Validating mass spectrometry measurements of nuclear materials via a non-contact volume analysis method of ion sputter craters

Willingham, David; Naes, Benjamin E.; Fahey, A. J.

doi:10.1007/s10967-014-3313-9

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Although we did not measure the sample utilization efficiency using the samples investigated here, prior studies have measured EUV TOF’s efficiency to be 0.014% for 238 U . Small geometry SIMS achieves ∼2 × 10 –6 % efficiency, while LG SIMS achieves >1% efficiency for U using an O – primary ion beam. We expect NanoSIMS to have an efficiency that is around the LG-SIMS value because of the similar transmission of both instruments .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Isotopic Heterogeneity Imaged in a Uranium Fuel Pellet with Extreme Ultraviolet Laser Ablation and Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

et al. 2020

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We use extreme ultraviolet laser ablation and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (EUV TOF) to map uranium isotopic heterogeneity at the nanoscale (≤100 nm). Using low-enriched uranium fuel pellets that were made by blending two isotopically distinct feedstocks, we show that EUV TOF can map the 235U/238U content in 100 nm-sized pixels. The two-dimensional (2D) isotope maps reveal U ratio variations in sub-microscale to ≥1 μm areas of the pellet that had not been fully exposed by microscale or bulk mass spectrometry analyses. Compared to the ratio distribution measured in a homogeneous U reference material, the ratios in the enriched pellet follow a ∼3× wider distribution. These results indicate U heterogeneity in the fuel pellet from incomplete blending of the different source materials. EUV TOF results agree well with those obtained on the same enriched pellets by nanoscale secondary ionization mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), which reveals a comparable U isotope ratio distribution at the same spatial scale. EUV TOF’s ability to assess and map isotopic heterogeneity at the nanoscale makes it a promising tool in fields such as nuclear forensics, geochemistry, and biology that could benefit from uncovering sub-microscale sources of chemical modifications.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%