Exploration of LIBS as a novel and rapid elemental mapping technique of nuclear fuels in the form of surrogate TRISO particles

Manard, Benjamin T.; Andrews, Hunter; Quarles, C. Derrick; Bradley, Veronica C.; Doyle, Peter J.; Zirakparvar, N. Alex; Dunlap, Daniel R.; Hexel, Cole R.

doi:10.1039/d3ja00034f

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 28 publications

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“…This makes liquid Na a strong fit for fast reactors. 286 Similar to the work discussed earlier for HTGRs, Namitha et al 61 investigated the use of LIBS to monitor for Xe and Kr fission gases as well as He buffer gas from a failed fuel pin. The calculated limits of detection for Xe, Kr, and He were 22 parts per billion (ppb), 40 ppb, and 2 ppm, respectively.…”

Section: Front End Of Nfcmentioning

confidence: 97%

Laser Ablation Plasmas and Spectroscopy for Nuclear Applications

Kwapis,

Borrero,

Latty

et al. 2023

Appl Spectrosc

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The development of measurement methodologies to detect and monitor nuclear-relevant materials remains a consistent and significant interest across the nuclear energy, nonproliferation, safeguards, and forensics communities. Optical spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas is becoming an increasingly popular diagnostic technique to measure radiological and nuclear materials in the field without sample preparation, where current capabilities encompass the standoff, isotopically resolved and phase-identifiable (e.g., UO and UO[Formula: see text]) detection of elements across the periodic table. These methods rely on the process of laser ablation (LA), where a high-powered pulsed laser is used to excite a sample (solid, liquid, or gas) into a luminous microplasma that rapidly undergoes de-excitation through the emission of electromagnetic radiation, which serves as a spectroscopic fingerprint for that sample. This review focuses on LA plasmas and spectroscopy for nuclear applications, covering topics from the wide-area environmental sampling and atmospheric sensing of radionuclides to recent implementations of multivariate machine learning methods that work to enable the real-time analysis of spectrochemical measurements with an emphasis on fundamental research and development activities over the past two decades. Background on the physical breakdown mechanisms and interactions of matter with nanosecond and ultrafast laser pulses that lead to the generation of laser-produced microplasmas is provided, followed by a description of the transient spatiotemporal plasma conditions that control the behavior of spectroscopic signatures recorded by analytical methods in atomic and molecular spectroscopy. High-temperature chemical and thermodynamic processes governing reactive LA plasmas are also examined alongside investigations into the condensation pathways of the plasma, which are believed to serve as chemical surrogates for fallout particles formed in nuclear fireballs. Laser-supported absorption waves and laser-induced shockwaves that accompany LA plasmas are also discussed, which could provide insights into atmospheric ionization phenomena from strong shocks following nuclear detonations. Furthermore, the standoff detection of trace radioactive aerosols and fission gases is reviewed in the context of monitoring atmospheric radiation plumes and off-gas streams of molten salt reactors. Finally, concluding remarks will present future outlooks on the role of LA plasma spectroscopy in the nuclear community.

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Section: Front End Of Nfcmentioning

confidence: 97%