Nuclear safeguards applications using LG‐SIMS with automated screening capabilities

Peres, P.; Hedberg, Peter; Walton, Samantha L.; Montgomery, Neil; Cliff, John; Rabemananjara, F.; Schuhmacher, M.

doi:10.1002/sia.5015

Cited by 29 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…116,117 The development of APM offers similar functions to PSearch and is compatible with 6f, 7f, and 1280 instruments. Its development suddenly unblocked the technological status quo that had been on-going for a decade in the safeguards community and four CAMECA IMS 1280 instruments were installed worldwide between 2010 and 2013, with the major purpose of supporting IAEA safeguards.…”

Section: Implementation Of Large Geometry Simsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mass spectrometric analysis for nuclear safeguards

Boulyga

Konegger-Kappel

Stephan³

et al. 2015

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.

114

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Mass spectrometry is currently being implemented in a wide spectrum of research and industrial areas, such as materials science, cosmo-and geochemistry, biology and medicine, to name just a few. Research and development in nuclear safeguards is closely related to the general field of "Peace Research", representing a specific application area for analytical sciences in general and for mass spectrometry in particular. According to Albert Einstein "peace cannot be kept by force. It only can be achieved by understanding". Understanding implies a realistic estimation of potential challenges and threats, which is based on the ability to obtain timely, reliable and independent information. A particular task of international nuclear material safeguards is reducing threats that are posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons. An important part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards system is the "analytical laboratory", with mass spectrometric techniques, such as thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) belonging to the most powerful methods for the analysis of nuclear material and environmental samples collected during inspections. Each of the currently applied techniques provides definite merits (e.g. precision, accuracy, timeeffectiveness, high sensitivity, spatial resolution, reduced molecular interference, etc.) for a specific safeguards related application. Thus, taking advantage of each technique helps the analyst to gain a larger quantity of safeguards-relevant information. Along with the analysis of element amounts and isotopic compositions of uranium and plutonium in nuclear material the challenging applications of mass spectrometry include isotopic analysis of micro-samples, age determination of nuclear material as well as identification and quantification of elemental and isotopic signatures of inspection samples in general.Analysis of inspection samples implies strict quality control procedures and it demands the production of suitable certified isotopic reference materials which are used as calibration standards or as quality control samples. This manuscript discusses merits and limitations of presently available mass spectrometric

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Section: Implementation Of Large Geometry Simsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mass spectrometric analysis for nuclear safeguards

Boulyga

Konegger-Kappel

Stephan³

et al. 2015

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.

114

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“…118,119 This turning point followed the development by CAMECA of an IMS 1280, IMS 6f and IMS 7f -compatible piece of software for the purpose of particle screening: APM (automated particle measurement). 31,120 Most of the IMS 1280 and 1280-HR instruments dedicated to nuclearsafeguards applications feature a multicollector system including 5 electron multipliers. The gap between uranium isotope trajectories at the detector plane is so small that the detectors have to be brought together as close as possible.…”

Section: Applications In Nuclear Safeguardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Sangely

Boyer

Chambost

et al. 2014

Sector Field Mass Spectrometry for Elemental and Isotopic Analysis

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i Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, DEN Cadarache, France; j Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives,The basic principle of SIMS is that a focused beam of energetic ions (so-called primary ions) is targeted onto the surface of a solid sample. Primary ions dissipate their energy, leading to the sputtering and ionisation of the outmost atoms of the sample surface. The resulting secondary ions are accelerated and transferred to a magnetic analyser.

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“…Software for automated particle measurement (APM) is used for particle screening measurements. 8,9 The instrument is equipped with a multicollection detector system, which allows simultaneous isotope measurements for elements from lithium up to uranium. This system consists of five moveable collector units that are labeled L2, L1, C, H1, and H2.…”

Section: A Instrumentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, the performance of SIMS measurements for this application has been greatly improved using large geometry-SIMS (LG-SIMS) instruments that provide both automated screening capabilities to locate particles of interest as well as high precision isotopic measurements using a multi-ion counting detector system. [6][7][8][9] Low detection limits and low uncertainties are generally required for isotopic analysis of these micrometer to submicrometer particles. Samples taken from uranium enrichment facilities allow to investigate the production details and the used feed material by analyzing the 234 U/ 235 U and 236 U/ 235 U isotope ratios.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latest improvements in isotopic uranium particle analysis by large geometry–secondary ion mass spectrometry for nuclear safeguards purposes

Hedberg

Peres

Fernandes

et al. 2018

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B, Nanotechnology and Microelectronics: Materials, Processing, Measurement, and Phen

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Large geometry secondary ion mass spectrometry can be efficiently used to analyze uranium aerosol particles from dust samples in the search for undeclared nuclear activities. Automated sample screening measurements are followed by more precise and accurate microbeam measurements of both the major and minor uranium isotopes on selected individual particles. The quality of this work is essential in order to be able to draw valuable safeguards conclusions. This paper describes the latest developments that have been undertaken to enhance the detection limits and to reduce the uranium isotope measurement uncertainty. It includes improvements in the analytical protocol as well as in the instrument acquisition software and data reduction method. Recent useful yield measurements have been performed on uranium monodispersed particles using different primary bombardment conditions to compare to previously obtained data. Comparison of uranium isotope measurements when using pyrolytic graphite or silica planchets as a sample substrate will also be presented.

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Nuclear safeguards applications using LG‐SIMS with automated screening capabilities

Cited by 29 publications

References 4 publications

Mass spectrometric analysis for nuclear safeguards

Mass spectrometric analysis for nuclear safeguards

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Latest improvements in isotopic uranium particle analysis by large geometry–secondary ion mass spectrometry for nuclear safeguards purposes

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