Improved Uranium Particle Analysis by SIMS using O Primary Ions.

We have investigated the use of negative molecular oxygen primary ion beams (i.e., O and O ) to determine the benefits of using such beams for uranium particle SIMS analyses.

An overview of NRL's NAUTILUS: a combination SIMS-AMS for spatially resolved trace isotope analysis.

We present a description of the capabilities and performance of the NAval Ultra-Trace Isotope Laboratory's Universal Spectrometer (NAUTILUS) at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

U-Pu Mixed Oxide Particle Analysis by NAUTILUS and Implications for Next-Generation Verification Challenges.

Precise and accurate measurement of U and Pu isotopes from micrometer-sized particles represents new verification challenges for the International Atomic Energy Agency. The U and Pu isotopes and U-Pu elemental ratio provide valuable information about the intended use, the production process, and the purification process of Pu and mixed oxide (MOX) fuels. We demonstrate the ability to directly measure U and Pu isotopes from MOX fuel particles using the U.

Discovery of fissionogenic Cs and Ba capture five years after Oklo reactor shutdown.

Understanding the release and sequestration of specific radioactive signatures into the environment is of extreme importance for long-term nuclear waste storage and reactor accident mitigation. Recent accidents at the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear reactors released radioactive Cs and Cs into the environment, the former of which is still live today. We have studied the migration of fission products in the Oklo natural nuclear reactor using an isotope imaging capability, the NAval Ultra-Trace Isotope Laboratory's Universal Spectrometer (NAUTILUS) at the US Naval Research Laboratory.

Measurement of Uranium Isotopes in Particles of U3O8 by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry-Single-Stage Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (SIMS-SSAMS).

A commercial secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) was coupled to a ± 300 kV single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS). Positive secondary ions generated with the SIMS were injected into the SSAMS for analysis. This combined instrument was used to measure the uranium isotopic ratios in particles of three certified reference materials (CRM) of uranium, CRM U030a, CRM U500, and CRM U850.