239)Pu (0.0188-0.7) varied widely indicating several different sources. Filter samples from autumn and winter tended to have lower atom ratios than those sampled in spring and summer, and this likely reflects a tropospheric influence in months with little stratospheric fallout. Very high (236)U, (239+240)Pu and gross beta activity concentrations as well as low (240)Pu/(239)Pu (0.0517-0.077), (241)Pu/(239)Pu (0.00025-0.00062) and (236)U/(239)Pu (0.0188-0.046) atom ratios, characteristic of close-in and tropospheric fallout, were observed in filters collected at all stations in Nov 1962, 7-12days after three low-yield detonations at Semipalatinsk (Kazakhstan). Atmospheric transport modelling (NOAA HYSPLIT_4) using real-time meteorological data confirmed that long range transport of radionuclides, and possibly radioactive particles, from Semipalatinsk to Norway during this period was plausible. The present work shows that direct tropospheric transport of fallout from atmospheric nuclear detonations periodically may have had much larger influence on radionuclide air concentrations and deposition than previously anticipated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plutonium activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in sediment cores from the east China sea and Okinawa Trough: Sources and inventories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhong-liang; Yamada, Masatoshi

2005-05-01

Plutonium concentrations and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediment cores were determined by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after separation using ion-exchange chromatography. The results showed that 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, ranging from 0.21 to 0.33, were much higher than the reported value of global fallout (0.18). The highest 240Pu/ 239Pu ratios (0.32-0.33) were observed in the deepest Okinawa Trough sediment samples. These ratios suggested the US nuclear weapons tests in the early 1950s at the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands were a major source of plutonium in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, in addition to the global fallout source. It was proposed that close-in fallout plutonium was delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds test sites via early direct tropospheric fallout and transportation by the North Pacific Equatorial Circulation system and Kuroshio Current into the Okinawa Trough and East China Sea. The total 239 + 240 Pu inventories in the cores were about 150-200% of that expected from direct global fallout; about 46-67% of the total inventories were delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds. Much higher 239 + 240 Pu inventories were observed in the East China Sea sediments than in sediments of the Okinawa Trough, because in the open oceans, part of the 239 + 240 Pu was still retained in the water column, and continued Pu scavenging was higher over the margin than the trough. According to the vertical distributions of 239 + 240 Pu activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in these cores, it was concluded that sediment mixing was the dominant process in controlling profiles of plutonium in this area. Faster mixing in the coastal samples has homogenized the entire 240Pu/ 239Pu ratio record today; slightly slower mixing and less scavenging in the Okinawa Trough have left the surface sediment ratios closer to the modern North Pacific water end member and higher ratios (0.30-0.34) at the bottom of the cores.

``Recycling'' Nuclear Power Plant Waste: Technical Difficulties and Proliferation Concerns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyman, Edwin

2007-04-01

One of the most vexing problems associated with nuclear energy is the inability to find a technically and politically viable solution for the disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. The U.S. plan to develop a geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada is in jeopardy, as a result of managerial incompetence, political opposition and regulatory standards that may be impossible to meet. As a result, there is growing interest in technologies that are claimed to have the potential to drastically reduce the amount of waste that would require geologic burial and the length of time that the waste would require containment. A scenario for such a vision was presented in the December 2005 Scientific American. While details differ, these technologies share a common approach: they require chemical processing of spent fuel to extract plutonium and other long-lived actinide elements, which would then be ``recycled'' into fresh fuel for advanced reactors and ``transmuted'' into shorter-lived fission products. Such a scheme is the basis for the ``Global Nuclear Energy Partnership,'' a major program unveiled by the Department of Energy (DOE) in early 2006. This concept is not new, but has been studied for decades. Major obstacles include fundamental safety issues, engineering feasibility and cost. Perhaps the most important consideration in the post-9/11 era is that these technologies involve the separation of plutonium and other nuclear weapon-usable materials from highly radioactive fission products, providing opportunities for terrorists seeking to obtain nuclear weapons. While DOE claims that it will only utilize processes that do not produce ``separated plutonium,'' it has offered no evidence that such technologies would effectively deter theft. It is doubtful that DOE's scheme can be implemented without an unacceptable increase in the risk of nuclear terrorism.

THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF MATERIAS ASSOCIATED WITH THORIUM-BASED NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES FOR PHWRS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prichard, Andrew W.; Niehus, Mark T.; Collins, Brian A.

2011-07-17

This paper reports the continued evaluation of the attractiveness of materials mixtures containing special nuclear materials (SNM) associated with thorium based nuclear fuel cycles. Specifically, this paper examines a thorium fuel cycle in which a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) is fueled with mixtures of natural uranium/233U/thorium. This paper uses a PHWR fueled with natural uranium as a base fuel cycle, and then compares material attractiveness of fuel cycles that use 233U/thorium salted with natural uranium. The results include the material attractiveness of fuel at beginning of life (BoL), end of life (EoL), and the number of fuel assemblies requiredmore » to collect a bare critical mass of plutonium or uranium. This study indicates what is required to render the uranium as having low utility for use in nuclear weapons; in addition, this study estimates the increased number of assemblies required to accumulate a bare critical mass of plutonium that has a higher utility for use in nuclear weapons. This approach identifies that some fuel cycles may be easier to implement the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards approach and have a more effective safeguards by design outcome. For this study, approximately one year of fuel is required to be reprocessed to obtain one bare critical mass of plutonium. Nevertheless, the result of this paper suggests that all spent fuel needs to be rigorously safeguarded and provided with high levels of physical protection. This study was performed at the request of the United States Department of Energy /National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA). The methodology and key findings will be presented.« less

Calorimetry of low mass Pu239 items

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cremers, Teresa L; Sampson, Thomas E

2010-01-01

Calorimetric assay has the reputation of providing the highest precision and accuracy of all nondestructive assay measurements. Unfortunately, non-destructive assay practitioners and measurement consumers often extend, inappropriately, the high precision and accuracy of calorimetric assay to very low mass items. One purpose of this document is to present more realistic expectations for the random uncertainties associated with calorimetric assay for weapons grade plutonium items with masses of 200 grams or less.

International Partnerships to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

public, plant , and animal), medicine , economics, law enforcement, and the scientific process itself—and thus engage a range of expert and stakeholder...OCCASIONAL PAPER 6 and replace them with fossil fuel plants ; a multilateral effort to dispose of 34 tons of Russian plutonium; and a number of...nonproliferation benefits: there is no technology ‘silver bullet’ that can be built into an enrichment plant or reprocessing plant that can prevent a

What Lies Beneath Can Be Imaged

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Tim

The Hanford Site was quickly established to help end World War II, making history for producing the plutonium used in the world’s first nuclear weapons. Throughout the Cold War years, Hanford employees produced plutonium for most of the more than 60,000 weapons in the U.S. nuclear arsenal stockpile. Today, the once highly active nuclear reactors are shut down. And the mission at Hanford turned full-circle as scientists, engineers and specialists work to clean up our nation’s most contaminated nuclear site. PNNL Computational Geophysicist Tim Johnson is helping decision-makers understand the complexity and breadth of the contamination in soils at Hanford.more » Tim and others are applying remote, high-resolution geophysical imaging to determine the extent of contamination in the soil below the surface and understand the processes controlling its movement. They also provide real-time imaging of remediation processes that are working to limit the movement of contaminants below the surface and toward water resources. Geophysical imaging simply means that PNNL scientists are combining the techniques of geology, physics, mathematics and chemistry with supercomputer modeling to create three-dimensional images of the waste and its movement. These real-time, remote images are essential in reducing the uncertainty associated with cleanup costs and remediation technologies.« less

Continuous transport of Pacific-derived anthropogenic radionuclides towards the Indian Ocean

PubMed Central

Pittauer, Daniela; Tims, Stephen G.; Froehlich, Michaela B.; Fifield, L. Keith; Wallner, Anton; McNeil, Steven D.; Fischer, Helmut W.

2017-01-01

Unusually high concentrations of americium and plutonium have been observed in a sediment core collected from the eastern Lombok Basin between Sumba and Sumbawa Islands in the Indonesian Archipelago. Gamma spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry data together with radiometric dating of the core provide a high-resolution record of ongoing deposition of anthropogenic radionuclides. A plutonium signature characteristic of the Pacific Proving Grounds (PPG) dominates in the first two decades after the start of the high yield atmospheric tests in 1950’s. Approximately 40–70% of plutonium at this site in the post 1970 period originates from the PPG. This sediment record of transuranic isotopes deposition over the last 55 years provides evidence for the continuous long-distance transport of particle-reactive radionuclides from the Pacific Ocean towards the Indian Ocean. PMID:28304374

Past Exposure to Densely Ionizing Radiation Leaves a Unique Permanent Signature in the Genome

PubMed Central

Hande, M. Prakash; Azizova, Tamara V.; Geard, Charles R.; Burak, Ludmilla E.; Mitchell, Catherine R.; Khokhryakov, Valentin F.; Vasilenko, Evgeny K.; Brenner, David J.

2003-01-01

Speculation has long surrounded the question of whether past exposure to ionizing radiation leaves a unique permanent signature in the genome. Intrachromosomal rearrangements or deletions are produced much more efficiently by densely ionizing radiation than by chemical mutagens, x-rays, or endogenous aging processes. Until recently, such stable intrachromosomal aberrations have been very hard to detect, but a new chromosome band painting technique has made their detection practical. We report the detection and quantification of stable intrachromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes of healthy former nuclear-weapons workers who were exposed to plutonium many years ago. Even many years after occupational exposure, more than half the blood cells of the healthy plutonium workers contain large (>6 Mb) intrachromosomal rearrangements. The yield of these aberrations was highly correlated with plutonium dose to the bone marrow. The control groups contained very few such intrachromosomal aberrations. Quantification of this large-scale chromosomal damage in human populations exposed many years earlier will lead to new insights into the mechanisms and risks of cytogenetic damage. PMID:12679897

Independent verification of plutonium decontamination on Johnston Atoll (1992--1996)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson-Nichols, M.J.; Wilson, J.E.; McDowell-Boyer, L.M.

1998-05-01

The Field Command, Defense Special Weapons Agency (FCDSWA) (formerly FCDNA) contracted Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Technology Section (ETS) to conduct an independent verification (IV) of the Johnston Atoll (JA) Plutonium Decontamination Project by an interagency agreement with the US Department of Energy in 1992. The main island is contaminated with the transuranic elements plutonium and americium, and soil decontamination activities have been ongoing since 1984. FCDSWA has selected a remedy that employs a system of sorting contaminated particles from the coral/soil matrix, allowing uncontaminated soil to be reused. The objective of IV is to evaluate the effectiveness ofmore » remedial action. The IV contractor`s task is to determine whether the remedial action contractor has effectively reduced contamination to levels within established criteria and whether the supporting documentation describing the remedial action is adequate. ORNL conducted four interrelated tasks from 1992 through 1996 to accomplish the IV mission. This document is a compilation and summary of those activities, in addition to a comprehensive review of the history of the project.« less

The Military Significance of Small Uranium Enrichment Facilities Fed with Low-Enrichment Uranium (Redacted)

DTIC Science & Technology

1969-12-01

a five-year supply of enriched uranium for reactor fuel . Nevertheless, it seems clear that some foreign enrichment developments are approaching a...produc- tion of fissile material could powerfully influence the assessment of risks and benefits of a nuclear weapons development program . Since... program is likely to include the production of its own relatively pure fissile plutonium. This would involve more rapid cycling and reprocessing of fuel

An Iranium bomb?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Albright, D.

1995-07-01

This year, the nuclear proliferation spotlight has swung away from Iraq and North Korea, only to focus on Iran. Western intelligence agencies have assembled a substantial body of evidence suggesting that, although Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is secretly pursuing a broad, organized effort to develop nuclear weapons. US officials say that Iran is attempting to acquire nuclear technologies that are not consistent with a strictly peaceful program. Intelligence agencies have detected procurement patterns that point to a weapons program. Iran has a multifaceted strategy to develop options to make nuclear weapons: Iran has sought, with limitedmore » success, to buy nuclear power and research facilities from many countries, particularly China and Russia; Iran has shopped quietly in many countries, particularly in Western and Eastern Europe, for a wide range of nuclear-related or dual-use nuclear items that might enable it to put together facilities to enrich uranium, separate plutonium, and make nuclear weapons. There is little public information about how effective this clandestine shopping has been or which countries have been contacted; There is no evidence that Iran has bought any fissile material - but not for wont of trying, and the matter continues to be scrutinized very closely.« less

Radiation in the workplace-a review of studies of the risks of occupational exposure to ionising radiation.

PubMed

Wakeford, Richard

2009-06-01

Many individuals are, or have been, exposed to ionising radiation in the course of their work and the epidemiological study of occupationally irradiated groups offers an important opportunity to complement the estimates of risks to health resulting from exposure to radiation that are obtained from other populations, such as the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Moreover, workplace exposure to radiation usually involves irradiation conditions that are of direct relevance to the principal concern of radiological protection: protracted exposure to low level radiation. Further, some workers have been exposed to radioactive material that has been inadvertently taken into the body, and the study of these groups leads to risk estimates derived directly from the experience of those irradiated by these 'internal emitters', intakes of alpha-particle-emitters being of particular interest. Workforces that have been the subject of epidemiological study include medical staff, aircrews, radium dial luminisers, underground hard-rock miners, Chernobyl clean-up workers, nuclear weapons test participants and nuclear industry workers. The first solid epidemiological evidence of the stochastic effects of irradiation came from a study of occupational exposure to medical x-rays that was reported in 1944, which demonstrated a large excess risk of leukaemia among US radiologists; but the general lack of dose records for early medical staff who tended to experience the highest exposures hampers the derivation of risks per unit dose received by medical workers. The instrument dial luminisers who inadvertently ingested large amounts of radium-based paint and underground hard-rock miners who inhaled large quantities of radon and its decay products suffered markedly raised excess risks of, respectively, bone and lung cancers; the miner studies have provided standard risk estimates for radon-induced lung cancer. The large numbers of nuclear industry workers around the world present a possibility of deriving risk coefficients of direct relevance to radiological protection, and the recently published study of workers from 15 countries illustrates what can be achieved by international collaboration. However, it would appear that there are some problems with this study that require attention before reliance can be placed upon the results. Early workers from the Mayak plutonium production facility in Russia were heavily exposed to external sources of penetrating radiation and to plutonium, and appreciable effort has been expended in obtaining dependable risk estimates from this scientifically valuable group of workers. Those occupationally exposed to low levels of radiation also present an opportunity of studying possible somatic health effects other than cancer, such as heart disease and eye cataracts, that are the subject of much discussion at present. Overall, studies of exposure to ionising radiation in the workplace provide a valuable support to studies of those groups exposed under other circumstances, and in some instances (such as exposure to plutonium) effectively offer the only direct source of epidemiological evidence on risks.

Preliminary results of calculations for heavy-water nuclear-power-plant reactors employing 235U, 233U, and 232Th as a fuel and meeting requirements of a nonproliferation of nuclear weapons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ioffe, B. L.; Kochurov, B. P.

2012-02-01

A physical design is developed for a gas-cooled heavy-water nuclear reactor intended for a project of a nuclear power plant. As a fuel, the reactor would employ thorium with a small admixture of enriched uranium that contains not more than 20% of 235U. It operates in the open-cycle mode involving 233U production from thorium and its subsequent burnup. The reactor meets the conditions of a nonproliferation of nuclear weapons: the content of fissionable isotopes in uranium at all stages of the process, including the final one, is below the threshold for constructing an atomic bomb, the amount of product plutonium being extremely small.

Was Nazi Germany on the Road to an Atomic Bomb after all?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lustig, Harry

2006-04-01

The story of Germany's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon during World War II is a much written about and contentious subject. However there has been agreement on one thing: by the end of the War the Germans had not achieved and were nowhere near to building a bomb. The dispute therefore has been about why Germany did not succeed. Now, from Germany, comes a challenge to this truth, in the provocative book Hitlers Bombe by Rainer Karlsch. The bombshell in Hitler's Bombe is the assertion that German scientists developed and tested a primitive fission and fusion nuclear weapon in March 1945. Karlsch bases this claim on testimony of witnesses in 1962, previously secret Russian documents, and the results of soil tests carried out in 2004 and 2005. However the physics is very murky and it seems out of the question that Germany had enough Uranium 235 or produced any Plutonium for a bomb. Hitlers Bombe also makes other, better documented and more credible revisionist assertions. These include the claim that the Nazis did continue to try to build a bomb after 1942 and that not Werner Heisenberg, but Kurt Diebner and Walther Gerlach were then the leaders of the German Uranium project. Karlsch's book therefore deserves more attention from physicists and historians than it has received in the United States.

Historic Manhattan Project Sites at Los Alamos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGehee, Ellen

The Manhattan Project laboratory constructed at Los Alamos, New Mexico, beginning in 1943, was intended from the start to be temporary and to go up with amazing speed. Because most of those WWII-era facilities were built with minimal materials and so quickly, much of the original infrastructure was torn down in the late '40s and early '50s and replaced by more permanent facilities. However, a few key facilities remained, and are being preserved and maintained for historic significance. Four such sites are visited briefly in this video, taking viewers to V-Site, the buildings where the first nuclear explosive device wasmore » pre-assembled in preparation for the Trinity Test in Southern New Mexico. Included is another WWII area, Gun Site. So named because it was the area where scientists and engineers tested the so-called "gun method" of assembling nuclear materials -- the fundamental design of the Little Boy weapon that was eventually dropped on Hiroshima. The video also goes to Pajarito Site, home of the "Slotin Building" and "Pond Cabin." The Slotin Building is the place where scientist Louis Slotin conducted a criticality experiment that went awry in early 1946, leading to his unfortunate death, and the Pond Cabin served the team of eminent scientist Emilio Segre who did early chemistry work on plutonium that ultimately led to the Fat Man weapon.« less

Historic Manhattan Project Sites at Los Alamos

ScienceCinema

McGehee, Ellen

2018-05-11

The Manhattan Project laboratory constructed at Los Alamos, New Mexico, beginning in 1943, was intended from the start to be temporary and to go up with amazing speed. Because most of those WWII-era facilities were built with minimal materials and so quickly, much of the original infrastructure was torn down in the late '40s and early '50s and replaced by more permanent facilities. However, a few key facilities remained, and are being preserved and maintained for historic significance. Four such sites are visited briefly in this video, taking viewers to V-Site, the buildings where the first nuclear explosive device was pre-assembled in preparation for the Trinity Test in Southern New Mexico. Included is another WWII area, Gun Site. So named because it was the area where scientists and engineers tested the so-called "gun method" of assembling nuclear materials -- the fundamental design of the Little Boy weapon that was eventually dropped on Hiroshima. The video also goes to Pajarito Site, home of the "Slotin Building" and "Pond Cabin." The Slotin Building is the place where scientist Louis Slotin conducted a criticality experiment that went awry in early 1946, leading to his unfortunate death, and the Pond Cabin served the team of eminent scientist Emilio Segre who did early chemistry work on plutonium that ultimately led to the Fat Man weapon.

Radiostrontium accumulation in animal bones: development of a radiochemical method by ultra low-level liquid scintillation counting for its quantification.

PubMed

Iammarino, Marco; Dell'Oro, Daniela; Bortone, Nicola; Mangiacotti, Michele; Chiaravalle, Antonio Eugenio

2018-03-31

Strontium-90 (90Sr) is a fission product, resulting from the use of uranium and plutonium in nuclear reactors and weapons. Consequently, it may be found in the environment as a consequence of nuclear fallouts, nuclear weapon testing, and not correct waste management. When present in the environment, strontium-90 may be taken into animal body by drinking water, eating food, or breathing air. The primary health effects are bone tumors and tumors of the blood-cell forming organs, due to beta particles emitted by both 90Sr and yttrium-90 (90Y). Moreover, another health concern is represented by inhibition of calcification and bone deformities in animals. Actually, radiometric methods for the determination of 90Sr in animal bones are lacking. This article describers a radiochemical method for the determination of 90Sr in animal bones, by ultra low-level liquid scintillation counting. The method precision and trueness have been demonstrated through validation tests (CV% = 12.4%; mean recovery = 98.4%). Detection limit and decision threshold corresponding to 8 and 3 mBecquerel (Bq) kg-1, respectively, represent another strong point of this analytical procedure. This new radiochemical method permits the selective extraction of 90Sr, without interferences, and it is suitable for radiocontamination surveillance programs, and it is also an improvement with respect to food safety controls.

Preserving Plutonium-244 as a National Asset

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patton, Bradley D; Alexander, Charles W; Benker, Dennis

Plutonium-244 (244 Pu) is an extremely rare and long-lived isotope of plutonium with a half-life of 80 million years. Measureable amounts of 244 Pu are found in neither reactor-grade nor weapons-grade plutonium. Production of this isotope requires a very high thermal flux to permit the two successive neutron captures that convert 242 Pu to 243 Pu to 244 Pu, particularly given the short (about 5 hour) half-life of 243 Pu. Such conditions simply do not exist in plutonium production processes. Therefore, 244 Pu is ideal for precise radiochemical analyses measuring plutonium material properties and isotopic concentrations in items containing plutonium.more » Isotope dilution mass spectrometry is about ten times more sensitive when using 244 Pu rather than 242 Pu for determining plutonium isotopic content. The isotope can also be irradiated in small quantities to produce superheavy elements. The majority of the existing global inventory of 244 Pu is contained in the outer housing of Mark-18A targets at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The total inventory is about 20 grams of 244 Pu in about 400 grams of plutonium distributed among the 65 targets. Currently, there are no specific plans to preserve these targets. Although the cost of separating and preserving this material would be considerable, it is trivial in comparison to new production costs. For all practical purposes, the material is irreplaceable, because new production would cost billions of dollars and require a series of irradiation and chemical separation cycles spanning up to 50 years. This paper will discuss a set of options for overcoming the significant challenges to preserve the 244 Pu as a National Asset: (1) the need to relocate the material from SRS in a timely manner, (2) the need to reduce the volume of material to the extent possible for storage, and (3) the need to establish an operational capability to enrich the 244 Pu in significant quantities. This paper suggests that if all the Mark-18A plutonium is separated, it would occupy a small volume and would be inexpensive to store while an enrichment capability is developed. Very small quantities could be enriched in existing mass separators to support critical needs.« less

Quantitative NDA measurements of advanced reprocessing product materials containing uranium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goddard, Braden

The ability of inspection agencies and facility operators to measure powders containing several actinides is increasingly necessary as new reprocessing techniques and fuel forms are being developed. These powders are difficult to measure with nondestructive assay (NDA) techniques because neutrons emitted from induced and spontaneous fission of different nuclides are very similar. A neutron multiplicity technique based on first principle methods was developed to measure these powders by exploiting isotope-specific nuclear properties, such as the energy-dependent fission cross sections and the neutron induced fission neutron multiplicity. This technique was tested through extensive simulations using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) code and by one measurement campaign using the Active Well Coincidence Counter (AWCC) and two measurement campaigns using the Epithermal Neutron Multiplicity Counter (ENMC) with various (alpha,n) sources and actinide materials. Four potential applications of this first principle technique have been identified: (1) quantitative measurement of uranium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium materials; (2) quantitative measurement of mixed oxide (MOX) materials; (3) quantitative measurement of uranium materials; and (4) weapons verification in arms control agreements. This technique still has several challenges which need to be overcome, the largest of these being the challenge of having high-precision active and passive measurements to produce results with acceptably small uncertainties.

Announced United States nuclear tests, July 1945 through December 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-04-01

This document lists chronologically and alphabetically by event name all nuclear tests conducted and announced by the United States from July 1945 through December 1987, with the exception of the GMX experiments. The 24 GMX experiments, conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) between December 1954 and February 1956, were /open quotes/equation-of-state/close quotes/ physics studies that used small chemical explosives and small quantities of plutonium. Several tests conducted during Operation Dominic involved missile launches from Johnston Atoll. Several of these missle launches were aborted, resulting in the destruction of the missile and nuclear device either on the pad or inmore » the air. Data on United States tests were obtained from and verified by the Department of Energy's three weapons laboratories--Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California; and Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Additionally, data were obtained from public announcements issued by the Atomic Energy Commission and its successors, the Energy Research and Development Administation and the Department of Energy, respectively.« less

2. VIEW LOOKING NORTHEAST AT BUILDING 444 UNDER CONSTRUCTION. BUILDING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. VIEW LOOKING NORTHEAST AT BUILDING 444 UNDER CONSTRUCTION. BUILDING 444 WAS THE PRIMARY NON-PLUTONIUM MANUFACTURING FACILITY AT THE ROCKY FLATS PLANT. MANUFACTURING PROCESSES COMPLETED IN THIS BUILDING WERE USED TO FABRICATE WEAPONS COMPONENTS AND ASSEMBLIES FOR A VARIETY OF MATERIALS, INCLUDING DEPLETED URANIUM, BERYLLIUM, STAINLESS STEEL, ALUMINUM, AND VANADIUM. (4/25/52) - Rocky Flats Plant, Non-Nuclear Production Facility, South of Cottonwood Avenue, west of Seventh Avenue & east of Building 460, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Characterization of Representative Materials in Support of Safe, Long Term Storage of Surplus Plutonium in DOE-STD-3013 Containers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Narlesky, Joshua E.; Stroud, Mary Ann; Smith, Paul Herrick

2013-02-15

The Surveillance and Monitoring Program is a joint Los Alamos National Laboratory/Savannah River Site effort funded by the Department of Energy-Environmental Management to provide the technical basis for the safe, long-term storage (up to 50 years) of over 6 metric tons of plutonium stored in over 5,000 DOE-STD-3013 containers at various facilities around the DOE complex. The majority of this material is plutonium that is surplus to the nuclear weapons program, and much of it is destined for conversion to mixed oxide fuel for use in US nuclear power plants. The form of the plutonium ranges from relatively pure metalmore » and oxide to very impure oxide. The performance of the 3013 containers has been shown to depend on moisture content and on the levels, types and chemical forms of the impurities. The oxide materials that present the greatest challenge to the storage container are those that contain chloride salts. Other common impurities include oxides and other compounds of calcium, magnesium, iron, and nickel. Over the past 15 years the program has collected a large body of experimental data on 54 samples of plutonium, with 53 chosen to represent the broader population of materials in storage. This paper summarizes the characterization data, moisture analysis, particle size, surface area, density, wattage, actinide composition, trace element impurity analysis, and shelf life surveillance data and includes origin and process history information. Limited characterization data on fourteen nonrepresentative samples is also presented.« less

Characterization of representative materials in support of safe, long term storage of surplus plutonium in DOE-STD-3013 containers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Paul H; Narlesky, Joshua E; Worl, Laura A

2010-01-01

The Surveillance and Monitoring Program (SMP) is a joint LANL/SRS effort funded by DOE/EM to provide the technical basis for the safe, long-term storage (up to 50 years) of over 6 metric tons of plutonium stored in over 5000 DOE-STD-3013 containers at various facilities around the DOE complex. The majority of this material is plutonium that is surplus to the nuclear weapons program, and much of it is destined for conversion to mixed oxide fuel for use in US nuclear power plants. The form of the plutonium ranges from relatively pure metal and oxide to very impure oxide. The performancemore » of the 3013 containers has been shown to depend on moisture content and on the levels, types and chemical forms of the impurities. The oxide materials that present the greatest challenge to the storage container are those that contain chloride salts. The chlorides (NaCl, KCl, CaCl{sub 2}, and MgCl{sub 2}) range from less than half of the impurities present to nearly all the impurities. Other common impurities include oxides and other compounds of calcium, magnesium, iron, and nickel. Over the past 15 years the program has collected a large body of experimental data on over 60 samples of plutonium chosen to represent the broader population of materials in storage. This paper will summarize the characterization data, including the origin and process history, particle size, surface area, density, calorimetry, chemical analysis, moisture analysis, prompt gamma, gas generation and corrosion behavior.« less

Vertical and horizontal fluxes of plutonium and americium in the western Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar.

PubMed

León Vintró, L; Mitchell, P I; Condren, O M; Downes, A B; Papucci, C; Delfanti, R

1999-09-30

New data on the vertical distributions of plutonium and americium in the waters of the western Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar are examined in terms of the processes governing their delivery to, transport in and removal from the water column within the basin. Residence times for plutonium and americium in surface waters of approximately 15 and approximately 3 years, respectively, are deduced, and it is shown that by the mid 1990s only approximately 35% of the 239,240Pu and approximately 5% of the 241Am deposited as weapons fallout still resided in the water column. Present 239,240Pu inventories in the water column and the underlying sediments are estimated to be approximately 25 TBq and approximately 40 TBq, respectively, which reconcile well with the time-integrated fallout deposition in this zone, taken to be approximately 69 TBq. The data show that there are significant net outward fluxes of plutonium and americium from the basin through the Strait of Gibraltar at the present time. These appear to be compensated by net inward fluxes of similar magnitude through the Strait of Sicily. Thus, the time-integrated fallout deposition in the western basin can be accounted for satisfactorily in terms of present water column and sediment inventories. Enhanced scavenging on the continental shelves, as evidenced by the appreciably higher transuranic concentrations in shelf sediments, supports this contention.

Nuclear Archeology in a Bottle: Evidence of Pre-Trinity U.S. Weapons Activities from a Waste Burial Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwantes, Jon M.; Douglas, Matthew; Bonde, Steven E.

2009-02-15

During World War II, the Hanford Site in Washington was chosen for plutonium production. In 2004, a bottle containing a sample of plutonium was recovered from a Hanford waste trench. Isotopic age dating indicated the sample was separated from the fuel pellet 64 ±2.8 years earlier. Detectable products of secondary nuclear reactions, such as 22Na, proved useful as 1) a detectable analog for alpha emitting actinides, 2) an indicator of sample splitting, and 3) a measure of the time since sample splitting. The sample origin was identified as the X-10 reactor, Oak Ridge, TN. Corroborated by historical documents, we concludedmore » this sample was part of the first batch of Pu separated at T-Plant, Hanford, the world’s first industrial-scale reprocessing facility, on December 9, 1944.« less

Sedimentary record of plutonium in the North Yellow Sea and the response to catchment environmental changes of inflow rivers.

PubMed

Xu, Yihong; Pan, Shaoming; Gao, Jianhua; Hou, Xiaolin; Ma, Yongfu; Hao, Yongpei

2018-09-01

Plutonium (Pu) isotopes were first determined in surface and core sediment samples collected from the northern North Yellow Sea (NYS) to elucidate their source terms and deposition process as well as the response to catchment environmental changes of inflow rivers. 240 Pu/ 239 Pu atom ratios in all sediments showed the typical global fallout value of ∼0.18 without any influences from the nuclear weapons tests conducted recently in the North Korea or early in the Pacific Proving Ground. The large variation of 239+240 Pu activities (0.022-0.515 mBq/g) observed in surface sediments should be mainly attributed to the re-suspension and transportation of fine sediments influenced by the Liaonan Costal Current. Based on the two 239+249 Pu depth profiles with easily observed onset fallout levels (1952) and global fallout peaks (1963), 239+240 Pu served as a valid time mark in the coastal sedimentary system. Riverine input Pu contributed only 15-27% to the total global fallout inventory (92.5-108.8 Bq/m 2 ) in the northern NYS, much lower than that in the Yangtze River estuary (77-80%), indicating a better soil conservation in the northeast China due to higher forest coverage compared to the Yangtze River's drainage basin. The increase of riverine input Pu after 1980s reflected the more intense soil erosion degree caused by the land use and cover change due to the increment of human activities in the northeast China at the same period. Our results demonstrated that plutonium is a good indicator for studying sedimentary process and its response to the environment in the coastal area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

History of 232-F, tritium extraction processing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blackburn, G.W.

1994-08-01

In 1950 the Atomic Energy Commission authorized the Savannah River Project principally for the production of tritium and plutonium-239 for use in thermonuclear weapons. 232-F was built as an interim facility in 1953--1954, at a cost of $3.9M. Tritium extraction operations began in October, 1955, after the reactor and separations startups. In July, 1957 a larger tritium facility began operation in 232-H. In 1958 the capacity of 232-H was doubled. Also, in 1957 a new task was assigned to Savannah River, the loading of tritium into reservoirs that would be actual components of thermonuclear weapons. This report describes the historymore » of 232-F, the process for tritium extraction, and the lessons learned over the years that were eventually incorporated into the new Replacement Tritium Facility.« less

One perspective on stakeholder involvement at Hanford.

PubMed

Martin, Todd

2011-11-01

The Hanford nuclear site in Washington State had a major role in the production of nuclear weapons materials during the Manhattan Project in World War II and during the Cold War that followed. The production of weapons-grade radionuclides produced a large amount of radioactive byproducts that have been stored since the mid-1900s at the Hanford Site. These by-product radionuclides have leaked from containment facilities into the groundwater, contaminated buildings used for radionuclide processing, and also contaminated the nuclear reactors used to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. This issue has been a major concern to Hanford stakeholders for several decades, and the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology established a Tri-Party Agreement in 1989, at which time Hanford ceased production of nuclear weapons materials and began a major effort to clean up and remediate the Hanford Site's contaminated groundwater, soil, and facilities. This paper describes the concerns of stakeholders in the production of nuclear weapons, the secrecy of Hanford operations, and the potential impacts to public health and the environment from the unintended releases of weapons-grade materials and by-products associated with their production at the Hanford Site. It also describes the involvement of public stakeholders in the development and oversight by the Hanford Advisory Board of the steps that have been taken in cleanup activities at the Hanford Site that began as a major effort about two decades ago. The importance of involvement of the general public and public interest organizations in developing and implementing the Hanford cleanup strategy are described in detail.

The ``Nuclear Renaissance'' and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyman, Edwin S.

2007-05-01

As interest grows around the world in nuclear power as an energy source that could help control greenhouse gas emissions, some have proclaimed the arrival of a ``nuclear renaissance.'' But can the increased risks of more nuclear power be managed? The political crisis surrounding Iran's pursuit of uranium enrichment has exposed weaknesses in the nuclear nonproliferation regime. Also, al Qaeda's declared interest in weapons of mass destruction raises the concern that terrorists could acquire nuclear weapons by stealing materials from poorly secured facilities. Growth of nuclear energy would require the construction of many additional uranium enrichment plants. And the generation of more spent nuclear fuel without a credible waste disposal strategy would increase political support for reprocessing, which separates large quantities of weapon-usable plutonium from spent fuel. There is little evidence that the various institutional arrangements and technical schemes proposed to mitigate the security risks of a major nuclear expansion would be effective. This talk will focus on the measures necessary to allow large-scale global growth of nuclear power without resulting in an unacceptably high risk of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism, and will discuss the feasibility of such measures. To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2007.OSS07.E1.2

The American atom: A documentary history of nuclear policies from the discovery of fission to the present

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, R.C.; Cantelon, P.L.

1984-01-01

In selecting these historical documents the authors have applied three general tests: first, does the document help tell the story of the development of American nuclear policy in a nontechnical way; second, is the source primary rather than secondary, written by an actor in the drama rather than by a member of the audience; third, does the document provide coverage of the major chapters in the story. The Manhattan Project was America's $2 billion secret project to build an atomic bomb. Many documents associated with the project have come to light only in recent years. In Section II they usemore » the letters of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the recently declassified minutes of policy committees to tell the story of how the bomb was designed and built and how the decision was made to drop the first uranium and plutonium devices on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. How did a weapon of war become the key to a peacetime industry. In considering atomic energy after World War II, they focus in Section III on the legislative enabling acts that established the Atomic Energy Commission, the short-lived dream of international control of nuclear weapons under the Baruch Plan, and the ''atoms for peace'' program of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. By 1954 the highly classified work on nuclear weapons paralleled a new development of nuclear energy and power reactors. Knowledge was shared with both private industry and other countries. The fruits of this program are considered in the later section on nuclear power.« less

Radioactive waste management and plutonium recovery within the context of the development of nuclear energy in Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kushnikov, V.

1996-05-01

The Russian strategy for radioactive waste and plutonium management is based on the concept of the closed fuel cycle that has been adopted in Russia, and, to a great degree, falls under the jurisdiction of the existing Russian nuclear energy structures. From its very beginning, Russian atomic energy policy was based on finding the most effective method of developing the new fuel direction with the maximum possible utilization of the energy potential from the fission of heavy atoms and the achievement of fuel self-sufficiency through the recycling of secondary fuel. Although there can be no doubt about the importance ofmore » economic considerations (for the future), concerns for the safety of the environment are currently of the utmost importance. In this context, spent NPP fuel can be viewed as a waste to be buried only if there is persuasive evidence that such an approach is both economically and environmentally sound. The production of I GW of energy per year is accompanied by the accumulation of up to 800-1000 kg of highly radioactive fission products and approximately 250 kg of plutonium. Currently, spent fuel from the VVER 100 and the RBNK reactors contains approximately 25 tons of plutonium. There is an additional 30 tons of fuel-grade plutonium in the form of purified oxide, separated from spent fuels used in VVER440 reactors and other power production facilities, as well as approximately 100 tons of weapons-grade plutonium from dismantled warheads. The spent fuel accumulates significant amounts of small actinoids - neptunium americium, and curium. Science and technology have not yet found technical solutions for safe and secure burial of non-reprocessed spent fuel with such a broad range of products, which are typically highly radioactive and will continue to pose a threat for hundreds of thousands of years.« less

Status of plutonium ceramic immobilization processes and immobilization forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ebbinghaus, B.B.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.; Vance, E.R.

1996-05-01

Immobilization in a ceramic followed by permanent emplacement in a repository or borehole is one of the alternatives currently being considered by the Fissile Materials Disposition Program for the ultimate disposal of excess weapons-grade plutonium. To make Pu recovery more difficult, radioactive cesium may also be incorporated into the immobilization form. Valuable data are already available for ceramics form R&D efforts to immobilize high-level and mixed wastes. Ceramics have a high capacity for actinides, cesium, and some neutron absorbers. A unique characteristic of ceramics is the existence of mineral analogues found in nature that have demonstrated actinide immobilization over geologicmore » time periods. The ceramic form currently being considered for plutonium disposition is a synthetic rock (SYNROC) material composed primarily of zirconolite (CaZrTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}), the desired actinide host phase, with lesser amounts of hollandite (BaAl{sub 2}Ti{sub 6}O{sub 16}) and rutile (TiO{sub 2}). Alternative actinide host phases are also being considered. These include pyrochlore (Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}), zircon (ZrSiO{sub 4}), and monazite (CePO{sub 4}), to name a few of the most promising. R&D activities to address important technical issues are discussed. Primarily these include moderate scale hot press fabrications with plutonium, direct loading of PuO{sub 2} powder, cold press and sinter fabrication methods, and immobilization form formulation issues.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

CHARBONEAU, S.L.

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) consists of a number of process and support buildings for handling plutonium. Building construction began in the late 1940's to meet national priorities and became operational in 1950 producing refined plutonium salts and metal for the United States nuclear weapons program. The primary mission of the PFP was to provide plutonium used as special nuclear material for fabrication into a nuclear device for the war effort. Subsequent to the end of World War II, the PFP's mission expanded to support the Cold War effort through plutonium production during the nuclear arms race. PFP has nowmore » completed its mission and is fully engaged in deactivation, decontamination and decommissioning (D&D). At this time the PFP buildings are planned to be reduced to ground level (slab-on-grade) and the site remediated to satisfy national, Department of Energy (DOE) and Washington state requirements. The D&D of a highly contaminated plutonium processing facility presents a plethora of challenges. PFP personnel approached the D&D mission with a can-do attitude. They went into D&D knowing they were facing a lot of challenges and unknowns. There were concerns about the configuration control associated with drawings of these old process facilities. There were unknowns regarding the location of electrical lines and process piping containing chemical residues such as strong acids and caustics. The gloveboxes were highly contaminated with plutonium and chemical residues. Most of the glovebox windows were opaque with splashed process chemicals that coated the windows or etched them, reducing visibility to near zero. Visibility into the glovebox was a serious worker concern. Additionally, all the gloves in the gloveboxes were degraded and unusable. Replacing gloves in gloveboxes was necessary to even begin glovebox cleanout. The sheer volume of breathing air needed was also an issue. These and other challenges and PFP's approach to overcome these challengers are described. Many of the challenges to the D&D work at PFP were met with innovative approaches based on new science and/or technology and many were also based on the creativity and motivation of the work force personnel.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charboneau, S.; Klos, B.; Heineman, R.

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) consists of a number of process and support buildings for handling plutonium. Building construction began in the late 1940's to meet national priorities and became operational in 1950 producing refined plutonium salts and metal for the United States nuclear weapons program The primary mission of the PFP was to provide plutonium used as special nuclear material for fabrication into a nuclear device for the war effort. Subsequent to the end of World War II, the PFP's mission expanded to support the Cold War effort through plutonium production during the nuclear arms race. PFP has nowmore » completed its mission and is fully engaged in deactivation, decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). At this time the PFP buildings are planned to be reduced to ground level (slab-on-grade) and the site remediated to satisfy national, Department of Energy (DOE) and Washington state requirements. The D and D of a highly contaminated plutonium processing facility presents a plethora of challenges. PFP personnel approached the D and D mission with a can-do attitude. They went into D and D knowing they were facing a lot of challenges and unknowns. There were concerns about the configuration control associated with drawings of these old process facilities. There were unknowns regarding the location of electrical lines and the condition and contents of process piping containing chemical residues such as strong acids and caustics. The gloveboxes were highly contaminated with plutonium and chemical residues. Most of the glovebox windows were opaque with splashed process chemicals that coated the windows or etched them, reducing visibility to near zero. Visibility into the glovebox was a serious worker concern. Additionally, all the gloves in the gloveboxes were degraded and unusable. Replacing gloves in gloveboxes was necessary to even begin glovebox clean-out. The sheer volume of breathing air needed was also an issue. These and other challenges and PFP's approach to overcome these challengers are described. Many of the challenges to the D and D work at PFP were met with innovative approaches based on new science and/or technology and many were also based on the creativity and motivation of the work force personnel. (authors)« less

Electrokinetic remediation of plutonium-contaminated nuclear site wastes: results from a pilot-scale on-site trial.

PubMed

Agnew, Kieran; Cundy, Andrew B; Hopkinson, Laurence; Croudace, Ian W; Warwick, Phillip E; Purdie, Philip

2011-02-28

This paper examines the field-scale application of a novel low-energy electrokinetic technique for the remediation of plutonium-contaminated nuclear site soils, using soil wastes from the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston site, Berkshire, UK as a test medium. Soils and sediments with varying composition, contaminated with Pu through historical site operations, were electrokinetically treated at laboratory-scale with and without various soil pre-conditioning agents. Results from these bench-scale trials were used to inform a larger on-site remediation trial, using an adapted containment pack with battery power supply. 2.4 m(3) (ca. 4t onnes) of Pu-contaminated soil was treated for 60 days at a power consumption of 33 kWh/m(3), and then destructively sampled. Radiochemical data indicate mobilisation of Pu in the treated soil, and migration (probably as a negatively charged Pu-citrate complex) towards the anodic compartment of the treatment cell. Soil in the cathodic zone of the treatment unit was remediated to a level below free-release disposal thresholds (1.7 Bq/g, or <0.4 Bq/g above background activities). The data show the potential of this method as a low-cost, on-site tool for remediation of radioactively contaminated soils and wastes which can be operated remotely on working sites, with minimal disruption to site infrastructure or operations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Control of a laser inertial confinement fusion-fission power plant

DOEpatents

Moses, Edward I.; Latkowski, Jeffery F.; Kramer, Kevin J.

2015-10-27

A laser inertial-confinement fusion-fission energy power plant is described. The fusion-fission hybrid system uses inertial confinement fusion to produce neutrons from a fusion reaction of deuterium and tritium. The fusion neutrons drive a sub-critical blanket of fissile or fertile fuel. A coolant circulated through the fuel extracts heat from the fuel that is used to generate electricity. The inertial confinement fusion reaction can be implemented using central hot spot or fast ignition fusion, and direct or indirect drive. The fusion neutrons result in ultra-deep burn-up of the fuel in the fission blanket, thus enabling the burning of nuclear waste. Fuels include depleted uranium, natural uranium, enriched uranium, spent nuclear fuel, thorium, and weapons grade plutonium. LIFE engines can meet worldwide electricity needs in a safe and sustainable manner, while drastically shrinking the highly undesirable stockpiles of depleted uranium, spent nuclear fuel and excess weapons materials.

Enrico Fermi - And the Revolutions of Modern Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Dan

1999-02-01

In 1938, at the age of 37, Enrico Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. That same year he emigrated from Italy to the United States and, in the course of his experiments, discovered nuclear fission--a process which forms the basis of nuclear power and atomic bombs. Soon the brilliant physicist was involved in the top secret race to produce the deadliest weapon on Earth. He created the first self-sustaining chain reaction, devised new methods for purifying plutonium, and eventually participated in the first atomic test. This compelling biography traces Fermis education in Italy, his meteoric career in the scientific world, his escape from fascism to America, and the ingenious experiments he devised and conducted at the University of Rome, Columbia University, and the Los Alamos laboratory. The book also presents a mini-course in quantum and nuclear physics in an accessible, fast-paced narrative that invokes all the dizzying passion of Fermis brilliant discoveries.

Development of first ever scanning probe microscopy capabilities for plutonium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaux, Miles F.; Cordoba, Miguel Santiago; Zocco, Adam T.; Vodnik, Douglas R.; Ramos, Michael; Richmond, Scott; Moore, David P.; Venhaus, Thomas J.; Joyce, Stephen A.; Usov, Igor O.

2017-04-01

Scanning probe microscopy capabilities have been developed for plutonium and its derivative compounds. Specifically, a scanning tunneling microscope and an atomic force microscope housed in an ultra-high vacuum system and an inert atmosphere glove box, respectively, were prepared for the introduction of small non-dispersible δ-Pu coupons. Experimental details, procedures, and preliminary imaging of δ-Pu coupons are presented to demonstrate the functionality of these new capabilities. These first of a kind capabilities for plutonium represent a significant step forward in the ability to characterize and understand plutonium surfaces with high spatial resolution.

Development of first ever scanning probe microscopy capabilities for plutonium

DOE PAGES

Beaux, Miles F.; Cordoba, Miguel Santiago; Zocco, Adam T.; ...

2017-04-01

Scanning probe microscopy capabilities have been developed for plutonium and its derivative compounds. Specifically, a scanning tunneling microscope and an atomic force microscope housed in an ultra-high vacuum system and an inert atmosphere glove box, respectively, were prepared for the introduction of small non-dispersible δ-Pu coupons. Experimental details, procedures, and preliminary imaging of δ-Pu coupons are presented to demonstrate the functionality of these new capabilities. In conclusion, these first of a kind capabilities for plutonium represent a significant step forward in the ability to characterize and understand plutonium surfaces with high spatial resolution.

Characterization studies and indicated remediation methods for plutonium contaminated soils at the Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murarik, T.M.; Wenstrand, T.K.; Rogers, L.A.

An initial soil characterization study was conducted to help identify possible remediation methods to remove plutonium from the Nevada Test Site and Tonapah Test Range surface soils. Results from soil samples collected across various isopleths at five sites indicate that the size-fraction distribution patterns of plutonium remain similar to findings from the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) (1970's). The plutonium remains in the upper 10--15 cm of soils, as indicated in previous studies. Distribution of fine particles downwind'' of ground zero at each site is suggested. Whether this pattern was established immediately after each explosion or this resulted from post-shotmore » wind movement of deposited material is unclear. Several possible soil treatment scenarios are presented. Removal of plutonium from certain size fractions of the soils would alleviate the sites of much of the plutonium burden. However, the nature of association of plutonium with soil components will determine which remediation methods will most likely succeed.« less

Characterization studies and indicated remediation methods for plutonium contaminated soils at the Nevada Test Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murarik, T.M.; Wenstrand, T.K.; Rogers, L.A.

An initial soil characterization study was conducted to help identify possible remediation methods to remove plutonium from the Nevada Test Site and Tonapah Test Range surface soils. Results from soil samples collected across various isopleths at five sites indicate that the size-fraction distribution patterns of plutonium remain similar to findings from the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) (1970`s). The plutonium remains in the upper 10--15 cm of soils, as indicated in previous studies. Distribution of fine particles ``downwind`` of ground zero at each site is suggested. Whether this pattern was established immediately after each explosion or this resulted from post-shotmore » wind movement of deposited material is unclear. Several possible soil treatment scenarios are presented. Removal of plutonium from certain size fractions of the soils would alleviate the sites of much of the plutonium burden. However, the nature of association of plutonium with soil components will determine which remediation methods will most likely succeed.« less

Challenges associated with the behaviour of radioactive particles in the environment.

PubMed

Salbu, Brit; Kashparov, Valery; Lind, Ole Christian; Garcia-Tenorio, Rafael; Johansen, Mathew P; Child, David P; Roos, Per; Sancho, Carlos

2018-06-01

A series of different nuclear sources associated with the nuclear weapon and fuel cycles have contributed to the release of radioactive particles to the environment. Following nuclear weapon tests, safety tests, conventional destruction of weapons, reactor explosions and fires, a major fraction of released refractory radionuclides such as uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) were present as entities ranging from sub microns to fragments. Furthermore, radioactive particles and colloids have been released from reprocessing facilities and civil reactors, from radioactive waste dumped at sea, and from NORM sites. Thus, whenever refractory radionuclides are released to the environment following nuclear events, radioactive particles should be expected. Results from many years of research have shown that particle characteristics such as elemental composition depend on the source, while characteristics such as particle size distribution, structure, and oxidation state influencing ecosystem transfer depend also on the release scenarios. When radioactive particles are deposited in the environment, weathering processes occur and associated radionuclides are subsequently mobilized, changing the apparent K d . Thus, particles retained in soils or sediments are unevenly distributed, and dissolution of radionuclides from particles may be partial. For areas affected by particle contamination, the inventories can therefore be underestimated, and impact and risk assessments may suffer from unacceptable large uncertainties if radioactive particles are ignored. To integrate radioactive particles into environmental impact assessments, key challenges include the linking of particle characteristics to specific sources, to ecosystem transfer, and to uptake and retention in biological systems. To elucidate these issues, the EC-funded COMET and RATE projects and the IAEA Coordinated Research Program on particles have revisited selected contaminated sites and archive samples. This COMET position paper summarizes new knowledge on key sources that have contributed to particle releases, including particle characteristics based on advanced techniques, with emphasis on particle weathering processes as well as on heterogeneities in biological samples to evaluate potential uptake and retention of radioactive particles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cladding and duct materials for advanced nuclear recycle reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, T. R.; Busby, J. T.; Klueh, R. L.; Maloy, S. A.; Toloczko, M. B.

2008-01-01

The expanded use of nuclear energy without risk of nuclear weapons proliferation and with safe nuclear waste disposal is a primary goal of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). To achieve that goal the GNEP is exploring advanced technologies for recycling spent nuclear fuel that do not separate pure plutonium, and advanced reactors that consume transuranic elements from recycled spent fuel. The GNEP’s objectives will place high demands on reactor clad and structural materials. This article discusses the materials requirements of the GNEP’s advanced nuclear recycle reactors program.

Evaluation of the Magnesium Hydroxide Treatment Process for Stabilizing PFP Plutonium/Nitric Acid Solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerber, Mark A.; Schmidt, Andrew J.; Delegard, Calvin H.

2000-09-28

This document summarizes an evaluation of the magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2] process to be used at the Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) for stabilizing plutonium/nitric acid solutions to meet the goal of stabilizing the plutonium in an oxide form suitable for storage under DOE-STD-3013-99. During the treatment process, nitric acid solutions bearing plutonium nitrate are neutralized with Mg(OH)2 in an air sparge reactor. The resulting slurry, containing plutonium hydroxide, is filtered and calcined. The process evaluation included a literature review and extensive laboratory- and bench-scale testing. The testing was conducted using cerium as a surrogate for plutonium to identify and quantifymore » the effects of key processing variables on processing time (primarily neutralization and filtration time) and calcined product properties.« less

Common modular avionics - Partitioning and design philosophy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, D. M.; Mulvaney, S. P.

The design objectives and definition criteria for common modular hardware that will perform digital processing functions in multiple avionic subsystems are examined. In particular, attention is given to weapon system-level objectives, such as increased supportability, reduced life cycle costs, and increased upgradability. These objectives dictate the following overall modular design goals: reduce test equipment requirements; have a large number of subsystem applications; design for architectural growth; and standardize for technology transparent implementations. Finally, specific partitioning criteria are derived on the basis of the weapon system-level objectives and overall design goals.

Determining Reactor Fuel Type from Continuous Antineutrino Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffke, Patrick; Huber, Patrick

2017-09-01

We investigate the ability of an antineutrino detector to determine the fuel type of a reactor. A hypothetical 5-ton antineutrino detector is placed 25 m from the core and measures the spectral shape and rate of antineutrinos emitted by fission fragments in the core for a number of 90-d periods. Our results indicate that four major fuel types can be differentiated from the variation of fission fractions over the irradiation time with a true positive probability of detection at approximately 95%. In addition, we demonstrate that antineutrinos can identify the burnup at which weapons-grade mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel would be reduced to reactor-grade MOX, on average, providing assurance that plutonium-disposition goals are met. We also investigate removal scenarios where plutonium is purposefully diverted from a mixture of MOX and low-enriched uranium fuel. Finally, we discuss how our analysis is impacted by a spectral distortion around 6 MeV observed in the antineutrino spectrum measured from commercial power reactors.

High-temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abedi, Sajad

2011-05-01

General Atomics (GA) has over 35 years experience in prismatic block High-temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) technology design. During this period, the design has recently involved into a modular have been performed to demonstrate its versatility. This versatility is directly related to refractory TRISO coated - particle fuel that can contain any type of fuel. This paper summarized GA's fuel cycle studies individually and compares each based upon its cycle sustainability, proliferation-resistance capabilities, and other performance data against pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel cycle data. Fuel cycle studies LEU-NV;commercial HEU-Th;commercial LEU-Th;weapons-grade plutonium consumption; and burning of LWR waste including plutonium and minor actinides in the MHR. results show that all commercial MHR options, with the exception of HEU-TH, are more sustainable than a PWR fuel cycle. With LEU-NV being the most sustainable commercial options. In addition, all commercial MHR options out perform the PWR with regards to its proliferation-resistance, with thorium fuel cycle having the best proliferation-resistance characteristics.

A Study on distinguishing seismic waves caused by natural earthquakes and underground nuclear explosion within North Korean Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Premlet, B.; Sabu, S.; Kamarudheen, R.; Subair, S.

2017-12-01

Since the first nuclear test on 15 July 1945 , there have been over 2,051 other weapon tests around the world . The waveforms of a natural earthquake which generates strong S waves and an underground explosion which is dominated by P waves were distinguished from the analysis of data corresponding to a 2005 M5.0 Earthquake and a 2016 North Korean nuclear test , both at similar distances from seismometer . Further differences between the seismograms were evaluated and successfully distinguished between the origins of the elastic waves through the data using Moment Tensor Solution using stations BJT , HIA and INCN . North Korea has developed a nuclear fuel cycle capability and has both plutonium and enriched uranium programs at Pyongyang . Seismic recordings of vertical ground motion at Global Seismographic Network station IC.MDJ of the 4 seismic events at Punggye-ri , North Korea , which occurred on the 9th of October 2006 , 25th of May 2009, 12th of February 2013 and on the 6th of January and 9th of September , 2016 were examined and the P waves of these seismic waves , which show very similar wave form , were inspected and compared to the seismic data of the latest underground nuclear test on the 3rd of September 2017 at 03:30 UTC at the same site which is many times more powerful than the previous tests . The country , which is the only nation to have tested nuclear weapons in this millennium , has successfully prevented the release of radioactive isotopes and hampered data collection but further studies were done using acoustic data which was analysed from sonograms of the 4 North Korean tests at station MDJ. The latest explosion data from 3rd September was also compared to 42 presumed underground explosions which occurred in China , India , the U.S.S.R , Iran , Turkey and recorded at Arkansas Seismic Network.

ESTIMATES OF RADIATION DOSES TO THE SKIN FOR PEOPLE CAMPED AT WALLATINNA DURING THE UK TOTEM 1 ATOMIC WEAPONS TEST.

PubMed

Williams, G A; O'Brien, R S; Grzechnik, M; Wise, K N

2017-04-28

A group of Aboriginal people was camped at Wallatinna in South Australia, ~170 km downwind from Emu Field, where an atomic test (the Totem 1 test) was carried out at 07.00 on 15 October 1953 local time (21.30 on 14 October 1953 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)). They left the camp ~24 hours later. These people stated that a phenomenon that has become known as a 'black mist' rolled through their camp site ~5 hours after detonation and that some of them subsequently became sick, displaying skin reddening and nausea. They feared that the sickness was a result of exposure to high levels of radiation. The purpose of this paper is to determine if these people could have received ionising radiation doses high enough to cause the symptoms displayed. The methodology used for the dose estimates is described in the paper. The exposure modes considered were external exposure due to the passage of a contaminated plume over the camp site, inhalation of material from this plume, external exposure from material deposited on the ground as the plume passed, and consumption of contaminated food and water. The contaminants considered in the airborne cloud and the ground plume were fission products and unburnt plutonium from the nuclear detonation, and neutron activation products caused by vaporisation of the tower used to position the weapon. The source was approximated by a line source. An upper estimate of the effective doses received is ~4 mSv, which is well below the level at which acute radiation effects are observed. This estimate is consistent with earlier assessments, which did not consider inhalation of the contribution from neutron activation products. © Crown copyright 2016.

Industrial scale-plant for HLW partitioning in Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dzekun, E.G.; Glagolenko, Y.V.; Drojko, E.G.

1996-12-31

Radiochemical plant of PA <> at Ozersk, which was come on line in December 1948 originally for weapon plutonium production and reoriented on the reprocessing of spent fuel, till now keeps on storage HLW of the military program. Application of the vitrification method since 1986 has not essentially reduced HLW volumes. So, as of September 1, 1995 vitrification installations had been processed 9590 m{sup 3} HLW and 235 MCi of radionuclides was included in glass. However only 1100 m{sup 3} and 20.5 MCi is part of waste of the military program. The reason is the fact, that the technology andmore » equipment of vitrification were developed for current waste of Purex-process, for which low contents of corrosion-dangerous impurity to materials of vitrification installation is characteristic of. With reference to HLW, which are growing at PA <> in the course of weapon plutonium production, the program of Science-Research Works includes the following main directions of work. Development of technology and equipment of installations for immobilising HLW with high contents of impurity into a solid form at induction melter. Application of High-temperature Adsorption Method for sorption of radionuclides from HLW on silica gel. Application of Partitioning Method of radionuclides from HLW, based on extraction cesium and strontium into cobalt dicarbollyde or crown-ethers, but also on recovery of cesium radionuclides by sorption on inorganic sorbents. In this paper the results of work on creation of first industrial scale-plant for partitioning HLW by the extraction and sorption methods are reported.« less

Preparation, certification and validation of a stable solid spike of uranium and plutonium coated with a cellulose derivative for the measurement of uranium and plutonium content in dissolved nuclear fuel by isotope dilution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Surugaya, Naoki; Hiyama, Toshiaki; Verbruggen, André; Wellum, Roger

2008-02-01

A stable solid spike for the measurement of uranium and plutonium content in nitric acid solutions of spent nuclear fuel by isotope dilution mass spectrometry has been prepared at the European Commission Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements in Belgium. The spike contains about 50 mg of uranium with a 19.838% (235)U enrichment and 2 mg of plutonium with a 97.766% (239)Pu abundance in each individual ampoule. The dried materials were covered with a thin film of cellulose acetate butyrate as a protective organic stabilizer to resist shocks encountered during transportation and to eliminate flaking-off during long-term storage. It was found that the cellulose acetate butyrate has good characteristics, maintaining a thin film for a long time, but readily dissolving on heating with nitric acid solution. The solid spike containing cellulose acetate butyrate was certified as a reference material with certified quantities: (235)U and (239)Pu amounts and uranium and plutonium amount ratios, and was validated by analyzing spent fuel dissolver solutions of the Tokai reprocessing plant in Japan. This paper describes the preparation, certification and validation of the solid spike coated with a cellulose derivative.

A Report to Congress on Long-Term Stewardship. Volume II, Site Summaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2001-01-01

During World War II and the Cold War, the Federal government developed and operated a vast network of industrial facilities for the research, production, and testing of nuclear weapons, as well as for other scientific and engineering research. These processes left a legacy of radioactive and chemical waste, environmental contamination, and hazardous facilities and materials at well over a 100 sites in 30 States and one U.S. Territory. Hundreds of thousand of acres of residually contaminated soils, contaminated groundwater, surface water and sediment contamination, and contaminated buildings are present at many sites across the country. These sites range in sizemore » from less than one acre, containing only a single facility, to large sites spanning over 100,000 acres with huge uranium enrichment plants and plutonium processing canyons. Since 1989, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) program has made significant progress in addressing this environmental legacy. Millions of cubic meters of waste have been removed, stabilized, or disposed of, resulting in significant risk and cost reduction. In addition, DOE began disposing of transuranic (i.e., plutonium-contaminated) waste in the nation’s first deep geologic repository – the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. DOE is now carrying out its long-term stewardship obligations at dozens of sites, including smaller sites where DOE has completed cleanup work for the entire site and many larger sites where DOE has remediated portions of the site.« less

The Task of Detecting Illicit Nuclear Material: Status and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouzes, Richard

2006-04-01

In August 1994, police at the Munich airport intercepted a suitcase from Moscow with half a kilogram of nuclear-reactor fuel, of which 363 grams was weapons- grade plutonium. A few months later police seized 2.7 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from a former worker at a Russian nuclear institute and his accomplices in Prague. These are just two of 18 incidents involving the smuggling of weapons grade nuclear materials between 1993 and 2004 reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The consequences of a stolen or improvised nuclear device being exploded in a U.S. city would be world changing. The concern over the possibility of a nuclear weapon, or the material for a weapon or a radiological dispersion device, being smuggled across U.S. borders has led to the deployment of radiation detection equipment at the borders. Related efforts are occurring around the world. Radiation portal monitors are used as the main screening tool, supplemented by handheld detectors, personal radiation detectors, and x-ray imaging systems. Passive detection techniques combined with imaging, and possibly active techniques, are the current available tools for screening cargo for items of concern. There are a number of physics limitations to what is possible with each technology given the presence of naturally occurring radioactive materials, commercial sources, and medical radionuclides in the stream of commerce. There have been a number of lessons learned to date from the various efforts in the U.S. and internationally about the capability for interdicting illicit nuclear material.

Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-12

done. Critics raised concerns about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. At present, Congress addresses nuclear weapon...future, but there are no plans to do so.’”7 Critics expressed concern about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. A statement by...opportunity to design and build new nuclear weapons, and abandon a ten-year-old moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.”8 Another critic felt that

The UK Government's global partnership programme - Its achievements over the past five years and challenges ahead

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heyes, Alan

2007-07-01

Through the Global Partnership the UK continues to make a significant contribution to improve national and global security. Over the past year the UK has continued to implement a wide range of projects across the breadth of its Global Partnership Programme. As well as ensuring the Programme is robust and capable of dealing with new challenges, the UK has cooperated with other donor countries to help them progress projects associated with submarine dismantling, scientist redirection, enhancing nuclear security and Chemical Weapons Destruction. The Global Partnership, although only five years old, has already achieved a great deal. Some 23 states, plusmore » the European Union, are now working closer together under the Global Partnership, and collectively have enhanced global regional and national security by reducing the availability of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) materials and expertise to both states of concern and terrorists. Considerable progress has already been made in, for example: - Improving the security of fissile materials, dangerous biological agents and chemical weapons stocks; - Reducing the number of sites containing radioactive materials; - Working towards closure of reactors still producing weapon-grade plutonium; - Improving nuclear safety to reduce the risks of further, Chernobyl style accidents; - Constructing facilities for destroying Chemical Weapons stocks, and starting actual destruction; - Providing sustainable employment for former WMD scientists to reduce the risk that their expertise will be misused by states or terrorists. By contributing to many of these activities, the UK has helped to make the world safer. This paper reports on the UK's practical and sustainable contribution to the Global Partnership and identifies a number of challenges that remain if it is to have a wider impact on reducing the threats from WMD material. (authors)« less

Technical approaches to reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priedhorsky, William C.

2005-04-01

The threat of a nuclear attack on the United States by terrorists using a smuggled weapon is now considered more likely than an attack by a nuclear-armed ballistic missle. Consequently it is important to understand what can be done to detect and intercept a nuclear weapon being smuggled into the United States. A significant quantity of smuggled nuclear material has been intercepted already, but science and technology have so far contributed little to its interception. The critical special nuclear materials, plutonium and highly enriched uranium, are only weakly radioactive and detection of their radioactivity is limited both by atmospheric attenuation and by competition with natural backgrounds. Although many schemes for long-range detection of radioactivity have been proposed, none so far appears feasible. Detection of nuclear radiation can be improved using new technologies and sensing systems, but it will still be possible only at relatively small distances. Consequently the best approach to containing dangerous nuclear materials is at their sources; containment within lengthy borders and large areas is extremely difficult.

Evaluation of isotopic composition of fast reactor core in closed nuclear fuel cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tikhomirov, Georgy; Ternovykh, Mikhail; Saldikov, Ivan; Fomichenko, Peter; Gerasimov, Alexander

2017-09-01

The strategy of the development of nuclear power in Russia provides for use of fast power reactors in closed nuclear fuel cycle. The PRORYV (i.e. «Breakthrough» in Russian) project is currently under development. Within the framework of this project, fast reactors BN-1200 and BREST-OD-300 should be built to, inter alia, demonstrate possibility of the closed nuclear fuel cycle technologies with plutonium as a main source of energy. Russia has a large inventory of plutonium which was accumulated in the result of reprocessing of spent fuel of thermal power reactors and conversion of nuclear weapons. This kind of plutonium will be used for development of initial fuel assemblies for fast reactors. The closed nuclear fuel cycle concept of the PRORYV assumes self-supplied mode of operation with fuel regeneration by neutron capture reaction in non-enriched uranium, which is used as a raw material. Operating modes of reactors and its characteristics should be chosen so as to provide the self-sufficient mode by using of fissile isotopes while refueling by depleted uranium and to support this state during the entire period of reactor operation. Thus, the actual issue is modeling fuel handling processes. To solve these problems, the code REPRORYV (Recycle for PRORYV) has been developed. It simulates nuclide streams in non-reactor stages of the closed fuel cycle. At the same time various verified codes can be used to evaluate in-core characteristics of a reactor. By using this approach various options for nuclide streams and assess the impact of different plutonium content in the fuel, fuel processing conditions, losses during fuel processing, as well as the impact of initial uncertainties on neutron-physical characteristics of reactor are considered in this study.

Chemical interaction matrix between reagents in a Purex based process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brahman, R.K.; Hennessy, W.P.; Paviet-Hartmann, P.

2008-07-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is the responsible entity for the disposal of the United States excess weapons grade plutonium. DOE selected a PUREX-based process to convert plutonium to low-enriched mixed oxide fuel for use in commercial nuclear power plants. To initiate this process in the United States, a Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) is under construction and will be operated by Shaw AREVA MOX Services at the Savannah River Site. This facility will be licensed and regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A PUREX process, similar to the one used at La Hague,more » France, will purify plutonium feedstock through solvent extraction. MFFF employs two major process operations to manufacture MOX fuel assemblies: (1) the Aqueous Polishing (AP) process to remove gallium and other impurities from plutonium feedstock and (2) the MOX fuel fabrication process (MP), which processes the oxides into pellets and manufactures the MOX fuel assemblies. The AP process consists of three major steps, dissolution, purification, and conversion, and is the center of the primary chemical processing. A study of process hazards controls has been initiated that will provide knowledge and protection against the chemical risks associated from mixing of reagents over the life time of the process. This paper presents a comprehensive chemical interaction matrix evaluation for the reagents used in the PUREX-based process. Chemical interaction matrix supplements the process conditions by providing a checklist of any potential inadvertent chemical reactions that may take place. It also identifies the chemical compatibility/incompatibility of the reagents if mixed by failure of operations or equipment within the process itself or mixed inadvertently by a technician in the laboratories. (aut0010ho.« less

Review of Excess Weapons Plutonium Disposition LLNL Contract Work in Russia-(English)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jardine, L; Borisov, G B

This third meeting of the recently completed and ongoing Russian plutonium immobilization contract work was held at the State Education Center (SEC) in St. Petersburg on January 14-18, 2002. The meeting agenda is reprinted here as Appendix A and the attendance list as Appendix B. The meeting had 58 Russian participants from 21 Russian organizations, including the industrial sites (Mayak, Krasonayarsk-26, Tomsk), scientific institutes (VNIINM, KRI, VNIPIPT, RIAR), design organizations (VNIPIET and GSPI), universities (Nyzhny Novgorod, Urals Technical), Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Physical Chemistry or IPhCh, Institute of Ore-Deposit Geology, Petrography, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry or IGEM), Radon-Moscow, S&TCmore » Podol'osk, Kharkov-Ukraine, GAN-SEC-NRS and SNIIChM, the RF Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom) and Gosatomnadzor (GAN). This volume, published by LLNL, documents this third annual meeting. Forty-nine technical papers were presented by the Russian participants, and nearly all of these have been collected in this Proceedings. The two objectives for the meeting were to: (1) Bring together the Russian organizations, experts, and managers performing this contract work into one place for four days to review and discuss their work amongst each other. (2) Publish a meeting summary and proceedings of all the excellent Russian plutonium immobilization and other plutonium disposition contract work in one document so that the wide extent of the Russian immobilization activities are documented, referencable and available for others to use, as were the Proceedings of the two previous meetings. Attendees gave talks describing their LLNL contract work and submitted written papers documenting their contract work (in English and Russian), in both hard copy and on computer disks. Simultaneous translation into Russian and English was used for presentations made at the State Region Educational Center (SEC).« less

Enhanced detectability of fluorinated derivatives of N,N-dialkylamino alcohols and precursors of nitrogen mustards by gas chromatography coupled to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis for verification of chemical weapons convention.

PubMed

Garg, Prabhat; Purohit, Ajay; Tak, Vijay K; Dubey, D K

2009-11-06

N,N-Dialkylamino alcohols, N-methyldiethanolamine, N-ethyldiethanolamine and triethanolamine are the precursors of VX type nerve agents and three different nitrogen mustards respectively. Their detection and identification is of paramount importance for verification analysis of chemical weapons convention. GC-FTIR is used as complimentary technique to GC-MS analysis for identification of these analytes. One constraint of GC-FTIR, its low sensitivity, was overcome by converting the analytes to their fluorinated derivatives. Owing to high absorptivity in IR region, these derivatives facilitated their detection by GC-FTIR analysis. Derivatizing reagents having trimethylsilyl, trifluoroacyl and heptafluorobutyryl groups on imidazole moiety were screened. Derivatives formed there were analyzed by GC-FTIR quantitatively. Of these reagents studied, heptafluorobutyrylimidazole (HFBI) produced the greatest increase in sensitivity by GC-FTIR detection. 60-125 folds of sensitivity enhancement were observed for the analytes by HFBI derivatization. Absorbance due to various functional groups responsible for enhanced sensitivity were compared by determining their corresponding relative molar extinction coefficients ( [Formula: see text] ) considering uniform optical path length. The RSDs for intraday repeatability and interday reproducibility for various derivatives were 0.2-1.1% and 0.3-1.8%. Limit of detection (LOD) was achieved up to 10-15ng and applicability of the method was tested with unknown samples obtained in international proficiency tests.

Sorption/Desorption Interactions of Plutonium with Montmorillonite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Begg, J.; Zavarin, M.; Zhao, P.; Kersting, A. B.

2012-12-01

Plutonium (Pu) release to the environment through nuclear weapon development and the nuclear fuel cycle is an unfortunate legacy of the nuclear age. In part due to public health concerns over the risk of Pu contamination of drinking water, predicting the behavior of Pu in both surface and sub-surface water is a topic of continued interest. Typically it was assumed that Pu mobility in groundwater would be severely restricted, as laboratory adsorption studies commonly show that naturally occurring minerals can effectively remove plutonium from solution. However, evidence for the transport of Pu over significant distances at field sites highlights a relative lack of understanding of the fundamental processes controlling plutonium behavior in natural systems. At several field locations, enhanced mobility is due to Pu association with colloidal particles that serve to increase the transport of sorbed contaminants (Kersting et al., 1999; Santschi et al., 2002, Novikov et al., 2006). The ability for mineral colloids to transport Pu is in part controlled by its oxidation state and the rate of plutonium adsorption to, and desorption from, the mineral surface. Previously we have investigated the adsorption affinity of Pu for montmorillonite colloids, finding affinities to be similar over a wide range of Pu concentrations. In the present study we examine the stability of adsorbed Pu on the mineral surface. Pu(IV) at an initial concentration of 10-10 M was pre-equilibrated with montmorillonite in a background electrolyte at pH values of 4, 6 and 8. Following equilibration, aliquots of the suspensions were placed in a flow cell and Pu-free background electrolyte at the relevant pH was passed through the system. Flow rates were varied in order to investigate the kinetics of desorption and hence gain a mechanistic understanding of the desorption process. The flow cell experiments demonstrate that desorption of Pu from the montmorillonite surface cannot be modeled as a simple first order process. Furthermore, a pH dependence was observed, with less desorbed at pH 4 compared to pH 8. We suggest the pH dependence is likely controlled by reoxidation of Pu(IV) to Pu(V) and aqueous speciation. We will present models used to describe desorption behavior and discuss the implications for Pu transport. References: Kersting, A.B.; Efurd, D.W.; Finnegan, D.L.; Rokop, D.J.; Smith, D.K.; Thompson J.L. (1999) Migration of plutonium in groundwater at the Nevada Test Site, Nature, 397, 56-59. Novikov A.P.; Kalmykov, S.N.; Utsunomiya, S.; Ewing, R.C.; Horreard, F.; Merkulov, A.; Clark, S.B.; Tkachev, V.V.; Myasoedov, B.F. (2006) Colloid transport of plutonium in the far-field of the Mayak Production Association, Russia, Science, 314, 638-641. Santschi, P.H.; Roberts, K.; Guo, L. (2002) The organic nature of colloidal actinides transported in surface water environments. Environ. Sci. Technol., 36, 3711-3719. This work was funded by U. S. DOE Office of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Subsurface Biogeochemistry Research Program, and performed under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-570161

Applications of a Fast Neutron Detector System to Verification of Special Nuclear Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, Douglas R.; Byrd, Roger C.; Ensslin, Norbert; Krick, Merlyn S.; Mercer, David J.; Miller, Michael C.; Prettyman, Thomas H.; Russo, Phyllis A.

1998-04-01

An array of boron-loaded plastic optically coupled to bismuth germanate scintillators has been developed to detect neutrons for measurement of special nuclear materials. The phoswiched detection system has the advantage of a high neutron detection efficiency and short die-away time. This is achieved by mixing the moderator (plastic) and the detector (^10B) at the molecular level. Simulations indicate that the neutron capture probabilities equal or exceed those of the current thermal neutron multiplicity techniques which have the moderator (polyethylene) and detectors (^3He gas proportional tubes) macroscopically separate. Experiments have been performed to characterize the response of these detectors and validate computer simulations. The fast neutron detection system may be applied to the quantitative assay of plutonium in high (α,n) backgrounds, with emphasis on safeguards and enviromental scenarios. Additional applications of the insturment, in a non-quantative mode, has been tested for possible verification activities involving dismantlement of nuclear weapons. A description of the detector system, simulations and preliminary data will be presented.

Location analysis and strontium-90 concentrations in deer antlers on the Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tiller, B L; Eberhardt, L E; Poston, T M

1995-05-01

The primary objective of this study was to examine the levels of strontium-90 ({sup 90}Sr) in deer antlers collected from near previously active reactor sites and distant from the reactor sites along that portion of the Columbia River which borders the Hanford Site. A second objective was to analyze the movements and home-ranges of mule deer residing within these areas and determine to what extent this information contributes to the observed {sup 90}Sr concentrations. {sup 90}Sr is a long-lived radionuclide (29.1 year half life) produced by fission in irradiated fuel in plutonium production reactors on the Hanford Site. It ismore » also a major component of atmospheric fallout from weapons testing. Concentrations of radionuclides found in the developed environment onsite do not pose a health concern to humans or various wildlife routinely monitored. However, elevated levels of radionuclides in found biota may indicate routes of exposure requiring attention.« less

Characterization of U/Pu Particles Originating From the Nuclear Weapon Accidents at Palomares, Spain, 1966 And Thule, Greenland, 1968

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lind, O.C.; Salbu, B.; Janssens, K.

2007-07-10

Following the USAF B-52 bomber accidents at Palomares, Spain in 1966 and at Thule, Greenland in 1968, radioactive particles containing uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) were dispersed into the environment. To improve long-term environmental impact assessments for the contaminated ecosystems, particles from the two sites have been isolated and characterized with respect to properties influencing particle weathering rates. Low [239]Pu/[235]U (0.62-0.78) and [240]Pu/[239]Pu (0.055-0.061) atom ratios in individual particles from both sites obtained by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) show that the particles contain highly enriched U and weapon-grade Pu. Furthermore, results from electron microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-raymore » analysis (EDX) and synchrotron radiation (SR) based micrometer-scale X-ray fluorescence ({micro}-XRF) 2D mapping demonstrated that U and Pu coexist throughout the 1-50 {micro}m sized particles, while surface heterogeneities were observed in EDX line scans. SR-based micrometer-scale X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure Spectroscopy ({micro}-XANES) showed that the particles consisted of an oxide mixture of U (predominately UO[2] with the presence ofU[3][8]) and Pu ((III)/(IV), (V)/(V) or (III), (IV) and (V)). Neither metallic U or Pu nor uranyl or Pu(VI) could be observed. Characteristics such as elemental distributions, morphology and oxidation states are remarkably similar for the Palomares and Thule particles, reflecting that they originate from similar source and release scenarios. Thus, these particle characteristics are more dependent on the original material from which the particles are derived (source) and the formation of particles (release scenario) than the environmental conditions to which the particles have been exposed since the late 1960s.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adamov, E.O.; Lebedev, V.A.; Kuznetsov, Yu.N.

Zheleznogorsk is situated near the territorial center -- Krasnoyarsk on the Yenisei river. Mining and chemical complex is the main industrial enterprise of the town, which has been constructed for generation and used for isolation of weapons-grade plutonium. Heat supply to the chemical complex and town at the moment is largely provided by nuclear co-generation plant (NCGP) on the basis of the ADEh-2 dual-purpose reactor, generating 430 Gcal/h of heat and, partially, by coal backup peak-load boiler houses. NCGP also provides 73% of electric power consumed. In line with agreements between Russia and USA on strategic arms reduction and phasingmore » out of weapons-grade plutonium production, decommissioning of the ADEh-2 reactor by 2000 is planned. Thus, a problem arises relative to compensation for electric and thermal power generation for the needs of the town and industrial enterprises, which is now supplied by the reactor. A nuclear power plant constructed on the same site as a substituting power source should be considered as the most practical option. Basic requirements to the reactor of substituting nuclear power plant are as follows. It is to be a new generation reactor on the basis of verified technologies, having an operating prototype optimal for underground siting and permitting utmost utilization of the available mining workings and those being disengaged. NCGP with the reactor is to be constructed in the time period required and is to become competitive with other possible power sources. Analysis has shown that the VK-300 simplified vessel-type boiling reactor meets the requirements made in the maximum extent. Its design is based on the experience of the VK-50 reactor operation for a period of 30 years in Dimitrovgrad (Russia) and allows for experience in the development of the SBWR type reactors. The design of the reactor is discussed.« less

Plutonium from Above-Ground Nuclear Tests in Milk Teeth: Investigation of Placental Transfer in Children Born between 1951 and 1995 in Switzerland

PubMed Central

Froidevaux, Pascal; Haldimann, Max

2008-01-01

Background Occupational risks, the present nuclear threat, and the potential danger associated with nuclear power have raised concerns regarding the metabolism of plutonium in pregnant women. Objective We measured plutonium levels in the milk teeth of children born between 1951 and 1995 to assess the potential risk that plutonium incorporated by pregnant women might pose to the radiosensitive tissues of the fetus through placenta transfer. Methods We used milk teeth, whose enamel is formed during pregnancy, to investigate the transfer of plutonium from the mother’s blood plasma to the fetus. We measured plutonium using sensitive sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques. We compared our results with those of a previous study on strontium-90 (90Sr) released into the atmosphere after nuclear bomb tests. Results Results show that plutonium activity peaks in the milk teeth of children born about 10 years before the highest recorded levels of plutonium fallout. By contrast, 90Sr, which is known to cross the placenta barrier, manifests differently in milk teeth, in accordance with 90Sr fallout deposition as a function of time. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that plutonium found in milk teeth is caused by fallout that was inhaled around the time the milk teeth were shed and not from any accumulation during pregnancy through placenta transfer. Thus, plutonium may not represent a radiologic risk for the radiosensitive tissues of the fetus. PMID:19079728

Multiplication and Presence of Shielding Material from Time-Correlated Pulse-Height Measurements of Subcritical Plutonium Assemblies

DOE PAGES

Monterial, Mateusz; Marleau, Peter; Paff, Marc; ...

2017-01-20

Here, we present the results from the first measurements of the Time-Correlated Pulse-Height (TCPH) distributions from 4.5 kg sphere of α-phase weapons-grade plutonium metal in five configurations: bare, reflected by 1.27 cm and 2.54 cm of tungsten, and 2.54 cm and 7.62 cm of polyethylene. A new method for characterizing source multiplication and shielding configuration is also demonstrated. The method relies on solving for the underlying fission chain timing distribution that drives the spreading of the measured TCPH distribution. We found that a gamma distribution fits the fission chain timing distribution well and that the fit parameters correlate with bothmore » multiplication (rate parameter) and shielding material types (shape parameter). The source-to-detector distance was another free parameter that we were able to optimize, and proved to be the most well constrained parameter. MCNPX-PoliMi simulations were used to complement the measurements and help illustrate trends in these parameters and their relation to multiplication and the amount and type of material coupled to the subcritical assembly.« less

Multiplication and Presence of Shielding Material from Time-Correlated Pulse-Height Measurements of Subcritical Plutonium Assemblies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monterial, Mateusz; Marleau, Peter; Paff, Marc; Clarke, Shaun; Pozzi, Sara

2017-04-01

We present the results from the first measurements of the Time-Correlated Pulse-Height (TCPH) distributions from 4.5 kg sphere of α-phase weapons-grade plutonium metal in five configurations: bare, reflected by 1.27 cm and 2.54 cm of tungsten, and 2.54 cm and 7.62 cm of polyethylene. A new method for characterizing source multiplication and shielding configuration is also demonstrated. The method relies on solving for the underlying fission chain timing distribution that drives the spreading of the measured TCPH distribution. We found that a gamma distribution fits the fission chain timing distribution well and that the fit parameters correlate with both multiplication (rate parameter) and shielding material types (shape parameter). The source-to-detector distance was another free parameter that we were able to optimize, and proved to be the most well constrained parameter. MCNPX-PoliMi simulations were used to complement the measurements and help illustrate trends in these parameters and their relation to multiplication and the amount and type of material coupled to the subcritical assembly.

Preliminary Assessment for CAU 485: Cactus Spring Ranch Pu and DU Site CAS No. TA-39-001-TAGR: Soil Contamination, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-07-01

Corrective Action Unit 485, Corrective Action Site TA-39-001-TAGR, the Cactus Spring Ranch Soil Contamination Area, is located approximately six miles southwest of the Area 3 Compound at the eastern mouth of Sleeping Column Canyon in the Cactus Range on the Tonopah Test Range. This site was used in conjunction with animal studies involving the biological effects of radionuclides (specifically plutonium) associated with Operation Roofer Coaster. The location had been used as a ranch by private citizens prior to government control of the area. According to historical records, Operation Roofer Coaster activities involved assessing the inhalation uptake of plutonium in animalsmore » from the nonnuclear detonation of nuclear weapons. Operation Roofer Coaster consisted of four nonnuclear destruction tests of a nuclear device. The four tests all took place during May and June 1963 and consisted of Double Tracks and Clean Slate 1, 11, and 111. Eighty-four dogs, 84 burros, and 136 sheep were used for the Double Tracks test, and ten sheep and ten dogs were used for Clean Slate 11. These animals were housed at Cactus Spring Ranch. Before detonation, all animals were placed in cages and transported to the field. After the shot, they were taken to the decontamination area where some may have been sacrificed immediately. All animals, including those sacrificed, were returned to Cactus Spring Ranch at this point to have autopsies performed or to await being sacrificed at a later date. A description of the Cactus Spring Ranch activities found in project files indicates the ranch was used solely for the purpose of the Roofer Coaster tests and bioaccumulation studies and was never used for any other project. No decontamination or cleanup had been conducted at Cactus Spring Ranch prior to the start of the project. When the project was complete, the pits at Cactus Spring Ranch were filled with soil, and trailers where dogs were housed and animal autopsies had been performed were removed. Additional pens and sheds were built to house and manage livestock involved with the Operation Roofer Coaster activities in 1963.« less

Measurements of actinides in soil, sediments, water and vegetation in Northern New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallaher, B. M.; Efurd, D. W.

2002-01-01

This study was undertaken during 1991 - 1998 to identify the origin of plutonium uranium in northern New Mexico Rio Grande and tributary stream sediments. Isotopic fingerprinting techniques help distinguish radioactivity from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and from global fallout or natural sources. The geographic area covered by the study extended from the headwaters of the Rio Grande in southern Colorado to Elephant Butte Reservoir in southern New Mexico. Over 100 samples of stream channel and reservoir bottom sediments were analyzed for the atom ratios of plutonium and uranium isotopes using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Comparison of thesemore » ratios against those for fallout or natural sources allowed for quantification of the Laboratory impact. Of the seven major drainages crossing LANL, movement of LANL plutonium into the Rio Grande can only be traced via Los Alamos Canyon. The majority of sampled locations within and adjacent to LANL have little or no input of plutonium from the Laboratory. Samples collected upstream and distant to L A N show an average (+ s.d.) fallout 240Pu/239Pauto m ratio of 0.169 + 0.012, consistent with published worldwide global fallout values. These regional background ratios differ significantly from the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio of 0.015 that is representative of LANL-derived plutonium entering the Rio Grande at Los Alamos Canyon. Mixing calculations of these sources indicate that the largest proportion (60% to 90%) of the plutonium in the Rio Grande sediments is from global atmospheric fallout, with an average of about 25% from the Laboratory. The LANL plutonium is identifiable intermittently along the 35-km reach of the Rio Grande to Cochiti Reservoir. The source of the LANL-derived plutonium in the Rio Grande was traced primarily to pre-1960 discharges of liquid effluents into a canyon bottom at a distance approximately 20 km upstream of the river. Plutonium levels decline exponentially with distance downstream after mixing with cleaner sediments, yet the LANL isotopic fingerprint remains distinct for at least 55 km from the effluent source. Plutonium isotopes in Rio Grande and Pajarito Plateau sediments are not at levels known to adversely affect public health. Activities of 239+240pwui thin this sample set ranged from 0.001- 0.046 pCUg in the Rio Grande to 3.7 pCi/g near the effluent discharge point. Levels in the Rio Grande are usually more than 1000 times. lower than prescribed cleanup standards. Uranium in stream and reservoir sediments is predominantly within natural concentration ranges and is of natural uranium isotopic composition. None of the sediments from the Rio Grande show identifiable Laboratory uranium, using the isotopic ratios. These results suggest that the mass of Laboratory-derived uranium entering the Rio Grande is small relative to the natural load carried with river sediments.« less

Weapon Simulator Test Methodology Investigation: Comparison of Live Fire and Weapon Simulator Test Methodologies and the Effects of Clothing and Individual Equipment on Marksmanship

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-15

METHODOLOGY INVESTIGATION: COMPARISON OF LIVE FIRE AND WEAPON SIMULATOR TEST METHODOLOGIES AND THE EFFECTS OF CLOTHING AND INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT ON...2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) October 2014 – August 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE WEAPON SIMULATOR TEST METHODOLOGY INVESTIGATION...COMPARISON OF LIVE FIRE AND WEAPON SIMULATOR TEST METHODOLOGIES AND THE EFFECTS OF CLOTHING AND INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT ON MARKSMANSHIP 5a. CONTRACT

Lingering radioactivity at the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls.

PubMed

Buesseler, Ken O; Charette, Matthew A; Pike, Steven M; Henderson, Paul B; Kipp, Lauren E

2018-04-15

We made an assessment of the levels of radionuclides in the ocean waters, seafloor and groundwater at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls where the US conducted nuclear weapons tests in the 1940's and 50's. This included the first estimates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) derived from radium isotopes that can be used here to calculate radionuclide fluxes in to the lagoon waters. While there is significant variability between sites and sample types, levels of plutonium ( 239,240 Pu) remain several orders of magnitude higher in lagoon seawater and sediments than what is found in rest of the world's oceans. In contrast, levels of cesium-137 ( 137 Cs) while relatively elevated in brackish groundwater are only slightly higher in the lagoon water relative to North Pacific surface waters. Of special interest was the Runit dome, a nuclear waste repository created in the 1970's within the Enewetak Atoll. Low seawater ratios of 240 Pu/ 239 Pu suggest that this area is the source of about half of the Pu in the Enewetak lagoon water column, yet radium isotopes suggest that SGD from below the dome is not a significant Pu source. SGD fluxes of Pu and Cs at Bikini were also relatively low. Thus radioactivity associated with seafloor sediments remains the largest source and long term repository for radioactive contamination. Overall, Bikini and Enewetak Atolls are an ongoing source of Pu and Cs to the North Pacific, but at annual rates that are orders of magnitude smaller than delivered via close-in fallout to the same area. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

GBU-X bounding requirements for highly flexible munitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagby, Patrick T.; Shaver, Jonathan; White, Reed; Cafarelli, Sergio; Hébert, Anthony J.

2017-04-01

This paper will present the results of an investigation into requirements for existing software and hardware solutions for open digital communication architectures that support weapon subsystem integration. The underlying requirements of such a communication architecture would be to achieve the lowest latency possible at a reasonable cost point with respect to the mission objective of the weapon. The determination of the latency requirements of the open architecture software and hardware were derived through the use of control system and stability margins analyses. Studies were performed on the throughput and latency of different existing communication transport methods. The two architectures that were tested in this study include Data Distribution Service (DDS) and Modular Open Network Architecture (MONARCH). This paper defines what levels of latency can be achieved with current technology and how this capability may translate to future weapons. The requirements moving forward within communications solutions are discussed.

Selection of Russian Plutonium Beryllium Sources for Inclusion in the Nuclear Mateirals Information Program Archive

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Narlesky, Joshua E; Padilla, Dennis D; Watts, Joe

2009-01-01

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the former Soviet Union produced and exported Plutonium-Beryllium (PuBe) neutron sources to various Eastern European countries. The Russian sources consist of an intermetallic compound of plutonium and beryllium encapsulated in an inner welded, sealed capsule and consisting of a body and one or more covers. The amount of plutonium in the sources ranges from 0.002 g up to 15 g. A portion of the sources was originally exported to East Germany. A portion of these sources were acquired by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the late 1990s for destruction in the Offsite Source Recoverymore » Program. When the OSRP was canceled, the remaining 88 PuBe neutron sources were packaged and stored in a 55-gal drum at T A-55. This storage configuration is no longer acceptable for PuBe sources, and the sources must either be repackaged or disposed of. Repackaging would place the sources into Hagan container, and depending on the dose rates, some sources may be packaged individually increasing the footprint and cost of storage. In addition, each source will be subject to leak-checking every six months. Leaks have already been detected in some of the sources, and due to the age of these sources, it is likely that additional leaks may be detected over time, which will increase the overall complexity of handling and storage. Therefore, it was decided that the sources would be disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) due to the cost and labor associated with continued storage at TA-55. However, the plutonium in the sources is of Russian origin and needs to be preserved for research purposes. Therefore, it is important that a representative sample of the sources retained and archived for future studies. This report describes the criteria used to obtain a representative sample of the sources. Nine Russian PuBe neutron sources have been selected out of a collection of 77 sources for inclusion in the NMIP archive. Selection criteria were developed so that the largest sources that are representative of the collection are included. One representative source was chosen for every 20 sources in the collection, and effort was made to preserve sources unique to the collection. In total, four representative sources and five unique sources were selected for the archive. The archive samples contain 40 grams of plutonium with an isotopic composition similar to that of weapon grade material and three grams of plutonium with an isotopic composition similar to that of reactor grade plutonium.« less

Verification study of an emerging fire suppression system

DOE PAGES

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Waked, R. Ryan; Granzow, Howard N.; ...

2016-01-01

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Moreover, plutonium gloveboxes present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials; these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. Several studies have been conducted to determine the robustness of selfcontained fire extinguishers in plutonium gloveboxes in a nuclear facility, verification tests must be performed. These tests include activation and mass loss calorimeter tests. In addition, compatibility issues with chemical components of the self-contained fire extinguishers need to be addressed. Our study presents activation andmore » mass loss calorimeter test results. After extensive studies, no critical areas of concern have been identified for the plutonium glovebox application of Fire Foe™, except for glovebox operations that use large quantities of bulk plutonium or uranium metal such as metal casting and pyro-chemistry operations.« less

Verification study of an emerging fire suppression system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Waked, R. Ryan; Granzow, Howard N.

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Moreover, plutonium gloveboxes present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials; these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. Several studies have been conducted to determine the robustness of selfcontained fire extinguishers in plutonium gloveboxes in a nuclear facility, verification tests must be performed. These tests include activation and mass loss calorimeter tests. In addition, compatibility issues with chemical components of the self-contained fire extinguishers need to be addressed. Our study presents activation andmore » mass loss calorimeter test results. After extensive studies, no critical areas of concern have been identified for the plutonium glovebox application of Fire Foe™, except for glovebox operations that use large quantities of bulk plutonium or uranium metal such as metal casting and pyro-chemistry operations.« less

Method for removal of metal atoms from aqueous solution using suspended plant cells

DOEpatents

Jackson, Paul J.; Torres, deceased, Agapito P.; Delhaize, Emmanuel

1992-01-01

The use of plant suspension cultures to remove ionic metallic species and TNT-based explosives and their oxidation products from aqueous solution is described. Several plant strains were investigated including D. innoxia, Citrus citrus, and Black Mexican Sweet Corn. All showed significant ability to remove metal ions. Ions removed to sub-ppm levels include barium, iron, and plutonium. D. innoxia cells growing in media containing weapons effluent contaminated with Ba.sup.2+ also remove TNT, other explosives and oxidation products thereof from solution. The use of dead, dehydrated cells were also found to be of use in treating waste directly.

Method for removal of explosives from aqueous solution using suspended plant cells

DOEpatents

Jackson, Paul J.; Torres, deceased, Agapito P.; Delhaize, Emmanuel

1994-01-01

The use of plant suspension cultures to remove ionic metallic species and TNT-based explosives and their oxidation products from aqueous solution is described. Several plant strains were investigated including D. innoxia, Citrus citrus, and Black Mexican Sweet Corn. All showed significant ability to remove metal ions. Ions removed to sub-ppm levels include barium, iron, and plutonium. D. innoxia cells growing in media containing weapons effluent contaminated with Ba.sup.2+ also remove TNT, other explosives and oxidation products thereof from solution. The use of dead, dehydrated cells was also found to be of use in treating waste directly.

Background Radioactivity in River and Reservoir Sediments near Los Alamos, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.G.McLin; D.W. Lyons

2002-05-05

As part of its continuing Environmental Surveillance Program, regional river and lake-bottom sediments have been collected annually by Los Alamos National Laboratory (the Laboratory) since 1974 and 1979, respectively. These background samples are collected from three drainage basins at ten different river stations and five reservoirs located throughout northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Radiochemical analyses for these sediments include tritium, strontium-90, cesium-137, total uranium, plutonium-238, plutonium-239,-240, americium-241, gross alpha, gross beta, and gross gamma radioactivity. Detection-limit radioactivity originates as worldwide fallout from aboveground nuclear weapons testing and satellite reentry into Earth's atmosphere. Spatial and temporal variations in individual analytemore » levels originate from atmospheric point-source introductions and natural rate differences in airborne deposition and soil erosion. Background radioactivity values on sediments reflect this variability, and grouped river and reservoir sediment samples show a range of statistical distributions that appear to be analyte dependent. Traditionally, both river and reservoir analyte data were blended together to establish background levels. In this report, however, we group background sediment data according to two criteria. These include sediment source (either river or reservoir sediments) and station location relative to the Laboratory (either upstream or downstream). These grouped data are statistically evaluated through 1997, and background radioactivity values are established for individual analytes in upstream river and reservoir sediments. This information may be used to establish the existence and areal extent of trace-level environmental contamination resulting from historical Laboratory research activities since the early 1940s.« less

Redox bias in loss of ignition moisture measurement for relatively pure plutonium-bearing oxide materials.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eller, P. G.; Stakebake, J. L.; Cooper, T. D.

2001-01-01

This paper evaluates potential analytical bias in application of the Loss on Ignition (LOI) technique for moisture measurement to relatively pure (plutonium assay of 80 wt.% or higher) oxides containing uranium that have been stabilized according to stabilization and storage standard DOE-STD-3013-2000 (STD-3013). An immediate application is to Rocky Flats (RF) materials derived from highgrade metal hydriding separations subsequently treated by multiple calcination cycles. Specifically evaluated are weight changes due to oxidatiodreduction of multivalent impurity oxides that could mask true moisture equivalent content measurement. Process knowledge and characterization of materials representing complex-wide materials to be stabilized and packaged according tomore » STD-3013, and particularly for the immediate RF target stream, indicate that oxides of uranium, iron and gallium are the only potential multivalent constituents expected to be present above 0.5 wt.%. The evaluation shows that of these constituents, with few exceptions, only uranium oxides can be present at a sufficient level to produce weight gain biases significant with respect to the LO1 stability test. In general, these formerly high-value, high-actinide content materials are reliably identifiable by process knowledge and measurement. Si&icant bias also requires that UO1 components remain largely unoxidized after calcination and are largely converted to U30s clsning LO1 testing at only slightly higher temperatures. Based on wellestablished literature, it is judged unlikely that this set of conditions will be realized in practice. We conclude that it is very likely that LO1 weight gain bias will be small for the immediate target RF oxide materials containing greater than 80 wt.% plutonium plus a much smaller uranium content. Recommended tests are in progress to confum these expectations and to provide a more authoritative basis for bounding LO1 oxidatiodreduction biases. LO1 bias evaluation is more difficult for lower purity materials and for fuel-type uranium-plutonium oxides. However, even in these cases testing may show that bias effects are manageable.« less

Integration of low level and ontology derived features for automatic weapon recognition and identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirakov, Nikolay M.; Suh, Sang; Attardo, Salvatore

2011-06-01

This paper presents a further step of a research toward the development of a quick and accurate weapons identification methodology and system. A basic stage of this methodology is the automatic acquisition and updating of weapons ontology as a source of deriving high level weapons information. The present paper outlines the main ideas used to approach the goal. In the next stage, a clustering approach is suggested on the base of hierarchy of concepts. An inherent slot of every node of the proposed ontology is a low level features vector (LLFV), which facilitates the search through the ontology. Part of the LLFV is the information about the object's parts. To partition an object a new approach is presented capable of defining the objects concavities used to mark the end points of weapon parts, considered as convexities. Further an existing matching approach is optimized to determine whether an ontological object matches the objects from an input image. Objects from derived ontological clusters will be considered for the matching process. Image resizing is studied and applied to decrease the runtime of the matching approach and investigate its rotational and scaling invariance. Set of experiments are preformed to validate the theoretical concepts.

77 FR 37261 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation Created...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-21

... National Emergency With Respect to the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation Created by the Accumulation of Weapons... Extracted from Nuclear Weapons, dated February 18, 1993, and related contracts and agreements (collectively... derived from nuclear weapons to low enriched uranium for peaceful commercial purposes. The order invoked...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friesen, H.N.

This summary document presents results in a broad context; it is not limited to findings of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group. This book is organized to present the findings of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group and correlative programs in accordance with the originally stated objectives of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group. This plan, in essence, traces plutonium from its injection into the environment to movement in the ecosystem to development of cleanup techniques. Information on other radionuclides was also obtained and will be presented briefly. Chapter 1 presents a brief description of the ecological setting of the Test Range Complex.more » The results of investigations for plutonium distribution are presented in Chapter 2 for the area surrounding the Test Range Complex and in Chapter 3 for on-site locations. Chapters 4 and 5 present the results of investigations concerned with concentrations and movement, respectively, of plutonium in the ecosystem of the Test Range Complex, and Chapter 6 summarizes the potential hazard from this plutonium. Development of techniques for cleanup and treatment is presented in Chapter 7, and the inventory of radionuclides other than plutonium is presented briefly in Chapter 8.« less

Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-24

remain current. It indicated plans to reduce the time between a decision to conduct a nuclear test and the test itself, which has been done. Critics ...over the Summit,” Manila Bulletin, August 27, 2005. Critics expressed concern about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons...force, seek the opportunity to design and build new nuclear weapons, and abandon a ten-year-old moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.”8 Another critic

The Complete Burning of Weapons Grade Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium with (Laser Inertial Fusion-Fission Energy) LIFE Engine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farmer, J C; Diaz de la Rubia, T; Moses, E

2008-12-23

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) project, a laser-based Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiment designed to achieve thermonuclear fusion ignition and burn in the laboratory, is under construction at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and will be completed in April of 2009. Experiments designed to accomplish the NIF's goal will commence in late FY2010 utilizing laser energies of 1 to 1.3 MJ. Fusion yields of the order of 10 to 20 MJ are expected soon thereafter. Laser initiated fusion-fission (LIFE) engines have now been designed to produce nuclear power from natural or depleted uranium without isotopic enrichment, and from spentmore » nuclear fuel from light water reactors without chemical separation into weapons-attractive actinide streams. A point-source of high-energy neutrons produced by laser-generated, thermonuclear fusion within a target is used to achieve ultra-deep burn-up of the fertile or fissile fuel in a sub-critical fission blanket. Fertile fuels including depleted uranium (DU), natural uranium (NatU), spent nuclear fuel (SNF), and thorium (Th) can be used. Fissile fuels such as low-enrichment uranium (LEU), excess weapons plutonium (WG-Pu), and excess highly-enriched uranium (HEU) may be used as well. Based upon preliminary analyses, it is believed that LIFE could help meet worldwide electricity needs in a safe and sustainable manner, while drastically shrinking the nation's and world's stockpile of spent nuclear fuel and excess weapons materials. LIFE takes advantage of the significant advances in laser-based inertial confinement fusion that are taking place at the NIF at LLNL where it is expected that thermonuclear ignition will be achieved in the 2010-2011 timeframe. Starting from as little as 300 to 500 MW of fusion power, a single LIFE engine will be able to generate 2000 to 3000 MWt in steady state for periods of years to decades, depending on the nuclear fuel and engine configuration. Because the fission blanket in a fusion-fission hybrid system is subcritical, a LIFE engine can burn any fertile or fissile nuclear material, including unenriched natural or depleted U and SNF, and can extract a very high percentage of the energy content of its fuel resulting in greatly enhanced energy generation per metric ton of nuclear fuel, as well as nuclear waste forms with vastly reduced concentrations of long-lived actinides. LIFE engines could thus provide the ability to generate vast amounts of electricity while greatly reducing the actinide content of any existing or future nuclear waste and extending the availability of low cost nuclear fuels for several thousand years. LIFE also provides an attractive pathway for burning excess weapons Pu to over 99% FIMA (fission of initial metal atoms) without the need for fabricating or reprocessing mixed oxide fuels (MOX). Because of all of these advantages, LIFE engines offer a pathway toward sustainable and safe nuclear power that significantly mitigates nuclear proliferation concerns and minimizes nuclear waste. An important aspect of a LIFE engine is the fact that there is no need to extract the fission fuel from the fission blanket before it is burned to the desired final level. Except for fuel inspection and maintenance process times, the nuclear fuel is always within the core of the reactor and no weapons-attractive materials are available outside at any point in time. However, an important consideration when discussing proliferation concerns associated with any nuclear fuel cycle is the ease with which reactor fuel can be converted to weapons usable materials, not just when it is extracted as waste, but at any point in the fuel cycle. Although the nuclear fuel remains in the core of the engine until ultra deep actinide burn up is achieved, soon after start up of the engine, once the system breeds up to full power, several tons of fissile material is present in the fission blanket. However, this fissile material is widely dispersed in millions of fuel pebbles, which can be tagged as individual accountable items, and thus made difficult to divert in large quantities. This report discusses the application of the LIFE concept to nonproliferation issues, initially looking at the LIFE (Laser Inertial Fusion-Fission Energy) engine as a means of completely burning WG Pu and HEU. By combining a neutron-rich inertial fusion point source with energy-rich fission, the once-through closed fuel-cycle LIFE concept has the following characteristics: it is capable of efficiently burning excess weapons or separated civilian plutonium and highly enriched uranium; the fission blanket is sub-critical at all times (keff < 0.95); because LIFE can operate well beyond the point at which light water reactors (LWRs) need to be refueled due to burn-up of fissile material and the resulting drop in system reactivity, fuel burn-up of 99% or more appears feasible. The objective of this work is to develop LIFE technology for burning of WG-Pu and HEU.« less

Lattice dynamics and elasticity for ε-plutonium [First-principles lattice dynamics for ε-plutonium

DOE PAGES

Söderlind, Per

2017-04-25

Here, lattice dynamics and elasticity for the high-temperature ε phase (body-centered cubic; bcc) of plutonium is predicted utilizing first-principles electronic structure coupled with a self-consistent phonon method that takes phonon-phonon interaction and strong anharmonicity into account. These predictions establish the first sensible lattice-dynamics and elasticity data on ε-Pu. The atomic forces required for the phonon scheme are highly accurate and derived from the total energies obtained from relativistic and parameter-free density-functional theory. The results appear reasonable but no data exist to compare with except those from dynamical mean-field theory that suggest ε-plutonium is mechanically unstable. Fundamental knowledge and understanding ofmore » the high-temperature bcc phase, that is generally present in all actinide metals before melting, is critically important for a proper interpretation of the phase diagram as well as practical modeling of high-temperature properties.« less

Concordant plutonium-241-americium-241 dating of environmental samples: results from forest fire ash

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goldstein, Steven J; Oldham, Warren J; Murrell, Michael T

2010-12-07

We have measured the Pu, {sup 237}Np, {sup 241}Am, and {sup 151}Sm isotopic systematics for a set of forest fire ash samples from various locations in the western U.S. including Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and New Mexico. The goal of this study is to develop a concordant {sup 241}Pu (t{sub 1/2} = 14.4 y)-{sup 241}Am dating method for environmental collections. Environmental samples often contain mixtures of components including global fallout. There are a number of approaches for subtracting the global fallout component for such samples. One approach is to use {sup 242}/{sup 239}Pu as a normalizing isotope ratio in a three-isotopemore » plot, where this ratio for the nonglobal fallout component can be estimated or assumed to be small. This study investigates a new, complementary method of normalization using the long-lived fission product, {sup 151}Sm (t{sub 1/2} = 90 y). We find that forest fire ash concentrates actinides and fission products with {approx}1E10 atoms {sup 239}Pu/g and {approx}1E8 atoms {sup 151}Sm/g, allowing us to measure these nuclides by mass spectrometric (MIC-TIMS) and radiometric (liquid scintillation counting) methods. The forest fire ash samples are characterized by a western U.S. regional isotopic signature representing varying mixtures of global fallout with a local component from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Our results also show that {sup 151}Sm is well correlated with the Pu nuclides in the forest fire ash, suggesting that these nuclides have similar geochemical behavior in the environment. Results of this correlation indicate that the {sup 151}Sm/{sup 239}Pu atom ratio for global fallout is {approx}0.164, in agreement with an independent estimate of 0.165 based on {sup 137}Cs fission yields for atmospheric weapons tests at the NTS. {sup 241}Pu-{sup 241}Am dating of the non-global fallout component in the forest fire ash samples yield ages in the late 1950's-early 1960's, consistent with a peak in NTS weapons testing at that time. The age results for this component are in agreement using both {sup 242}Pu and {sup 151}Sm normalizations, although the errors for the {sup 151}Sm correction are currently larger due to the greater uncertainty of their measurements. Additional efforts to develop a concordant {sup 241}Pu-{sup 241}Am dating method for environmental collections are underway with emphasis on soil cores.« less

Routine inspection effort required for verification of a nuclear material production cutoff convention

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dougherty, D.; Fainberg, A.; Sanborn, J.

On 27 September 1993, President Clinton proposed {open_quotes}... a multilateral convention prohibiting the production of highly enriched uranium or plutonium for nuclear explosives purposes or outside of international safeguards.{close_quotes} The UN General Assembly subsequently adopted a resolution recommending negotiation of a non-discriminatory, multilateral, and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty (hereinafter referred to as {open_quotes}the Cutoff Convention{close_quotes}) banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. The matter is now on the agenda of the Conference on Disarmament, although not yet under negotiation. This accord would, in effect, place all fissile material (defined as highly enriched uranium and plutonium) produced aftermore » entry into force (EIF) of the accord under international safeguards. {open_quotes}Production{close_quotes} would mean separation of the material in question from radioactive fission products, as in spent fuel reprocessing, or enrichment of uranium above the 20% level, which defines highly enriched uranium (HEU). Facilities where such production could occur would be safeguarded to verify that either such production is not occurring or that all material produced at these facilities is maintained under safeguards.« less

Proliferation resistance of small modular reactors fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Polidoro, F.; Parozzi, F.; Fassnacht, F.

2013-07-01

In this paper the proliferation resistance of different types of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) has been examined and classified with criteria available in the literature. In the first part of the study, the level of proliferation attractiveness of traditional low-enriched UO{sub 2} and MOX fuels to be used in SMRs based on pressurized water technology has been analyzed. On the basis of numerical simulations both cores show significant proliferation risks. Although the MOX core is less proliferation prone in comparison to the UO{sub 2} core, it still can be highly attractive for diversion or undeclared production of nuclear material. Inmore » the second part of the paper, calculations to assess the proliferation attractiveness of fuel in typical small sodium cooled fast reactor show that proliferation risks from spent fuel cannot be neglected. The core contains a highly attractive plutonium composition during the whole life cycle. Despite some aspects of the design like the sealed core that enables easy detection of unauthorized withdrawal of fissile material and enhances proliferation resistance, in case of open Non-Proliferation Treaty break-out, weapon-grade plutonium in sufficient quantities could be extracted from the reactor core.« less

Quantifying Atmospheric Fallout of Fukushima-derived Radioactive Isotopes in the Hawaiian Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenzie, Trista; Dulai, Henrietta

2016-04-01

On March 11, 2011, several reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered damage and released the radioisotopes iodine-131, cesium-134, and cesium-137 into the atmosphere. A week later, these isotopes were detected in aerosols over the state of Hawaii and in milk samples analyzed from the Big Island. Because the detected levels were significantly below levels of health concern, the state did not attempt to quantify the deposition of these nuclides on the islands. This study estimated the magnitude of atmospheric fallout of cesium and iodine, and examined the patterns of cesium wet deposition with precipitation observed in March 2011. Mushroom and soil samples were collected along precipitation gradients on Oahu and the island of Hawaii and analyzed for cesium isotopes using gamma spectrometry. Fukushima-derived fallout was differentiated from historic nuclear weapons testing fallout by the presence of Cs-134, which has a shorter half-life of 2.06 years and the fact that Cs-134 and 137 were released from the severed power plant nearly in parity. We found that Fukushima-derived cesium was present in both mushrooms and soil and the soil inventories ranged 2.2-60.9 Bq/m2 for Cs-137 and 16.1-445.8 Bq/m2 for I-131. Additionally, we found that Fukushima-derived cesium inventories in soils were correlated with precipitation gradients. This research confirmed and quantified the presence of Fukushima-derived fallout in Hawaii, however the activities detected were orders of magnitude lower than fallout associated with the nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.

Fukushima-derived radiocesium fallout in Hawaiian soils.

PubMed

McKenzie, Trista; Dulai, Henrietta

2017-12-01

Several reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered damage on March 11, 2011, resulting in the release of radiocesium ( 134 Cs and 137 Cs), as well as other radionuclides, into the atmosphere. A week later, these isotopes were detected in aerosols over the state of Hawai'i and in milk samples analyzed on the island of Hawai'i. This study estimated the magnitude of cesium deposition in soil, collected in 2015-2016, resulting from atmospheric fallout. It also examined the patterns of cesium wet deposition with precipitation observed on O'ahu and the island of Hawai'i following the disaster. Fukushima-derived fallout was differentiated from historic nuclear weapons testing fallout by the presence of 134 Cs and the assumption that the 134 Cs to 137 Cs ratio was 1:1. Detectable, Fukushima-derived 134 Cs inventories ranged from 30 to 630 Bq m -2 and 137 Cs inventories ranged from 20 to 2200 Bq m -2 . Fukushima-derived cesium inventories in soils were related to precipitation gradients, particularly in areas where rainfall exceeded 200 mm between March 19 and April 4, 2011. This research confirmed and quantified the presence of Fukushima-derived fallout in the state of Hawai'i in amounts higher than predicted by models and observed in the United States mainland, however the activities detected were an order of magnitude lower than fallout associated with historic sources such as the nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. In addition, this study showed that areas of highest cesium deposition do not overlap with densely populated or agriculturally used areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

10. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST AT THE 400AREA COMPLEX. THIS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST AT THE 400-AREA COMPLEX. THIS AREA OF THE PLANT MANUFACTURED NON-PLUTONIUM WEAPONS COMPONENTS FROM BERYLLIUM, DEPLETED URANIUM, AND STAINLESS STEEL. THE 400 - AREA ALSO INCLUDED A FACILITY FOR THE MODIFICATION OF SAFE SECURE TRANSPORT VEHICLES FOR SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS BEING SHIPPED TO AND FROM THE SITE. BUILDING 444, IN THE UPPER RIGHT EDGE OF THE PHOTOGRAPH, WAS THE ORIGINAL PLANT A. THE LARGE BUILDING IN THE TOP OF THE PHOTOGRAPH IS BUILDING 460, BUILT AS A STATE-OF-THE-ART STAINLESS STEEL MANUFACTURING FACILITY (6/27/95). - Rocky Flats Plant, Bounded by Indiana Street & Routes 93, 128 & 72, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

The physics design of accelerator-driven transmutation systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Venneri, F.

1995-10-01

Nuclear systems under study in the Los Alamos Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology program (ADTT) will allow the destruction of nuclear spent fuel and weapons-return plutonium, as well as the production of nuclear energy from the thorium cycle, without a long-lived radioactive waste stream. The subcritical systems proposed represent a radical departure from traditional nuclear concepts (reactors), yet the actual implementation of ADTT systems is based on modest extrapolations of existing technology. These systems strive to keep the best that the nuclear technology has developed over the years, within a sensible conservative design envelope and eventually manage to offer a safe, lessmore » expensive and more environmentally sound approach to nuclear power.« less

Risks of fatal cancer from inhalation of 239,240plutonium by humans: a combined four-method approach with uncertainty evaluation.

PubMed

Grogan, H A; Sinclair, W K; Voillequé, P G

2001-05-01

The risk per unit dose to the four primary cancer sites for plutonium inhalation exposure (lung, liver, bone, bone marrow) is estimated by combining the risk estimates that are derived from four independent approaches. Each approach represents a fundamentally different source of data from which plutonium risk estimates can be derived. These are: (1) epidemiologic studies of workers exposed to plutonium; (2) epidemiologic studies of persons exposed to low-LET radiation combined with a factor for the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of plutonium alpha particles appropriate for each cancer site of concern; (3) epidemiologic studies of persons exposed to alpha-emitting radionuclides other than plutonium; and (4) controlled studies of animals exposed to plutonium and other alpha-emitting radionuclides extrapolated to humans. This procedure yielded the following organ-specific estimates of the distribution of mortality risk per unit dose from exposure to plutonium expressed as the median estimate with the 5th to 95th percentiles of the distribution in parentheses: lung 0.13 Gy(-1) (0.022-0.53 Gy(-1)); liver 0.057 Gy(-1) (0.011-0.47 Gy(-1)); bone 0.0013 Gy(-1) (0.000060-0.025 Gy(-1)); bone marrow (leukemia), 0.013 Gy(-1) (0.00061-0.05 Gy(-1)). Because the different tissues do not receive the same dose following an inhalation exposure, the mortality risk per unit intake of activity via inhalation of a 1-microm AMAD plutonium aerosol also was determined. To do this, inhalation dose coefficients based on the most recent ICRP models and accounting for input parameter uncertainties were combined with the risk coefficients described above. The following estimates of the distribution of mortality risk per unit intake were determined for a 1-microm AMAD plutonium aerosol with a geometric standard deviation of 2.5: lung 5.3 x 10(-7) Bq(-1) (0.65-35 x 10(-7) Bq(-1)), liver 1.2 x 10(-7) Bq(-1) (0.091-20 x 10(-7) Bq(-1)), bone 0.11 x 10(-7) Bq(-1) (0.0030-4.3 x 10(-7) Bq(-1)), bone marrow (leukemia) 0.049 x 10(-7) Bq(-1) (0.0017-0.59 x 10(-7) Bq(-1)). The cancer mortality risk for all sites was estimated to be 10 x 10(-7) Bq(-1) (2.1-55 x 10(-7) Bq(-1))--a result that agrees very well with other recent estimates. The large uncertainties in the risks per unit intake of activity reflect the combined uncertainty in the dose and risk coefficients.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iseki, Tadahiro; Inaba, Makoto; Takahashi, Naoki

During the second and third steps of Active Test at Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP), the performances of the Separation Facility have been checked; (A) diluent washing efficiency, (B) plutonium stripping efficiency, (C) decontamination factor of fission products and (D) plutonium and uranium leakage into raffinate and spent solvent. Test results were equivalent to or better than expected. (authors)

Polycythemia vera among participants of a nuclear weapons test

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sobell, J.L.; Codd, M.B.; Silverstein, M.N.

1987-03-06

Three letters-to-the-editors discuss the finding of a statistically significant excess of polycythemia vera cases among participants in the Smoky detonation. Had population-based incidence rates from Rochester been used to derive an expected incidence, and had only bona fide polycythemia vera cases been considered, as is the rule in most epidemiologic studies, the observed frequency of polycythemia vera among participants in the Smoky test would have been found to be well within chance expectations.

The ORNL Chemical Technology Division, 1950-1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jolley, R.L.; Genung, R.K.; McNeese, L.E.

1994-10-01

This document attempts to reconstruct the role played by the Chemical Technology Division (Chem Tech) of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the atomic era since the 1940`s related to the development and production of nuclear weapons and power reactors. Chem Tech`s early contributions were landmark pioneering studies. Unknown and dimly perceived problems like chemical hazards, radioactivity, and criticality had to be dealt with. New chemical concepts and processes had to be developed to test the new theories being developed by physicists. New engineering concepts had to be developed and demonstrated in order to build facilities and equipment thatmore » had never before been attempted. Chem Tech`s role was chemical separations, especially uranium and plutonium, and nuclear fuel reprocessing. With diversification of national and ORNL missions, Chem Tech undertook R&D studies in many areas including biotechnology; clinical and environmental chemistry; nuclear reactors; safety regulations; effective and safe waste management and disposal; computer modeling and informational databases; isotope production; and environmental control. The changing mission of Chem Tech are encapsulated in the evolving activities.« less

Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Colloid-facilitated Plutonium Reactive Transport in Fractured Tuffaceous Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Z.; Wolfsberg, A. V.; Zhu, L.; Reimus, P. W.

2017-12-01

Colloids have the potential to enhance mobility of strongly sorbing radionuclide contaminants in fractured rocks at underground nuclear test sites. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation of colloid-facilitated plutonium reactive transport in fractured porous media for identifying plutonium sorption/filtration processes. The transport parameters for dispersion, diffusion, sorption, and filtration are estimated with inverse modeling for minimizing the least squares objective function of multicomponent concentration data from multiple transport experiments with the Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM). Capitalizing on an unplanned experimental artifact that led to colloid formation and migration, we adopt a stepwise strategy to first interpret the data from each experiment separately and then to incorporate multiple experiments simultaneously to identify a suite of plutonium-colloid transport processes. Nonequilibrium or kinetic attachment and detachment of plutonium-colloid in fractures was clearly demonstrated and captured in the inverted modeling parameters along with estimates of the source plutonium fraction that formed plutonium-colloids. The results from this study provide valuable insights for understanding the transport mechanisms and environmental impacts of plutonium in fractured formations and groundwater aquifers.

Operations MANDREL and GROMMET Events MINUTE STEAK, DIESEL TRAIN, DIANA MIST, MINT LEAF, HUDSON MOON, DIAGONAL LINE, and MISTY NORTH, 12 September 1969 to 2 May 1972

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-30

conducted from 12 September 1969 to 2 May 1972 to study weapons effects . Two were shaft-type and five were tunnel- type nuclear tests. The following table...1958. Of the 194 nuclear device tests conducted, 161 were for weapons related or effects purposes, and 33 were safety ex- periments. An additional 22...States atmospheric testing on 25 April 1962 until the last atmospheric test on 4 November 1962, 40 weapons related and weapons effects tests were

Cooperative measures to support the Indo-Pak Agreement Reducing Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mishra, Sitakanta; Ahmed, Mansoor

In 2012, India and Pakistan reaffirmed the Agreement on Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons. Despite a history of mutual animosity and persistent conflict between the two countries, this agreement derives strength from a few successful nuclear confidence building measures that have stood the test of time. It also rests on the hope that the region would be spared a nuclear holocaust from an accidental nuclear weapon detonation that might be misconstrued as a deliberate use of a weapon by the other side. This study brings together two emerging strategic analysts from South Asia to explore measuresmore » to support the Agreement and further develop cooperation around this critical issue. This study briefly dwells upon the strategic landscape of nuclear South Asia with the respective nuclear force management structures, doctrines, and postures of India and Pakistan. It outlines the measures in place for the physical protection and safety of nuclear warheads, nuclear materials, and command and control mechanisms in the two countries, and it goes on to identify the prominent, emerging challenges posed by the introduction of new weapon technologies and modernization of the respective strategic forces. This is followed by an analysis of the agreement itself leading up to a proposed framework for cooperative measures that might enhance the spirit and implementation of the agreement.« less

Measurements of Pu and Ra isotopes in soils and sediments by AMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tims, S. G.; Hancock, G. J.; Wacker, L.; Fifield, L. K.

2004-08-01

Plutonium fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s constitutes an artificial tracer suitable for the study of recent soil erosion and sediment accumulation rates. Long-lived Pu isotopes provide an alternative tracer to the more widely used 137Cs (t1/2=30 a), the concentration of which is decaying at a rate that will limit its long-term application to these studies. For 239,240Pu, the sensitivity of AMS is more than an order of magnitude better than that afforded by α-spectroscopy. Furthermore, AMS can provide a simple, direct measure of the 240Pu/239Pu ratio. Sample profiles from two sites along eastern Australia have been determined with both AMS and α-spectroscopy to provide comparative measurements of the sediment accumulation rate in water bodies and of the soil erosion rate. The two methods are in good agreement. The 228Ra/226Ra ratio potentially provides a probe for tracing the dispersion of uranium mining residues into the neighboring environment. Soil depth profiles of the ratio may provide information on the rate at which mining-derived radioactivity is spread by surface waters, and could be used to assess the effectiveness of remediation and rehabilitation technologies. AMS offers several advantages over the more usual α- and γ-spectroscopy techniques in that it can directly and quickly measure both isotopes in a sample of small size and with simple sample preparation. We show that AMS can be used to measure these isotopes of radium at the sensitivity required for environmental samples using RaC2- as the injected beam species.

Baseline Caesium-137 and Plutonium-239+240 inventory assessment for Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meusburger, Katrin; Borelli, Pasquale; Evrard, Olivier; Ketterer, Michael; Mabit, Lionel; van Oost, Kristof; Alewell, Christine; Panagos, Panos

2017-04-01

Artificial fallout radionuclides (FRNs) such as Caesium-137 and Plutonium-239+240 released as products of the thermonuclear weapons testing that took place from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s and from nuclear power plant accidents (e.g. Chernobyl) are useful tools to quantify soil redistribution. In combination with geostatistics, FRNs may have the potential to bridge the gap between small scale process oriented studies and modelling that simplifies processes and effects over large spatial scales. An essential requirement for the application of FRNs as soil erosion tracers is the establishment of the baseline fallout at undisturbed sites before its comparison to those inventories found at sites undergoing erosion/accumulation. For this purpose, undisturbed topsoil (0-20cm) samples collected in 2009 within the framework of the Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey (LUCAS) have been measured by gamma-spectrometry and ICP-MS to determine 137Cs (n=145) and 239+240Pu (n=108) activities. To restrict the analysis to undisturbed reference sites a geospatial database query selecting only sites having a slope angle <2 degree, outside riparian zones (to avoid depositional sites) and under permanent grassland cover (according to CORINE Land Cover and Landsat) was applied. This study reports preliminary results on the feasibility of establishing a 137Cs and 239+240Pu baseline inventory map for Central Europe. The 137Cs/239+240Pu activity ratios will further allow assessing the rate and the spatial variability of 137Cs Chernobyl fallout. The establishment of such baseline inventory map will provide a unique opportunity to assess soil redistribution for a comparable time-frame (1953-2009) following a harmonised methodological protocol across national boundaries.

RTG Safety Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The primary objective of STS-34 was to launch Galileo on its trip to Jupiter. The Galileo spacecraft contains two Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG), which contains plutonium. This videotape shows and the accompanying material explains the tests that the RTG containment vessel has been subjected to, and the results of the tests. The videotape shows the trajectory of the Galileo spacecraft, a cutaway view of an RTG, the Plutonium-238 fuel capsule, and seven of the tests on the RTG.

Operations NOUGAT and WHETSTONE Events: HARD HAT, DANNY BOY, MARSHMALLOW, MUDPACK, WISHBONE, GUMDROP, DILUTED WATERS, and TINY TOT, 15 February 1962-17 June 1965.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-31

were conducted to study weapons effects from 15 February 1962 to 17 June 1965. ,Four were shaft-type, three were tunnel- type, and one was a crater...Of the 194 nuclear device tests conducted, 161 were for weapons development or effects purposes, and 33 were safety ex- periments. An additional 22...testing on 25 April 1962 until the last atmospheric test on 4 November 1962, 40 weapons development and weapons effects tests were conducted as part of the

OPERATIONS TOGGLE, ARBOR and BEDROCK Events: DIAMOND SCULLS, DIDO QUEEN, HUSKY ACE, MING BLADE, HYBLA FAIR and DINING CAR, 20 July 1972 - 5 April 1975

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-30

1975 to study weapons effects . All six were tunnel-type nuclear tests. The following table summarizes data on these events: OPERATION TOGGLE ARBOR...194 nuclear device tests conducted, 161 were for weapons related or effects purposes, and 33 were safety ex- periments. An additional 22 nuclear...on 25 April 1962 until the last atmospheric test on 4 November 1962, 40 weapons development and weapons effects tests were conducted as part of

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Canavan, G.H.

This note derives the first and second strike magnitudes and costs for strikes between vulnerable missile forces with multiple warheads. The extension to mixes with invulnerable missiles is performed in a companion note. Stability increases as the number of weapons per missile is reduced. The optimal allocation of weapons between missiles and value is significant in predicting the stability impact of the reduction of the number of weapons per missile at large numbers of missiles, less significant in reducing the number of missiles for fixed weapons per missile. At low numbers of missiles, the stability indices for singlet and tripletmore » configurations are comparable, as are the number of weapons each would deliver on value targets.« less

Study on reduction and back extraction of Pu(IV) by urea derivatives in nitric acid conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ye, G.A.; Xiao, S.T.; Yan, T.H.

2013-07-01

The reduction kinetics of Pu(IV) by hydroxyl-semicarbazide (HSC), hydroxyurea (HU) and di-hydroxyurea (DHU) in nitric acid solutions were investigated separately with adequate kinetic equations. In addition, counter-current cascade experiments were conducted for Pu split from U in nitric acid media using three kinds of reductant, respectively. The results show that urea derivatives as a kind of novel salt-free reductant can reduce Pu(IV) to Pu(III) rapidly in the nitric acid solutions. The stripping experimental results showed that Pu(IV) in the organic phase can be stripped rapidly to the aqueous phase by the urea derivatives, and the separation factors of plutonium /uraniummore » can reach more than 10{sup 4}. This indicates that urea derivatives is a kind of promising salt-free agent for uranium/plutonium separation. In addition, the complexing effect of HSC with Np(IV) was revealed, and Np(IV) can be back-extracted by HSC with a separation factor of about 20.« less

Congress targets DOE plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maggs, William Ward

Calling the Department of Energy's management of the nation's crippled nuclear weapons production complex “a 35-year secret chemical war waged against people living near DOE's sites,” Representative Thomas Luken (D-OH) opened a congressional hearing on February 23 with an appeal to DOE Secretary-designate James Watkins to release secret health records of workers at the plants. In testimony that followed, Comptroller General Charles Bowsher told a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that President Bush's new budget does not go far enough on the long and costly road of cleaning up and modernizing the contaminated and aging facilities. The renovation is expected to cost up to $155 billion.By next month, 11 of the 17 installations that make up the DOE complex will be on the EPA's Superfund list of the nation's most contaminated waste sites. Some o f the DOE facilities, including the Rocky Flats plant in Denver, Colo., the Hanford Reservation in eastern Washington, and the Savannah River plant in South Carolina, are among the most polluted sites ever identified by EPA. The principal function of the facilities, the production of tritium and plutonium for nuclear weapons, has stopped, creating what DOE has characterized as a looming national security crisis.

Selected environmental plutonium research reports of the NAEG

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, M.G.; Dunaway, P.B.

Twenty-one papers were presented on various aspects of plutonium and radioisotope ecology at the Nevada Test Site. This includes studies of wildlife, microorganisms, and the plant-soil system. Analysis and sampling techniques are also included.

Source-term characterisation and solid speciation of plutonium at the Semipalatinsk NTS, Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Nápoles, H Jiménez; León Vintró, L; Mitchell, P I; Omarova, A; Burkitbayev, M; Priest, N D; Artemyev, O; Lukashenko, S

2004-01-01

New data on the concentrations of key fission/activation products and transuranium nuclides in samples of soil and water from the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site are presented and interpreted. Sampling was carried out at Ground Zero, Lake Balapan, the Tel'kem craters and reference locations within the test site boundary well removed from localised sources. Radionuclide ratios have been used to characterise the source term(s) at each of these sites. The geochemical partitioning of plutonium has also been examined and it is shown that the bulk of the plutonium contamination at most of the sites examined is in a highly refractory, non-labile form.

HOW OLD IS IT? - 241PU/241AM NUCLEAR FORENSIC CHRONOLOGY REFERENCE MATERIALS

PubMed Central

Fitzgerald, Ryan; Inn, Kenneth G.W.; Horgan, Christopher

2018-01-01

One material attribute for nuclear forensics is material age. 241Pu is almost always present in uranium- and plutonium-based nuclear weapons, which pose the greatest threat to our security. The in-growth of 241Am due to the decay of 241Pu provides an excellent chronometer of the material. A well-characterized 241Pu/241Am standard is needed to validate measurement capability, as a basis for between-laboratory comparability, and as material for verifying laboratory performance. This effort verifies the certification of a 38 year old 241Pu Standard Reference Material (SRM4340) through alpha-gamma anticoincidence counting, and also establishes the separation date to two weeks of the documented date. PMID:29720779

Nuclear waste disposal—pyrochlore (A2B2O7): Nuclear waste form for the immobilization of plutonium and "minor" actinides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, Rodney C.; Weber, William J.; Lian, Jie

2004-06-01

During the past half-century, the nuclear fuel cycle has generated approximately 1400 metric tons of plutonium and substantial quantities of the "minor" actinides, such as Np, Am, and Cm. The successful disposition of these actinides has an important impact on the strategy for developing advanced nuclear fuel cycles, weapons proliferation, and the geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. During the last decade, there has been substantial interest in the use of the isometric pyrochlore structure-type, A2B2O7, for the immobilization of actinides. Most of the interest has focused on titanate-pyrochlore because of its chemical durability; however, these compositions experience a radiation-induced transition from the crystalline-to-aperiodic state due to radiation damage from the alpha-decay of actinides. Depending on the actinide concentration, the titanate pyrochlore will become amorphous in less than 1000 years of storage. Recently, systematic ion beam irradiations of a variety of pyrochlore compositions has revealed that many zirconate pyrochlores do not become amorphous, but remain crystalline as a defect fluorite structure-type due to disordering of the A- and B-site cations. The zirconate pyrochlores will remain crystalline even to very high doses, greater than 100 displacements per atom. Systematic experimental studies of actinide-doped and ion beam-irradiated pyrochlore, analyses of natural U- and Th-bearing pyrochlore, and simulations of the energetics of the disordering process now provide a rather detailed understanding of the structural and chemical controls on the response of pyrochlore to radiation. These results provide a solid basis for predicting the behavior and durability of pyrochlore used to immobilize plutonium.

Plutonium in the WIPP environment: its detection, distribution and behavior.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Ballard, S; Nelson, R

2012-05-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the only operating deep underground geologic nuclear repository in the United States. It is located in southeastern New Mexico, approximately 655 m (2150 ft) below the surface of the Earth in a bedded Permian evaporite salt formation. This mined geologic repository is designed for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes generated from the US defense program. Aerosol and soil samples have been collected near the WIPP site to investigate the sources of plutonium in the WIPP environment since the late 1990s, well before WIPP received its first shipment. Activities of (238)Pu, (239+240)Pu and (241)Am were determined by alpha spectrometry following a series of chemical separations. The concentrations of Al and U were determined in a separate set of samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The annual airborne concentrations of (239+240)Pu during the period from 1998 to 2010 show no systematic interannual variations. However, monthly (239+240)Pu particulate concentrations show a typical seasonal variation with a maximum in spring, the time when strong and gusty winds frequently give rise to blowing dust. Resuspension of soil particles containing weapons fallout is considered to be the predominant source of plutonium in the WIPP area. Further, this work characterizes the source, temporal variation and its distribution with depth in a soil profile to evaluate the importance of transport mechanisms affecting the fate of these radionuclides in the WIPP environment. The mean (137)Cs/(239+240)Pu, (241)Am/(239+240)Pu activity ratio and (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio observed in the WIPP samples are consistent with the source being largely global fallout. There is no evidence of any release from the WIPP contributing to radionuclide concentrations in the environment.

The Inglorious Death of Jumbo

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meade, Roger Allen

In the summer of 1944, J. Robert Oppenheimer and Los Alamos faced a crisis. An isotopic impurity in Plutonium rendered the metal unusable in a gun-assembled atomic bomb (i.e., Little Boy). Making this situation worse was a shortage of Uranium. The combination of these two problems threatened the entire wartime project. The answer to this dilemma, in part, was to develop a novel assembly method for Plutonium using the supersonic shock waves created by several tons of high explosives to compress a ball of Plutonium into a supercritical state. Since this method, implosion, was not much more than a theoreticalmore » construct, the Trinity test was devised to proof test the process. Given the speculative nature of implosion, Trinity was a gamble of sorts. If the test failed (i.e., little or no nuclear yield), the blast of the high explosives would scatter the scarce and expensive Plutonium over the surrounding desert. Since the probability of failure remained high into the early summer of 1945, some method of containing a failed nuclear explosion was needed. Jumbo was the answer.« less

Operations CROSSTIE and BOWLINE Events DOOR MIST, DORSAL FIN, MILK SHAKE, DIANA MOON, HUDSON SEAL, and MING VASE, 31 August 1967 - 20 November 1968

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-15

sponsored underground test events were conducted from 31 August 1967 to 20 November 1968 to study weapons effects . Two were shaft-type and four were...conducted, 161 were for weapons related or effects purposes, and 33 were safety ex- periments. An additional 22 nuclear experiments were conducted from...1962 until the last atmospheric test on 4 November 1962, 40 weapons related and weapons effects tests were conducted as part of the Pacific and Nevada

Control and Visualization of a Shear Layer Over a Weapons Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmit, Ryan; Raman, Ganesh; Lourenco, Luis; Kibens, Valdis

2005-11-01

In July 2005, the AFRL program Flow Control Analysis Development (FlowCAD) tested the High Frequency Excitation Active Flow Control for Supersonic Weapons Release (HIFEX) generic weapons bay model in the Boeing's Polysonic windtunnel facility. The 10% scaled weapons bay with an L/D of 5 was tested at Mach 1.82. Several flow control devices were tested, including: the goalpost, a wedge and pin configuration, and the splash jet, to determine their effectiveness at reducing the sound pressure levels inside the weapons bay. The results show the wedge and splash jet are equally effective at reducing the peak Rossiter tone by 20 dB. The main objective of this test was to visualize the shear layer over the weapons bay cavity. By examining the cavity shear layer with a 10 kHz Focused Schlieren system the effects from the flow control devices can be understood to produce a more effective flow control device in the future.

Multiple exaggerated weapon morphs: a novel form of male polymorphism in harvestmen.

PubMed

Painting, Christina J; Probert, Anna F; Townsend, Daniel J; Holwell, Gregory I

2015-11-06

Alternative reproductive tactics in animals are commonly associated with distinct male phenotypes resulting in polymorphism of sexually selected weapons such as horns and spines. Typically, morphs are divided between small (unarmed) and large (armed) males according to one or more developmental thresholds in association with body size. Here, we describe remarkable weapon trimorphism within a single species, where two exaggerated weapon morphs and a third morph with reduced weaponry are present. Male Pantopsalis cheliferoides harvestmen display exaggerated chelicerae (jaws) which are highly variable in length among individuals. Across the same body size spectrum, however, some males belong to a distinct second exaggerated morph which possesses short, broad chelicerae. Multiple weapon morphs in a single species is a previously unknown phenomenon and our findings have significant implications for understanding weapon diversity and maintenance of polymorphism. Specifically, this species will be a valuable model for testing how weapons diverge by being able to test directly for the circumstances under which a certain weapon type is favoured and how weapon shape relates to performance.

Critical Need for Plutonium and Uranium Isotopic Standards with Lower Uncertainties

DOE PAGES

Mathew, Kattathu Joseph; Stanley, Floyd E.; Thomas, Mariam R.; ...

2016-09-23

Certified reference materials (CRMs) traceable to national and international safeguards database are a critical prerequisite for ensuring that nuclear measurement systems are free of systematic biases. CRMs are used to validate measurement processes associated with nuclear analytical laboratories. Diverse areas related to nuclear safeguards are impacted by the quality of the CRM standards available to analytical laboratories. These include: nuclear forensics, radio-chronometry, national and international safeguards, stockpile stewardship, nuclear weapons infrastructure and nonproliferation, fuel fabrication, waste processing, radiation protection, and environmental monitoring. For the past three decades the nuclear community is confronted with the strange situation that improvements in measurementmore » data quality resulting from the improved accuracy and precision achievable with modern multi-collector mass spectrometers could not be fully exploited due to large uncertainties associated with CRMs available from New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) that are used for instrument calibration and measurement control. Similar conditions prevail for both plutonium and uranium isotopic standards and for impurity element standards in uranium matrices. Herein, the current status of U and Pu isotopic standards available from NBL is reviewed. Critical areas requiring improvement in the quality of the nuclear standards to enable the U. S. and international safeguards community to utilize the full potential of modern multi-collector mass spectrometer instruments are highlighted.« less

Site restoration: Estimation of attributable costs from plutonium-dispersal accidents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chanin, D.I.; Murfin, W.B.

1996-05-01

A nuclear weapons accident is an extremely unlikely event due to the extensive care taken in operations. However, under some hypothetical accident conditions, plutonium might be dispersed to the environment. This would result in costs being incurred by the government to remediate the site and compensate for losses. This study is a multi-disciplinary evaluation of the potential scope of the post-accident response that includes technical factors, current and proposed legal requirements and constraints, as well as social/political factors that could influence decision making. The study provides parameters that can be used to assess economic costs for accidents postulated to occurmore » in urban areas, Midwest farmland, Western rangeland, and forest. Per-area remediation costs have been estimated, using industry-standard methods, for both expedited and extended remediation. Expedited remediation costs have been evaluated for highways, airports, and urban areas. Extended remediation costs have been evaluated for all land uses except highways and airports. The inclusion of cost estimates in risk assessments, together with the conventional estimation of doses and health effects, allows a fuller understanding of the post-accident environment. The insights obtained can be used to minimize economic risks by evaluation of operational and design alternatives, and through development of improved capabilities for accident response.« less

Critical Need for Plutonium and Uranium Isotopic Standards with Lower Uncertainties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathew, Kattathu Joseph; Stanley, Floyd E.; Thomas, Mariam R.

Certified reference materials (CRMs) traceable to national and international safeguards database are a critical prerequisite for ensuring that nuclear measurement systems are free of systematic biases. CRMs are used to validate measurement processes associated with nuclear analytical laboratories. Diverse areas related to nuclear safeguards are impacted by the quality of the CRM standards available to analytical laboratories. These include: nuclear forensics, radio-chronometry, national and international safeguards, stockpile stewardship, nuclear weapons infrastructure and nonproliferation, fuel fabrication, waste processing, radiation protection, and environmental monitoring. For the past three decades the nuclear community is confronted with the strange situation that improvements in measurementmore » data quality resulting from the improved accuracy and precision achievable with modern multi-collector mass spectrometers could not be fully exploited due to large uncertainties associated with CRMs available from New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) that are used for instrument calibration and measurement control. Similar conditions prevail for both plutonium and uranium isotopic standards and for impurity element standards in uranium matrices. Herein, the current status of U and Pu isotopic standards available from NBL is reviewed. Critical areas requiring improvement in the quality of the nuclear standards to enable the U. S. and international safeguards community to utilize the full potential of modern multi-collector mass spectrometer instruments are highlighted.« less

Diagnosis and Prognosis of Weapon Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolan, Mary; Catania, Rebecca; deMare, Gregory

2005-01-01

The Prognostics Framework is a set of software tools with an open architecture that affords a capability to integrate various prognostic software mechanisms and to provide information for operational and battlefield decision-making and logistical planning pertaining to weapon systems. The Prognostics NASA Tech Briefs, February 2005 17 Framework is also a system-level health -management software system that (1) receives data from performance- monitoring and built-in-test sensors and from other prognostic software and (2) processes the received data to derive a diagnosis and a prognosis for a weapon system. This software relates the diagnostic and prognostic information to the overall health of the system, to the ability of the system to perform specific missions, and to needed maintenance actions and maintenance resources. In the development of the Prognostics Framework, effort was focused primarily on extending previously developed model-based diagnostic-reasoning software to add prognostic reasoning capabilities, including capabilities to perform statistical analyses and to utilize information pertaining to deterioration of parts, failure modes, time sensitivity of measured values, mission criticality, historical data, and trends in measurement data. As thus extended, the software offers an overall health-monitoring capability.

Plutonium Particle Migration in the Shallow Vadose Zone: The Nevada Test Site as an Analog Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, J. R.; Smith, D. K.

2004-12-01

The upper meter of the vadose zone in desert environments is the horizon where wastes have been released and human exposure is determined through dermal, inhalation, and food uptake pathways. This region is also characterized by numerous coupled processes that determine contaminant transport, including precipitation infiltration, evapotranspiration, daily and annual temperature cycling, dust resuspension, animal burrowing, and geochemical weathering reactions. While there is considerable interest in colloidal transport of minerals, pathogenic organisms, and contaminants in the vadose zone, there are limited field sites where the actual occurrence of contaminant migration can be quantified over the appropriate spatial and temporal scales of interest. At the US Department of Energy Nevada Test Site, there have been numerous releases of radionuclides since the 1950's that have become field-scale tracer tests. One series of tests was the four safety shots conducted in an alluvial valley of Area 11 in the 1950's. These experiments tested the ability of nuclear materials to survive chemical explosions without initiating fission reactions. Four above-ground tests were conducted and they released plutonium and uranium on the desert valley floor with only one of the tests undergoing some fission. Shortly after the tests, the sites were surveyed for radionuclide distribution on the land surface using aerial surveys and with depth. Additional studies were conducted in the 1970's to better understand the fate of plutonium in the desert that included studies of depth distribution and dust resuspension. More recently, plutonium particle distribution in the soil profile was detected using autoradiography. The results to date demonstrate the vertical migration of plutonium particles to depths in excess of 30 cm in this arid vadose zone. While plutonium migration at the Nevada Test Site has been and continues to be a concern, these field experiments have become analog sites for the release of radiological materials potentially important to consequence management investigations. In particular, these 50-year old experiments with long and detailed site investigations under relative undisturbed conditions offer insights into transport pathways that must be represented in simulation models that evaluate responses to radiological dispersal devices (RDDs). A compilation of the available site characterization data suggests additional experimental and modeling programs that can ultimately quantify the fate of contaminant particles released at the soil surface.

Ultra-Low Level Plutonium Isotopes in the NIST SRM 4355A (Peruvian Soil-1)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inn, Kenneth G.; LaRosa, Jerome; Nour, Svetlana

2009-05-31

For more than 20 years, countries and their agencies which monitor discharge sites and storage facilities have relied on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 4355 Peruvian Soil reference material. Its low fallout contamination makes it an ideal soil blank for measurements associated with terrestrial pathway to man studies. Presently, SRM 4355 is out of stock, and a new batch of the Peruvian soil is currently under development as future NIST SRM 4355A. Both environmental radioanalytical laboratories and mass spectrometry communities will benefit from this SRM. The former must assess their laboratory contamination andmore » measurement detection limits by measurement of blank sample material. The Peruvian Soil is so low in anthropogenic radionuclides that it is a suitable virtual blank. On the other hand, mass spectrometric laboratories have high sensitivity instruments that are capable of quantitative isotopic measurements at low plutonium levels of the SRM 4355 (first Peruvian Soil SRM) that provided the mass spectrometric community with the calibration, quality control, and testing material needed for methods development, and legal defensibility. The quantification of the ultra-low plutonium content in the SRM 4355A was a considerable challenge for the mass spectrometric laboratories. Careful blank control and correction, isobaric interferences, instrument stability, peak assessment, and detection assessment were necessary. Furthermore, a systematic statistical evaluation of the measurement results and considerable discussions with the mass spectroscopy metrologists were needed to derive the certified values and uncertainties. SRM 4355A will provide the mass spectrometric community with the quality control and testing material needed for higher sensitivity methods development, and legal defensibility.« less

Comparison of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of plutonium-239 alpha particles and mobile phone GSM 900 radiation in the Allium cepa test.

PubMed

Pesnya, Dmitry S; Romanovsky, Anton V

2013-01-20

The goal of this study was to compare the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of plutonium-239 alpha particles and GSM 900 modulated mobile phone (model Sony Ericsson K550i) radiation in the Allium cepa test. Three groups of bulbs were exposed to mobile phone radiation during 0 (sham), 3 and 9h. A positive control group was treated during 20min with plutonium-239 alpha-radiation. Mitotic abnormalities, chromosome aberrations, micronuclei and mitotic index were analyzed. Exposure to alpha-radiation from plutonium-239 and exposure to modulated radiation from mobile phone during 3 and 9h significantly increased the mitotic index. GSM 900 mobile phone radiation as well as alpha-radiation from plutonium-239 induced both clastogenic and aneugenic effects. However, the aneugenic activity of mobile phone radiation was more pronounced. After 9h of exposure to mobile phone radiation, polyploid cells, three-groups metaphases, amitoses and some unspecified abnormalities were detected, which were not registered in the other experimental groups. Importantly, GSM 900 mobile phone radiation increased the mitotic index, the frequency of mitotic and chromosome abnormalities, and the micronucleus frequency in a time-dependent manner. Due to its sensitivity, the A. cepa test can be recommended as a useful cytogenetic assay to assess cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Males that drop a sexually selected weapon grow larger testes.

PubMed

Joseph, Paul N; Emberts, Zachary; Sasson, Daniel A; Miller, Christine W

2018-01-01

Costly sexually selected weapons are predicted to trade off with postcopulatory traits, such as testes. Although weapons can be important for achieving access to females, individuals of some species can permanently drop (i.e. autotomize) their weapons, without regeneration, to escape danger. We capitalized on this natural behavior to experimentally address whether the loss of a sexually selected weapon leads to increased testes investment in the leaf-footed cactus bug, Narnia femorata Stål (Hemiptera: Coreidae). In a second experiment, we measured offspring production for males that lost a weapon during development. As predicted, males that dropped a hind limb during development grew significantly larger testes than the control treatments. Hind-limb autotomy did not result in the enlargement of other nearby traits. Our results are the first to experimentally demonstrate that males compensate for natural weapon loss by investing more in testes. In a second experiment we found that females paired with males that lost a hind limb had 40% lower egg hatching success than females paired with intact males, perhaps because of lower mating receptivity to males with a lost limb. Importantly, in those cases where viable offspring were produced, males missing a hind limb produced 42% more offspring than males with intact limbs. These results suggest that the loss of a hind-limb weapon can, in some cases, lead to greater fertilization success. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

A review of plutonium oxalate decomposition reactions and effects of decomposition temperature on the surface area of the plutonium dioxide product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, R. M.; Sims, H. E.; Taylor, R. J.

2015-10-01

Plutonium (IV) and (III) ions in nitric acid solution readily form insoluble precipitates with oxalic acid. The plutonium oxalates are then easily thermally decomposed to form plutonium dioxide powder. This simple process forms the basis of current industrial conversion or 'finishing' processes that are used in commercial scale reprocessing plants. It is also widely used in analytical or laboratory scale operations and for waste residues treatment. However, the mechanisms of the thermal decompositions in both air and inert atmospheres have been the subject of various studies over several decades. The nature of intermediate phases is of fundamental interest whilst understanding the evolution of gases at different temperatures is relevant to process control. The thermal decomposition is also used to control a number of powder properties of the PuO2 product that are important to either long term storage or mixed oxide fuel manufacturing. These properties are the surface area, residual carbon impurities and adsorbed volatile species whereas the morphology and particle size distribution are functions of the precipitation process. Available data and experience regarding the thermal and radiation-induced decompositions of plutonium oxalate to oxide are reviewed. The mechanisms of the thermal decompositions are considered with a particular focus on the likely redox chemistry involved. Also, whilst it is well known that the surface area is dependent on calcination temperature, there is a wide variation in the published data and so new correlations have been derived. Better understanding of plutonium (III) and (IV) oxalate decompositions will assist the development of more proliferation resistant actinide co-conversion processes that are needed for advanced reprocessing in future closed nuclear fuel cycles.

Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-29

which has been done. Critics raised concerns about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. At present, Congress addresses...Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Most Recent Developments On October 24, Senator Jon Kyl delivered a speech critical of the CTBT and of Section 3122 in...future, but there are no plans to do so.’”5 Critics expressed concern about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. A statement

Structural adaptations to diverse fighting styles in sexually selected weapons

PubMed Central

McCullough, Erin L.; Tobalske, Bret W.; Emlen, Douglas J.

2014-01-01

The shapes of sexually selected weapons differ widely among species, but the drivers of this diversity remain poorly understood. Existing explanations suggest weapon shapes reflect structural adaptations to different fighting styles, yet explicit tests of this hypothesis are lacking. We constructed finite element models of the horns of different rhinoceros beetle species to test whether functional specializations for increased performance under species-specific fighting styles could have contributed to the diversification of weapon form. We find that horns are both stronger and stiffer in response to species-typical fighting loads and that they perform more poorly under atypical fighting loads, which suggests weapons are structurally adapted to meet the functional demands of fighting. Our research establishes a critical link between weapon form and function, revealing one way male–male competition can drive the diversification of animal weapons. PMID:25201949

Structural adaptations to diverse fighting styles in sexually selected weapons.

PubMed

McCullough, Erin L; Tobalske, Bret W; Emlen, Douglas J

2014-10-07

The shapes of sexually selected weapons differ widely among species, but the drivers of this diversity remain poorly understood. Existing explanations suggest weapon shapes reflect structural adaptations to different fighting styles, yet explicit tests of this hypothesis are lacking. We constructed finite element models of the horns of different rhinoceros beetle species to test whether functional specializations for increased performance under species-specific fighting styles could have contributed to the diversification of weapon form. We find that horns are both stronger and stiffer in response to species-typical fighting loads and that they perform more poorly under atypical fighting loads, which suggests weapons are structurally adapted to meet the functional demands of fighting. Our research establishes a critical link between weapon form and function, revealing one way male-male competition can drive the diversification of animal weapons.

Determination of plutonium isotopes (238,239,240Pu) and strontium (90Sr) in seafood using alpha spectrometry and liquid scintillation spectrometry.

PubMed

Shin, Choonshik; Choi, Hoon; Kwon, Hye-Min; Jo, Hye-Jin; Kim, Hye-Jeong; Yoon, Hae-Jung; Kim, Dong-Sul; Kang, Gil-Jin

2017-10-01

The present study was carried out to survey the levels of plutonium isotopes ( 238 , 239 , 240 Pu) and strontium ( 90 Sr) in domestic seafood in Korea. In current, regulatory authorities have analyzed radionuclides, such as 134 Cs, 137 Cs and 131 I, in domestic and imported food. However, people are concerned about contamination of other radionuclides, such as plutonium and strontium, in food. Furthermore, people who live in Korea have much concern about safety of seafood. Accordingly, in this study, we have investigated the activity concentrations of plutonium and strontium in seafood. For the analysis of plutonium isotopes and strontium, a rapid and reliable method developed from previous study was used. Applicability of the test method was verified by examining recovery, minimum detectable activity (MDA), analytical time, etc. Total 40 seafood samples were analyzed in 2014-2015. As a result, plutonium isotopes ( 238 , 239 , 240 Pu) and strontium ( 90 Sr) were not detected or below detection limits in seafood. The detection limits of plutonium isotopes and strontium-90 were 0.01 and 1 Bq/kg, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mobile Pit verification system design based on passive special nuclear material verification in weapons storage facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paul, J. N.; Chin, M. R.; Sjoden, G. E.

2013-07-01

A mobile 'drive by' passive radiation detection system to be applied in special nuclear materials (SNM) storage facilities for validation and compliance purposes has been designed through the use of computational modeling and new radiation detection methods. This project was the result of work over a 1 year period to create optimal design specifications to include creation of 3D models using both Monte Carlo and deterministic codes to characterize the gamma and neutron leakage out each surface of SNM-bearing canisters. Results were compared and agreement was demonstrated between both models. Container leakages were then used to determine the expected reactionmore » rates using transport theory in the detectors when placed at varying distances from the can. A 'typical' background signature was incorporated to determine the minimum signatures versus the probability of detection to evaluate moving source protocols with collimation. This established the criteria for verification of source presence and time gating at a given vehicle speed. New methods for the passive detection of SNM were employed and shown to give reliable identification of age and material for highly enriched uranium (HEU) and weapons grade plutonium (WGPu). The finalized 'Mobile Pit Verification System' (MPVS) design demonstrated that a 'drive-by' detection system, collimated and operating at nominally 2 mph, is capable of rapidly verifying each and every weapon pit stored in regularly spaced, shelved storage containers, using completely passive gamma and neutron signatures for HEU and WGPu. This system is ready for real evaluation to demonstrate passive total material accountability in storage facilities. (authors)« less

Spatial Distribution of the Threshold Beam Spots of Laser Weapons Simulators

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-08

This paper was based on the transmission theory of elliptical Gaussian beam fluxes in deriving some transmission equations for the threshold beam...spots of laser weapon simulators, in order to revise and expand the expressions for the threshold beam spots, their maximum range, the extinction

Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venneri, Francesco

1998-04-01

Nuclear waste from commercial power plants contains large quantities of plutonium, other fissionable actinides, and long-lived fission products that are potential proliferation concerns and create challenges for the long-term storage. Different strategies for dealing with nuclear waste are being followed by various countries because of their geologic situations and their views on nuclear energy, reprocessing and non-proliferation. The current United States policy is to store unprocessed spent reactor fuel in a geologic repository. Other countries are opting for treatment of nuclear waste, including partial utilization of the fissile material contained in the spent fuel, prior to geologic storage. Long-term uncertainties are hampering the acceptability and eventual licensing of a geologic repository for nuclear spent fuel in the US, and driving up its cost. The greatest concerns are with the potential for radiation release and exposure from the spent fuel for tens of thousands of years and the possible diversion and use of the actinides contained in the waste for weapons construction. Taking advantage of the recent breakthroughs in accelerator technology and of the natural flexibility of subcritical systems, the Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste (ATW) concept offers the United States and other countries the possibility to greatly reduce plutonium, higher actinides and environmentally hazardous fission products from the waste stream destined for permanent storage. ATW does not eliminate the need for, but instead enhances the viability of permanent waste repositories. Far from being limited to waste destruction, the ATW concept also brings to the table new technologies that could be relevant for next-generation power producing reactors. In the ATW concept, spent fuel would be shipped to the ATW site where the plutonium, transuranics and selected long-lived fission products would be destroyed by fission or transmutation in their first and only pass through the facility, using an accelerator-driven subcritical burner cooled by liquid lead/bismuth and limited pyrochemical treatment of the spent fuel and residual waste. This approach contrasts with the present-day practices of aqueous reprocessing (Europe and Japan), in which high purity plutonium is produced and used in the fabrication of fresh mixed oxide fuel (MOX) that is shipped off-site for use in light water reactors.

Transuranic Contamination in Sediment and Groundwater at the U.S. DOE Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cantrell, Kirk J.

2009-08-20

A review of transuranic radionuclide contamination in sediments and groundwater at the DOE’s Hanford Site was conducted. The review focused primarily on plutonium-239/240 and americium-241; however, other transuranic nuclides were discussed as well, including neptunium-237, plutonium-238, and plutonium-241. The scope of the review included liquid process wastes intentionally disposed to constructed waste disposal facilities such as trenches and cribs, burial grounds, and unplanned releases to the ground surface. The review did not include liquid wastes disposed to tanks or solid wastes disposed to burial grounds. It is estimated that over 11,800 Ci of plutonium-239, 28,700 Ci of americium-241, and 55more » Ci of neptunium-237 have been disposed as liquid waste to the near surface environment at the Hanford Site. Despite the very large quantities of transuranic contaminants disposed to the vadose zone at Hanford, only minuscule amounts have entered the groundwater. Currently, no wells onsite exceed the DOE derived concentration guide for plutonium-239/240 (30 pCi/L) or any other transuranic contaminant in filtered samples. The DOE derived concentration guide was exceeded by a small fraction in unfiltered samples from one well (299-E28-23) in recent years (35.4 and 40.4 pCi/L in FY 2006). The primary reason that disposal of these large quantities of transuranic radionuclides directly to the vadose zone at the Hanford Site has not resulted in widespread groundwater contamination is that under the typical oxidizing and neutral to slightly alkaline pH conditions of the Hanford vadose zone, transuranic radionuclides (plutonium and americium in particular) have a very low solubility and high affinity for surface adsorption to mineral surfaces common within the Hanford vadose zone. Other important factors are the fact that the vadose zone is typically very thick (hundreds of feet) and the net infiltration rate is very low due to the desert climate. In some cases where transuranic radionuclides have been co-disposed with acidic liquid waste, transport through the vadose zone for considerable distances has occurred. For example, at the 216-Z-9 Crib, plutonium-239 and americium-241 have moved to depths in excess of 36 m (118 ft) bgs. Acidic conditions increase the solubility of these contaminants and reduce adsorption to mineral surfaces. Subsequent neutralization of the acidity by naturally occurring calcite in the vadose zone (particularly in the Cold Creek unit) appears to have effectively stopped further migration. The vast majority of transuranic contaminants disposed to the vadose zone on the Hanford Site (10,200 Ci [86%] of plutonium-239; 27,900 Ci [97%] of americium-241; and 41.8 Ci [78%] of neptunium-237) were disposed in sites within the PFP Closure Zone. This closure zone is located within the 200 West Area (see Figures 1.1 and 3.1). Other closure zones with notably high quantities of transuranic contaminant disposal include the T Farm Zone with 408 Ci (3.5%) plutonium-239, the PUREX Zone with 330 Ci (2.8%) plutonium-239, 200-W Ponds Zone with 324 Ci (2.8%) plutonium-239, B Farm Zone with 183 Ci (1.6%) plutonium-239, and the REDOX Zone with 164 Ci (1.4%) plutonium 239. Characterization studies for most of the sites reviewed in the document are generally limited. The most prevalent characterization methods used were geophysical logging methods. Characterization of a number of sites included laboratory analysis of borehole sediment samples specifically for radionuclides and other contaminants, and geologic and hydrologic properties. In some instances, more detailed research level studies were conducted. Results of these studies were summarized in the document.« less

Radionuclide Concentrations in Terrestrial Vegetation and Soil Samples On and Around the Hanford Site, 1971 Through 2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simmons, Mary Ann; Poston, Ted M.; Fritz, Brad G.

2011-07-29

Environmental monitoring is conducted on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site to comply with DOE Orders and federal and state regulations. Major objectives of the monitoring are to characterize contaminant levels in the environment and to determine site contributions to the contaminant inventory. This report focuses on surface soil and perennial vegetation samples collected between 1971 and 2008 as part of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Surface Environmental Surveillance Project performed under contract to DOE. Areas sampled under this program are located on the Hanford Site but outside facility boundaries and on public lands surrounding the Hanford Site.more » Additional samples were collected during the past 8 years under DOE projects that evaluated parcels of land for radiological release. These data were included because the same sampling methodology and analytical laboratory were used for the projects. The spatial and temporal trends of six radionuclides collected over a 38-year period were evaluated. The radionuclides----cobalt-60, cesium-137, strontium-90, plutonium-238, plutonium-239/240, and uranium (reported either as uranium-238 or total uranium)----were selected because they persist in the environment and are still being monitored routinely and reported in Hanford Site environmental reports. All these radionuclides were associated with plutonium production and waste management of activities occurring on the site. Other sources include fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, which ended in 1980, and the Chernobyl explosion in 1986. Uranium is also a natural component of the soil. This assessment of soil and vegetation data provides important information on the distribution of radionuclides in areas adjacent to industrial areas, established perimeter locations and buffer areas, and more offsite nearby and distant locations. The concentrations reflect a tendency for detection of some radionuclides close to where they were utilized onsite, but as one moves to unindustrialized areas on the site, surrounding buffer areas and perimeter location into the more distant sites, concentrations of these radionuclides approach background and cannot be distinguished from fallout activity. More importantly, concentrations in soil and vegetation samples did not exceed environmental benchmark concentrations, and associated exposure to human and ecological receptors were well below levels that are demonstratively hazardous to human health and the environment.« less

50 kW laser weapon demonstrator of Rheinmetall Waffe munition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludewigt, K.; Riesbeck, Th.; Graf, A.; Jung, M.

2013-10-01

We will present the setup of a 50 kW Laser Weapon Demonstrator (LWD) and results achieved with this system. The LWD is a ground based Air Defence system consisting of a Skyguard sensor unit for target acquisition and two laser equipped weapon turrets. The weapon turrets used are standard air defence turrets of Rheinmetall Air Defence which were equipped with several 10 kW Laser Weapon Modules (LWM). Each LWM consists of one 10 kW fiber laser and a beam forming unit (BFU). Commercial of the shelf fiber laser were modified for our defence applications. The BFU providing diffraction limited beam focusing, target imaging and fine tracking of the target was developed. The LWD was tested in a firing campaign at Rheinmetall test ground in Switzerland. All laser beams of both weapon turrets were superimposed on stationary and dynamic targets. Test results of the LWD for the scenarios Air Defence and C-RAMM (counter rockets, artillery, mortar and missiles) will be presented. An outlook for the next development stage towards a 100 kW class laser weapon on RWM will be given.

Detection and classification of concealed weapons using a magnetometer-based portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotter, Dale K.; Roybal, Lyle G.; Polk, Robert E.

2002-08-01

A concealed weapons detection technology was developed through the support of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to provide a non intrusive means for rapid detection, location, and archiving of data (including visual) of potential suspects and weapon threats. This technology, developed by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), has been applied in a portal style weapons detection system using passive magnetic sensors as its basis. This paper will report on enhancements to the weapon detection system to enable weapon classification and to discriminate threats from non-threats. Advanced signal processing algorithms were used to analyze the magnetic spectrum generated when a person passes through a portal. These algorithms analyzed multiple variables including variance in the magnetic signature from random weapon placement and/or orientation. They perform pattern recognition and calculate the probability that the collected magnetic signature correlates to a known database of weapon versus non-weapon responses. Neural networks were used to further discriminate weapon type and identify controlled electronic items such as cell phones and pagers. False alarms were further reduced by analyzing the magnetic detector response by using a Joint Time Frequency Analysis digital signal processing technique. The frequency components and power spectrum for a given sensor response were derived. This unique fingerprint provided additional information to aid in signal analysis. This technology has the potential to produce major improvements in weapon detection and classification.

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-23

there are no plans to do so.’”5 Critics expressed concern about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. A statement by...opportunity to design and build new nuclear weapons, and abandon a ten-year-old moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.”6 Another critic felt that increased...cannot diagnose or remedy a problem in a warhead critical the U.S. nuclear deterrent without conducting a nuclear test.10 Similarly, a Statement of

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-06

the future, but there are no plans to do so.’”5 Critics expressed concern about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. A...seek the opportunity to design and build new nuclear weapons, and abandon a ten-year-old moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.”6 Another critic felt...warhead critical the U.S. nuclear deterrent without conducting a nuclear test.10 Similarly, a Statement of Administration Policy on S. 1547, FY2008

Multiple exaggerated weapon morphs: a novel form of male polymorphism in harvestmen

PubMed Central

Painting, Christina J.; Probert, Anna F.; Townsend, Daniel J.; Holwell, Gregory I.

2015-01-01

Alternative reproductive tactics in animals are commonly associated with distinct male phenotypes resulting in polymorphism of sexually selected weapons such as horns and spines. Typically, morphs are divided between small (unarmed) and large (armed) males according to one or more developmental thresholds in association with body size. Here, we describe remarkable weapon trimorphism within a single species, where two exaggerated weapon morphs and a third morph with reduced weaponry are present. Male Pantopsalis cheliferoides harvestmen display exaggerated chelicerae (jaws) which are highly variable in length among individuals. Across the same body size spectrum, however, some males belong to a distinct second exaggerated morph which possesses short, broad chelicerae. Multiple weapon morphs in a single species is a previously unknown phenomenon and our findings have significant implications for understanding weapon diversity and maintenance of polymorphism. Specifically, this species will be a valuable model for testing how weapons diverge by being able to test directly for the circumstances under which a certain weapon type is favoured and how weapon shape relates to performance. PMID:26542456

Plutonium and americium in the foodchain lichen-reindeer-man

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jaakkola, T.; Hakanen, M.; Keinonen, M.

1977-01-01

The atmospheric nuclear tests have produced a worldwide fallout of transuranium elements. In addition to plutonium measurable concentrations of americium are to be found in terrestrial and aquatic environments. The metabolism of plutonium in reindeer was investigated by analyzing plutonium in liver, bone, and lung collected during 1963-1976. To determine the distribution of plutonium in reindeer all tissues of four animals of different ages were analyzed. To estimate the uptake of plutonium from the gastrointestinal tract in reindeer, the tissue samples of elk were also analyzed. Elk which is of the same genus as reindeer does not feed on lichenmore » but mainly on deciduous plants, buds, young twigs, and leaves of trees and bushes. The composition of its feed corresponds fairly well to that of reindeer during the summer. Studies on behaviour of americium along the foodchain lichen-reindeer-man were started by determining the Am-241 concentrations in lichen and reindeer liver. The Am-241 results were compared with those of Pu-239,240. The plutonium contents of the southern Finns, whose diet does not contain reindeer tissues, were determined by analyzing autopsy tissue samples (liver, lung, and bone). The southern Finns form a control group to the Lapps consuming reindeer tissues. Plutonium analyses of the placenta, blood, and tooth samples of the Lapps were performed.« less

Nuclear event zero-time calculation and uncertainty evaluation.

PubMed

Pan, Pujing; Ungar, R Kurt

2012-04-01

It is important to know the initial time, or zero-time, of a nuclear event such as a nuclear weapon's test, a nuclear power plant accident or a nuclear terrorist attack (e.g. with an improvised nuclear device, IND). Together with relevant meteorological information, the calculated zero-time is used to help locate the origin of a nuclear event. The zero-time of a nuclear event can be derived from measured activity ratios of two nuclides. The calculated zero-time of a nuclear event would not be complete without an appropriately evaluated uncertainty term. In this paper, analytical equations for zero-time and the associated uncertainty calculations are derived using a measured activity ratio of two nuclides. Application of the derived equations is illustrated in a realistic example using data from the last Chinese thermonuclear test in 1980. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detecting special nuclear material using a neutron time projection chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carosi, G.; Bernstein, A.; Bowden, N.; Burke, J.; Carter, D.; Foxe, M.; Heffner, M.; Jovanovic, I.; Mintz, J.; O'Malley, P.

2010-02-01

Time projection chambers are 3-dimensional charged particle cameras based on drifting ionization tracks at a known velocity onto an electronic readout plane. These instruments are capable of detecting fast neutrons which are unique signatures of special nuclear material with low natural background rates. Here we describe a neutron Time Projection Chamber (nTPC) developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) which has demonstrated directional sensitivity to fission neutrons along with high rejection of background gamma-ray and electron events. Using a combination hydrogen/methane drift gas at several atmospheres we've demonstrated the ability to point to a Cf-252 source simulating 6kg of weapons grade plutonium at 10's of meters with one hour integration time. Plans for future field deployable devices will also be outlined. )

KSC-97PC1537

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-10

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

KSC-97PC1535

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-10

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

KSC-97PC1533

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-10

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

KSC-97PC1538

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-10

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL) at PNNL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peurrung, Tony; Clark, Sue; Bryan, Sam

2017-03-23

Nuclear research is one of the core components of PNNL's mission. The centerpiece of PNNL's nuclear research is the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL), a Category 2 nuclear facility with state-of-the-art instrumentation, scientific expertise, and specialized capabilities that enable research with significant quantities of fissionable materials and other radionuclides—from tritium to plutonium. High impact radiological research has been conducted in the RPL since the 1950's, when nuclear weapons and energy production at Hanford were at the forefront of national defense. Since then, significant investments have been made in the RPL to maintain it as a premier nuclear science research facility supportingmore » multiple programs. Most recently, PNNL is developing a world-class analytical electron microscopy facility dedicated to the characterization of radiological materials.« less

Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 03-2-830A Stability Test of Indirect Fire Artillery Weapons

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-20

0.01 degree 0 to 6400 mil; ± 1 mil Powder thermometer -55 to +40 °Celsius (C); ± 1 °C Muzzle velocity radar 42 to 1200 meters/second; ± 4...Gun crew 2 Geodetics personnel 1 Muzzle velocity radar operator 2 HS and regular videographer 2 Wiebel tracking radar operator 1...fire. d. Install the muzzle velocity radar at the test weapon. e. Verify test weapons boresight before and after firing each group. f

Operations FLINTLOCK and LATCHKEY Events RED HOT, PIN STRIPE, DISCUS THROWER, PILE DRIVER, DOUBLE PLAY, NEWPOINT, MIDI MIST, 5 March 1966-26 June 1967

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

DOD)-sponsored underground test events were conducted from 5 March 1966 to 26 June 1967 to study weapons effects . Three were shaft-type and four...by the United States on 1 November 1958. Of the 194 nuclear device tests conducted, 161 were for weapons development or effects purposes, and 33...development and weapons effects tests were conducted as part of the Pacific and Nevada atmospheric test operations. The underground tests, resumed on 15

High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-09

Electromagnetic Pulse Horizontal Electromagnetic Pulse Advanced Fast Electromagnetic Pulse Nuclear Weapons Effect Testing and Environments 16. SECURITY... Weapons of Mass Destruction Agency (USANCA). In order to effectively determine criteria compliance, the TO/PE must thoroughly understand the...ELECTROMAGNETIC ENVIRONMENT AND EFFECTS. A.1 The electromagnetic environment produced by a nuclear weapon consists of the ionization of the atmosphere and

Plutonium immobilization can loading FY99 component test report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kriikku, E.

2000-06-01

This report summarizes FY99 Can Loading work completed for the Plutonium Immobilization Project and it includes details about the Helium hood, cold pour cans, Can Loading robot, vision system, magnetically coupled ray cart and lifts, system integration, Can Loading glovebox layout, and an FY99 cost table.

The instrumental method of plutonium determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knyazev, B. B.; Kazachevskiy, I. V.; Solodukhin, V. P.; Lukashenko, S. N.; Knatova, M. K.; Kashirskiy, V. V.

2003-01-01

A method of direct instrumental determination of plutonium isotopes in soil samples is described. For the method a special program of spectra processing and activity calculation had to be prepared. The detection limit of 239+240Pu in absence of interfering radiation is about 200 Bq/kg (by 3.3σ criteria). Examples are given of the method application for the study of radionuclide soil composition in separate objects of Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS). It is shown that for different objects under study the correlation degree between plutonium and americium activities may change rather substantially.

Upward movement of plutonium to surface sediments during an 11-year field study.

PubMed

Kaplan, D I; Demirkanli, D I; Molz, F J; Beals, D M; Cadieux, J R; Halverson, J E

2010-05-01

An 11-year lysimeter study was established to monitor the movement of Pu through vadose zone sediments. Sediment Pu concentrations as a function of depth indicated that some Pu moved upward from the buried source material. Subsequent numerical modeling suggested that the upward movement was largely the result of invading grasses taking up the Pu and translocating it upward. The objective of this study was to determine if the Pu of surface sediments originated from atmosphere fallout or from the buried lysimeter source material (weapons-grade Pu), providing additional evidence that plants were involved in the upward migration of Pu. The (240)Pu/(239)Pu and (242)Pu/(239)Pu atomic fraction ratios of the lysimeter surface sediments, as determined by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectroscopy (TIMS), were 0.063 and 0.00045, respectively; consistent with the signatures of the weapons-grade Pu. Our numerical simulations indicate that because plants create a large water flux, small concentrations over multiple years may result in a measurable accumulation of Pu on the ground surface. These results may have implications on the conceptual model for calculating risk associated with long-term stewardship and monitored natural attenuation management of Pu contaminated subsurface and surface sediments. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanderwiel, Scott A; Wilson, Alyson G; Graves, Todd L

Both the U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) maintain weapons stockpiles: items like bullets, missiles and bombs that have already been produced and are being stored until needed. Ideally, these stockpiles maintain high reliability over time. To assess reliability, a surveillance program is implemented, where units are periodically removed from the stockpile and tested. The most definitive tests typically destroy the weapons so a given unit is tested only once. Surveillance managers need to decide how many units should be tested, how often they should be tested, what tests should be done, and how themore » resulting data are used to estimate the stockpile's current and future reliability. These issues are particularly critical from a planning perspective: given what has already been observed and our understanding of the mechanisms of stockpile aging, what is an appropriate and cost-effective surveillance program? Surveillance programs are costly, broad, and deep, especially in the DOE, where the US nuclear weapons surveillance program must 'ensure, through various tests, that the reliability of nuclear weapons is maintained' in the absence of full-system testing (General Accounting Office, 1996). The DOE program consists primarily of three types of tests: nonnuclear flight tests, that involve the actual dropping or launching of a weapon from which the nuclear components have been removed; and nonnuclear and nuclear systems laboratory tests, which detect defects due to aging, manufacturing, and design of the nonnuclear and nuclear portions of the weapons. Fully integrated analysis of the suite of nuclear weapons surveillance data is an ongoing area of research (Wilson et al., 2007). This paper introduces a simple model that captures high-level features of stockpile reliability over time and can be used to answer broad policy questions about surveillance programs. Our intention is to provide a framework that generates tractable answers that integrate expert knowledge and high-level summaries of surveillance data to allow decision-making about appropriate trade-offs between the cost of data and the precision of stockpile reliability estimates.« less

The relationship of thyroid cancer with radiation exposure from nuclear weapon testing in the Marshall Islands.

PubMed

Takahashi, Tatsuya; Schoemaker, Minouk J; Trott, Klaus R; Simon, Steven L; Fujimori, Keisei; Nakashima, Noriaki; Fukao, Akira; Saito, Hiroshi

2003-03-01

The US nuclear weapons testing program in the Pacific conducted between 1946 and 1958 resulted in radiation exposure in the Marshall Islands. The potentially widespread radiation exposure from radio-iodines of fallout has raised concerns about the risk of thyroid cancer in the Marshallese population. The most serious exposures and its health hazards resulted from the hydrogen-thermonuclear bomb test, the Castle BRAVO, on March 1, 1954. Between 1993 and 1997, we screened 3,709 Marshallese for thyroid disease who were born before the BRAVO test. It was 60% of the entire population at risk and who were still alive at the time of our examinations. We diagnosed 30 thyroid cancers and found 27 other study participants who had been operated for thyroid cancer before our screening in this group. Fifty-seven Marshallese born before 1954 (1.5%) had thyroid cancer or had been operated for thyroid cancer. Nearly all (92%) of these cancers were papillary carcinoma. We derived estimates of individual thyroid dose proxy from the BRAVO test in 1954 on the basis of published age-specific doses estimated on Utirik atoll and 137Cs deposition levels on the atolls where the participants came from. There was suggestive evidence that the prevalence of thyroid cancer increased with category of estimated dose to the thyroid.

Plutonium isotopes in the atmosphere of Central Europe: Isotopic composition and time evolution vs. circulation factors.

PubMed

Kierepko, Renata; Mietelski, Jerzy W; Ustrnul, Zbigniew; Anczkiewicz, Robert; Wershofen, Herbert; Holgye, Zoltan; Kapała, Jacek; Isajenko, Krzysztof

2016-11-01

This paper reports evidence of Pu isotopes in the lower part of the troposphere of Central Europe. The data were obtained based on atmospheric aerosol fraction samples collected from four places in three countries (participating in the informal European network known as the Ring of Five (Ro5)) forming a cell with a surface area of about 200,000km(2). We compared our original data sets from Krakow (Poland, 1990-2007) and Bialystok (Poland, 1991-2007) with the results from two other locations, Prague (Czech Republic; 1997-2004) and Braunschweig (Germany; 1990-2003) to find time evolution of the Pu isotopes. The levels of the activity concentration for (238)Pu and for ((239+240))Pu were estimated to be a few and some tens of nBqm(-3), respectively. However, we also noted some results were much higher (even about 70 times higher) than the average concentration of (238)Pu in the atmosphere. The achieved complex data sets were used to test a new approach to the problem of solving mixing isotopic traces from various sources (here up to three) in one sample. Results of our model, supported by mesoscale atmospheric circulation parameters, suggest that Pu from nuclear weapon accidents or tests and nuclear burnt-up fuel are present in the air. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

27 CFR 478.153 - Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or imported for the purposes of testing... AMMUNITION Exemptions, Seizures, and Forfeitures § 478.153 Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity... weapon, and § 478.40a with respect to large capacity ammunition feeding devices, shall not apply to the...

27 CFR 478.153 - Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or imported for the purposes of testing... AMMUNITION Exemptions, Seizures, and Forfeitures § 478.153 Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity... weapon, and § 478.40a with respect to large capacity ammunition feeding devices, shall not apply to the...

27 CFR 478.153 - Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or imported for the purposes of testing... AMMUNITION Exemptions, Seizures, and Forfeitures § 478.153 Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity... weapon, and § 478.40a with respect to large capacity ammunition feeding devices, shall not apply to the...

27 CFR 478.153 - Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or imported for the purposes of testing... AMMUNITION Exemptions, Seizures, and Forfeitures § 478.153 Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity... weapon, and § 478.40a with respect to large capacity ammunition feeding devices, shall not apply to the...

27 CFR 478.153 - Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices manufactured or imported for the purposes of testing... AMMUNITION Exemptions, Seizures, and Forfeitures § 478.153 Semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity... weapon, and § 478.40a with respect to large capacity ammunition feeding devices, shall not apply to the...

Medical Effects of a Transuranic "Dirty Bomb".

PubMed

Durakovic, Asaf

2017-03-01

The modern military battlefields are characterized by the use of nonconventional weapons such as encountered in the conflicts of the Gulf War I and Gulf War II. Recent warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans has introduced radioactive weapons to the modern war zone scenarios. This presents the military medicine with a new area of radioactive warfare with the potential large scale contamination of military and civilian targets with the variety of radioactive isotopes further enhanced by the clandestine use of radioactive materials in the terrorist radioactive warfare. Radioactive dispersal devices (RDDs), including the "dirty bomb," involve the use of organotropic radioisotopes such as iodine 131, cesium 137, strontium 90, and transuranic elements. Some of the current studies of RDDs involve large-scale medical effects, social and economic disruption of the society, logistics of casualty management, cleanup, and transportation preparedness, still insufficiently addressed by the environmental and mass casualty medicine. The consequences of a dirty bomb, particularly in the terrorist use in urban areas, are a subject of international studies of multiple agencies involved in the management of disaster medicine. The long-term somatic and genetic impact of some from among over 400 radioisotopes released in the nuclear fission include somatic and transgenerational genetic effects with the potential challenges of the genomic stability of the biosphere. The global contamination is additionally heightened by the presence of transuranic elements in the modern warzone, including depleted uranium recently found to contain plutonium 239, possibly the most dangerous substance known to man with one pound of plutonium capable of causing 8 billion cancers. The planning for the consequences of radioactive dirty bomb are being currently studied in reference to the alkaline earths, osteotropic, and stem cell hazards of internally deposited radioactive isotopes, in particular uranium and transuranic elements. The spread of radioactive materials in the area of the impact would expose both military and civilian personnel to the blast and dust with both inhalational, somatic, and gastrointestinal exposure, in the aftermath of the deployment of RDDs. The quantities of radioactive materials have proliferated from the original quantity of plutonium first isolated in 1941 from 0.5 mg to the current tens of thousands of kilograms in the strategic nuclear arsenal with the obvious potential consequences to the biosphere and mankind. In an event of RDD employment, the immediate goal of disaster and mass casualty medicine would be a synchronized effort to contain the scope of the event, followed by cleanup and treatment procedures. A pragmatic approach to this problem is not always possible because of unpredictability of the terrorist-use scenarios. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Mobile and stationary laser weapon demonstrators of Rheinmetall Waffe Munition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludewigt, K.; Riesbeck, Th.; Baumgärtel, Th.; Schmitz, J.; Graf, A.; Jung, M.

2014-10-01

For some years Rheinmetall Waffe Munition has successfully developed, realised and tested a variety of versatile high energy laser (HEL) weapon systems for air- and ground-defence scenarios like C-RAM, UXO clearing. By employing beam superimposition technology and a modular laser weapon concept, the total optical power has been successively increased. Stationary weapon platforms and now military mobile vehicles were equipped with high energy laser effectors. Our contribution summarises the most recent development stages of Rheinmetalls high energy laser weapon program. We present three different vehicle based HEL demonstrators: the 5 kW class Mobile HEL Effector Track V integrated in an M113 tank, the 20 kW class Mobile HEL Effector Wheel XX integrated in a multirole armoured vehicle GTK Boxer 8x8 and the 50 kW class Mobile HEL Effector Container L integrated in a reinforced container carried by an 8x8 truck. As a highlight, a stationary 30 kW Laser Weapon Demonstrator shows the capability to defeat saturated attacks of RAM targets and unmanned aerial vehicles. 2013 all HEL demonstrators were tested in a firing campaign at the Rheinmetall testing centre in Switzerland. Major results of these tests are presented.

76 FR 1136 - Electroshock Weapons Test and Measurement Workshop

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-07

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Electroshock Weapons Test and Measurement Workshop AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States..., law enforcement, corrections, academia, military, test instrument manufacturers, etc.) of electroshock...

Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-30

itself, which has been done. Critics raised concerns about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. At present, Congress...CTBT in lieu of the current treaty.1 On October 24, Senator Jon Kyl delivered a speech critical of the CTBT and of Section 3122 in H.R. 1585, the FY2008...to do so.’”6 Critics expressed concern about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. A statement by Physicians for Social

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chrzanowski, P; Walter, K

For the Laboratory and staff, 2006 was a year of outstanding achievements. As our many accomplishments in this annual report illustrate, the Laboratory's focus on important problems that affect our nation's security and our researchers breakthroughs in science and technology have led to major successes. As a national laboratory that is part of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), Livermore is a key contributor to the Stockpile Stewardship Program for maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The program has been highly successful, and our annual report features some of the Laboratory'smore » significant stockpile stewardship accomplishments in 2006. A notable example is a long-term study with Los Alamos National Laboratory, which found that weapon pit performance will not sharply degrade from the aging effects on plutonium. The conclusion was based on a wide range of nonnuclear experiments, detailed simulations, theoretical advances, and thorough analyses of the results of past nuclear tests. The study was a superb scientific effort. The continuing success of stockpile stewardship enabled NNSA in 2006 to lay out Complex 2030, a vision for a transformed nuclear weapons complex that is more responsive, cost efficient, and highly secure. One of the ways our Laboratory will help lead this transformation is through the design and development of reliable replacement warheads (RRWs). Compared to current designs, these warheads would have enhanced performance margins and security features and would be less costly to manufacture and maintain in a smaller, modernized production complex. In early 2007, NNSA selected Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories-California to develop ''RRW-1'' for the U.S. Navy. Design efforts for the RRW, the plutonium aging work, and many other stockpile stewardship accomplishments rely on computer simulations performed on NNSA's Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Program supercomputers at Livermore. ASC Purple and BlueGene/L, the world's fastest computer, together provide nearly a half petaflop (500 trillion operations per second) of computer power for use by the three NNSA national laboratories. Livermore-led teams were awarded the Gordon Bell Prize for Peak Performance in both 2005 and 2006. The winning simulations, run on BlueGene/L, investigated the properties of materials at the length and time scales of atomic interactions. The computing power that makes possible such detailed simulations provides unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery. Laboratory scientists are meeting the extraordinary challenge of creating experimental capabilities to match the resolution of supercomputer simulations. Working with a wide range of collaborators, we are developing experimental tools that gather better data at the nanometer and subnanosecond scales. Applications range from imaging biomolecules to studying matter at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. The premier high-energy-density experimental physics facility in the world will be the National Ignition Facility (NIF) when construction is completed in 2009. We are leading the national effort to perform the first fusion ignition experiments using NIF's 192-beam laser and prepare to explore some of the remaining important issues in weapons physics. With scientific colleagues from throughout the nation, we are also designing revolutionary experiments on NIF to advance the fields of astrophysics, planetary physics, and materials science. Mission-directed, multidisciplinary science and technology at Livermore is also focused on reducing the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as their acquisition and use by terrorists. The Laboratory helps this important national effort by providing its unique expertise, integration analyses, and operational support to the Department of Homeland Security. For this vital facet of the Laboratory's national security mission, we are developing advanced technologies, such as a pocket-size explosives detector and an airborne persistent surveillance system, both of which earned R&D 100 Awards. Altogether, Livermore won seven R&D 100 Awards in 2006, the most for any organization. Emerging threats to national and global security go beyond defense and homeland security. Livermore pursues major scientific and technical advances to meet the need for a clean environment; clean, abundant energy; better water management; and improved human health. Our annual report highlights the link between human activities and the warming of tropical oceans, as well as techniques for imaging biological molecules and detecting bone cancer in its earliest stages. In addition, we showcase many scientific discoveries: distant planets, the composition of comets, a new superheavy element.« less

OPTIMIZATION OF HETEROGENEOUS UTILIZATION OF THORIUM IN PWRS TO ENHANCE PROLIFERATION RESISTANCE AND REDUCE WASTE.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

TODOSOW,M.; KAZIMI,M.

2004-08-01

Issues affecting the implementation, public perception and acceptance of nuclear power include: proliferation, radioactive waste, safety, and economics. The thorium cycle directly addresses the proliferation and waste issues, but optimization studies of core design and fuel management are needed to ensure that it fits within acceptable safety and economic margins. Typical pressurized water reactors, although loaded with uranium fuel, produce 225 to 275 kg of plutonium per gigawatt-year of operation. Although the spent fuel is highly radioactive, it nevertheless offers a potential proliferation pathway because the plutonium is relatively easy to separate, amounts to many critical masses, and does notmore » present any significant intrinsic barrier to weapon assembly. Uranium 233, on the other hand, produced by the irradiation of thorium, although it too can be used in weapons, may be ''denatured'' by the addition of natural, depleted or low enriched uranium. Furthermore, it appears that the chemical behavior of thoria or thoria-urania fuel makes it a more stable medium for the geological disposal of the spent fuel. It is therefore particularly well suited for a once-through fuel cycle. The use of thorium as a fertile material in nuclear fuel has been of interest since the dawn of nuclear power technology due to its abundance and to potential neutronic advantages. Early projects include homogeneous mixtures of thorium and uranium oxides in the BORAX-IV, Indian Point I, and Elk River reactors, as well as heterogeneous mixtures in the Shippingport seed-blanket reactor. However these projects were developed under considerably different circumstances than those which prevail at present. The earlier applications preceded the current proscription, for non-proliferation purposes, of the use of uranium enriched to more than 20 w/o in {sup 235}U, and has in practice generally prohibited the use of uranium highly enriched in {sup 235}U. They were designed when the expected burnup of light water fuel was on the order of 25 MWD/kgU--about half the present day value--and when it was expected that the spent fuel would be recycled to recover its fissile content.« less

Future Remains: Industrial Heritage at the Hanford Plutonium Works

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freer, Brian

This dissertation argues that U.S. environmental and historic preservation regulations, industrial heritage projects, history, and art only provide partial frameworks for successfully transmitting an informed story into the long range future about nuclear technology and its related environmental legacy. This argument is important because plutonium from nuclear weapons production is toxic to humans in very small amounts, threatens environmental health, has a half-life of 24, 110 years and because the industrial heritage project at Hanford is the first time an entire U.S. Department of Energy weapons production site has been designated a U.S. Historic District. This research is situated within anthropological interest in industrial heritage studies, environmental anthropology, applied visual anthropology, as well as wider discourses on nuclear studies. However, none of these disciplines is really designed or intended to be a completely satisfactory frame of reference for addressing this perplexing challenge of documenting and conveying an informed story about nuclear technology and its related environmental legacy into the long range future. Others have thought about this question and have made important contributions toward a potential solution. Examples here include: future generations movements concerning intergenerational equity as evidenced in scholarship, law, and amongst Native American groups; Nez Perce and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation responses to the Hanford End State Vision and Hanford's Canyon Disposition Initiative; as well as the findings of organizational scholars on the advantages realized by organizations that have a long term future perspective. While these ideas inform the main line inquiry of this dissertation, the principal approach put forth by the researcher of how to convey an informed story about nuclear technology and waste into the long range future is implementation of the proposed Future Remains clause, as originated by the author, by amendment to two U.S. federal laws: National Historic Preservation Act and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The dissertation provides a case study in public anthropology. The findings of the dissertation include recommendations whereby the Future Remains clause gives historic preservation and cultural resources a leading and ongoing role in facilitating real-time forward looking historical documentation at environmental restoration projects at United States National Priorities List (i.e., "Superfund") sites.

SLIGHTLY IRRADIATED FUEL (SIF) INTERIM DISPOSITION PROJECT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NORTON SH

2010-02-23

CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M HILL PRC) is proud to submit the Slightly Irradiated Fuel (SIF) Interim Disposition Project for consideration by the Project Management Institute as Project of the Year for 2010. The SIF Project was a set of six interrelated sub-projects that delivered unique stand-alone outcomes, which, when integrated, provided a comprehensive and compliant system for storing high risk special nuclear materials. The scope of the six sub-projects included the design, construction, testing, and turnover of the facilities and equipment, which would provide safe, secure, and compliant Special Nuclear Material (SNM) storage capabilities for the SIF material.more » The project encompassed a broad range of activities, including the following: Five buildings/structures removed, relocated, or built; Two buildings renovated; Structural barriers, fencing, and heavy gates installed; New roadways and parking lots built; Multiple detection and assessment systems installed; New and expanded communication systems developed; Multimedia recording devices added; and A new control room to monitor all materials and systems built. Project challenges were numerous and included the following: An aggressive 17-month schedule to support the high-profile Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) decommissioning; Company/contractor changeovers that affected each and every project team member; Project requirements that continually evolved during design and construction due to the performance- and outcome-based nature ofthe security objectives; and Restrictions imposed on all communications due to the sensitive nature of the projects In spite of the significant challenges, the project was delivered on schedule and $2 million under budget, which became a special source of pride that bonded the team. For years, the SIF had been stored at the central Hanford PFP. Because of the weapons-grade piutonium produced and stored there, the PFP had some of the tightest security on the Hanford nuclear reservation. Workers had to pass through metal detectors when they arrived at the plant and materials leaving the plant had to be scanned for security reasons. Whereas other high-security nuclear materials were shipped from the PFP to Savannah River, S.C. as part ofa Department of Energy (DOE) program to consolidate weapons-grade plutonium, it was determined that the SIF should remain onsite pending disposition to a national repository. Nevertheless, the SIF still requires a high level of security that the PFP complex has always provided. With the 60-year PFP mission of producing and storing plutonium concluded, the environmental cleanup plans for Hanford call for the demolition of the 63-building PFP complex. Consequently, if the SIF remained at PFP it not only would have interfered with the environmental cleanup plans, but would have required $100 million in facility upgrades to meet increased national security requirements imposed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A new smaller and more cost-effective area was needed to store this material, which led to the SIF Project. Once the SIF project was successfully completed and the SIF was safely removed from PFP, the existing Protected Area at PFP could be removed, and demolition could proceed more quickly without being encumbered by restrictive security requirements that an active Protected Area requires. The lightened PFP security level brought by safely removing and storing the SIF would also yield lowered costs for deactivation and demolition, as well as reduce overall life-cycle costs.« less

Passive Neutron Non-Destructive Assay for Remediation of Radiological Waste at Hanford Burial Grounds- 13189

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, A.; Pitts, M.; Ludowise, J.D.

The Hanford burial grounds contains a broad spectrum of low activity radioactive wastes, transuranic (TRU) wastes, and hazardous wastes including fission products, byproduct material (thorium and uranium), plutonium and laboratory chemicals. A passive neutron non-destructive assay technique has been developed for characterization of shielded concreted drums exhumed from the burial grounds. This method facilitates the separation of low activity radiological waste containers from TRU waste containers exhumed from the burial grounds. Two identical total neutron counting systems have been deployed, each consisting of He-3 detectors surrounded by a polyethylene moderator. The counts are processed through a statistical filter that removesmore » outliers in order to suppress cosmic spallation events and electronic noise. Upon completion of processing, a 'GO / NO GO' signal is provided to the operator based on a threshold level equivalent to 0.5 grams of weapons grade plutonium in the container being evaluated. This approach allows instantaneous decisions to be made on how to proceed with the waste. The counting systems have been set up using initial on-site measurements (neutron emitting standards loaded into surrogate waste containers) combined with Monte Carlo modeling techniques. The benefit of this approach is to allow the systems to extend their measurement ranges, in terms of applicable matrix types and container sizes, with minimal interruption to the operations at the burial grounds. (authors)« less

Actinide-contaminated Skin: Comparing Decontamination Efficacy of Water, Cleansing Gels, and DTPA Gels.

PubMed

Tazrart, A; Bolzinger, M A; Lamart, S; Coudert, S; Angulo, J F; Jandard, V; Briançon, S; Griffiths, N M

2018-07-01

Skin contamination by alpha-emitting actinides is a risk to workers during nuclear fuel production and reactor decommissioning. Also, the list of items for potential use in radiological dispersal devices includes plutonium and americium. The actinide chemical form is important and solvents such as tributyl phosphate, used to extract plutonium, can influence plutonium behavior. This study investigated skin fixation and efficacy of decontamination products for these actinide forms using viable pig skin in the Franz cell diffusion system. Commonly used or recommended decontamination products such as water, cleansing gel, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, or octadentate hydroxypyridinone compound 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO), as well as diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid hydrogel formulations, were tested after a 2-h contact time with the contaminant. Analysis of skin samples demonstrated that more plutonium nitrate is bound to skin as compared to plutonium-tributyl phosphate, and fixation of americium to skin was also significant. The data show that for plutonium-tributyl phosphate all the products are effective ranging from 80 to 90% removal of this contaminant. This may be associated with damage to the skin by this complex and suggests a mechanical/wash-out action rather than chelation. For removal of americium and plutonium, both Trait Rouge cleansing gel and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid are better than water, and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid hydrogel is better than Osmogel. The different treatments, however, did not significantly affect the activity in deeper skin layers, which suggests a need for further improvement of decontamination procedures. The new diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid hydrogel preparation was effective in removing americium, plutonium, and plutonium-tributyl phosphate from skin; such a formulation offers advantages and thus merits further assessment.

Technical solutions to nonproliferation challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satkowiak, Lawrence

2014-05-01

The threat of nuclear terrorism is real and poses a significant challenge to both U.S. and global security. For terrorists, the challenge is not so much the actual design of an improvised nuclear device (IND) but more the acquisition of the special nuclear material (SNM), either highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium, to make the fission weapon. This paper provides two examples of technical solutions that were developed in support of the nonproliferation objective of reducing the opportunity for acquisition of HEU. The first example reviews technologies used to monitor centrifuge enrichment plants to determine if there is any diversion of uranium materials or misuse of facilities to produce undeclared product. The discussion begins with a brief overview of the basics of uranium processing and enrichment. The role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), its safeguard objectives and how the technology evolved to meet those objectives will be described. The second example focuses on technologies developed and deployed to monitor the blend down of 500 metric tons of HEU from Russia's dismantled nuclear weapons to reactor fuel or low enriched uranium (LEU) under the U.S.-Russia HEU Purchase Agreement. This reactor fuel was then purchased by U.S. fuel fabricators and provided about half the fuel for the domestic power reactors. The Department of Energy established the HEU Transparency Program to provide confidence that weapons usable HEU was being blended down and thus removed from any potential theft scenario. Two measurement technologies, an enrichment meter and a flow monitor, were combined into an automated blend down monitoring system (BDMS) and were deployed to four sites in Russia to provide 24/7 monitoring of the blend down. Data was downloaded and analyzed periodically by inspectors to provide the assurances required.

Technical solutions to nonproliferation challenges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Satkowiak, Lawrence

2014-05-09

The threat of nuclear terrorism is real and poses a significant challenge to both U.S. and global security. For terrorists, the challenge is not so much the actual design of an improvised nuclear device (IND) but more the acquisition of the special nuclear material (SNM), either highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium, to make the fission weapon. This paper provides two examples of technical solutions that were developed in support of the nonproliferation objective of reducing the opportunity for acquisition of HEU. The first example reviews technologies used to monitor centrifuge enrichment plants to determine if there is any diversionmore » of uranium materials or misuse of facilities to produce undeclared product. The discussion begins with a brief overview of the basics of uranium processing and enrichment. The role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), its safeguard objectives and how the technology evolved to meet those objectives will be described. The second example focuses on technologies developed and deployed to monitor the blend down of 500 metric tons of HEU from Russia's dismantled nuclear weapons to reactor fuel or low enriched uranium (LEU) under the U.S.-Russia HEU Purchase Agreement. This reactor fuel was then purchased by U.S. fuel fabricators and provided about half the fuel for the domestic power reactors. The Department of Energy established the HEU Transparency Program to provide confidence that weapons usable HEU was being blended down and thus removed from any potential theft scenario. Two measurement technologies, an enrichment meter and a flow monitor, were combined into an automated blend down monitoring system (BDMS) and were deployed to four sites in Russia to provide 24/7 monitoring of the blend down. Data was downloaded and analyzed periodically by inspectors to provide the assurances required.« less

Moscow meltdown: Can Russia survive

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stern, J.E.

Western intelligence analysts and policy makers should pay closer attention to the centrifugal forces in Russia for two primary reasons: nuclear weapons are located in some of the most volatile regions, and central control of the armed forces is eroding. If Russia were to fragment, thousands of weapons and tons of fissile materials would be dispersed to new states with little safeguards infrastructure and little experience in controlling borders, a situation potentially far more dangerous than the breakup of the Soviet Union. Nuclear research, production, maintenance, and dismantlement facilities, plus uranium enrichment and plutonium separation facilities, could be inherited bymore » new, unstable states. Further devolution of political authority could loosen control over sensitive exports and increase the risk of terrorist acquisition of fissile materials. This article discusses the confusion over the legitimacy of the physical and political boundaries of the Russian Federation; then, the economic incentives for regionalism in Russia; next, the main ethnic groups in Russia and the roots of ethnic nationalism in the Russian Federation. It then discusses political disarray in the center and in the regions, and the lack of unity among order-enforcing entities; focuses in somewhat more detail on the Volga-Ural region, where there is a concentration of nuclear weapons and facilities, and which is especially volatile politically. These factors taken together call into question Russia's viability as a state. In post-communist Russia, chaos has replaced order; license has replaced terror. Order-enforcing entities are eviscerated or in conflict. Neither economic shock therapy nor Group of Seven funds can help with these problems; Russia will not be a state until new unifying institutions are created, whether they are democratic or authoritarian.« less

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-07

there are no plans to do so.’”4 Critics expressed concern about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. Physicians for...design and build new nuclear weapons, and abandon a ten-year-old moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.”5 Another critic felt that increased funding for...guarantees regarding the voluntary moratorium. We may find at some future time that we cannot diagnose or remedy a problem in a warhead critical the U.S

Development of a Dual-Particle Imaging System for Nonproliferation Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poitrasson-Riviere, Alexis Pierre Valere

A rising concern in our society is preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and fissionable material. This prevention can be incorporated at multiple levels, from the use of nuclear safeguards in nuclear facilities to the detection of threat objects in the field. At any level, systems used for such tasks need to be specially designed for use with Special Nuclear Material (SNM) which is defined by the NRC as plutonium and uranium enriched in U-233 or U-235 isotopes. These radioactive materials have the particularity of emitting both fast neutrons and gamma rays; thus, systems able to detect both particles simultaneously are particularly desirable. In the field of nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards, detection systems capable of accurately imaging various sources of radiation can greatly simplify any monitoring or detection task. The localization of the radiation sources can allow users of the system to focus their efforts on the areas of interest, whether it be for radiation detection or radiation characterization. This thesis describes the development of a dual-particle imaging system at the University of Michigan to address these technical challenges. The imaging system relies on the use of organic liquid scintillators that can detect both fast neutrons and gamma rays, and inorganic NaI(Tl) scintillators that are not very sensitive to neutrons yet yield photoelectric absorptions from gamma rays. A prototype of the imaging system has been constructed and operated. The system will aid the remote monitoring of nuclear materials within facilities, and it has the scalability for standoff detection in the field. A software suite has been developed to analyze measured data in real time, in an effort to obtain a system as close to field-ready as possible. The system's performance has been tested with various materials of interest, such as MOX and plutonium metal, measured at the PERLA facility of the Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy. The robust and versatile imaging system is an attractive alternative to the current imaging systems.

Test and Evaluation Management Guide, Fifth Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

determine if a weapon will be useful in combat), chemical weapons testing involves two types of chemical tests—chemical mixing and biotoxicity . Chemical...mixing tests are conducted to obtain in- formation on the binary chemical reaction. Biotoxicity tests are performed to assess the potency of the agent

Lung Cancer Risk from Plutonium: A Pooled Analysis of the Mayak and Sellafield Worker Cohorts.

PubMed

Gillies, Michael; Kuznetsova, Irina; Sokolnikov, Mikhail; Haylock, Richard; O'Hagan, Jackie; Tsareva, Yulia; Labutina, Elena

2017-12-01

In this study, lung cancer risk from occupational plutonium exposure was analyzed in a pooled cohort of Mayak and Sellafield workers, two of the most informative cohorts in the world with detailed plutonium urine monitoring programs. The pooled cohort comprised 45,817 workers: 23,443 Sellafield workers first employed during 1947-2002 with follow-up until the end of 2005 and 22,374 Mayak workers first employed during 1948-1982 with follow-up until the end of 2008. In the pooled cohort 1,195 lung cancer deaths were observed (789 Mayak, 406 Sellafield) but only 893 lung cancer incidences (509 Mayak, 384 Sellafield, due to truncated follow-up in the incidence analysis). Analyses were performed using Poisson regression models, and were based on doses derived from individual radiation monitoring data using an updated dose assessment methodology developed in the study. There was clear evidence of a linear association between cumulative internal plutonium lung dose and risk of both lung cancer mortality and incidence in the pooled cohort. The pooled point estimates of the excess relative risk (ERR) from plutonium exposure for both lung cancer mortality and incidence were within the range of 5-8 per Gy for males at age 60. The ERR estimates in relationship to external gamma radiation were also significantly raised and in the range 0.2-0.4 per Gy of cumulative gamma dose to the lung. The point estimates of risk, for both external and plutonium exposure, were comparable between the cohorts, which suggests that the pooling of these data was valid. The results support point estimates of relative biological effectiveness (RBE) in the range of 10-25, which is in broad agreement with the value of 20 currently adopted in radiological protection as the radiation weighting factor for alpha particles, however, the uncertainty on this value (RBE = 21; 95% CI: 9-178) is large. The results provide direct evidence that the plutonium risks in each cohort are of the same order of magnitude but the uncertainty on the Sellafield cohort plutonium risk estimates is large, with observed risks consistent with no plutonium risk, and risks five times larger than those observed in the Mayak cohort.

Automation of wear analysis for large caliber weapons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salafia, Dominick; DeLeon, Norberto L.; Outlaw, James F.

1999-12-01

As part of the Test and Evaluation Command (TECOM) the Metrology and Simulation Division (MT-MS) at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (USAYPG) has the mission to measure and record the wear effects of conventional and experimental munitions on large caliber weapons. The primary objective is to ensure that the weapon to be fired will safely meet the mission requirements for the quantity and energy of the munitions under live fire testing. Currently, there are two criteria used to "deadline" a weapon. One is the actual physical wear tolerance. The other relates to the energy (zone) expended by the round and the subsequent fatigue induced in the microstructure of the gun tube. The latter is referred to as the Equivalent Full Charge (EFC) for the particular round. In order to maximize safety and reduce the time required to manually search records for the appropriate level of useful life, the Measurements and Simulation Branch of MT-MS at USAYPG has made use of the installation network such that critical information may be accessed from the local area network or the Internet. An electronic database has been constructed and the query routines have been written so that systems test personnel, test directors (TD), and other government organizations may conduct a search for a particular weapon. The user may enter specifications such as percent physical life, percent EFC life, caliber, model, modifications, and serial number or any combination thereof. This paper is intended to inform the engineering and scientific community, engaged in weapons performance evaluation using simulations and field testing, of the existence of wear analysis automation for large caliber weapons.

Calculation of effective plutonium cross sections and check against the oscillation experiment CESAR-II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schaal, H.; Bernnat, W.

1987-10-01

For calculations of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors with low-enrichment fuel, it is important to know the plutonium cross sections accurately. Therefore, a calculational method was developed, by which the plutonium cross-section data of the ENDF/B-IV library can be examined. This method uses zero- and one-dimensional neutron transport calculations to collapse the basic data into one-group cross sections, which then can be compared with experimental values obtained from integral tests. For comparison the data from the critical experiment CESAR-II of the Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires, Cadarache, France, were utilized.

KSC-97PC1534

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-10

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, one of three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) is being installed on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

KSC-97PC1532

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

KSC-97PC1536

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13

Workers install the RTGs on the Cassini spacecraft at LC 40, CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neu, Mary Patricia

The coordination chemistry and solution behavior of the toxic ions lead(II) and plutonium(IV, V, VI) have been investigated. The ligand pK as and ligand-lead(II) stability constants of one hydroxamic acid and four thiohydroaxamic acids were determined. Solution thermodynamic results indicate that thiohydroxamic acids are more acidic and slightly better lead chelators than hydroxamates, e.g., N-methylthioaceto-hydroxamic acid, pK a = 5.94, logβ 120 = 10.92; acetohydroxamic acid, pK a = 9.34, logβ 120 = 9.52. The syntheses of lead complexes of two bulky hydroxamate ligands are presented. The X-ray crystal structures show the lead hydroxamates are di-bridged dimers with irregular five-coordinatemore » geometry about the metal atom and a stereochemically active lone pair of electrons. Molecular orbital calculations of a lead hydroxamate and a highly symmetric pseudo octahedral lead complex were performed. The thermodynamic stability of plutonium(IV) complexes of the siderophore, desferrioxamine B (DFO), and two octadentate derivatives of DFO were investigated using competition spectrophotometric titrations. The stability constant measured for the plutonium(IV) complex of DFO-methylterephthalamide is logβ 120 = 41.7. The solubility limited speciation of 242Pu as a function of time in near neutral carbonate solution was measured. Individual solutions of plutonium in a single oxidation state were added to individual solutions at pH = 6.0, T = 30.0, 1.93 mM dissolved carbonate, and sampled over intervals up to 150 days. Plutonium solubility was measured, and speciation was investigated using laser photoacoustic spectroscopy and chemical methods.« less

Experimental manipulation reveals a trade-off between weapons and testes.

PubMed

Somjee, U; Miller, C W; Tatarnic, N J; Simmons, L W

2018-01-01

Theory predicts a trade-off between sexually selected weapons used to secure mates and post-copulatory traits used to maximize fertilization success. However, individuals that have a greater capacity to acquire resources from the environment may invest more in both pre- and post-copulatory traits, and trade-offs may not be readily apparent. Here, we manipulate the phenotype of developing individuals to examine allocation trade-offs between weapons and testes in Mictis profana (Hemiptera: Coreidae), a species where the hind legs are sexually selected weapons used in contests over access to females. We experimentally prevented males from developing weapons by inducing them to autotomize their hind legs before the final moult to adulthood. We compared trait expression in this group to males where autotomy was induced in the mid-legs, which are presumably not under sexual selection to the same extent. We found males without weapons invested proportionally more in testes mass than those with their mid-legs removed. Males that developed to adulthood without weapons did not differ from the mid-leg removal group in other traits potentially under precopulatory sexual selection, other post-copulatory traits or naturally selected traits. In addition, a sample of adult males from the same population in the wild revealed a positive correlation between investment in testes and weapons. Our study presents a critical contribution to a growing body of literature suggesting the allocation of resources to pre- and post-copulatory sexual traits is influenced by a resource allocation trade-off and that this trade-off may only be revealed with experimental manipulation. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Confidence in Nuclear Weapons as Numbers Decrease and Time Since Testing Increases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Marvin

2011-04-01

As numbers and types of nuclear weapons are reduced, the U.S. objective is to maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent without nuclear-explosive testing. A host of issues combine to make this a challenge. An evolving threat environment may prompt changes to security systems. Aging of weapons has led to ``life extension programs'' that produce weapons that differ in some ways from the originals. Outdated and changing facilities pose difficulties for life-extension, surveillance, and dismantlement efforts. A variety of factors can make it a challenge to recruit, develop, and retain outstanding people with the skills and experience that are needed to form the foundation of a credible deterrent. These and other issues will be discussed in the framework of proposals to reduce and perhaps eliminate nuclear weapons.

Plutonium hexaboride is a correlated topological insulator.

PubMed

Deng, Xiaoyu; Haule, Kristjan; Kotliar, Gabriel

2013-10-25

We predict that plutonium hexaboride (PuB(6)) is a strongly correlated topological insulator, with Pu in an intermediate valence state of Pu(2.7+). Within the combination of dynamical mean field theory and density functional theory, we show that PuB(6) is an insulator in the bulk, with nontrivial Z(2) topological invariants. Its metallic surface states have a large Fermi pocket at the X[over ¯] point and the Dirac cones inside the bulk derived electronic states, causing a large surface thermal conductivity. PuB(6) has also a very high melting temperature; therefore, it has ideal solid state properties for a nuclear fuel material.

Project 57 Air Monitoring Report: January 1 through December 31, 2015

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizell, Steve A; Nikolich, George; Shadel, Craig

2017-01-01

On April 24, 1957, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC, now the Department of Energy [DOE]) conducted the Project 57 safety experiment in western Emigrant Valley north east of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site) on lands withdrawn by the Department of Defense (DOD) for the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The test was undertaken to develop (1) a means of estimating plutonium distribution resulting from a non-nuclear detonation; (2) biomedical evaluation techniques for use in plutonium-laden environments; (3) methods of surface decontamination; and (4) instruments and field procedures for prompt estimation of alpha contaminationmore » (Shreve, 1958). Although the test did not result in the fission of nuclear materials, it did disseminate plutonium across the land surface. Following the experiment, the AEC fenced the contaminated area and returned control of the surrounding land to the DOD. Various radiological surveys were performed in the area and in 2007, the DOE expanded the demarked Contamination Area by posting signs 200 to 400 feet (60 to 120 meters) outside of the original fence.« less

Project 57 Air Monitoring Report: January 1 through December 31, 2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizell, Steve A.; Nikolich, George; Shadel, Craig

On April 24, 1957, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC, now the Department of Energy [DOE]) conducted the Project 57 safety experiment in western Emigrant Valley northeast of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site) on lands withdrawn by the Department of Defense (DOD) for the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The test was undertaken to develop (1) a means of estimating plutonium distribution resulting from a non-nuclear detonation; (2) biomedical evaluation techniques for use in plutonium-laden environments; (3) methods of surface decontamination; and (4) instruments and field procedures for prompt estimation of alpha contamination (Shreve,more » 1958). Although the test did not result in the fission of nuclear materials, it did disseminate plutonium across the land surface. Following the experiment, the AEC fenced the contaminated area and returned control of the surrounding land to the DOD. Various radiological surveys were performed in the area and in 2007, the DOE expanded the demarked Contamination Area (CA) by posting signs 200 to 400 ft (60 to 120 m) outside of the original fence.« less

Tonopah Test Range Flight Test

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

From a distance, the drop of a mock nuclear weapon — containing only non-nuclear components — was a mere puff of dust rising from a dry lake bed at Nevada’s Tonopah Test Range. However, it marked the start of a new series of test flights vital to the nation’s B61-12 weapon refurbishment program.

Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 07-2-033 Weaponized Manned/Unmanned Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-14

Uncertainty Analysis ........................................................................... 24 6. PRESENTATION OF DATA...Testing. a. The purpose of testing is to confirm the predictions of engineering analysis , simulation, and subsystem tests. It is not to be... lunar illumination + 10 percent Laser hit point + 0.2 meter Sensor resolution target + 5 percent Weapon impact sequence High-speed

22 CFR 121.1 - General. The United States Munitions List.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) Firearms or other weapons (e.g. insurgency-counterinsurgency, close assault weapons systems) having a... IV. * (d) Kinetic energy weapon systems specifically designed or modified for destruction or... physical test models. (i) Autoloading systems for electronic programming of projectile function for the...

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the relationship

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graham, Thomas Jr.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the most important international security arrangement that we have that is protecting the world community and this has been true for many years. But it did not happen by accident, it is a strategic bargain in which 184 states gave up the right forever to acquire the most powerful weapon ever created in exchange for a commitment from the five states allowed to keep nuclear weapons under the NPT (U.S., U.K., Russia, France and China), to share peaceful nuclear technology and to engage in disarmament negotiations aimed at the ultimate elimination of their nuclearmore » stockpiles. The most important part of this is the comprehensive nuclear test ban (CTBT); the thinking by the 184 NPT non-nuclear weapon states was and is that they understand that the elimination of nuclear weapon stockpiles is a long way off, but at least the NPT nuclear weapon states could stop testing the weapons. The CTBT has been ratified by 161 states but by its terms it can only come into force if 44 nuclear potential states ratify; 36 have of the 44 have ratified it, the remaining eight include the United States and seven others, most of whom are in effect waiting for the United States. No state has tested a nuclear weapon-except for complete outlier North Korea-in 15 years. There appears to be no chance that the U.S. Senate will approve the CTBT for ratification in the foreseeable future, but the NPT may not survive without it. Perhaps it is time to consider an interim measure, for the UN Security Council to declare that any future nuclear weapon test any time, anywhere is a 'threat to peace and security', in effect a violation of international law, which in today's world it clearly would be.« less

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the relationship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Thomas, Jr.

2014-05-01

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the most important international security arrangement that we have that is protecting the world community and this has been true for many years. But it did not happen by accident, it is a strategic bargain in which 184 states gave up the right forever to acquire the most powerful weapon ever created in exchange for a commitment from the five states allowed to keep nuclear weapons under the NPT (U.S., U.K., Russia, France and China), to share peaceful nuclear technology and to engage in disarmament negotiations aimed at the ultimate elimination of their nuclear stockpiles. The most important part of this is the comprehensive nuclear test ban (CTBT); the thinking by the 184 NPT non-nuclear weapon states was and is that they understand that the elimination of nuclear weapon stockpiles is a long way off, but at least the NPT nuclear weapon states could stop testing the weapons. The CTBT has been ratified by 161 states but by its terms it can only come into force if 44 nuclear potential states ratify; 36 have of the 44 have ratified it, the remaining eight include the United States and seven others, most of whom are in effect waiting for the United States. No state has tested a nuclear weapon-except for complete outlier North Korea-in 15 years. There appears to be no chance that the U.S. Senate will approve the CTBT for ratification in the foreseeable future, but the NPT may not survive without it. Perhaps it is time to consider an interim measure, for the UN Security Council to declare that any future nuclear weapon test any time, anywhere is a "threat to peace and security", in effect a violation of international law, which in today's world it clearly would be.

Preliminary Assessment for CAU 485: Cactus Spring Ranch Pu and Du Site, CAS No. TA-39-001-TAGR: Soil Contamination, Tonapah Test Range, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

ITLV

1998-07-01

Corrective Action Unit 485, Corrective Action Site TA-39-001-TAGR, the Cactus Spring Ranch Soil Contamination Area, is located approximately six miles southwest of the Area 3 Compound at the eastern mouth of Sleeping Column Canyon in the Cactus Range on the Tonopah Test Range. This site was used in conjunction with animal studies involving the biological effects of radionuclides (specifically plutonium) associated with Operation Roller Coaster. According to field records, a hardened layer of livestock feces ranging from 2.54 centimeters (cm) (1 inch [in.]) to 10.2 cm (4 in.) thick is present in each of the main sheds. IT personnel conductedmore » a field visit on December 3, 1997, and noted that the only visible feces were located within the east shed, the previously fenced area near the east shed, and a small area southwest of the west shed. Other historical records indicate that other areas may still be covered with animal feces, but heavy vegetation now covers it. It is possible that radionuclides are present in this layer, given the history of operations in this area. Chemicals of concern may include plutonium and depleted uranium. Surface soil sampling was conducted on February 18, 1998. An evaluation of historical documentation indicated that plutonium should not be and depleted uranium could not be present at levels significantly above background as the result of test animals being penned at the site. The samples were analyzed for isotopic plutonium using method NAS-NS-3058. The results of the analysis indicated that plutonium levels of the feces and surface soil were not significantly elevated above background.« less

Soviet Options toward NATO

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-06-06

Marxism and of scientific, modern socialism in general."^ If one accepts this, then the following derivatives, which form the basis of Soviet...struggle in the Collowing manner: Comrades, wo have a powerful weapon against bourgeois ideology. That weapon is the ideology of Marxism ...Leninism. We know its potency well. We are witness to the fact that our ideas are spreading more and more among the masses. Marxism -Leninism is on

Midcourse Guidance Study for Tactical Guided Weapons. Volume I. Survey and Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-08-01

relatively moderate when compared to air intercept guidance requirements.) The alignment phase involved the comparison of gyrocom- passing (using... phase of flight for discrete updates. The AFBGW aero and guidance configuration is derived from current Air Force glide weapon concepts. The AFBGW... comparable midcourse flight phase . Harpoon and Standard Arm represent performance levels similar to the AFBGW requirements, but differences in

The Tiger Team Process in the Rebaselining of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BAILEY, R.W.

2000-02-01

This paper will describe the integrated, teaming approach and planning process utilized by the Tiger Team in the development of the IPMP. This paper will also serve to document the benefits derived from this implementation process.

Irdis: A Digital Scene Storage And Processing System For Hardware-In-The-Loop Missile Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedlar, Michael F.; Griffith, Jerry A.

1988-07-01

This paper describes the implementation of a Seeker Evaluation and Test Simulation (SETS) Facility at Eglin Air Force Base. This facility will be used to evaluate imaging infrared (IIR) guided weapon systems by performing various types of laboratory tests. One such test is termed Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation (Figure 1) in which the actual flight of a weapon system is simulated as closely as possible in the laboratory. As shown in the figure, there are four major elements in the HIL test environment; the weapon/sensor combination, an aerodynamic simulator, an imagery controller, and an infrared imagery system. The paper concentrates on the approaches and methodologies used in the imagery controller and infrared imaging system elements for generating scene information. For procurement purposes, these two elements have been combined into an Infrared Digital Injection System (IRDIS) which provides scene storage, processing, and output interface to drive a radiometric display device or to directly inject digital video into the weapon system (bypassing the sensor). The paper describes in detail how standard and custom image processing functions have been combined with off-the-shelf mass storage and computing devices to produce a system which provides high sample rates (greater than 90 Hz), a large terrain database, high weapon rates of change, and multiple independent targets. A photo based approach has been used to maximize terrain and target fidelity, thus providing a rich and complex scene for weapon/tracker evaluation.

Proposed activities to prepare for testing advanced/stealth weapons systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bishop, Harold T.

1989-08-01

The B-2 brings new challenges for Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Testing. This paper discusses the unique characteristics of the B-2 and develops a time line of activities that need to be completed by the AF Weapons Laboratory before EMP testing of the B-2 begins.

Effects of Weapons on Aggressive Thoughts, Angry Feelings, Hostile Appraisals, and Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Weapons Effect Literature.

PubMed

Benjamin, Arlin J; Kepes, Sven; Bushman, Brad J

2017-09-01

Guns are associated with aggression. A landmark 1967 study showed that simply seeing a gun can increase aggression-called the "weapons effect." This meta-analysis integrates the findings of weapons effect studies conducted from 1967 to 2017. It includes 162 effect-size estimates from 78 independent studies involving 7,668 participants. The theoretical framework used to explain the weapons effect was the General Aggression Model (GAM), which proposes three routes to aggression-cognitive, affective, and arousal. The GAM also proposes that hostile appraisals can facilitate aggression. As predicted by the GAM, the mere presence of weapons increased aggressive thoughts, hostile appraisals, and aggression, suggesting a cognitive route from weapons to aggression. Weapons did not significantly increase angry feelings. Only one study tested the effects of weapons on arousal. These findings also contribute to the debate about social priming by showing that incidental exposure to a stimulus (weapon) can affect subsequent related behavior (aggression).

Radiochemical Procedures Used at Iaea-Ilmr Monaco for Measuring Artificial Radionuclides Resulting from the Chernobyl Accident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballestra, S.; Gastaud, J.; Lopez, J. J.

The Chernobyl accident which occurred on 26 April 1986 resulted in relatively high levels of radioactive fallout over the major part of Europe. Air filter and precipitation samples enabled us to follow the contamination from the accident. In addition contamination was also monitored in selected environmental samples such as seaweeds, sea water, sediment, soil, suspended matter and biological material from the Mediterranean. All samples were counted on Ge(Li) or Ge(HP) detectors to determine the type and quantity of gamma emitting radionuclides and plutonium, americium and curium isotopes were separated and measured using radiochemical techniques and alpha counting. Increased atmospheric radioactivity from the Chernobyl accident was first detected by observing increased activity levels on air filters taken on April 30, 1986, with maximum activities occurring during 1-3 May. Most of the radionuclides initially measured were short-lived fission products. Cs-137 was one of the predominant isotope in the fallout debris and its deposition at Monaco due to Chernobyl was estimated to be around 1400 Bq m-2, which represents 25-40% of the integrated fallout at this latitude. The deposition of Pu-239+240 was much smaller and was estimated to be around 10 mBq m-2 or only 0.1% of the total deposition from nuclear weapon testing.

A Method for Continuous (239)Pu Determinations in Arctic and Antarctic Ice Cores.

PubMed

Arienzo, M M; McConnell, J R; Chellman, N; Criscitiello, A S; Curran, M; Fritzsche, D; Kipfstuhl, S; Mulvaney, R; Nolan, M; Opel, T; Sigl, M; Steffensen, J P

2016-07-05

Atmospheric nuclear weapons testing (NWT) resulted in the injection of plutonium (Pu) into the atmosphere and subsequent global deposition. We present a new method for continuous semiquantitative measurement of (239)Pu in ice cores, which was used to develop annual records of fallout from NWT in ten ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. The (239)Pu was measured directly using an inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometer, thereby reducing analysis time and increasing depth-resolution with respect to previous methods. To validate this method, we compared our one year averaged results to published (239)Pu records and other records of NWT. The (239)Pu profiles from the Arctic ice cores reflected global trends in NWT and were in agreement with discrete Pu profiles from lower latitude ice cores. The (239)Pu measurements in the Antarctic ice cores tracked low latitude NWT, consistent with previously published discrete records from Antarctica. Advantages of the continuous (239)Pu measurement method are (1) reduced sample preparation and analysis time; (2) no requirement for additional ice samples for NWT fallout determinations; (3) measurements are exactly coregistered with all other chemical, elemental, isotopic, and gas measurements from the continuous analytical system; and (4) the long half-life means the (239)Pu record is stable through time.

Environmental monitoring at Mound: 1987 report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carfagno, D.G.; Farmer, B.M.

1988-04-25

The local environment around Mound as monitored primarily for tritium and plutonium-238. The results are reported for 1987. Environmental media analyzed included air, water, vegetation, food-stuffs, and sediment. The average concentrations of plutonium 238 and tritium were within the DOE interim air and water Derived Concentration Guides (DCG) for these radionuclides. The average incremental concentrations of plutonium-238 and tritium oxide in air measured at all offsite locations during 1987 were 4.6 x 10/sup -18/ ..mu..Ci/mL and 12.9 x 10/sup -12/ ..mu..Ci/mL, respectively. These correspond to 0.02% and 0.01%, respectively, of the DOE DCGs for uncontrolled areas. The average incremental concentrationmore » of plutonium-238 measured at all locations in the Great Miami River during 1987 was 1.4 x 10/sup - 12/ ..mu..Ci/mL which is 0.0004% of the DOE DCG. The average incremental concentration of tritium measured at all locations in the Great Miami River during 1987 was 0.07 x 10/sup -6/ ..mu..Ci/mL which is 0.004% of the DOE DCG. The dose equivalent estimates for the average air, water, and foodstuff concentrations indicate that the levels are 1% of the DOE standard of 100 mrem. 23 refs., 5 figs., 34 tabs.« less

U, Pu, and Am nuclear signatures of the Thule hydrogen bomb debris.

PubMed

Eriksson, Mats; Lindahl, Patric; Roos, Per; Dahlgaard, Henning; Holm, Elis

2008-07-01

This study concerns an arctic marine environment that was contaminated by actinide elements after a nuclear accident in 1968, the so-called Thule accident In this study we have analyzed five isolated hot particles as well as sediment samples containing particles from the weapon material for the determination of the nuclear fingerprint of the accident. We report that the fissile material in the hydrogen weapons involved in the Thule accident was a mixture of highly enriched uranium and weapon-grade plutonium and that the main fissile material was 235U (about 4 times more than the mass of 239Pu). In the five hot particles examined, the measured uranium atomic ratio was 235U/238U = 1.02 +/- 0.16 and the Pu-isotopic ratios were as follows: 24Pu/239Pu = 0.0551 +/- 0.0008 (atom ratio), 238Pu/239+240Pu = 0.0161 +/- 0.0005 (activity ratio), 241Pu/239+240Pu = 0.87 +/- 0.12 (activity ratio), and 241Am/ 239+240Pu = 0.169 +/- 0.005 (activity ratio) (reference date 2001-10-01). From the activity ratios of 241Pu/241Am, we estimated the time of production of this weapon material to be from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. The results from reanalyzed bulk sediment samples showed the presence of more than one Pu source involved in the accident, confirming earlier studies. The 238Pu/239+240PU activity ratio and the 240Pu/ 239Pu atomic ratio were divided into at least two Pu-isotopic ratio groups. For both Pu-isotopic ratios, one ratio group had identical ratios as the five hot particles described above and for the other groups the Pu isotopic ratios were lower (238Pu/ 239+240PU activity ratio approximately 0.01 and the 240Pu/P239Pu atomic ratio 0.03). On the studied particles we observed that the U/Pu ratio decreased as a function of the time these particles were present in the sediment. We hypothesis that the decrease in the ratio is due to a preferential leaching of U relative to Pu from the particle matrix.

Second NBL measurement evaluation program meeting: A summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spaletto, M.I.; Clapper, M.; Tolbert, M.E.M.

New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL), the US government`s nuclear materials measurements and reference materials laboratory, administers interlaboratory measurement evaluation programs to evaluate the quality and adequacy of safeguards measurements. The NBL Measurement Evaluation Program covers several types of safeguards analytical measurements. The Safeguards Measurement Evaluation (SME) program distributes test materials destructive measurements of uranium for both elemental concentration and isotopic abundances, and of plutonium for isotopic abundances. The Calorimetry Exchange (CalEx) Program tests the quality of nondestructive measurements of plutonium isotopic abundances by gamma spectroscopy and plutonium concentration by calorimetry. In May 1997, more than 30 representatives from the Department ofmore » Energy (DOE), its contractor laboratories, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensees met at NBL in Argonne, Illinois, for the annual meeting of the Measurement Evaluation Program. The summary which follows details key points that were discussed or presented at the meeting.« less

U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization - the Stockpile Life Extension Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Donald

2016-03-01

Underground nuclear testing of U.S. nuclear weapons was halted by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 when he announced a moratorium. In 1993, the moratorium was extended by President Bill Clinton and, in 1995, a program of Stockpile Stewardship was put in its place. In 1996, President Clinton signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Twenty years have passed since then. Over the same time, the average age of a nuclear weapon in the stockpile has increased from 6 years (1992) to nearly 29 years (2015). At its inception, achievement of the objectives of the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) appeared possible but very difficult. The cost to design and construct several large facilities for precision experimentation in hydrodynamics and high energy density physics was large. The practical steps needed to move from computational platforms of less than 100 Mflops/sec to 10 Teraflops/sec and beyond were unknown. Today, most of the required facilities for SSP are in place and computational speed has been increased by more than six orders of magnitude. These, and the physicists and engineers in the complex of labs and plants within the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) who put them in place, have been the basis for underpinning an annual decision, made by the weapons lab directors for each of the past 20 years, that resort to underground nuclear testing is not needed for maintaining confidence in the safety and reliability of the U.S stockpile. A key part of that decision has been annual assessment of the physical changes in stockpiled weapons. These weapons, quite simply, are systems that invariably and unstoppably age in the internal weapon environment of radioactive materials and complex interfaces of highly dissimilar organic and inorganic materials. Without an ongoing program to rebuild some components and replace other components to increase safety or security, i.e., life extending these weapons, either underground testing would again be required to assess many changes at once, or confidence in these weapons would be reduced. The strategy and details of the U.S. Stockpile Life Extension Program will be described in this talk. In brief, the strategy is to reduce the number of weapons in the stockpile while increasing confidence in the weapons that remain and, where possible, increase their safety, increase their security, and reduce their nuclear material quantities and yields. A number of ``myths'' pertaining to nuclear weapons, the SSP, and the Stockpile Life Extension Program will be explored.

Psychological markers underlying murder weapon profile: a quantitative study.

PubMed

Kamaluddin, M R; Othman, A; Ismail, K H; Mat Saat, G A

2017-12-01

The horrific nature of murder using different types of weapons has been an important focal point of many criminological studies. Weapons that are used in murders seem to play dominant roles in murder investigations as they may provide information leading to arrest. The established factors for weapon usage include environmental context, demography and availability of weapons. However, there is insufficient research attention on the psychological functioning of murderers for particular weapon usage. In light of this, the current study seeks to narrow this gap of information by identifying the influences of psychological traits on weapon usage among a sample of male murderers. The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 71 male murderers incarcerated in 11 prisons within Peninsular Malaysia. The selection of the sample was based on predetermined selection criteria using a purposive sampling method. A guided self-administered questionnaire comprising sociodemography variables and four Malay validated psychometric instruments: Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire-40-Cross-Culture, Self-control Scale, "How I Think" Questionnaire and Aggression Questionnaire; was used. Independent sample t-test was performed to establish the mean score differences of psychological traits between the murderers who used single and multiple weapons while Kruskal-Wallis tests were carried out to ascertain the differences between the specific types of weapons used among the murderers. Following this, one-way ANOVA was carried out to ascertain the psychological trait differences among the murderers according to the different sources of weapon. Results indicated specific psychological traits influenced the number(s), source(s) and type(s) of weapon used in committing murder. The findings have implications for the psychological profiling of unknown murderers within the Malaysian context.

Stockpile Stewardship at Los Alamos(U)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Webster, Robert B.

2012-06-29

Stockpile stewardship is the retention of nuclear weapons in the stockpile beyond their original design life. These older weapons have potential changes inconsistent with the original design intent and military specifications. The Stockpile Stewardship Program requires us to develop high-fidelity, physics-based capabilities to predict, assess, certify and design nuclear weapons without conducting a nuclear test. Each year, the Lab Directors are required to provide an assessment of the safety, security, and reliability our stockpile to the President of the United States. This includes assessing whether a need to return to testing exists. This is a talk to provide an overviewmore » of Stockpile Stewardship's scientific requirements and how stewardship has changed in the absence of nuclear testing. The talk is adapted from an HQ talk to the War college, and historical unclassified talks on weapon's physics.« less

Common tester platform concept.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hurst, Michael James

This report summarizes the results of a case study on the doctrine of a common tester platform, a concept of a standardized platform that can be applicable across the broad spectrum of testing requirements throughout the various stages of a weapons program, as well as across the various weapons programs. The common tester concept strives to define an affordable, next-generation design that will meet testing requirements with the flexibility to grow and expand; supporting the initial development stages of a weapons program through to the final production and surveillance stages. This report discusses a concept investing key leveraging technologies andmore » operational concepts combined with prototype tester-development experiences and practical lessons learned gleaned from past weapons programs.« less

U.S. Nuclear Weapons Enterprise: A Strategic Past and Unknown Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-25

are left to base their planning assumptions, weapons designs and capabilities on outdated models . The likelihood of a large-scale nuclear war has...conduct any testing on nuclear weapons and must rely on computer modeling . While this may provide sufficient confidence in the current nuclear...unlikely the world will be free of nuclear weapons. 24 APPENDIX A – Acronyms ACC – Air Combat Command ACM – Advanced cruise missle CSAF

Safety and Suitability for Service Assessment Testing of Large Caliber Ammunition Greater Than 40MM

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-02

2 July 2013 2 Page Paragraph 9.2 Insensitive Munitions Assessment ........................................ 14 9.3 Munition Software System ...encounter during storage and transportation. 3.12 Weapon System . A weapon and those components required for its operation, comprising the aggregate of...Provide a positive indexing system on the cartridge case to ensure proper orientation of the case when it is loaded into the weapon. 6.9 Weapon

Source Hierarchy List. Volume 3. O through Z

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-07-01

NAVAL WEAPONS CENTER CHINA LAKE CA MARINE AVIATION DETACHMENT* 07 NAVAL WEAPONS CENTER CORONA ANNEX CA 08 NAVAL ORDNANCE LAB CORONA CA 08 NAVAL...WEAPONS CENTER CORONA LABS CA 05 NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE CA 05 PACIFIC MISSILE TEST CENTER POINT MUGU CA 06 AIR DEVELOPMENT SQUADRON FOUR...INDIAN HEAD MD 03 NAVAL ORDNANCE CENTER INDIAN HEAD MO 04 NAVAL WARFARE ASSESSMENT CENTER CORONA CA 05 FLEET ANALYSIS CENTER CORONA CA 03

Nuclear Weapon Tests and their Consequences,

DTIC Science & Technology

Nuclear weapon research, specifically nuclear bomb tests, and the deleterious effects of heightened radioactivity levels on the world’s biology, are...Soviet Union is discussed. The effects of the U.S.A. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the U.S.A. bomb test of March 1, 1954, and listed as

Experimental validation of a coupled neutron-photon inverse radiation transport solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattingly, John; Mitchell, Dean J.; Harding, Lee T.

2011-10-01

Sandia National Laboratories has developed an inverse radiation transport solver that applies nonlinear regression to coupled neutron-photon deterministic transport models. The inverse solver uses nonlinear regression to fit a radiation transport model to gamma spectrometry and neutron multiplicity counting measurements. The subject of this paper is the experimental validation of that solver. This paper describes a series of experiments conducted with a 4.5 kg sphere of α-phase, weapons-grade plutonium. The source was measured bare and reflected by high-density polyethylene (HDPE) spherical shells with total thicknesses between 1.27 and 15.24 cm. Neutron and photon emissions from the source were measured using three instruments: a gross neutron counter, a portable neutron multiplicity counter, and a high-resolution gamma spectrometer. These measurements were used as input to the inverse radiation transport solver to evaluate the solver's ability to correctly infer the configuration of the source from its measured radiation signatures.

Isotopic signatures: An important tool in today`s world

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rokop, D.J.; Efurd, D.W.; Benjamin, T.M.

1995-12-01

High-sensitivity/high-accuracy actinide measurement techniques developed to support weapons diagnostic capabilities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory are now being used for environmental monitoring. The measurement techniques used are Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), Alpha Spectrometry(AS), and High Resolution Gamma Spectrometry(HRGS). These techniques are used to address a wide variety of actinide inventory issues: Environmental surveillance, site characterizations, food chain member determination, sedimentary records of activities, and treaty compliance concerns. As little as 10 femtograms of plutonium can be detected in samples and isotopic signatures determined on samples containing sub-100 femtogram amounts. Uranium, present in all environmental samples, can generally yieldmore » isotopic signatures of anthropogenic origin when present at the 40 picogam/gram level. Solid samples (soils, sediments, fauna, and tissue) can range from a few particles to several kilograms in size. Water samples can range from a few milliliters to as much as 200 liters.« less

KSC-2011-7861

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Members of the media view the Radiological Control Center (RADCC) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a tour regarding safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-7856

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Randy Scott, director of Kennedy Space Center's Radiological Control Center (RADCC), speaks to media during a tour regarding safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Behind him is Steve Homann, senior advisor for the Department of Energy. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-7860

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Members of the media take a tour of the Radiological Control Center (RADCC) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tour focused on safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-7859

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Surrounded by monitors and consoles, Randy Scott, director of Kennedy Space Center's Radiological Control Center (RADCC), speaks to media during a tour regarding safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-7858

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Steve Homann, senior advisor for the Department of Energy, speaks to media during a tour of the Radiological Control Center (RADCC) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tour focused on safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-7855

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Several instruments are displayed for the media during a tour of the Radiological Control Center (RADCC) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tour focused on safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-7862

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a tour of the Radiological Control Center (RADCC) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the media listen as Ryan Bechtel of the U.S. Department of Energy explains safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-7857

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Steve Homann, senior advisor for the Department of Energy, speaks to media during a tour of the Radiological Control Center (RADCC) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tour focused on safety equipment and procedures for the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The MSL spacecraft includes a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) that will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Presence of plutonium contamination in soils from Palomares (Spain).

PubMed

Jiménez-Ramos, M C; García-Tenorio, R; Vioque, I; Manjón, G; García-León, M

2006-08-01

More than 30 years after the occurrence of an aircraft accident which involved the detonation of two nuclear weapons in the surrounding area of the village of Palomares (Spain), the affected terrestrial area has been investigated for remaining transuranic contamination. Evidence from the presence of this contamination was initially found through the analysis of the 241Am inventories in superficial soil samples collected in the region, and was confirmed through the analysis of the (239+240)Pu inventories and their associated 238Pu/(239+240)Pu activity ratios in the same samples. However, it was also observed that a considerable fraction of the remaining contamination in the area was present in particulate form, i.e. as "hot particles". The work performed in our laboratory for identification, isolation and characterisation of these "hot particles" as well as some conclusions obtained from these analyses are outlined in this paper.

Radiochemical data collected on events from which radioactivity escaped beyond the borders of the Nevada test range complex. [NONE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hicks, H.G.

1981-02-12

This report identifies all nuclear events in Nevada that are known to have sent radioactivity beyond the borders of the test range complex. There have been 177 such tests, representing seven different types: nuclear detonations in the atmosphere, nuclear excavation events, nuclear safety events, underground nuclear events that inadvertently seeped or vented to the atmosphere, dispersion of plutonium and/or uranium by chemical high explosives, nuclear rocket engine tests, and nuclear ramjet engine tests. The source term for each of these events is given, together with the data base from which it was derived (except where the data are classified). Themore » computer programs used for organizing and processing the data base and calculating radionuclide production are described and included, together with the input and output data and details of the calculations. This is the basic formation needed to make computer modeling studies of the fallout from any of these 177 events.« less

Plutonium, americium, and uranium in blow-sand mounds of safety-shot sites at the Nevada Test Site and the Tonopah Test Range

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Essington, E.H.; Gilbert, R.O.; Wireman, D.L.

Blow-sand mounds or miniature sand dunes and mounds created by burrowing activities of animals were investigated by the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) to determine the influence of mounds on plutonium, americium, and uranium distributions and inventories in areas of the Nevada Test Site and Tonopah Test Range. Those radioactive elements were added to the environment as a result of safety experiments of nuclear devices. Two studies were conducted. The first was to estimate the vertical distribution of americium in the blow-sand mounds and in the desert pavement surrounding the mounds. The second was to estimate the amount or concentrationmore » of the radioactive materials accumulated in the mound relative to the desert pavement. Five mound types were identified in which plutonium, americium, and uranium concentrations were measured: grass, shrub, complex, animal, and diffuse. The mount top (that portion above the surrounding land surface datum), the mound bottom (that portion below the mound to a depth of 5 cm below the surrounding land surface datum), and soil from the immediate area surrounding the mound were compared separately to determine if the radioactive elements had concentrated in the mounds. Results of the studies indicate that the mounds exhibit higher concentrations of plutonium, americium, and uranium than the immediate surrounding soil. The type of mound does not appear to have influenced the amount of the radioactive material found in the mound except for the animal mounds where the burrowing activities appear to have obliterated distribution patterns.« less

Verification of Plutonium Content in PuBe Sources Using MCNP® 6.2.0 Beta with TENDL 2012 Libraries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lockhart, Madeline Louise; McMath, Garrett Earl

Although the production of PuBe neutron sources has discontinued, hundreds of sources with unknown or inaccurately declared plutonium content are in existence around the world. Institutions have undertaken the task of assaying these sources, measuring, and calculating the isotopic composition, plutonium content, and neutron yield. The nominal plutonium content, based off the neutron yield per gram of pure 239Pu, has shown to be highly inaccurate. New methods of measuring the plutonium content allow a more accurate estimate of the true Pu content, but these measurements need verification. Using the TENDL 2012 nuclear data libraries, MCNP6 has the capability to simulatemore » the (α, n) interactions in a PuBe source. Theoretically, if the source is modeled according to the plutonium content, isotopic composition, and other source characteristics, the calculated neutron yield in MCNP can be compared to the experimental yield, offering an indication of the accuracy of the declared plutonium content. In this study, three sets of PuBe sources from various backgrounds were modeled in MCNP6 1.2 Beta, according to the source specifications dictated by the individuals who assayed the source. Verification of the source parameters with MCNP6 also serves as a means to test the alpha transport capabilities of MCNP6 1.2 Beta with TENDL 2012 alpha transport libraries. Finally, good agreement in the comparison would indicate the accuracy of the source parameters in addition to demonstrating MCNP's capabilities in simulating (α, n) interactions.« less

Verification of Plutonium Content in PuBe Sources Using MCNP® 6.2.0 Beta with TENDL 2012 Libraries

DOE PAGES

Lockhart, Madeline Louise; McMath, Garrett Earl

2017-10-26

Although the production of PuBe neutron sources has discontinued, hundreds of sources with unknown or inaccurately declared plutonium content are in existence around the world. Institutions have undertaken the task of assaying these sources, measuring, and calculating the isotopic composition, plutonium content, and neutron yield. The nominal plutonium content, based off the neutron yield per gram of pure 239Pu, has shown to be highly inaccurate. New methods of measuring the plutonium content allow a more accurate estimate of the true Pu content, but these measurements need verification. Using the TENDL 2012 nuclear data libraries, MCNP6 has the capability to simulatemore » the (α, n) interactions in a PuBe source. Theoretically, if the source is modeled according to the plutonium content, isotopic composition, and other source characteristics, the calculated neutron yield in MCNP can be compared to the experimental yield, offering an indication of the accuracy of the declared plutonium content. In this study, three sets of PuBe sources from various backgrounds were modeled in MCNP6 1.2 Beta, according to the source specifications dictated by the individuals who assayed the source. Verification of the source parameters with MCNP6 also serves as a means to test the alpha transport capabilities of MCNP6 1.2 Beta with TENDL 2012 alpha transport libraries. Finally, good agreement in the comparison would indicate the accuracy of the source parameters in addition to demonstrating MCNP's capabilities in simulating (α, n) interactions.« less

Hydrothermal Alteration of Glass from Underground Nuclear Tests: Formation and Transport of Pu-clay Colloids at the Nevada National Security Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zavarin, M.; Zhao, P.; Joseph, C.

2015-05-27

The testing of nuclear weapons at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), formerly the Nevada Test Site (NTS), has led to the deposition of substantial quantities of plutonium into the environment. Approximately 2.8 metric tons (3.1×10 4 TBq) of Pu were deposited in the NNSS subsurface as a result of underground nuclear testing. While 3H is the most abundant anthropogenic radionuclide deposited in the NNSS subsurface (4.7×10 6 TBq), plutonium is the most abundant from a molar standpoint. The only radioactive elements in greater molar abundance are the naturally occurring K, Th, and U isotopes. 239Pu and 240Pu represent themore » majority of alpha-emitting Pu isotopes. The extreme temperatures associated with underground nuclear tests and the refractory nature of Pu results in most of the Pu (98%) being sequestered in melted rock, referred to as nuclear melt glass (Iaea, 1998). As a result, Pu release to groundwater is controlled, in large part, by the leaching (or dissolution) of nuclear melt glass over time. The factors affecting glass dissolution rates have been studied extensively. The dissolution of Pu-containing borosilicate nuclear waste glasses at 90ºC has been shown to lead to the formation of dioctahedral smectite colloids. Colloid-facilitated transport of Pu at the NNSS has been observed. Recent groundwater samples collected from a number of contaminated wells have yielded a wide range of Pu concentrations from 0.00022 to 2.0 Bq/L. While Pu concentrations tend to fall below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for drinking water (0.56 Bq/L), we do not yet understand what factors limit the Pu concentration or its transport behavior. To quantify the upper limit of Pu concentrations produced as a result of melt glass dissolution and determine the nature of colloids and Pu associations, we performed a 3 year nuclear melt glass dissolution experiment across a range of temperatures (25-200 °C) that represent hydrothermal conditions representative of the underground nuclear test cavities (when groundwater has re-saturated the nuclear melt glass and glass dissolution occurs). Colloid loads and Pu concentrations were monitored along with the mineralogy of both the colloids and the secondary mineral phases. The intent was to establish an upper limit for Pu concentrations at the NNSS, provide context regarding the Pu concentrations observed at the NNSS to date and the Pu concentrations that may be observed in the future. The results provide a conceptual model for the risks posed by Pu migration at the NNSS.« less

Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 3-2-045 Small Arms - Hand and Shoulder Weapons and Machine Guns

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-17

often referred to as “field strip and clean”). More detailed maintenance will be done as needed. All maintenance actions will be recorded. TOP...of weapon after complete disassembly. (3) Dismounting of the operating parts and magazine or feeder (field strip ). (4) Assembly of...optical or laser ) as necessary to check alignment to the target aiming point if the weapon is not equipped with sights. For weapons capable of

Ultra-low level plutonium isotopes in the NIST SRM 4355A (Peruvian Soil-1).

PubMed

Inn, Kenneth G W; LaRosa, Jerome; Nour, Svetlana; Brooks, George; LaMont, Steve; Steiner, Rob; Williams, Ross; Patton, Brad; Bostick, Debbie; Eiden, Gregory; Petersen, Steve; Douglas, Matthew; Beals, Donna; Cadieux, James; Hall, Greg; Goldberg, Steve; Vogt, Stephan

2009-05-01

For more than 20 years, countries and their agencies which monitor radionuclide discharge sites and storage facilities have relied on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 4355 Peruvian Soil. Its low fallout contamination makes it an ideal soil blank for measurements associated with terrestrial-pathway-to-man studies. Presently, SRM 4355 is out of stock, and a new batch of the Peruvian soil is currently under development as future NIST SRM 4355A. Both environmental radioanalytical laboratories and mass spectrometry communities will benefit from the use of this SRM. The former must assess their laboratory procedural contamination and measurement detection limits by measurement of blank sample material. The Peruvian Soil is so low in anthropogenic radionuclide content that it is a suitable virtual blank. On the other hand, mass spectrometric laboratories have high sensitivity instruments that are capable of quantitative isotopic measurements at low plutonium levels in the SRM 4355 (first Peruvian Soil SRM) that provided the mass spectrometric community with the calibration, quality control, and testing material needed for methods development and legal defensibility. The quantification of the ultra-low plutonium content in the SRM 4355A was a considerable challenge for the mass spectrometric laboratories. Careful blank control and correction, isobaric interferences, instrument stability, peak assessment, and detection assessment were necessary. Furthermore, a systematic statistical evaluation of the measurement results and considerable discussions with the mass spectroscopy metrologists were needed to derive the certified values and uncertainties. The one sided upper limit of the 95% tolerance with 95% confidence for the massic (239)Pu content in SRM 4355A is estimated to be 54,000 atoms/g.

Cold Regions Test of Indirect Fire Weapons Ammunition

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-08

COLD REGIONS TEST OF INDIRECT FIRE WEAPONS AMMUNITION Paragraph 1 . SCOPE. 1 2. FACILITIES AND INSTRUMENTATION .......... 3. PREPARATION FOR TEST...A- 1 B. Data Collection Sheets ..... .............. B- 1 C. References ..... .................... ... C- 1 D. Cold-Dry...Uniform .D...... .. ... .. ... 0- 1 1 . SCOPE. The procedures outlined in this TOP are designed to determine the c-h-arac-teristics of indirect artillery

Flow Field Investigations of a Simulated Weapons Cavity at Mach 3.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

AD-Alll 843 ARMO" ENGINEERING. DEVELOPMENT CENTER ARNOLD AFS TN F/9 14/2 FLOW FIELD INVESTIGATIONS OF A SIMULATED WEAPONS CAVITY AT MACN--ETC(U) DEC...TEST CHART .. AEDC-TSR-81-V37 FLOW FIELD INVESTIGATIONS OF A _____SIMULATED WEAPONS CAVITY AT MACH 3 _~W. A. Crosby Calspan Field Services, Inc...TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Final Report FLOW FIELD INVESTIGATIONS OF A SIMULATED WEAPONS 27 October 1981 CAVITY AT MACH 3 6. PERFORMING O1G

Operations Nougat and Whetstone events: Hard Hat, Danny Boy, Marshmallow, Mudpack, Wishbone, Gumdrop, Diluted Waters, and Tiny Tot, 15 February 1962-17 June 1965. Final report 15 Feb 62-19 Jun 68

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brady, W.J.; Horton, K.K.; Eubank, B.F.

1984-01-31

This report is a personnel oriented history of DOD participation in underground nuclear weapons testing during Operations NOUGAT and WHETSTONE, test events HARD HAT, DANNY BOY, MARSHMALLOW, MUDPACK, WISHBONE, GUMDROP, DILUTED WATERS, and TINY TOT. It is the first in a series of historical reports which will include all DOD underground nuclear weapons tests and DOE underground nuclear weapons tests with significant DOD participation from 1962 forward. In addition to these volumes presenting a history of the underground nuclear test program, a later restricted volume will identify all DOD participants, (military, civilian, and their contractors) and will list their dosimetrymore » data.« less

Predictors of Weapon Carrying in Youth Attending Drop-in Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumberg, Elaine J.; Liles, Sandy; Kelley, Norma J.; Hovell, Melbourne F.; Bousman, Chad A.; Shillington, Audrey M.; Ji, Ming; Clapp, John

2009-01-01

Objective: To test and compare 2 predictive models of weapon carrying in youth (n=308) recruited from 4 drop-in centers in San Diego and Imperial counties. Methods: Both models were based on the Behavioral Ecological Model (BEM). Results: The first and second models significantly explained 39% and 53% of the variance in weapon carrying,…

TA-55 change control manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blum, T.W.; Selvage, R.D.; Courtney, K.H.

This manual is the guide for initiating change at the Plutonium Facility, which handles the processing of plutonium as well as research on plutonium metallurgy. It describes the change and work control processes employed at TA-55 to ensure that all proposed changes are properly identified, reviewed, approved, implemented, tested, and documented so that operations are maintained within the approved safety envelope. All Laboratory groups, their contractors, and subcontractors doing work at TA-55 follow requirements set forth herein. This manual applies to all new and modified processes and experiments inside the TA-55 Plutonium Facility; general plant project (GPP) and line itemmore » funded construction projects at TA-55; temporary and permanent changes that directly or indirectly affect structures, systems, or components (SSCs) as described in the safety analysis, including Facility Control System (FCS) software; and major modifications to procedures. This manual does not apply to maintenance performed on process equipment or facility SSCs or the replacement of SSCs or equipment with documented approved equivalents.« less

In-vitro analysis of the dissolution kinetics and systemic availability of plutonium ingested in the form of 'hot' particles from the Semipalatinsk NTS.

PubMed

Conway, M; León Vintró, L; Mitchell, P I; García-Tenorio, R; Jimenez-Ramos, M C; Burkitbayev, M; Priest, N D

2009-05-01

In-vitro leaching of radioactive 'hot' particles isolated from soils sampled at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site has been carried out in order to evaluate the fraction of plutonium activity released into simulated human stomach and small intestine fluids during digestion. Characterisation of the particles (10-100 Bq(239,240)Pu) and investigation of their dissolution kinetics in simulated fluids has been accomplished using a combination of high-resolution alpha-spectrometry, gamma-spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting. The results of these analyses indicate that plutonium transfer across the human gut following the ingestion of 'hot' particles can be up to two orders of magnitude lower than that expected for plutonium in a more soluble form, and show that for areas affected by local fallout, use of published ingestion dose coefficients, together with bulk radionuclide concentrations in soil, may lead to a considerable overestimation of systemic uptake via the ingestion pathway.

Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility

Science.gov Websites

4:17 How DARHT Works The weapons programs at Los Alamos have one principal mission: ensure the safety, security, and effectiveness of nuclear weapons in our nation's enduring stockpile. One critical completed a successful two-axis, multiframe hydrotest. Two additional successful tests-one of which was

Predictors of Weapon Carrying in Youth Attending Drop-in Centers

PubMed Central

Blumberg, Elaine J.; Liles, Sandy; Kelley, Norma J.; Hovell, Melbourne F.; Bousman, Chad A.; Shillington, Audrey M.; Ji, Ming; Clapp, John

2012-01-01

Objective To test and compare 2 predictive models of weapon carrying in youth (n=308) recruited from 4 drop-in centers in San Diego and Imperial counties. Methods Both models were based on the Behavioral Ecological Model (BEM). Results The first and second models significantly explained 39% and 53% of the variance in weapon carrying, respectively, and both full models shared the significant predictors of being black(−), being Hispanic (−), peer modeling of weapon carrying/jail time(+), and school suspensions(+). Conclusions Results suggest that the BEM offers a generalizable conceptual model that may inform prevention strategies for youth at greatest risk of weapon carrying. PMID:19320622

The Development of a Model for Construction of Criterion Referenced System Achievement Tests for the Strategic Weapon System Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantor, Jeffrey A.; Hobson, Edward N.

The development of a test design methodology used to construct a criterion-referenced System Achievement Test (CR-SAT) for selected Naval enlisted classification (NEC) in the Strategic Weapon System (SWS) of the United States Navy is described. Subject matter experts, training data analysts and educational specialists developed a comprehensive…

Structural investigations of Pu{sup III} phosphate by X-ray diffraction, MAS-NMR and XANES spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popa, Karin; Raison, Philippe E., E-mail: philippe.raison@ec.europa.eu; Martel, Laura

2015-10-15

PuPO{sub 4} was prepared by a solid state reaction method and its crystal structure at room temperature was solved by powder X-ray diffraction combined with Rietveld refinement. High resolution XANES measurements confirm the +III valence state of plutonium, in agreement with valence bond derivation. The presence of the americium (as β{sup −} decay product of plutonium) in the +III oxidation state was determined based on XANES spectroscopy. High resolution solid state {sup 31}P NMR agrees with the XANES results and the presence of a solid-solution. - Graphical abstract: A full structural analysis of PuPO{sub 4} based on Rietveld analysis ofmore » room temperature X-ray diffraction data, XANES and MAS NMR measurements was performed. - Highlights: • The crystal structure of PuPO{sub 4} monazite is solved. • In PuPO{sub 4} plutonium is strictly trivalent. • The presence of a minute amount of Am{sup III} is highlighted. • We propose PuPO{sub 4} as a potential reference material for spectroscopic and microscopic studies.« less

TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR PLUTONIUM-CONTAMINATED SOILS AT THE NEVADA TEST SITE (NTS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steve Hoeffner

2003-12-31

The Clemson Environmental Technologies Laboratory (CETL) was contracted by the National Energy Technology Center to evaluate technologies that might be used to reduce the volume of plutonium-contaminated soil at the Nevada Test Site. The project has been systematically approached. A thorough review and summary was completed for: (1) The NTS soil geological, geochemical and physical characteristics; (2) The characteristics and chemical form of the plutonium that is in these soils; (3) Previous volume reduction technologies that have been attempted on the NTS soils; (4) Vendors with technology that may be applicable; and (5) Related needs at other DOE sites. Soilsmore » from the Nevada Test Site were collected and delivered to the CETL. Soils were characterized for Pu-239/240, Am-241 and gross alpha. In addition, wet sieving and the subsequent characterization were performed on soils before and after attrition scrubbing to determine the particle size distribution and the distribution of Pu-239/240 and gross alpha as a function of particle size. Sequential extraction was performed on untreated soil to provide information about how tightly bound the plutonium was to the soil. Magnetic separation was performed to determine if this could be useful as part of a treatment approach. Using the information obtained from these reviews, three vendors were selected to demonstration their volume reduction technologies at the CETL. Two of the three technologies, bioremediation and soil washing, met the performance criteria. Both were able to significantly reduce the concentration plutonium in the soil from around 1100 pCi/g to 200 pCi/g or less with a volume reduction of around 95%, well over the target 70%. These results are especially encouraging because they indicate significant improvement over that obtained in these earlier pilot and field studies. Additional studies are recommended.« less

Transportability Class of Americium in K Basin Sludge under Ambient and Hydrothermal Processing Conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delegard, Calvin H.; Schmitt, Bruce E.; Schmidt, Andrew J.

2006-08-01

This report establishes the technical bases for using a ''slow uptake'' instead of a ''moderate uptake'' transportability class for americium-241 (241Am) for the K Basin Sludge Treatment Project (STP) dose consequence analysis. Slow uptake classes are used for most uranium and plutonium oxides. A moderate uptake class has been used in prior STP analyses for 241Am based on the properties of separated 241Am and its associated oxide. However, when 241Am exists as an ingrown progeny (and as a small mass fraction) within plutonium mixtures, it is appropriate to assign transportability factors of the predominant plutonium mixtures (typically slow) to themore » Am241. It is argued that the transportability factor for 241Am in sludge likewise should be slow because it exists as a small mass fraction as the ingrown progeny within the uranium oxide in sludge. In this report, the transportability class assignment for 241Am is underpinned with radiochemical characterization data on K Basin sludge and with studies conducted with other irradiated fuel exposed to elevated temperatures and conditions similar to the STP. Key findings and conclusions from evaluation of the characterization data and published literature are summarized here. Plutonium and 241Am make up very small fractions of the uranium within the K Basin sludge matrix. Plutonium is present at about 1 atom per 500 atoms of uranium and 241Am at about 1 atom per 19000 of uranium. Plutonium and americium are found to remain with uranium in the solid phase in all of the {approx}60 samples taken and analyzed from various sources of K Basin sludge. The uranium-specific concentrations of plutonium and americium also remain approximately constant over a uranium concentration range (in the dry sludge solids) from 0.2 to 94 wt%, a factor of {approx}460. This invariability demonstrates that 241Am does not partition from the uranium or plutonium fraction for any characterized sludge matrix. Most of the K Basin sludge characterization data is derived spent nuclear fuel corroded within the K Basins at 10-15?C. The STP process will place water-laden sludges from the K Basin in process vessels at {approx}150-180 C. Therefore, published studies with other irradiated (uranium oxide) fuel were examined. From these studies, the affinity of plutonium and americium for uranium in irradiated UO2 also was demonstrated at hydrothermal conditions (150 C anoxic liquid water) approaching those proposed for the STP process and even for hydrothermal conditions outside of the STP operating envelope (e.g., 150 C oxic and 100 C oxic and anoxic liquid water). In summary, by demonstrating that the chemical and physical behavior of 241Am in the sludge matrix is similar to that of the predominant species (uranium and for the plutonium from which it originates), a technical basis is provided for using the slow uptake transportability factor for 241Am that is currently used for plutonium and uranium oxides. The change from moderate to slow uptake for 241Am could reduce the overall analyzed dose consequences for the STP by more than 30%.« less

CONVERSION OF PLUTONIUM TRIFLUORIDE TO PLUTONIUM TETRAFLUORIDE

DOEpatents

Fried, S.; Davidson, N.R.

1957-09-10

A large proportion of the trifluoride of plutonium can be converted, in the absence of hydrogen fluoride, to the tetrafiuoride of plutonium. This is done by heating plutonium trifluoride with oxygen at temperatures between 250 and 900 deg C. The trifiuoride of plutonium reacts with oxygen to form plutonium tetrafluoride and plutonium oxide, in a ratio of about 3 to 1. In the presence of moisture, plutonium tetrafluoride tends to hydrolyze at elevated temperatures and therefore it is desirable to have the process take place under anhydrous conditions.

The Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Weapon Problem And Congress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treglio, James R.

1984-08-01

An amendment to the 1984 Defense Authorization Act prevents testing against objects in space of an American F-15 launched anti-satellite weapon until the President certifies that the testing is necessary to prevent harm to the national security, and that he is willing to negotiate an ASAT treaty with the Soviet Union. This extraordinary action by the Congress was taken because many members of Congress feared that the weapon was being developed without due consideration for its impact on arms control, that temporary technical superiority was being given greater importance than the long-term security of the nation. This increased Congressional scrutiny could have an impact on future weapons development programs. "Now a crucial moment is really coming: Either the interested parties will sit down at the negotiating table without delay to begin drawing up a treaty prohibiting the placement in space of weapons of any kind, or the arms race will spill over into space." YURI ANDROPOV, April 28, 1983, in response to petition from American Scientists.

Plutonium and uranium determination in environmental samples: combined solvent extraction-liquid scintillation method.

PubMed

McDowell, W J; Farrar, D T; Billings, M R

1974-12-01

A method for the determination of uranium and plutonium by a combined high-resolution liquid scintillation-solvent extraction method is presented. Assuming a sample count equal to background count to be the detection limit, the lower detection limit for these and other alpha-emitting nuclides is 1.0 dpm with a Pyrex sample tube, 0.3 dpm with a quartz sample tube using present detector shielding or 0.02 d.p.m. with pulse-shape discrimination. Alpha-counting efficiency is 100%. With the counting data presented as an alpha-energy spectrum, an energy resolution of 0.2-0.3 MeV peak half-width and an energy identification to +/-0.1 MeV are possible. Thus, within these limits, identification and quantitative determination of a specific alpha-emitter, independent of chemical separation, are possible. The separation procedure allows greater than 98% recovery of uranium and plutonium from solution containing large amounts of iron and other interfering substances. In most cases uranium, even when present in 10(8)-fold molar ratio, may be quantitatively separated from plutonium without loss of the plutonium. Potential applications of this general analytical concept to other alpha-counting problems are noted. Special problems associated with the determination of plutonium in soil and water samples are discussed. Results of tests to determine the pulse-height and energy-resolution characteristics of several scintillators are presented. Construction of the high-resolution liquid scintillation detector is described.

Pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from an electrolyte salt

DOEpatents

Mullins, L.J.; Christensen, D.C.

1982-09-20

A pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from a plutonium-bearing salt is disclosed. The process is particularly useful in the recovery of plutonium for electrolyte salts which are left over from the electrorefining of plutonium. In accordance with the process, the plutonium-bearing salt is melted and mixed with metallic calcium. The calcium reduces ionized plutonium in the salt to plutonium metal, and also causes metallic plutonium in the salt, which is typically present as finely dispersed metallic shot, to coalesce. The reduced and coalesced plutonium separates out on the bottom of the reaction vessel as a separate metallic phase which is readily separable from the overlying salt upon cooling of the mixture. Yields of plutonium are typically on the order of 95%. The stripped salt is virtually free of plutonium and may be discarded to low-level waste storage.

Pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from an electrolyte salt

DOEpatents

Mullins, Lawrence J.; Christensen, Dana C.

1984-01-01

A pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from a plutonium-bearing salt is disclosed. The process is particularly useful in the recovery of plutonium from electrolyte salts which are left over from the electrorefining of plutonium. In accordance with the process, the plutonium-bearing salt is melted and mixed with metallic calcium. The calcium reduces ionized plutonium in the salt to plutonium metal, and also causes metallic plutonium in the salt, which is typically present as finely dispersed metallic shot, to coalesce. The reduced and coalesced plutonium separates out on the bottom of the reaction vessel as a separate metallic phase which is readily separable from the overlying salt upon cooling of the mixture. Yields of plutonium are typically on the order of 95%. The stripped salt is virtually free of plutonium and may be discarded to low-level waste storage.

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-18

needed to conduct a nuclear test. Critics raised concerns about the implications of these policies for testing and new weapons. At present, Congress...as it is reduced, is reliable and safe. So he has not ruled out testing in the future, but there are no plans to do so.’”4 Critics expressed concern...ten-year-old moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.”5 Another critic felt that increased funding for test readiness would in effect give prior

Methodology. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-02-01

modification, test, and production System operation, support, and maturation Weapon System Life Cycle Management Weapon systems Attainment...information management systems • Weapon systems electronics context – Focuses on many types of interactions » Information » Jamming » Support – Deals with...concepts • C4I context – Focuses on C4I information management systems – Defines the C4I systems and their information interchange requirements

Shooting Performance as a Function of Shooters’ Anthropometrics, Weapon Design Attributes, Firing Position, Range, and Sex

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the... data , weapon design data , firing posture, range and sex. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Soldier shooting performance, anthropometrics, weapon design, range, sex...Conditions and Test Matrix ......................................................................9 7. Data Analysis 9 7.1 Data Stratification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Volpe, Tristan A.

Why do states wait for prolonged periods of time with the technical capacity to produce nuclear weapons? Only a handful of countries have ever acquired the sensitive nuclear fuel cycle technology needed to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. Yet the enduring trend over the last five decades is for these states to delay or forgo exercising the nuclear weapons option provided by uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing capabilities. I show that states pause at this threshold stage because they use nuclear technology to bargain for concessions from both allies and adversaries. But when does nuclear latency offer bargaining benefits?more » My central argument is that challengers must surmount a dilemma to make coercive diplomacy work: the more they threaten to proliferate, the harder it becomes to reassure others that compliance will be rewarded with nuclear restraint. I identify a range of mechanisms able to solve this credibility problem, from arms control over breakout capacity to third party mediation and confidence building measures. Since each step towards the bomb raises the costs of implementing these policies, a state hits a sweet spot when it first acquires enrichment and/or reprocessing (ENR) technology. Subsequent increases in proliferation capability generate diminishing returns at the bargaining table for two reasons: the state must go to greater lengths to make a credible nonproliferation promise, and nuclear programs exhibit considerable path dependency as they mature over time. Contrary to the conventional wisdom about power in world politics, less nuclear latency thereby yields more coercive threat advantages. I marshal new primary source evidence from archives and interviews to identify episodes in the historical record when states made clear decisions to use ENR technology as a bargaining chip, and employ this theory of proliferation persuasion to explain how Japan, North Korea, and Iran succeeded and failed to barter concessions from the United States. By clarifying when countries are able to leverage steps towards the bomb for international political gain, my work advances our understanding of proliferation and coercive diplomacy.« less

Strategic Studies Quarterly- Spring 2016

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

under one treaty or another. Advocates promoted the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty as a stabilizing agreement that would restrict nuclear tests to the...revealed missile and warhead performance in testing -even questioning whether the Soviets were providing false information on open transmission...liferator might use one or more weapons coercively, irresponsibly, or accidentally. It could hand a nuclear weapon off to a terrorist group , or it could

Comparative Anatomy of Maintenance Tasks (CAMT): A Feasibility Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

systems. Methods for task primitive definition were developed, then taken into the field for testing . Task primitives were defined to cover three remove...engine maintenance) and to test whether task primitives developed for one weapon system could have applicability to other weapon systems (Phase 2...requirements, levying MPT constraints and predicting MPT requirements are only ritualistic exercises until the operational test and evaluation of a

PLUMBBOB Series, 1957

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-15

Organization included radiological safety, security, transportation, cominuni- cations, engineering , and logistics. The Air Force Special Weapons Center (AFSWC...Test Organization by Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company. Inc. * PLUMBBOB AFSWP Operation Summary Report * Weapons Test Reports for the Armed...Project 50.5 (Evaluation of’ Shielding for Engineer ileavy Equipment) .... ......... . 4.2.4 Project 50.6 (Protection Afforded by "Field

Sources and transport of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Ob River system, Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochran, J. Kirk; Moran, S. Bradley; Fisher, Nicholas S.; Beasley, Thomas M.; Kelley, James M.

2000-06-01

The potential sources of anthropogenic radionuclides to the Ob River system of western Siberia include global stratospheric fallout, tropospheric fallout from atomic weapons tests and releases from production and reprocessing facilities. Samples of water, suspended and bottom sediments collected in 1994 and 1995 have been used to characterize the sources and transport of 137Cs, Pu isotopes, 237Np and 129I through the system. For the radionuclides that associate with particles, isotope ratios provide clues to their sources, providing any geochemical fractionation can be taken into account. Activity ratios of 239,240Pu/ 137Cs in suspended sediments are lower than the global fallout ratio in the Irtysh River before its confluence with the Ob, comparable to fallout in the central reach of the Ob, and greater than the fallout values in the lower Ob and in the Taz River. This pattern mirrors the downriver decrease in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Laboratory adsorption experiments with Ob River sediment and water show that Kd values for Am (and presumably other actinides) are depressed by two orders of magnitude in the presence of Ob DOC concentrations, relative to values measured in DOC-free Ob water. Iodine and cesium Kd values show little or no (less than a factor of 2) dependence on DOC. Mixing plots using plutonium isotope ratios (atom ratios) show that Pu in suspended sediments of the Ob is a mixture of stratospheric global fallout at northern latitudes, tropospheric fallout from the former Soviet Union test site at Semipalatinsk and reprocessing of spent fuel at Tomsk-7. Plutonium from Semipalatinsk is evident in the Irtysh River above its confluence with the Tobal. Suspended sediment samples taken in the Ob above its confluence with the Irtysh indicate the presence of Pu derived from the Tomsk-7 reprocessing facilities. A mixing plot constructed using 237Np/ 239Pu vs. 240Pu/ 239Pu shows similar mixtures of stratospheric and tropospheric fallout, with the likely addition of inputs from reprocessing facilities and reactor operations. As with Pu/Cs ratios, Np/Pu ratios could be modified by differential geochemical behaviors of Np and Pu. Dissolved 129I only weakly interacts with particles in the Ob; size-fractionated sampling shows that the colloidal 129I fraction (defined as 1 kDa-0.2 μm) contains generally <5% relative to that passing a 0.2 μm filter. Iodine-129 concentrations decrease from 8.3×10 9 to 0.65×10 9 atoms l -1 through the Ob system toward the Kara Sea, with highest values in the Tobal River and lowest in the Taz River. The likely source of the elevated 129I in the Tobal is release from the production-reprocessing facilities at Mayak, and decreases downriver are predominantly due to dilution as the various tributaries with low 129I join the system. Fluxes of 129I to the lower Ob at Salekhard are <1% of the releases of this radionuclide from the nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities at Sellafield, UK and La Hague, France.

Biological weapons preparedness: the role of physicians.

PubMed

Cherry, C L; Kainer, M A; Ruff, T A

2003-01-01

The real risk posed by biological weapons was demonstrated with the distribution of anthrax spores via the USA postal service in 2001. This review outlines the central roles of physicians in optimizing biopreparedness in Australia, including maintaining awareness of the risk, promptly recognizing an event, notifying appropriate authorities upon suspicion of an event, and instituting appropriate management. Management aspects covered include appropriate diagnostic tests, infection control procedures, and empirical therapy of agents considered possible biological weapons. The critical role of physicians as public health advocates working to prevent the use of biological weapons is also outlined.

Operations FLINTLOCK and LATCHKEY events RED HOT, PIN STRIPE, DISCUS THROWER, PILE DRIVER, DOUBLE PLAY, NEWPOINT, MIDI MIST, 5 March 1966-26 Jun 1967. Technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horton, K.K.; Eubank, B.F.; Brady, W.J.

1984-10-01

This report is a personnel-oriented history of DOD participation in underground nuclear weapons testing during Operations FLINTLOCK and LATCHKEY, test events RED HOT, PIN STRIPE, DISCUS THROWER, PILE DRIVER, DOUBLE PLAY, NEW POINT, and MIDI MIST, from 5 March 1966 to 26 June 1967. It is the second in a series of historical reports which will include all DOD underground nuclear weapons tests and all DOE underground nuclear weapons tests with significant DOD participation from 1962 forward. In addition to these historical volumes, a later restricted distribution volume will identify all DOD participants (military, civilian, and civilian contractors) and willmore » list their radiation dosimetry data.« less

TRANSURANIC STUDIES STATUS AND PROBLEM STATEMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leuze, R E

1959-04-29

The purpose of the Transuranics Program is to develop separation processes for the transuranic elements, primarily those produced by long-term neutron irradiation of Pu/sup 239/. The program includes laboratory process development, pilot-plant process testing, processing of 10 kg of Pu/sup 239/ irradiated to greater than 99% burn-up for plutonium and americium-curium recovery, and processing the reirradiated plutonium and americium-curium fractions. The proposed method for processing highly irradiated plutonium is: (1) plutonium-aluminum alloy dissolution in HNO/sub 3/; (2) plutonium recovery by TBP extraction; (3) americium, curium, and rare-earth extraction by TBP from neutral nitrate solution; (4) partial rare-earth removal (primarily lanthanum)more » by americium-curium extraction into 100% TBP from 15M HNO/sub 3/; (5) additional rare-earth removal by extraction in 0.48M mono-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid from 12M HCl; and (6) americium-curium purification by chloride anion exchange. Processing through the 100% TBP, 15M HNO/sub 3/ cycle can be carried out in the Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Pilot Plant. New facilities are proposed 15M HNO/ sub 3/ cycle can be carried out in the Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Pilot Plant. New facilities are proposed for laboratory process development studies and the final processing of the transplutonic elements. (auth)« less

Chlorine-36 in Water, Snow, and Mid-Latitude Glacial Ice of North America: Meteoric and Weapons-Tests Production in the Vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. DeWayne; J. R. Green; S. Vogt, P. Sharma

1999-01-01

Measurements of chlorine-36 (36Cl) were made for 64 water, snow, and glacial-ice and -runoff samples to determine the meteoric and weapons-tests-produced concentrations and fluxes of this radionuclide at mid-latitudes in North America. The results will facilitate the use of 36Cl as a hydrogeologic tracer at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). This information was used to estimate meteoric and weapons-tests contributions of this nuclide to environmental inventories at and near the INEEL. The data presented in this report suggest a meteoric source 36Cl for environmental samples collected in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming if the concentration is lessmore » than 1 x 10 7 atoms/L. Additionally, concentrations in water, snow, or glacial ice between 1 x 10 7 and 1 x 10 8 atoms/L may be indicative of a weapons-tests component from peak 36Cl production in the late 1950s. Chlorine-36 concentrations between 1 x 10 8 and 1 x 10 9 atoms/L may be representative of re-suspension of weapons-tests fallout airborne disposal of 36Cl from the INTEC, or evapotranspiration. It was concluded from the water, snow, and glacial data presented here that concentrations of 36Cl measured in environmental samples at the INEEL larger than 1 x 10 9 atoms/L can be attributed to waste-disposal practices.« less

PLUTONIUM-CERIUM-COBALT AND PLUTONIUM-CERIUM-NICKEL ALLOYS

DOEpatents

Coffinberry, A.S.

1959-08-25

>New plutonium-base teroary alloys useful as liquid reactor fuels are described. The alloys consist of 10 to 20 atomic percent cobalt with the remainder plutonium and cerium in any desired proportion, with the plutonium not in excess of 88 atomic percent; or, of from 10 to 25 atomic percent nickel (or mixture of nickel and cobalt) with the remainder plutonium and cerium in any desired proportion, with the plutonium not in excess of 86 atomic percent. The stated advantages of these alloys over unalloyed plutonium for reactor fuel use are a lower melting point and a wide range of permissible plutonium dilution.

Multidimensional Analysis of Nuclear Detonations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-17

Features on the nuclear weapons testing films because of the expanding and emissive nature of the nuclear fireball. The use of these techniques to produce...Treaty (New Start Treaty) have reduced the acceptable margins of error. Multidimensional analysis provides the modern approach to nuclear weapon ...scientific community access to the information necessary to expand upon the knowledge of nuclear weapon effects. This data set has the potential to provide

Occupational dose reduction at Department of Energy contractor facilities: Bibliography of selected readings in radiation protection and ALARA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dionne, B.J.; Sullivan, S.G.; Baum, J.W.

1993-12-01

This bibliography contains abstracts relating to various aspects of ALARA program implementation and dose reduction activities, with a focus on DOE facilities. Abstracts included in this bibliography were selected from proceedings of technical meetings, journals, research reports, searches of the DOE Energy, Science and Technology Database (in general, the citation and abstract information is presented as obtained from this database), and reprints of published articles provided by the authors. Facility types and activities covered in the scope of this report include: radioactive waste, uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage and reprocessing, facility decommissioning, hot laboratories, tritium production, research, testmore » and production reactors, weapons fabrication and testing, fusion, uranium and plutonium processing, radiography, and aocelerators. Information on improved shielding design, decontamination, containments, robotics, source prevention and control, job planning, improved operational and design techniques, as well as on other topics, has been included. In addition, DOE/EH reports not included in previous volumes of the bibliography are in this volume (abstracts 611 to 684). This volume (Volume 5 of the series) contains 217 abstracts. An author index and a subject index are provided to facilitate use. Both indices contain the abstract numbers from previous volumes, as well as the current volume. Information that the reader feels might be included in the next volume of this bibliography should be submitted to the BNL ALARA Center.« less

Male and Female Single-Victim Sexual Homicide Offenders: Distinguishing the Types of Weapons Used in Killing Their Victims.

PubMed

Chan, Heng Choon Oliver; Heide, Kathleen M; Beauregard, Eric

2017-08-01

Most studies have focused on male sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) without testing whether sex differences exist. Accordingly, little is known about the distinctions between male and female SHOs, particularly with respect to their use of weapons in killing their victims. This study used a sample of 3,160 single-victim sexual homicide cases (3,009 male and 151 female offenders) from the U.S. Supplementary Homicide Reports database to explore sex differences in the types of murder weapons used by offenders in killing victims over the 37-year period 1976 to 2012. Findings indicated that significantly more male SHOs used personal weapons (43%) and more female SHOs used firearms (63%) in their offense commission. In general, female offenders predominantly used weapons that were physically less demanding (e.g., firearms and edged and other weapons; 89%). Different trends in the murder weapons used by male and female SHOs from different age groups were observed. Interestingly, findings showed that the type of weapon used by SHOs was in part influenced by the victims and their characteristics.

Toward a nuclear-weapon-free world: a Chinese perspective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, D.

In the present article, the author addresses China's policy on proliferation and nuclear testing. China, after observing an unannounced moratorium for more than a year, conducted a test last October, and maintains that it cannot exclude the need to carry out a few more tests for a certain period of time for national defense. The author discusses reasons for future tests. He suggests that a major factor in the testing may be to improve the safety and reliability of the present Chinese arsenal. He believes that whether or not China continues to test nuclear weapons will depend upon the balancemore » of different national interests as perceived by the Chinese government. Following the underground test in Xinjiang province last October, the Chinese government issued a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali saying that it was entirely for the purpose of self-defense that China developed and possessed a small number of nuclear weapons, and that it had always exercised utmost restraint on nuclear testing. The letter also states that [open quotes]after a comprehensive test ban treaty is concluded and comes into effect, China will abide by it and carry out no more nuclear tests.[close quotes] The author concludes that an international treaty banning nuclear weapons tests is important, but a no-first-use agreement would be just as useful. He discusses options for effecting a world-wide non-proliferation policy.« less

On the future of civilian plutonium: An assessment of technological impediments to nuclear terrorism and proliferation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avedon, Roger Edmond

This dissertation addresses the value of developing diversion- and theft-resistant nuclear power technology, given uncertain future demand for nuclear power, and uncertain risks of nuclear terrorism and of proliferation from the reprocessing of civilian plutonium. The methodology comprises four elements: Economics. An economic growth model coupled with market penetration effects for plutonium and for the hypothetical new technology provides a range of estimates for future nuclear demand. A flow model accounts for the longevity of capital assets (nuclear plants) over time. Terrorism. The commercial nuclear fuel cycle may provide a source of fissile material for terrorists seeking to construct a crude nuclear device. An option value model is used to estimate the effects of the hypothetical new technology on reducing the probability of theft. A game theoretic model is used to explore the deterrence value of physical security and then to draw conclusions about how learning on the part of terrorists or security forces might affect the theft estimate. The principal uncertainties in the theft model can be updated using Bayesian techniques as new data emerge. Proliferation. Access to fissile material is the principal technical impediment to a state's acquisition of nuclear weapons. A game theoretic model is used to determine the circumstances under which a state may proliferate via diversion. The model shows that the hypothetical new technology will have little value for counter-proliferation if diversion is not a preferred proliferation method. A technology policy analysis of the choice of proliferation method establishes that diversion is unlikely to be used because it has no constituency among the important parties to the decision, namely the political leadership, the scientific establishment, and the military. Value. The decision whether to develop a diversion- and theft-resistant fuel cycle depends on the perceived value of avoiding nuclear terrorism and proliferation. The opportunity cost of such events is prohibitively difficult to assess. Instead, recent nonproliferation efforts and long term funding of organizations with nonproliferation objectives suggest a willingness-to-pay to avoid breaches in nuclear security. The cancellation of the Integral Fast Reactor in 1994 is analyzed using the methodology developed in the dissertation.

Fuel Fraction Analysis of 500 MWth Gas Cooled Fast Reactor with Nitride (UN-PuN) Fuel without Refueling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewi Syarifah, Ratna; Su'ud, Zaki; Basar, Khairul; Irwanto, Dwi

2017-01-01

Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is one of candidates which can support electricity demand in the world. The Generation IV NPP has fourth main objective, i.e. sustainability, economics competitiveness, safety and reliability, and proliferation and physical protection. One of Gen-IV reactor type is Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR). In this study, the analysis of fuel fraction in small GFR with nitride fuel has been done. The calculation was performed by SRAC code, both Pij and CITATION calculation. SRAC2002 system is a code system applicable to analyze the neutronics of variety reactor type. And for the data library used JENDL-3.2. The step of SRAC calculation is fuel pin calculated by Pij calculation until the data homogenized, after it homogenized we calculate core reactor. The variation of fuel fraction is 40% up to 65%. The optimum design of 500MWth GFR without refueling with 10 years burn up time reach when radius F1:F2:F3 = 50cm:30cm:30cm and height F1:F2:F3 = 50cm:40cm:30cm, variation percentage Plutonium in F1:F2:F3 = 7%:10%:13%. The optimum fuel fraction is 41% with addition 2% Plutonium weapon grade mix in the fuel. The excess reactivity value in this case 1.848% and the k-eff value is 1.01883. The high burn up reached when the fuel fraction is low. In this study 41% fuel fraction produce faster fissile fuel, so it has highest burn-up level than the other fuel fraction.

Modified blank ammunition injuries.

PubMed

Ogunc, Gokhan I; Ozer, M Tahir; Coskun, Kagan; Uzar, Ali Ihsan

2009-12-15

Blank firing weapons are designed only for discharging blank ammunition cartridges. Because they are cost-effective, are easily accessible and can be modified to live firearms plus their unclear legal situation in Turkish Law makes them very popular in Turkey. 2004 through 2008, a total of 1115 modified blank weapons were seized in Turkey. Blank firing weapons are easily modified by owners, making them suitable for discharging live firearm ammunition or modified blank ammunitions. Two common methods are used for modification of blank weapons. After the modification, these weapons can discharge the live ammunition. However, due to compositional durability problems with these types of weapons; the main trend is to use the modified blank ammunitions rather than live firearm ammunition fired from modified blank firing weapons. In this study, two types of modified blank weapons and two types of modified blank cartridges were tested on three different target models. Each of the models' shooting side was coated with 1.3+/-2 mm thickness chrome tanned cowhide as a skin simulant. The first model was only coated with skin simulant. The second model was coated with skin simulant and 100% cotton police shirt. The third model was coated with skin simulant and jean denim. After the literature evaluation four high risky anatomic locations (the neck area; the eyes; the thorax area and inguinal area) were pointed out for the steel and lead projectiles are discharged from the modified blank weapons especially in close range (0-50 cm). The target models were designed for these anatomic locations. For the target models six Transparent Ballistic Candle blocks (TCB) were prepared and divided into two test groups. The first group tests were performed with lead projectiles and second group with steel projectile. The shortest penetration depth (lead projectile: 4.358 cm; steel projectile 8.032 cm) was recorded in the skin simulant and jean denim coated block for both groups. In both groups, the longest penetration depth (lead projectile: 6.434 cm; steel projectile 8.608 cm) was recorded in the only skin simulant coated block. And the penetration depth of skin simulant and 100% cotton police shirt coated model was 5.870 cm for lead projectile; 8.440 cm for steel projectile. According to penetration results, national and international legislations and production standards should be re-evaluated in order to prevent the modification of blank weapons and ammunitions. There are three methods for preventing modification of blank weapons: completely closed barrel structure; intersected restrain pieces application; eccentric barrel structure.

Les perspectives de l'énergie nucléaire dans le cadre des changements climatiquesThe future of nuclear energy in relation with climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dautray, Robert

2001-12-01

Electronuclear energy associated with hydrogen production can replace fossil fuels while emitting as few greenhouse gases as renewable energies. Besides waste management for which a solution has to be rapidly demonstrated, other key issues are to be examined to complete the demonstration of the viability of electronuclear energy. First, waste management and evolution of plutonium and its daughters must be considered together. A basic study has already been performed but what else to be done is huge and cannot be achieved in France (because of its geological and geographic features, because of the rural distribution of its population, etc.), except if a substantial and quite focused endeavour could bring concerned populations and workers, protection and confidence - which requires from the latter, represented by their elected representatives and thus by a public authority, that they work out "a general protection and confidence criterion for concerned populations and workers". The unique solution in order to protect public health from a potential major danger is to bury as soon as possible all of the ultimate waste products, keeping in mind all of the unfavourable factors such as residual power of these products, their mobility in the confining geological beds and then through aquifers. There are so many categories of waste products whose treatment requires different durations, that storing is necessary in order to make them compatible after sorting by means of chemical separation (called reprocessing). Among all of these potential risks, the present-day most serious one, by far, is that of plutonium and its daughters, which are the most potentially radiotoxic. The unique solution consists in a separation of plutonium (and its daughters), followed by its fissions until a rather complete reduction in a product able to be buried after dilution in a matrix (for example, vitrification). But that solution faces serious handicaps. The examination of waste products and especially of the potentially most dangerous and difficult to treat, that is plutonium (and its daughters), leads thus necessarily to a 'plutonium (and its daughters) plan'. Nuclear safety is a major preoccupation. The French electronuclear stock is a recognized success and when it will be necessary to replace the latter, it will be possible to use the European Pressurized Reactor French-German project; the latter includes protections against very unlikely events and its implementation would be a factor of substantial progress for nuclear safety. Radioprotection, as well as its scientific bases, epidemiology and radiobiology, have funding that is not at the level of the funding devoted to the technical and industrial realizations. As for proliferation, it can be noticed that the countries that have recently at their disposal nuclear weapons have done it independently of their eventual electronuclear stock and furthermore each of the latter used a different scientific and technical process. As for the eventual relations between reprocessing and proliferation, the problem should be solved if the total produced plutonium could be denatured in the reactors of the electronuclear stock. It must be noticed that the major potential danger would rather be the dispersion of radiotoxic products about which the department of ONU in charge of all of these questions is aware of increasing contraband from eastern Europe since some years.

LITERATURE REVIEW FOR OXALATE OXIDATION PROCESSES AND PLUTONIUM OXALATE SOLUBILITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nash, C.

2012-02-03

A literature review of oxalate oxidation processes finds that manganese(II)-catalyzed nitric acid oxidation of oxalate in precipitate filtrate is a viable and well-documented process. The process has been operated on the large scale at Savannah River in the past, including oxidation of 20 tons of oxalic acid in F-Canyon. Research data under a variety of conditions show the process to be robust. This process is recommended for oxalate destruction in H-Canyon in the upcoming program to produce feed for the MOX facility. Prevention of plutonium oxalate precipitation in filtrate can be achieved by concentrated nitric acid/ferric nitrate sequestration of oxalate.more » Organic complexants do not appear practical to sequester plutonium. Testing is proposed to confirm the literature and calculation findings of this review at projected operating conditions for the upcoming campaign. H Canyon plans to commence conversion of plutonium metal to low-fired plutonium oxide in 2012 for eventual use in the Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) Facility. The flowsheet includes sequential operations of metal dissolution, ion exchange, elution, oxalate precipitation, filtration, and calcination. All processes beyond dissolution will occur in HB-Line. The filtration step produces an aqueous filtrate that may have as much as 4 M nitric acid and 0.15 M oxalate. The oxalate needs to be removed from the stream to prevent possible downstream precipitation of residual plutonium when the solution is processed in H Canyon. In addition, sending the oxalate to the waste tank farm is undesirable. This report addresses the processing options for destroying the oxalate in existing H Canyon equipment.« less

One in a Million Given the Accident: Assuring Nuclear Weapon Safety

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weaver, Jason

2015-08-25

Since the introduction of nuclear weapons, there has not been a single instance of accidental or unauthorized nuclear detonation, but there have been numerous accidents and “close calls.” As the understanding of these environments has increased, the need for a robust nuclear weapon safety philosophy has grown. This paper describes some of the methods used by the Nuclear Weapon Complex today to assure nuclear weapon safety, including testing, modeling, analysis, and design features. Lastly, it also reviews safety’s continued role in the future and examines how nuclear safety’s present maturity can play a role in strengthening security and other areasmore » and how increased coordination can improve safety and reduce long-term cost.« less

Technology resource document for the assembled chemical weapons assessment environmental impact statement. Vol. 2 : assembled systems for weapons destruction at Anniston Army Depot.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kimmell, T.; Folga, S., Frey, G.; Molberg, J.

2001-05-04

This volume of the Technical Resource Document (TRD) for the ''Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Design, Construction and Operation of One or More Pilot Test Facilities for Assembled Chemical Weapons Destruction Technologies at One or More Sites'' (PMACWA 2001g) pertains to the destruction of assembled chemical weapons (ACW) stored at Anniston Army Depot (ANAD), located outside Anniston, Alabama. This volume presents technical and process information on each of the destruction technologies applicable to treatment of the specific ACW stored at ANAD. The destruction technologies described are those that have been demonstrated as part of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessmentmore » (ACWA) selection process (see Volume 1).« less

Penetrating chest trauma caused by a blank cartridge actuated rubber ball projectile: case presentation and ballistic investigation of an uncommon weapon type.

PubMed

Frank, Matthias; Peters, Dieter; Klemm, Wolfram; Grossjohann, Rico; Ekkernkamp, Axel; Bockholdt, Britta; Seifert, Julia

2017-09-01

Recently, an increasing number of an uncommon weapon type based on a caliber 6-mm Flobert blank cartridge actuated revolver which discharges 10-mm-diameter rubber ball projectiles has been confiscated by police authorities following criminal offenses. A recent trauma case presenting with a penetrating chest injury occasioned an investigation into the basic ballistic parameters of this type of weapon. Kinetic energy E of the test projectiles was calculated between 5.8 and 12.5 J. Energy density ED of the test projectiles was close to or higher than the threshold energy density of human skin. It can be concluded that penetrating skin injuries due to free-flying rubber ball projectiles discharged at close range cannot be ruled out. However, in case of a contact shot, the main injury potential of this weapon type must be attributed to the high energy density of the muzzle gas jet which may, similar to well-known gas or alarm weapons, cause life-threatening or even lethal injuries.

Global strike hypersonic weapons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Mark J.

2017-11-01

Beginning in the 1940's, the United States has pursued the development of hypersonic technologies, enabling atmospheric flight in excess of five times the speed of sound. Hypersonic flight has application to a range of military and civilian applications, including commercial transport, space access, and various weapons and sensing platforms. A number of flight tests of hypersonic vehicles have been conducted by countries around the world, including the United States, Russia, and China, that could lead the way to future hypersonic global strike weapon systems. These weapons would be especially effective at penetrating conventional defenses, and could pose a significant risk to national security.

Large Bilateral Reductions in Superpower Nuclear Weapons.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-07-01

missile ( ABM ) systems were deployed, e.g., the current Soviet ABM system around Moscow. Although there have been no further wartime uses of nuclear...have placed more emphasis on strategic defense than the U.S.; however, by agreeing to the ABM Treaty, the 6Soviets implicitly accepted the fundamental...required for the reliability testing of existing nuclear weapons and the development of future nuclear weapons. The ABM Treaty of 1972 was a

Colloid formation during waste form reaction: Implications for nuclear waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bates, J. K.; Bradley, J.; Teetsov, A.; Bradley, C. R.; Buchholtz ten Brink, Marilyn R.

1992-01-01

Insoluble plutonium- and americium-bearing colloidal particles formed during simulated weathering of a high-level nuclear waste glass. Nearly 100 percent of the total plutonium and americium in test ground water was concentrated in these submicrometer particles. These results indicate that models of actinide mobility and repository integrity, which assume complete solubility of actinides in ground water, underestimate the potential for radionuclide release into the environment. A colloid-trapping mechanism may be necessary for a waste repository to meet long-term performance specifications.

Oil market power and United States national security

PubMed Central

Stern, Roger

2006-01-01

It is widely believed that an oil weapon could impose scarcity upon the United States. Impending resource exhaustion is thought to exacerbate this threat. However, threat seems implausible when we consider strategic deficits of prospective weapon users and the improbability of impending resource exhaustion. Here, we explore a hypothesis relating oil to national security under a different assumption, abundance. We suggest that an oil cartel exerts market power to keep abundance at bay, commanding monopoly rents [or wealth transfers (wt)] that underwrite security threats. We then compare security threats attributed to the oil weapon to those that may arise from market power. We first reexamine whether oil is abundant or scarce by reviewing current development data, then we estimate a competitive price for oil. From this, we derive wt2004 collections by Persian Gulf states ≈ $132-178 × 109. We find that wt and the behavior of states collecting it interact to actuate security threats. Threats underwritten by wt are (i) the potential for emergence of a Persian Gulf superpower and (ii) terrorism. It is therefore oil market power, not oil per se, that actuates threats. We also describe a paradox in the relation of market power to the United States' defense doctrine of force projection to preempt a Gulf superpower. Because the superpower threat derives from wt, force alone cannot preempt it. A further paradox is that because foreign policy is premised on oil weapon fear, market power is appeased. Threats thereby grow unimpeded. PMID:16428291

Applications of Elpasolites as a Multimode Radiation Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guckes, Amber

This study consists of both computational and experimental investigations. The computational results enabled detector design selections and confirmed experimental results. The experimental results determined that the CLYC scintillation detector can be applied as a functional and field-deployable multimode radiation sensor. The computational study utilized MCNP6 code to investigate the response of CLYC to various incident radiations and to determine the feasibility of its application as a handheld multimode sensor and as a single-scintillator collimated directional detection system. These simulations include: • Characterization of the response of the CLYC scintillator to gamma-rays and neutrons; • Study of the isotopic enrichment of 7Li versus 6Li in the CLYC for optimal detection of both thermal neutrons and fast neutrons; • Analysis of collimator designs to determine the optimal collimator for the single CLYC sensor directional detection system to assay gamma rays and neutrons; Simulations of a handheld CLYC multimode sensor and a single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system with the optimized collimator to determine the feasibility of detecting nuclear materials that could be encountered during field operations. These nuclear materials include depleted uranium, natural uranium, low-enriched uranium, highly-enriched uranium, reactor-grade plutonium, and weapons-grade plutonium. The experimental study includes the design, construction, and testing of both a handheld CLYC multimode sensor and a single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system. Both were designed in the Inventor CAD software and based on results of the computational study to optimize its performance. The handheld CLYC multimode sensor is modular, scalable, low?power, and optimized for high count rates. Commercial?off?the?shelf components were used where possible in order to optimize size, increase robustness, and minimize cost. The handheld CLYC multimode sensor was successfully tested to confirm its ability for gamma-ray and neutron detection, and gamma?ray and neutron spectroscopy. The sensor utilizes wireless data transfer for possible radiation mapping and network?centric deployment. The handheld multimode sensor was tested by performing laboratory measurements with various gamma-ray sources and neutron sources. The single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system is portable, robust, and capable of source localization and identification. The collimator was designed based on the results of the computational study and is constructed with high density polyethylene (HDPE) and lead (Pb). The collimator design and construction allows for the directional detection of gamma rays and fast neutrons utilizing only one scintillator which is interchangeable. For this study, a CLYC-7 scintillator was used. The collimated directional detection system was tested by performing laboratory directional measurements with various gamma-ray sources, 252Cf and a 239PuBe source.

Warranties in Weapon System Procurement: An Analysis of Practice and Theory.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF SIANDARDS 1963 A fD r ILE GW cm AD-A190 933 IDA PAPER P-2024 WARRANTIES IN WEAPON SYSTEM PROCUREMENT...EPWT Essential Performance Warranty Test FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation GCS Guidance Control Section GLD Ground Laser Locator Designator GS General...Service IDA Institute for Defense Analyses I&L Installations and Logistics IPT Initial Production Test LDR Laser Designator Rangefimder MLDT Mean

Emergency management of chemical weapons injuries.

PubMed

Anderson, Peter D

2012-02-01

The potential for chemical weapons to be used in terrorism is a real possibility. Classes of chemical weapons include nerve agents, vesicants (blister agents), choking agents, incapacitating agents, riot control agents, blood agents, and toxic industrial chemicals. The nerve agents work by blocking the actions of acetylcholinesterase leading to a cholinergic syndrome. Nerve agents include sarin, tabun, VX, cyclosarin, and soman. The vesicants include sulfur mustard and lewisite. The vesicants produce blisters and also damage the upper airways. Choking agents include phosgene and chlorine gas. Choking agents cause pulmonary edema. Incapacitating agents include fentanyl and its derivatives and adamsite. Riot control agents include Mace and pepper spray. Blood agents include cyanide. The mechanism of toxicity for cyanide is blocking oxidative phosphorylation. Toxic industrial chemicals include agents such as formaldehyde, hydrofluoric acid, and ammonia.

GC-MS Study of Mono- and Bishaloethylphosphonates Related to Schedule 2.B.04 of the Chemical Weapons Convention: The Discovery of a New Intramolecular Halogen Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picazas-Márquez, Nerea; Sierra, María; Nova, Clara; Moreno, Juan Manuel; Aboitiz, Nuria; de Rivas, Gema; Sierra, Miguel A.; Martínez-Álvarez, Roberto; Gómez-Caballero, Esther

2016-09-01

A new class of compounds, mono- and bis-haloethylphosphonates (HAPs and bisHAPs, respectively), listed in Schedule 2.B.04 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), has been synthesized and studied by GC-MS with two aims. First, to improve the identification of this type of chemicals by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, (OPCW). Second, to study the synergistic effect of halogen and silicon atoms in molecules undergoing mass spectrometry. Fragmentation patterns of trimethylsilyl derivatives of HAPs were found to depend on the nature of the halogen atom; this was in agreement with DFT-calculations. The data suggest that a novel intramolecular halogen transfer takes place during the fragmentation process.

GC-MS Study of Mono- and Bishaloethylphosphonates Related to Schedule 2.B.04 of the Chemical Weapons Convention: The Discovery of a New Intramolecular Halogen Transfer.

PubMed

Picazas-Márquez, Nerea; Sierra, María; Nova, Clara; Moreno, Juan Manuel; Aboitiz, Nuria; de Rivas, Gema; Sierra, Miguel A; Martínez-Álvarez, Roberto; Gómez-Caballero, Esther

2016-09-01

A new class of compounds, mono- and bis-haloethylphosphonates (HAPs and bisHAPs, respectively), listed in Schedule 2.B.04 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), has been synthesized and studied by GC-MS with two aims. First, to improve the identification of this type of chemicals by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, (OPCW). Second, to study the synergistic effect of halogen and silicon atoms in molecules undergoing mass spectrometry. Fragmentation patterns of trimethylsilyl derivatives of HAPs were found to depend on the nature of the halogen atom; this was in agreement with DFT-calculations. The data suggest that a novel intramolecular halogen transfer takes place during the fragmentation process. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Sandia Research and Development Board: Minutes of the 33rd Meeting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castle, M.

1950-02-08

Notes about the barometric fuzing system testing, drops of stockpile weapons requested by the Strategic Air Command, simultaneous drops and the interaction of the baro systems, changes of desired military characteristics of atomic weapons.

The nuclear present. A guide to recent books on nuclear war, weapons, the peace movement, and related issues, with a chronology of nuclear events, 1789-1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burns, G.

The Nuclear Present brings the interested reader up-to-date on significant English-language books about nuclear weapons and related topics, identifying primarily important works of nuclear non-fiction that have come out since 1984. Each reference has a paragraph of comment about its subject and value. General organizational areas include the following: Reference Works; Nuclear weapons and Nuclear war (14 sub-headings including overviews, development, effects, tests, arms race, prospectives, legal considerations etc.); Strategy; proliferation; Stratigic Defense; Arms control and disarmament; ethical, pholosophical and religous perspectives; new paths to peace; periodic guide; the Chernobyl Disaster. An extensive Nuclear Chronology (1789-1991) written by the authormore » allows a fairly detailed sense of the historical record of nuclear weapons, including testing, manufacture, use and movements for arms control and disarmament.« less

Independent Verification Survey of the Clean Coral Storage Pile at the Johnston Atoll Plutonium-Contaminated Soil Remediation Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson-Nichols, M.J.

2000-12-07

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Technology Section conducted an independent verification (IV) survey of the clean storage pile at the Johnston Atoll Plutonium Contaminated Soil Remediation Project (JAPCSRP) from January 18-25, 1999. The goal of the JAPCSRP is to restore a 24-acre area that was contaminated with plutonium oxide particles during nuclear testing in the 1960s. The selected remedy was a soil sorting operation that combined radiological measurements and mining processes to identify and sequester plutonium-contaminated soil. The soil sorter operated from about 1990 to 1998. The remaining clean soil is stored on-site for planned beneficial use onmore » Johnston Island. The clean storage pile currently consists of approximately 120,000 m{sup 3} of coral. ORNL conducted the survey according to a Sampling and Analysis Plan, which proposed to provide an IV of the clean pile by collecting a minimum number (99) of samples. The goal was to ascertain with 95% confidence whether 97% of the processed soil is less than or equal to the accepted guideline (500-Bq/kg or 13.5-pCi/g) total transuranic (TRU) activity. In previous IV tasks, ORNL has (1) evaluated and tested the soil sorter system software and hardware and (2) evaluated the quality control (QC) program used at the soil sorter plant. The IV has found that the soil sorter decontamination was effective and significantly reduced plutonium contamination in the soil processed at the JA site. The Field Command Defense Threat Reduction Agency currently plans to re-use soil from the clean pile as a cover to remaining contamination in portions of the radiological control area. Therefore, ORNL was requested to provide an IV. The survey team collected samples from 103 random locations within the top 4 ft of the clean storage pile. The samples were analyzed in the on-site radioanalytical counting laboratory with an American Nuclear Systems (ANS) field instrument used for the detection of low-energy radiation. Nine results exceeded the JA soil screening guideline for distributed contamination of 13.5 pCi/g for total TRUs, ranging from 13.7 to 125.9 pCi/g. Because of these results, the goal of showing with 95% confidence that 97% of the processed soil is less than or equal to 13.5 pCi/g-TRU activity cannot be met. The value of 13.5 pCi/g represents the 88th percentile rather than the 95th percentile in a nonparametric one-sided upper 90% confidence limit. Therefore, at the 95% confidence level, 88% of the clean pile is projected to be below the 13.5-pCi/g goal. The Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual recommends use of a nonparametric statistical ''Sign Test'' to demonstrate compliance with release criteria for TRU. Although this survey was not designed to use the sign test, the data herein would demonstrate that the median (50%) of the clean storage pile is below the l3.5-pCi/g derived concentration guideline level. In other words, with the caveat that additional investigation of elevated concentrations was not performed, the data pass the sign test at the 13.5-pCi/g level. Additionally, the lateral extent of the pile was gridded, and 10% of the grid blocks was scanned with field instruments for the detection of low-energy radiation coupled to ratemeter/scalers to screen for the presence of hot particles. No hot particles were detected in the top 1 cm of the grid blocks surveyed.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Bradley R.

The Hidden Cost of Nuclear Weapons The Cold War arms race drove an intense plutonium production program in the U.S. This campaign produced approximately 100 tons of plutonium over 40 years. The epicenter of plutonium production in the United States was the Hanford site, a 586 square mile reservation owned by the Department of Energy and located on the Colombia River in Southeastern Washington. Plutonium synthesis relied on nuclear reactors to convert uranium to plutonium within the reactor fuel rods. After a sufficient amount of conversion occurred, the rods were removed from the reactor and allowed to cool. They weremore » then dissolved in an acid bath and chemically processed to separate and purify plutonium from the rest of the constituents in the used reactor fuel. The acidic waste was then neutralized using sodium hydroxide and the resulting mixture of liquids and precipitates (small insoluble particles) was stored in huge underground waste tanks. The byproducts of the U.S. plutonium production campaign include over 53 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste stored in 177 large underground tanks at Hanford and another 34 million gallons stored at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. This legacy nuclear waste represents one of the largest environmental clean-up challenges facing the world today. The nuclear waste in the Hanford tanks is a mixture of liquids and precipitates that have settled into sludge. Some of these tanks are now over 60 years old and a small number of them are leaking radioactive waste into the ground and contaminating the environment. The solution to this nuclear waste challenge is to convert the mixture of solids and liquids into a durable material that won't disperse into the environment and create hazards to the biosphere. What makes this difficult is the fact that the radioactive half-lives of some of the radionuclides in the waste are thousands to millions of years long. (The half-life of a radioactive substance is the amount of time it takes for one-half of the material to undergo radioactive decay.) In general, the ideal material would need to be durable for approximately 10 half-lives to allow the activity to decay to negligible levels. However, the potential health effects of each radionuclide vary depending on what type of radiation is emitted, the energy of that emission, and the susceptibility for the human body to accumulate and concentrate that particular element. Consequently, actual standards tend to be based on limiting the dose (energy deposited per unit mass) that is introduced into the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the responsibility to establish standards for nuclear waste disposal to protect the health and safety of the public. For example, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 directed the EPA to establish radiation protection standards for the Yucca Mountain geologic repository for nuclear wastes. The standards for Yucca Mountain were promulgated in 2008, and limit the dose to 15 millirem per year for the first 10,000 years, and 100 milirem per year between 10,000 years and 1 million years (40 CFR Part 197; http://www.epa.gov/radiation/yucca/2008factsheet.html). So, the challenge is two-fold: (1) develop a material (a waste form) that is capable of immobilizing the waste over geologic time scales, and (2) develop a process to convert the radioactive sludge in the tanks into this durable waste form material. Glass: Hard, durable, inert, and with infinite chemical versatility Molten glass is a powerful solvent liquid, which can be designed to dissolve almost anything. When solidified, it can be one of the most chemically inert substances known to man. Nature's most famous analogue to glass is obsidian, a vitreous product of volcanic activity; formations over 17 million years old have been found. Archaeologists have found man-made glass specimens that are five thousand years old.« less

Stability of zinc stearate under alpha irradiation in the manufacturing process of SFR nuclear fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gracia, J.; Vermeulen, J.; Baux, D.; Sauvage, T.; Venault, L.; Audubert, F.; Colin, X.

2018-03-01

The manufacture of new fuels for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) will involve powders derived from recycling existing fuels in order to keep on producing electricity while saving natural resources and reducing the amount of waste produced by spent MOX fuels. Using recycled plutonium in this way will significantly increase the amount of 238Pu, a high energy alpha emitter, in the powders. The process of shaping powders by pressing requires the use of a solid lubricant, zinc stearate, to produce pellets with no defects compliant with the standards. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of alpha radiolysis on this additive and its lubrication properties. Experiments were conducted on samples in contact with PuO2, as well as under external helium ion beam irradiation, in order to define the kinetics of radiolytic gas generation. The yield results relating to the formation of these gases (G0) show that the alpha radiation of plutonium can be simulated using external helium ion beam irradiation. The isotopic composition of plutonium has little impact on the yield. However, an increased yield was globally observed with increasing the mean linear energy transfer (LET). A radiolytic degradation process is proposed.

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Relationship Between Substance Misuse and Weapons Aggression in Urban Adolescents Seeking ED Care

PubMed Central

Goldstick, Jason Elliott; Lipton, Robert I.; Carter, Patrick; Stoddard, Sarah A.; Newton, Manya F.; Reischl, Thomas; Walton, Maureen; Zimmerman, Marc A.; Cunningham, Rebecca M.

2015-01-01

Background Frameworks for studying the ecology of human behavior suggest that multiple levels of the environment influence behavior and that these levels interact. Applied to studies of weapons aggression, this suggests proximal risk factor (e.g., substance use) effects may differ across neighborhoods. Objectives To estimate how the association between weapons aggression and substance use varies as a function of several community-level variables. Methods Individual-level measures (demographics, behavioral measures) were obtained from a survey of youth aged 14–24 years old seeking care at a Level-1 ED in Flint, Michigan. Community-level variables were obtained from public sources. Logistic generalized additive models were used to test whether community-level variables (crime rates, alcohol outlets, demographics) modify the link between individual-level substance use variables and the primary outcome measure: self-reported past 6-month weapon (firearm/knife) related aggression. Results The effect of marijuana misuse on weapons aggression varied significantly as a function of five community-level variables: racial composition, vacant housing rates, female headed household rates, density of package alcohol outlets, and nearby drug crime rates. The effect of high-risk alcohol use did not depend on any of the eight community variables tested. Conclusions The relationship between marijuana misuse and weapons aggression differed across neighborhoods with generally less association in more disadvantaged neighborhoods, while high-risk alcohol use showed a consistently high association with weapons aggression that did not vary across neighborhoods. The results aid in understanding the contributions of alcohol and marijuana use to the etiology of weapon-related aggression among urban youth, but further study in the general population is required. PMID:25607807

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Relationship Between Substance Misuse and Weapons Aggression in Urban Adolescents Seeking ED Care.

PubMed

Goldstick, Jason Elliott; Lipton, Robert I; Carter, Patrick; Stoddard, Sarah A; Newton, Manya F; Reischl, Thomas; Walton, Maureen; Zimmerman, Marc A; Cunningham, Rebecca M

2015-04-01

Frameworks for studying the ecology of human behavior suggest that multiple levels of the environment influence behavior and that these levels interact. Applied to studies of weapons aggression, this suggests proximal risk factor (e.g., substance use) effects may differ across neighborhoods. To estimate how the association between weapons aggression and substance use varies as a function of several community-level variables. Individual-level measures (demographics, behavioral measures) were obtained from a survey of youth aged 14-24 years old seeking care at a Level-1 ED in Flint, Michigan. Community-level variables were obtained from public sources. Logistic generalized additive models were used to test whether community-level variables (crime rates, alcohol outlets, demographics) modify the link between individual-level substance use variables and the primary outcome measure: self-reported past 6-month weapon (firearm/knife) related aggression. The effect of marijuana misuse on weapons aggression varied significantly as a function of five community-level variables: racial composition, vacant housing rates, female headed household rates, density of package alcohol outlets, and nearby drug crime rates. The effect of high-risk alcohol use did not depend on any of the eight community variables tested. The relationship between marijuana misuse and weapons aggression differed across neighborhoods with generally less association in more disadvantaged neighborhoods, while high-risk alcohol use showed a consistently high association with weapons aggression that did not vary across neighborhoods. The results aid in understanding the contributions of alcohol and marijuana use to the etiology of weapon-related aggression among urban youth, but further study in the general population is required.

Doses from external irradiation to Marshall Islanders from Bikini and Enewetak nuclear weapons tests.

PubMed

Bouville, André; Beck, Harold L; Simon, Steven L

2010-08-01

Annual doses from external irradiation resulting from exposure to fallout from the 65 atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted in the Marshall Islands at Bikini and Enewetak between 1946 and 1958 have been estimated for the first time for Marshallese living on all inhabited atolls. All tests that deposited fallout on any of the 23 inhabited atolls or separate reef islands have been considered. The methodology used to estimate the radiation doses at the inhabited atolls is based on test- and location-specific radiation survey data, deposition density estimates of 137Cs, and fallout times-of-arrival provided in a companion paper (Beck et al.), combined with information on the radionuclide composition of the fallout at various times after each test. These estimates of doses from external irradiation have been combined with corresponding estimates of doses from internal irradiation, given in a companion paper (Simon et al.), to assess the cancer risks among the Marshallese population (Land et al.) resulting from exposure to radiation from the nuclear weapons tests.

Application of NEPA to nuclear weapons production, storage, and testing Weinberger v. Catholic Action of Hawaii/Peace Education Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sauber, A.J.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirement of environmental impact statements for the testing of military equipment, specifically nuclear weapons, conflicts with national security objectives. The author examines NEPA and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in terms of the environmental effects of weapons testing and the relevant case law. The Supreme Court's decision in Catholic Action of Hawaii/Peace Education Project sought to resolve the conflict by distinguishing between a project which is contemplated and one which is proposed. The classification scheme embodied in the FOIA exemption for national security may cause unwarranted frustration of NEPA's goals. The author outlinesmore » a new classification system and review mechanism that could curb military abuse in this area.« less

Plutonium age dating reloaded

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturm, Monika; Richter, Stephan; Aregbe, Yetunde; Wellum, Roger; Mayer, Klaus; Prohaska, Thomas

2014-05-01

Although the age determination of plutonium is and has been a pillar of nuclear forensic investigations for many years, additional research in the field of plutonium age dating is still needed and leads to new insights as the present work shows: Plutonium is commonly dated with the help of the 241Pu/241Am chronometer using gamma spectrometry; in fewer cases the 240Pu/236U chronometer has been used. The age dating results of the 239Pu/235U chronometer and the 238Pu/234U chronometer are scarcely applied in addition to the 240Pu/236U chronometer, although their results can be obtained simultaneously from the same mass spectrometric experiments as the age dating result of latter. The reliability of the result can be tested when the results of different chronometers are compared. The 242Pu/238U chronometer is normally not evaluated at all due to its sensitivity to contamination with natural uranium. This apparent 'weakness' that renders the age dating results of the 242Pu/238U chronometer almost useless for nuclear forensic investigations, however turns out to be an advantage looked at from another perspective: the 242Pu/238U chronometer can be utilized as an indicator for uranium contamination of plutonium samples and even help to identify the nature of this contamination. To illustrate this the age dating results of all four Pu/U clocks mentioned above are discussed for one plutonium sample (NBS 946) that shows no signs of uranium contamination and for three additional plutonium samples. In case the 242Pu/238U chronometer results in an older 'age' than the other Pu/U chronometers, contamination with either a small amount of enriched or with natural or depleted uranium is for example possible. If the age dating result of the 239Pu/235U chronometer is also influenced the nature of the contamination can be identified; enriched uranium is in this latter case a likely cause for the missmatch of the age dating results of the Pu/U chronometers.

Atoms for peace and the nonproliferation treaty: unintended consequences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Streeper, Charles Blamires

2009-01-01

In April 2009, President Obama revived nonproliferation and arms control efforts with a speech calling for the worldwide abolition of nuclear weapons. His speech correctly acknowledged the threat of nuclear terrorism and the vulnerabilities of the related unsecure nuclear materials. Unfortunately, the president did not mention and has not mentioned in any speech the threat posed by at-risk radiological materials. Nonproliferation efforts have a well documented history of focus on special nuclear materials (fissionable weapons usable materials or SNM), and other key materials (chemical and biological) and technologies for a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD). Such intense focus on WMDmore » related materials/technologies is essential for international safety and security and merit continued attention and funding. However, the perception that radioactive sealed sources (sources) are of less concern than WMD is unfortunate. These perceptions are based solely on the potentially enormous and tragic consequences associated with their deliberate or accidental misuse and proliferation concerns. However, there is a documented history of overemphasis on the nuclear threat at the expense of ignoring the far more likely and also devastating chemical and biological threats. The radiological threat should not be minimized or excluded from policy discussions and decisions on these far ranging scopes of threat to the international community. Sources have a long history of use; and a wider distribution worldwide than fissile materials. Pair this with their broad ranges in isotopes/activities along with scant national and international attention and mechanisms for their safe and secure management and it is not difficult to envision a deadly threat. Arguments that minimize or divert attention away from sources may have the effect of distracting necessary policy attention on preventing/mitigating a radiological dispersal event. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 should be a clear reminder of the inherent danger of diminishing or dismissing lower-level threats in exchange for enhanced focus on high priority special nuclear materials with the basis for this emphasis being solely on the magnitude of the consequences of a single event. Mitigating all possible or likely terrorist attacks is impossible; however, weaponized sources, in the form of a radiological dispersal device, have been a declared target material of Al-Qaida. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace initiative promoted the spread of the paradoxical beneficial yet destructive properties of the atom. Typically, the focus of nonproliferation efforts focuses on the fissile materials associated with Weapons of Mass Destruction, with less emphasis on radioactive materials that could be used for a Weapon of Mass Disruption. Most nonproliferation policy discussion involves securing or preventing the diversion of weapons grade fissile materials (uranium (U) with concentration of over 90% of the isotope {sup 235}U (HEU) and plutonium with more than 90% of the isotope {sup 239}Pu), with scant attention given to the threat posed by a prolific quantity of sources spread worldwide. Further acerbating the problem of inattention, it appears that the momentum of the continued evolution in the beneficial applications of sources will only increase in the near future. Several expert studies have demonstrated on the potentially devastating economic, psychological and public health impacts of terrorist use of a radiological dispersal or radiation emitting device (ROD/RED) in a metropolis. The development of such a weapon, from the acquisition of the radioactive material to the technical knowledge needed to fashion it into an ROD, is many orders of magnitude easier than diverting enough fissile material for and fabrication/acquisition of a nuclear weapon. Unlike nuclear weapons, worldwide, there are many well documented accounts of accidental and purposeful diversions of radioactive materials from regulatory control. As of the end of 2008, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Illicit Trafficking Database had logged 1562 incidents, of which only 18 include weapons grade nuclear materials. As much as 66% of the radioactive material involved in these incidents was not recovered. Since 2004, there has been a 75% increase in incidents of unrecoverable material, much of which is labeled dangerous with potential for deterministic health affects if misused. This makes clear that a black market of illicit trade in sources exists. The incidents reported to the IAEA's database rely only on voluntary state reporting; therefore, the number of lost or stolen sources is expected to be much higher.« less

Solvent extraction system for plutonium colloids and other oxide nano-particles

DOEpatents

Soderholm, Lynda; Wilson, Richard E; Chiarizia, Renato; Skanthakumar, Suntharalingam

2014-06-03

The invention provides a method for extracting plutonium from spent nuclear fuel, the method comprising supplying plutonium in a first aqueous phase; contacting the plutonium aqueous phase with a mixture of a dielectric and a moiety having a first acidity so as to allow the plutonium to substantially extract into the mixture; and contacting the extracted plutonium with second a aqueous phase, wherein the second aqueous phase has a second acidity higher than the first acidity, so as to allow the extracted plutonium to extract into the second aqueous phase. The invented method facilitates isolation of plutonium polymer without the formation of crud or unwanted emulsions.

SEPARATION OF PLUTONIUM

DOEpatents

Maddock, A.G.; Smith, F.

1959-08-25

A method is described for separating plutonium from uranium and fission products by treating a nitrate solution of fission products, uranium, and hexavalent plutonium with a relatively water-insoluble fluoride to adsorb fission products on the fluoride, treating the residual solution with a reducing agent for plutonium to reduce its valence to four and less, treating the reduced plutonium solution with a relatively insoluble fluoride to adsorb the plutonium on the fluoride, removing the solution, and subsequently treating the fluoride with its adsorbed plutonium with a concentrated aqueous solution of at least one of a group consisting of aluminum nitrate, ferric nitrate, and manganous nitrate to remove the plutonium from the fluoride.

Effect of Americium-241 Content on Plutonium Radiation Source Terms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rainisch, R.

1998-12-28

The management of excess plutonium by the US Department of Energy includes a number of storage and disposition alternatives. Savannah River Site (SRS) is supporting DOE with plutonium disposition efforts, including the immobilization of certain plutonium materials in a borosilicate glass matrix. Surplus plutonium inventories slated for vitrification include materials with elevated levels of Americium-241. The Am-241 content of plutonium materials generally reflects in-growth of the isotope due to decay of plutonium and is age-dependent. However, select plutonium inventories have Am-241 levels considerably above the age-based levels. Elevated levels of americium significantly impact radiation source terms of plutonium materials andmore » will make handling of the materials more difficult. Plutonium materials are normally handled in shielded glove boxes, and the work entails both extremity and whole body exposures. This paper reports results of an SRS analysis of plutonium materials source terms vs. the Americium-241 content of the materials. Data with respect to dependence and magnitude of source terms on/vs. Am-241 levels are presented and discussed. The investigation encompasses both vitrified and un-vitrified plutonium oxide (PuO2) batches.« less

Integrating the stabilization of nuclear materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dalton, H.F.

1996-05-01

In response to Recommendation 94-1 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, the Department of Energy committed to stabilizing specific nuclear materials within 3 and 8 years. These efforts are underway. The Department has already repackaged the plutonium at Rocky Flats and metal turnings at Savannah River that had been in contact with plastic. As this effort proceeds, we begin to look at activities beyond stabilization and prepare for the final disposition of these materials. To describe the plutonium materials being stabilize, Figure 1 illustrates the quantities of plutonium in various forms that will be stabilized. Plutonium as metal comprisesmore » 8.5 metric tons. Plutonium oxide contains 5.5 metric tons of plutonium. Plutonium residues and solutions, together, contain 7 metric tons of plutonium. Figure 2 shows the quantity of plutonium-bearing material in these four categories. In this depiction, 200 metric tons of plutonium residues and 400 metric tons of solutions containing plutonium constitute most of the material in the stabilization program. So, it is not surprising that much of the work in stabilization is directed toward the residues and solutions, even though they contain less of the plutonium.« less

Technical Basis for Expedited Processing of Radiation Dose Assessments for NTPR Hiroshima and Nagasaki Participants

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

submitted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for atmospheric nuclear weapons testing veterans with qualifying participant exposure scenarios...the east. Fallout3 was assumed to consist of weapon -specific 3 Measurements verify that weapon debris including fission products were in the Hiroshima...assumed to be outdoors, with no shielding by buildings or other structures. • To model the suspension of in situ neutron -induced soil activation products

Leveraging success: applying Interagency Lessons learned to the Joint Air Delivered Nuclear Weapons Acquisition Process

DTIC Science & Technology

Effective coordination and communication between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DoD) is necessary to ensure that the... nuclear weapons stockpile remains safe, secure, and effective without nuclear testing. The science-based Stockpile Sustainment Program (SSP) is the...method used to sustain and maintain the nuclear stockpile throughout the weapons life cycle. A comprehensive review was conducted of the joint

Stockpile stewardship past, present, and future

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adams, Marvin L., E-mail: mladams@tamu.edu

2014-05-09

The U.S. National Academies released a report in 2012 on technical issues related to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. One important question addressed therein is whether the U.S. could maintain a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear-weapons stockpile in the absence of nuclear-explosion testing. Here we discuss two main conclusions from the 2012 Academies report, which we paraphrase as follows: 1) Provided that sufficient resources and a national commitment to stockpile stewardship are in place, the U.S. has the technical capabilities to maintain a safe, secure, and reliable stockpile of nuclear weapons into the foreseeable future without nuclear-explosion testing. 2) Doingmore » this would require: a) a strong weapons science and engineering program that addresses gaps in understanding; b) an outstanding workforce that applies deep and broad weapons expertise to deliver solutions to stockpile problems; c) a vigorous, stable surveillance program that delivers the requisite data; d) production facilities that meet stewardship needs. We emphasize that these conclusions are independent of CTBT ratification-they apply provided only that the U.S. continues its nuclear-explosion moratorium.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamilton, T F

Rongelap Atoll experienced close-in ''local fallout'' from nuclear weapons tests conducted by the United States (1946-58) in the northern Marshall Islands. Most of the radiation dose delivered to Rongelap Island residents during the 1950s was from radioactive elements that quickly decayed into non-radioactive elements. Since 1985, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has continued to provide monitoring of radioactive elements from bomb testing in the terrestrial and marine environment of Rongelap Atoll. The only remaining radioactive elements of environmental importance at the atoll are radioactive cesium (cesium-137), radioactive strontium (strontium-90), different types (isotopes) of plutonium, and americium (americium-241). Cesium- 137more » and strontium-90 dissolve in seawater and are continually flushed out of the lagoon into the open ocean. The small amount of residual radioactivity from nuclear weapons tests remaining in the lagoon does not concentrate through the marine food chain. Elevated levels of cesium-137 and strontium-90 are still present in island soils and pose a potential health risk if certain types of local plants and coconut crabs are eaten in large quantities. Cesium-137 is taken up from the soil into plants and edible food products, and may end up in the body of people living on the islands and consuming local food. The presence of cesium-137 in the human body can be detected using a device called a whole body counter. A person relaxes in a chair for a few minutes while counts or measurements are taken using a detector a few inches away from the body. The whole body counting program on Rongelap Island was established in 1999 under a cooperative agreement between the Rongelap Atoll Local Government (RALG), the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Local technicians from Rongelap continue to operate the facility under supervision of scientists from LLNL. The facility permits resettlement workers living on Rongelap Island to check the amount of cesium-137 in their bodies. The amount of cesium-137 detected in resettlement workers living on Rongelap Island over the past three years is well below the level of radiation exposure considered safe by the Nuclear Claims Tribunal. Returning residents and visitors to Rongelap will also be able to receive a whole body count free of charge to check the level of cesium in their bodies. There is also a very low health risk from exposure to external sources of radiation from visiting or walking around any of the islands on the atoll.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dunn, Darrell; Poinssot, Christophe; Begg, Bruce

Management of nuclear waste remains an important international topic that includes reprocessing of commercial nuclear fuel, waste-form design and development, storage and disposal packaging, the process of repository site selection, system design, and performance assessment. Requirements to manage and dispose of materials from the production of nuclear weapons, and the renewed interest in nuclear power, in particular through the Generation IV Forum and the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative, can be expected to increase the need for scientific advances in waste management. A broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines is necessary to provide safe and effective solutions and address complexmore » issues. This volume offers an interdisciplinary perspective on materials-related issues associated with nuclear waste management programs. Invited and contributed papers cover a wide range of topics including studies on: spent fuel; performance assessment and models; waste forms for low- and intermediate-level waste; ceramic and glass waste forms for plutonium and high-level waste; radionuclides; containers and engineered barriers; disposal environments and site characteristics; and partitioning and transmutation.« less

Potential Signatures of Semi-volatile Compounds Associated With Nuclear Processing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Probasco, Kathleen M.; Birnbaum, Jerome C.; Maughan, A. D.

2002-06-01

Semi-volatile chemicals associated with nuclear processes (e.g., the reprocessing of uranium to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, or the separation of actinides from processing waste streams), can provide sticky residues or signatures that will attach to piping, ducting, soil, water, or other surface media. Volatile compounds, that are more suitable for electro-optical sensing, have been well studied. However, the semi-volatile compounds have not been well documented or studied. A majority of these semi-volatile chemicals are more robust than typical gaseous or liquid chemicals and can have lifetimes of several weeks, months, or years in the environment. However, large data gapsmore » exist concerning these potential signature compounds and more research is needed to fill these data gaps so that important signature information is not overlooked or discarded. This report investigates key semi-volatile compounds associated with nuclear separations, identifies available chemical and physical properties, and discusses the degradation products that would result from hydrolysis, radiolysis and oxidation reactions on these compounds.« less

KSC-2011-7900

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, spacecraft technicians install the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission on the Curiosity rover. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory

Non-proliferation, safeguards, and security for the fissile materials disposition program immobilization alternatives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duggan, R.A.; Jaeger, C.D.; Tolk, K.M.

1996-05-01

The Department of Energy is analyzing long-term storage and disposition alternatives for surplus weapons-usable fissile materials. A number of different disposition alternatives are being considered. These include facilities for storage, conversion and stabilization of fissile materials, immobilization in glass or ceramic material, fabrication of fissile material into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for reactors, use of reactor based technologies to convert material into spent fuel, and disposal of fissile material using geologic alternatives. This paper will focus on how the objectives of reducing security and proliferation risks are being considered, and the possible facility impacts. Some of the areas discussed inmore » this paper include: (1) domestic and international safeguards requirements, (2) non-proliferation criteria and measures, (3) the threats, and (4) potential proliferation, safeguards, and security issues and impacts on the facilities. Issues applicable to all of the possible disposition alternatives will be discussed in this paper. However, particular attention is given to the plutonium immobilization alternatives.« less

A prototype experiment for cooperative monitoring of nuclear reactors with cubic meter scale antineutrino detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernstein, A.; Allen, M.; Bowden, N.; Brennan, J.; Carr, D. J.; Estrada, J.; Hagmann, C.; Lund, J. C.; Madden, N. W.; Winant, C. D.

2005-09-01

Our Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/Sandia National Laboratories collaboration has deployed a cubic-meter-scale antineutrino detector to demonstrate non-intrusive and automatic monitoring of the power levels and plutonium content of a nuclear reactor. Reactor monitoring of this kind is required for all non-nuclear weapons states under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), and is implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Since the antineutrino count rate and energy spectrum depend on the relative yields of fissioning isotopes in the reactor core, changes in isotopic composition can be observed without ever directly accessing the core. Data from a cubic meter scale antineutrino detector, coupled with the well-understood principles that govern the core's evolution in time, can be used to determine whether the reactor is being operated in an illegitimate way. Our group has deployed a detector at the San Onofre reactor site in California to demonstrate this concept. This paper describes the concept and shows preliminary results from 8 months of operation.

Individual Radiological Protection Monitoring of Utrok Atoll Residents Based on Whole Body Counting of Cesium-137 (137Cs) and Plutonium Bioassay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamilton, T; Kehl, S; Brown, T

2007-06-08

This report contains individual radiological protection surveillance data developed during 2006 for adult members of a select group of families living on Utrok Atoll. These Group I volunteers all underwent a whole-body count to determine levels of internally deposited cesium-137 ({sup 137}Cs) and supplied a bioassay sample for analysis of plutonium isotopes. Measurement data were obtained and the results compared with an equivalent set of measurement data for {sup 137}Cs and plutonium isotopes from a second group of adult volunteers (Group II) who were long-term residents of Utrok Atoll. For the purposes of this comparison, Group II volunteers were consideredmore » representative of the general population on Utrok Atoll. The general aim of the study was to determine residual systemic burdens of fallout radionuclides in each volunteer group, develop data in response to addressing some specific concerns about the preferential uptake and potential health consequences of residual fallout radionuclides in Group I volunteers, and generally provide some perspective on the significance of radiation doses delivered to volunteers (and the general Utrok Atoll resident population) in terms of radiological protection standards and health risks. Based on dose estimates from measurements of internally deposited {sup 137}Cs and plutonium isotopes, the data and information developed in this report clearly show that neither volunteer group has acquired levels of internally deposited fallout radionuclides specific to nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands that are likely to have any consequence on human health. Moreover, the dose estimates are well below radiological protection standards as prescribed by U.S. regulators and international agencies, and are very small when compared to doses from natural sources of radiation in the Marshall Islands and the threshold where radiation health effects could be either medically diagnosed in an individual or epidemiologically discerned in a group of people. In general, the results from the whole-body counting measurements of 137Cs are consistent with our knowledge that a key pathway for exposure to residual fallout contamination on Utrok Atoll is low-level chronic uptake of {sup 137}Cs from the consumption of locally grown produce (Robison et al., 1999). The error-weighted, average body burden of {sup 137}Cs measured in Group I and Group II volunteers was 0.31 kBq and 0.62 kBq, respectively. The associated average, annual committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) delivered to Group I and Group II volunteers from {sup 137}Cs during the year of measurement was 2.1 and 4.0 mrem. For comparative purposes, the annual dose limit for members of the public as recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is 100 mrem. Consequently, specific concerns about elevated levels of {sup 137}Cs uptake and higher risks from radiation exposure to Group I volunteers would be considered unfounded. Moreover, the urinary excretion of plutonium-239 ({sup 239}Pu) from Group I and Group II volunteers is statistically indistinguishable. In this case, the error-weighted, average urinary excretion of {sup 239}Pu from Group I volunteers of 0.10 {mu}Bq per 24-h void with a range between -0.01 and 0.23 {mu}Bq per 24-h void compares with an error-weighted average from Group II volunteers of 0.11 {mu}Bq per 24-h void with a range between -0.20 and 0.47 {mu}Bq per 24-h void. The range in urinary excretion of {sup 239}Pu from Utrok Atoll residents is very similar to that observed for other population groups in the Marshall Islands (Bogen et al., 2006; Hamilton et al., 2006a; 2006b; 2006c, 2007a; 2007b; 2007c) and is generally considered representative of worldwide background.« less

The ephemeral and the enduring: Trajectories of disappearance for the scientific objects of American Cold War nuclear weapons testing

DOE PAGES

Hanson, Todd

2016-07-01

Here, the historical material culture produced by American Cold War nuclear weapons testing includes objects of scientific inquiry that can be generally categorized as being either ephemeral or enduring. Objects deemed to be ephemeral were of a less substantial nature, being impermanent and expendable in a nuclear test, while enduring objects were by nature more durable and long-lasting. Although all of these objects were ultimately subject to disappearance, the processes by which they were transformed, degraded, or destroyed prior to their disappearing differ. Drawing principally upon archaeological theory, this paper proposes a functional dichotomy for categorizing and studying the historicalmore » trajectories of nuclear weapons testing technoscience artifacts. In examining the transformation patterns of steel towers and concrete blockhouses in particular, it explores an associated loss of scientific method that accompanies a science object's disappearance.« less

The ephemeral and the enduring: Trajectories of disappearance for the scientific objects of American Cold War nuclear weapons testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanson, Todd

Here, the historical material culture produced by American Cold War nuclear weapons testing includes objects of scientific inquiry that can be generally categorized as being either ephemeral or enduring. Objects deemed to be ephemeral were of a less substantial nature, being impermanent and expendable in a nuclear test, while enduring objects were by nature more durable and long-lasting. Although all of these objects were ultimately subject to disappearance, the processes by which they were transformed, degraded, or destroyed prior to their disappearing differ. Drawing principally upon archaeological theory, this paper proposes a functional dichotomy for categorizing and studying the historicalmore » trajectories of nuclear weapons testing technoscience artifacts. In examining the transformation patterns of steel towers and concrete blockhouses in particular, it explores an associated loss of scientific method that accompanies a science object's disappearance.« less

Crew escape system test at Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

As part of a crew escape system (CES) test program, a lifelike dummy is pulled by a tractor rocket from an airborne Convair-240 (C-240) aircraft at Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California. A P-3 chase plane accompanies the C-240. The C-240 was modified with a space shuttle side hatch mockup for the tests which will evaluate candidate concepts developed to provide crew egress capability during Space Shuttle controlled gliding flight.

Beam-guidance optics for high-power fiber laser systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohring, Bernd; Tassini, Leonardo; Protz, Rudolf; Zoz, Jürgen

2013-05-01

The realization of a high-energy laser weapon system by coupling a large number of industrial high-power fiber lasers is investigated. To perform the combination of the individual beams of the different fiber lasers within the optical path of the laser weapon, a special optical set-up is used. Each optical component is realized either as reflective component oras refractive optics. Both possibilities were investigated by simulations and experiments. From the results, the general aspects for the layout of the beam-guidance optics for a high-power fiber laser system are derived.

Assessment of the current internal dose due to 137Cs and 90Sr for people living within the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Semiochkina, N; Voigt, G; Mukusheva, M; Bruk, G; Travnikova, I; Strand, P

2004-02-01

The Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan was one of the major sites used by the USSR for testing nuclear weapons for more than 40 y. Since the early 1990's, responsibility for the site has passed to the Kazakh authorities. There has been a gradual re-establishment of agricultural use such as horse and sheep farming. Therefore, it has become important to evaluate the current and future risk to people living on and using the contaminated area. Internal dose assessment is one of the main components of the total dose when deriving risk factors for population living within the test site. Internal doses based on food monitoring and whole body measurements were calculated for adults and are in the range of 13-500 microSv y(-1) due to radiocesium and radiostrontium.

Method for dissolving plutonium dioxide

DOEpatents

Tallent, Othar K.

1978-01-01

The fluoride-catalyzed, non-oxidative dissolution of plutonium dioxide in HNO.sub.3 is significantly enhanced in rate by oxidizing dissolved plutonium ions. It is believed that the oxidation of dissolved plutonium releases fluoride ions from a soluble plutonium-fluoride complex for further catalytic action.

Dynamic Radioactive Source for Evaluating and Demonstrating Time-dependent Performance of Continuous Air Monitors.

PubMed

McLean, Thomas D; Moore, Murray E; Justus, Alan L; Hudston, Jonathan A; Barbé, Benoît

2016-11-01

Evaluation of continuous air monitors in the presence of a plutonium aerosol is time intensive, expensive, and requires a specialized facility. The Radiation Protection Services Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed a Dynamic Radioactive Source, intended to replace plutonium aerosol challenge testing. The Dynamic Radioactive Source is small enough to be inserted into the sampler filter chamber of a typical continuous air monitor. Time-dependent radioactivity is introduced from electroplated sources for real-time testing of a continuous air monitor where a mechanical wristwatch motor rotates a mask above an alpha-emitting electroplated disk source. The mask is attached to the watch's minute hand, and as it rotates, more of the underlying source is revealed. The measured alpha activity increases with time, simulating the arrival of airborne radioactive particulates at the air sampler inlet. The Dynamic Radioactive Source allows the temporal behavior of puff and chronic release conditions to be mimicked without the need for radioactive aerosols. The new system is configurable to different continuous air monitor designs and provides an in-house testing capability (benchtop compatible). It is a repeatable and reusable system and does not contaminate the tested air monitor. Test benefits include direct user control, realistic (plutonium) aerosol spectra, and iterative development of continuous air monitor alarm algorithms. Data obtained using the Dynamic Radioactive Source has been used to elucidate alarm algorithms and to compare the response time of two commercial continuous air monitors.

Dynamic Radioactive Source for Evaluating and Demonstrating Time-dependent Performance of Continuous Air Monitors

DOE PAGES

McLean, Thomas D.; Moore, Murray E.; Justus, Alan L.; ...

2016-01-01

Evaluation of continuous air monitors in the presence of a plutonium aerosol is time intensive, expensive, and requires a specialized facility. The Radiation Protection Services Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed a Dynamic Radioactive Source, intended to replace plutonium aerosol challenge testing. Furthermore, the Dynamic Radioactive Source is small enough to be inserted into the sampler filter chamber of a typical continuous air monitor. Time-dependent radioactivity is introduced from electroplated sources for real-time testing of a continuous air monitor where a mechanical wristwatch motor rotates a mask above an alpha-emitting electroplated disk source. The mask is attached tomore » the watch’s minute hand, and as it rotates, more of the underlying source is revealed. The alpha activity we measured increases with time, simulating the arrival of airborne radioactive particulates at the air sampler inlet. The Dynamic Radioactive Source allows the temporal behavior of puff and chronic release conditions to be mimicked without the need for radioactive aerosols. The new system is configurable to different continuous air monitor designs and provides an in-house testing capability (benchtop compatible). It is a repeatable and reusable system and does not contaminate the tested air monitor. Test benefits include direct user control, realistic (plutonium) aerosol spectra, and iterative development of continuous air monitor alarm algorithms. We also used data obtained using the Dynamic Radioactive Source to elucidate alarm algorithms and to compare the response time of two commercial continuous air monitors.« less

METHOD FOR OBTAINING PLUTONIUM METAL AND ALLOYS OF PLUTONIUM FROM PLUTONIUM TRICHLORIDE

DOEpatents

Reavis, J.G.; Leary, J.A.; Maraman, W.J.

1962-11-13

A process is given for both reducing plutonium trichloride to plutonium metal using cerium as the reductant and simultaneously alloying such plutonium metal with an excess of cerium or cerium and cobalt sufficient to yield the desired nuclear reactor fuel composition. The process is conducted at a temperature from about 550 to 775 deg C, at atmospheric pressure, without the use of booster reactants, and a substantial decontamination is effected in the product alloy of any rare earths which may be associated with the source of the plutonium. (AEC)

Long-Term Implications of the 2016 Future Years Defense Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

operation and maintenance activities; acquisition includes research, development, test, and evaluation as well as procurement of weapon systems and other...group includes procurement and research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E). Appropriations for procurement fund the purchase of new weapon...and Evaluation Military Construction Family Housing OCO Funding Actual FYDP Period Beyond the FYDP PeriodDoD’s Estimates For 2017 through 2020 DoD

Robotic Laser Coating Removal System

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

Materiel Command IRR Internal Rate of Return JTP Joint Test Protocol JTR Joint Test Report LARPS Large Area Robotic Paint Stripping LASER Light...use of laser paint stripping systems is applicable to depainting activities on large off-aircraft components and weapons systems for the Air Force...The use of laser paint stripping systems is applicable to depainting activities on large off-aircraft components and weapons systems for the Air

Annual Report 2004

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

information for planning and management. MG-109-AF, Test and Evaluation Trends and Costs for Aircraft and Guided Weapons, Bernard Fox, Michael Boito...Experience fom Prince Sultan Air Base and Eskan Village in Saudi Arabia, Laura Werber Castaneda, Lawrence M. Hanser, and Constance H. Davis 28 RAND...India, C. Christine Fair ANNUAL REPORT 2004 47 Publications MG-109-AF, Test and Evaluation Trends and Costs for Aircraft and Guided Weapons, Bernard Fox

METHOD OF SEPARATING PLUTONIUM

DOEpatents

Brown, H.S.; Hill, O.F.

1958-02-01

Plutonium hexafluoride is a satisfactory fluorinating agent and may be reacted with various materials capable of forming fluorides, such as copper, iron, zinc, etc., with consequent formation of the metal fluoride and reduction of the plutonium to the form of a lower fluoride. In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that the reactivity of plutonium hexafluoride with other fluoridizable materials is so great that the process may be used as a method of separating plutonium from mixures containing plutonium hexafluoride and other vaporized fluorides even though the plutonium is present in but minute quantities. This process may be carried out by treating a mixture of fluoride vapors comprising plutonium hexafluoride and fluoride of uranium to selectively reduce the plutonium hexafluoride and convert it to a less volatile fluoride, and then recovering said less volatile fluoride from the vapor by condensation.

ADSORPTION-BISMUTH PHOSPHATE METHOD FOR SEPARATING PLUTONIUM

DOEpatents

Russell, E.R.; Adamson, A.W.; Boyd, G.E.

1960-06-28

A process is given for separating plutonium from uranium and fission products. Plutonium and uranium are adsorbed by a cation exchange resin, plutonium is eluted from the adsorbent, and then, after oxidation to the hexavalent state, the plutonium is contacted with a bismuth phosphate carrier precipitate.

PLUTONIUM-HYDROGEN REACTION PRODUCT, METHOD OF PREPARING SAME AND PLUTONIUM POWDER THEREFROM

DOEpatents

Fried, S.; Baumbach, H.L.

1959-12-01

A process is described for forming plutonlum hydride powder by reacting hydrogen with massive plutonium metal at room temperature and the product obtained. The plutonium hydride powder can be converted to plutonium powder by heating to above 200 deg C.