Postdetonation nuclear debris for attribution

Fahey, A. J.; Zeissler, Cynthia J.; Newbury, D. E.; Davis, J.W.; Lindstrom, Richard M.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1010631107

Cited by 76 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Quartz is the only mineral present in both cases, and the peak intensities are similar, suggesting a comparable degree of amorphousness 3 . These results are consistent with previous studies of trinitite 15,16,12,17 and other types of nuclear melt glass.…”

Section: Representative Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Molgaard

Auxier

Giminaro

et al. 2016

JoVE

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Realistic surrogate nuclear debris is needed within the nuclear forensics community to test and validate post-detonation analysis techniques. Here we outline a novel process for producing bulk surface debris using a high temperature furnace. The material developed in this study is physically and chemically similar to trinitite (the melt glass produced by the first nuclear test). This synthetic nuclear melt glass is assumed to be similar to the vitrified material produced near the epicenter (ground zero) of any surface nuclear detonation in a desert environment. The process outlined here can be applied to produce other types of nuclear melt glass including that likely to be formed in an urban environment. This can be accomplished by simply modifying the precursor matrix to which this production process is applied. The melt glass produced in this study has been analyzed and compared to trinitite, revealing a comparable crystalline morphology, physical structure, void fraction, and chemical composition. Video LinkThe video component of this article can be found at

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Section: Representative Resultssupporting

confidence: 83%

Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Molgaard

Auxier

Giminaro

et al. 2016

JoVE

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“…Both of these effects would increase the final fraction of Fe(II) in the melt glass, and they must be disentangled in order to draw quantitative conclusions regarding the sources of iron in the melt glass. Spectromicroscopic data may provide more detailed information in this regard, as lectron microscopy studies have observed metal-rich regions with dimensions ranging from nanometers to millimeters in Trinity event debris [19,74]. In addition, from the point of view of environmental transport, the presence of a large fraction of U(VI) in a uranyl-like bonding environment is quite interesting, since U(VI) as uranyl is the most soluble and mobile oxidation state of uranium [26,65,[75][76][77].…”

Section: To Fe(iii) and Corresponding U(vi) Reduction To U(iv) It Imentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An understanding of the specific melt glass forms produced by underground and near-surface weapons testing is important for prediction and remediation of contaminant plumes at sites where nuclear testing has occurred. In addition, melt glass can retain a record of chemical signatures of the detonation, including residual actinides from the device [19,20]. For example, studies have shown that analyses of fission product relationships can be useful to constrain the chemical fractionation processes in fallout, and are characteristic of the nuclear event [21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical speciation of U, Fe, and Pu in melt glass from nuclear weapons testing

Pacold

Lukens

Booth

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Physics

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Nuclear weapons testing generates large volumes of glassy material that influence the transport of dispersed actinides in the environment and may carry information on the composition of the detonated device. We determine the oxidation state of U and Fe (which is known to buffer the oxidation state of actinide elements and to affect the redox state of groundwater) in samples of melt glass collected from three U.S. nuclear weapons tests. For selected samples, we also determine the coordination geometry of U and Fe, and we report the oxidation state of Pu from one melt glass sample. We find significant variations among the melt glass samples, and in particular, find a clear deviation in one sample from the expected buffering effect of Fe(II)/Fe(III) on the oxidation state of uranium. In the first direct measurement of Pu oxidation state in a nuclear test melt glass, we obtain a result consistent with existing literature that proposes Pu is primarily present as Pu(IV) in post-detonation material. In addition, our measurements imply that highly mobile U(VI) may be produced in significant quantities when melt glass is quenched rapidly following a nuclear detonation, though these products may remain immobile in the vitrified matrices. The observed differences in chemical state among the three samples show that redox conditions can vary dramatically across different nuclear test conditions. The local soil composition, associated device materials, and the rate of quenching are all likely to affect the final redox state of the glass. The resulting variations in glass chemistry are significant for understanding and interpreting debris chemistry, and the later environmental mobility of dispersed material.

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“…In contrast to Cold War era research focused on the distribution and dispersion of radioactive fallout particulates, these studies are typically motivated by renewed interest in interpreting details and signatures of a device having a potentially unknown origin [43,44,45,46]. For example, a study of trinitite (fallout formed in the Trinity explosion) published in 2006 measured several activation products and fission products via gamma spectroscopy in the glass, from which device characteristics were hypothesized [43].…”

Section: Contemporary Fallout Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mass Transport of Condensed Species in Aerodynamic Fallout Glass from a Near-Surface Nuclear Test

Weisz¹

2016

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In a near-surface nuclear explosion, vaporized device materials are incorporated into molten soil and other carrier materials, forming glassy fallout upon quenching. Mechanisms by which device materials mix with carrier materials have been proposed, however, the specific mechanisms and physical conditions by which soil and other carrier materials interact in the fireball, as well as the subsequent incorporation of device materials with carrier materials, are not well constrained. A surface deposition layer was observed preserved at interfaces where two aerodynamic fallout glasses agglomerated and fused. Eleven such boundaries were studied using spatially resolved analyses to better understand the vaporization and condensation behavior of species in the fireball. Using nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), we identified higher concentrations of uranium from the device in 7 of the interface layers, as well as isotopic enrichment (>75% 235 U) in 9 of the interface layers. Major element analysis of the interfaces revealed the deposition layer to be chemically enriched in Fe-, Ca-and Na-bearing species and depleted in Ti-and Al-bearing species. The concentration profiles of the enriched species at the interface are characteristic of diffusion. Three of the uranium concentration profiles were fit with a modified Gaussian function, representative of 1-D diffusion from a planar source, to determine time and temperature parameters of mass transport. By using a historical model of fireball temperature to simulate the cooling rate at the interface, the temperature of deposition was estimated to be ∼2200 K, with 1σ uncertainties in excess of 140 K. The presence of Na-species in the layers at this estimated temperature of deposition is indicative of an oxygen rich fireball. The notable depletion of Al-species, a refractory oxide that is highly abundant in the soil, together with the enrichment of Ca-, Fe-, and 235 U-species, suggests an anthropogenic source of the enriched species, together with a continuous chemical fractionation process as these species condensed.

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Postdetonation nuclear debris for attribution

Cited by 76 publications

References 5 publications

Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Production of Synthetic Nuclear Melt Glass

Chemical speciation of U, Fe, and Pu in melt glass from nuclear weapons testing

Mass Transport of Condensed Species in Aerodynamic Fallout Glass from a Near-Surface Nuclear Test

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