Compositional planning for development of synthetic urban nuclear melt glass

Giminaro, Andrew V.; Stratz, S. Adam; Gill, Jonathan; Auxier, Jerrad P.; Oldham, Colton J.; Cook, Matthew; Auxier, John D.; Molgaard, Joshua J.; Hall, Howard L.

doi:10.1007/s10967-015-4061-1

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The planning formulas developed by Giminaro et al can be used to choose the appropriate mass of uranium for a given sample 13 as discussed in the "Sample Activation" section of this paper. Also, Uranium Oxide (UO 2 or U 3 O 8 ) may be used in place of UNH, if available, and the mass fraction of 235 U in the compound (whether UNH or Uranium Oxide) must be considered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Molgaard

Auxier

Giminaro

et al. 2016

JoVE

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Realistic surrogate nuclear debris is needed within the nuclear forensics community to test and validate post-detonation analysis techniques. Here we outline a novel process for producing bulk surface debris using a high temperature furnace. The material developed in this study is physically and chemically similar to trinitite (the melt glass produced by the first nuclear test). This synthetic nuclear melt glass is assumed to be similar to the vitrified material produced near the epicenter (ground zero) of any surface nuclear detonation in a desert environment. The process outlined here can be applied to produce other types of nuclear melt glass including that likely to be formed in an urban environment. This can be accomplished by simply modifying the precursor matrix to which this production process is applied. The melt glass produced in this study has been analyzed and compared to trinitite, revealing a comparable crystalline morphology, physical structure, void fraction, and chemical composition. Video LinkThe video component of this article can be found at

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This method will be used in the future to produce urban nuclear debris surrogates 13 and may be expanded further. The potential also exists to employ this method in the study of radioactive waste immobilization which is important to the future of the nuclear power industry.…”

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confidence: 99%

Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Molgaard

Auxier

Giminaro

et al. 2016

JoVE

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“…RE fission products, denoted “Ln”, are often found in their oxide state (e.g., Ln 2 O 3 ) in nuclear melt glass [7]. However, oxides are intrinsically non-volatile at traditional GC operating temperatures.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gas-phase detection of solid-state fission product complexes for post-detonation nuclear forensic analysis

Stratz

Jones

Oldham

et al. 2016

J Radioanal Nucl Chem

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This study presents the first known detection of fission products commonly found in post-detonation nuclear debris samples using solid sample introduction and a uniquely coupled gas chromatography inductively-coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Rare earth oxides were chemically altered to incorporate a ligand that enhances the volatility of the samples. These samples were injected (as solids) into the aforementioned instrument and detected for the first time. Repeatable results indicate the validity of the methodology, and this capability, when refined, will prove to be a valuable asset for rapid post-detonation nuclear forensic analysis.

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“…In the aftermath of a detonation, a specialized type of debris is formed that effectively encapsulates weapon components and fission products in a solidified, glassy matrix [13]. This debris, or nuclear melt glass, is essential for nuclear forensic scientists to conclude weapon characteristics during post-detonation nuclear forensic analysis [14]. Analyzing the debris begins with non-destructive physical and radiological characterization and progresses toward dissolution and destructive analysis.…”

Section: B Essential Steps: Nuclear Forensic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The need for synthetic nuclear melt glass representative of an urban environment was the next step toward developing analytical techniques for attribution purposes. Giminaro et al recently addressed this need in a study detailing city-specific formulation techniques to identify the elemental composition of any given city using land use data [14]. Two representative samples (Houson, TX and New York, NY) were modeled and synthesized in order to demonstrate the procedure.…”

Section: Collection Of Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modern Advancements in Post-Detonation Nuclear Forensic Analysis

Stratz¹,

Gill²,

Auxier³

et al. 2016

IJNS

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Deterring nuclear terrorism is a critical national asset to support the preclusion of non-state actors from initiating a nuclear attack on the United States. Successful attribution of a detonated nuclear weapon, which includes locating the source of the radiological materials used in the weapon, allows for timely responsive measures that prove essential in the period following a nuclear event. In conjunction with intelligence and law enforcement evidence, the technical nuclear forensics (TNF) post-detonation community supports this mission through the development and advancement of expertise to characterize weapon debris through a rapid, accurate, and detailed approach. Though the TNF field is young, numerous strides have been made in recent years toward a more robust characterization capability. This work presents modern advancements in post-detonation expertise over the last ten years and demonstrates the need for continued extensive research in this field.

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Compositional planning for development of synthetic urban nuclear melt glass

Cited by 21 publications

References 7 publications

Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Gas-phase detection of solid-state fission product complexes for post-detonation nuclear forensic analysis

Modern Advancements in Post-Detonation Nuclear Forensic Analysis

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