Development of nuclear forensics capabilities in Japan; New age-dating method

Okubo, Ayako; Shinohara, Nobuo ; Umino, Yuji; Hara, Mikiya

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) initiated R&D for nuclear forensics in 2011, responding to the Japanese national statement at Nuclear Security Summit in 2010. We have developed the basic analytical techniques required for nuclear forensics (isotopic composition analysis, impurity analysis, particle analysis, age-dating, prototype nuclear forensics library). As a recent progress in analytical technique, we have developed a new method for uranium age-dating using in-situ uranium and thorium isotope ratios. Because the new method does not require addition of spike solutions and precise weighing of samples, we could shorten analytical time for uranium age-dating.