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Intercomparison of the Radio-Chronometric Ages of Plutonium-Certified Reference Materials with Distinct Isotopic Compositions
journal contribution
posted on 2019-08-23, 20:17 authored by Kattathu Mathew, Theresa Kayzar-Boggs, Zsolt Varga, Amy Gaffney, Joanna Denton, James Fulwyler, Katherine Garduno, Andrew Gaunt, Jeremy Inglis, Russ Keller, William Kinman, Dana Labotka, Elmer Lujan, Joel Maassen, Tara Mastren, Iain May, Klaus Mayer, Adrian Nicholl, Chelsea Ottenfeld, Tashi Parsons-Davis, Donivan Porterfield, Jung Rim, John Rolison, Floyd Stanley, Rob Steiner, Lav Tandon, Mariam Thomas, Richard Torres, Kerri Treinen, Maria Wallenius, Allison Wende, Ross Williams, Josh WimpennyAn
intercomparison of the radio-chronometric ages of four distinct
plutonium-certified reference materials varying in chemical form,
isotopic composition, and period of production are presented. The
cross-comparison of the different 234U/238Pu, 235U/239Pu, 236U/240Pu, and 241Am/241Pu model purification ages obtained at
four independent analytical facilities covering a range of laboratory
environments from bulk sample processing to clean facilities dedicated
to nuclear forensic investigation of environmental samples enables
a true assessment of the state-of-practice in “age dating capabilities”
for nuclear materials. The analytical techniques evaluated used modern
mass spectrometer instrumentation including thermal ionization mass
spectrometers and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers for
isotopic abundance measurements. Both multicollector and single collector
instruments were utilized to generate the data presented here. Consensus
values established in this study make it possible to use these isotopic
standards as quality control standards for radio-chronometry applications.
Results highlight the need for plutonium isotopic standards that are
certified for 234U/238Pu, 235U/239Pu, 236U/240Pu, and 241Am/241Pu model purification ages as well as other multigenerational
radio-chronometers such as 237Np/241Pu. Due
to the capabilities of modern analytical instrumentation, analytical
laboratories that focus on trace level analyses can obtain model ages
with marginally larger uncertainties than laboratories that handle
bulk samples. When isotope ratio measurement techniques like thermal
ionization mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
with comparable precision are utilized, model purification ages with
similar uncertainties are obtained.
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model ageslaboratory environmentsplasma mass spectrometryradio-chronometry applicationsmass spectrometer instrumentationPuPlutonium-Certified Reference Materialsmodel purification agesionization mass spectrometersisotope ratio measurement techniquesplutonium-certified reference materialsmultigenerational radio-chronometersbulk sample processingbulk samplesquality control standardsDistinct Isotopic Compositionstrace level analyseschemical formcollector instrumentsionization mass spectrometryplasma mass spectrometersradio-chronometric agesconsensus valuesabundance measurementsRadio-Chronometric Ages
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