Application of a continuous heating method using thermal ionization mass spectrometry to measure isotope ratios of plutonium and uranium in trace amounts of uranium-plutonium mixture sample

Kokubu, Yoko   ; Suzuki, Daisuke   ; Lee, C. G.; Inagawa, Jun; Magara, Masaaki  ; Kimura, Takaumi 

A method for measuring isotope ratios of Pu and U in Pu or Pu/U mixture samples was developed by using a continuous heating method of thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). In this method, temperature of an evaporation filament is increased sequentially. This leads to measure the ratios of Pu and U at different temperature in which each element is evaporated efficiently. In Pu/U mixture samples with pg-level masses and 0.01-10 Pu/U ratios, isotope ratios of Pu/Pu and U/U were measured simultaneously without chemical separation of samples. The relative standard deviation of the isotope ratios of Pu/Pu and U/U in the sample containing each 1 pg of Pu and U were better than 2% and 4%, respectively. Moreover, Pu/Pu ratios were obtained. The results suggest that the continuous heating method of TIMS will be effective tool as a method for measuring isotope ratios in the Pu/U mixture samples.