Laser mass spectrometric studies on rare earth doped UO2

Isotope ratio analysis of actinides, fission products, and geolocators by high-efficiency multi-collector thermal ionization mass spectrometry

“…This results in detection limits (3 above background) of <0.1 fg (10 4 atoms to 10 5 atoms) for 239-242+244 Pu, 233+236 U, 241-243 Am, 89,90 Sr, and 134,135,137 Cs, and ≤1 pg for natural Nd isotopes (limited by the chemical processing blank) using secondary electron multiplier (SEM) or multiple-ion counters (MICs). To our knowledge, the detection limits reported herein for these Pu, Am, and U isotopes belong to the lowest reported limits for isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis.…”

“…The SEM background count rates at masses 134 Cs and 1345 Cs are as low as 0.1-0.01 cps. Reported total efficiencies and background count rates result in a detection limit (3 above background) of <0.1 fg (10 4 atoms to 10 5 atoms) 134,135,137 Cs using resin bead load techniques. An abundance sensitivity of 10 6 to 10 7 at atomic mass 133 Cs + 1 u (when applying a 133 Cs beam) has been measured.…”

“…Glow discharge mass spectrometry has been used for isotope ratio analysis of actinides, such as uranium [129][130][131], as well as fission-track TIMS for particles [132]. Nanosecond laser ablation ICP-MS [133][134][135][136][137] and laser ablation isotope dilution ICP-MS [138,139] have been utilized for isotope ratio analysis of nuclear samples. New developments that are being explored for radioanalytics include laser ablation ion storage time-of-flight mass spectrometry [140,141] and femto-second laser ablation ICP-MS [142,143].…”

Effect of laser parameters on the measurement of U/Nd ratio using pulsed laser deposition followed by isotopic dilution mass spectrometry

“…The separated burn-up monitor and the remaining actinides are then quantified by an Isotopic Dilution Mass Spectrometer (IDMS) [8,9] using the Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) technique. The overall procedure that yields the best accuracy for the determination of burn-up, however, is a labor intensive and time consuming method and therefore carries the risk of exposure of the analyst to radioactivity and will add significant loads in the processing of both the high and low level liquid wastes [10] in nuclear waste processing facilities. At high burn-up inside the reactor core, the composition of the nuclear fuel pellets changes in a non-homogeneous manner within its radius, and highly burnt fuel requires an experimental database for the analysis of fuel-integrity, safety analysis, shielding design and multiplication factor of the storage systems.…”

“…However, in the case of unavailability of such a facility, a procedure involving pulsed laser deposition of heavy element (U and Pu) and fission products (Nd, La, etc.) from a spent fuel matrix followed by isotopic dilution mass spectrometry using TIMS, can be adopted to measure the heavy element to burn-up monitor (of interest) ratio in the irradiated fuel, from which burn-up can be determined [10]. The present study reports the development of such an analytical technique.…”