Joint sample analysis on selected uranium ore concentrates and nuclear forensics library exercise

Kips, R.*; Lindvall, R.*; Marks, N.*; Gluschenko, V.*; Okubo, Ayako; Szeles, E.*

The sample set contained five UOC powder samples of known origin and a sixth sample of unknown origin (blind sample) were analyzed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Kazakhstan Institute of Nuclear Physics, Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research. The objective of the joint sample analysis exercise was to characterize the uranium ore concentrate samples according to a well-developed analytical plan, and use the measured material characteristics to populate a nuclear forensics library. This library is then used to establish potential links between the blind sample and the samples of known origin. The four participating laboratories compared data and analysis methods, and shared best practices on the implementation of a national nuclear forensics library.