Speaker
Dr
I. Hutcheon
(United States of America)
Description
As part of the effort to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear forensics and nuclear security, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration’s national laboratories at Livermore (LLNL) and Los Alamos (LANL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) in 2011 to collaborate on establishing, maintaining and strengthening nuclear forensic capabilities in South Africa. As part of this on-going collaborative engagement, Necsa and LLNL are collaborating on the analysis of a uranium-rich sample recently seized in Durban, South Africa in a coordinated operation involving the South African Police Services, the National Prosecution Authority of South Africa and the South Africa Nuclear Energy Corporation. An aliquot of the seized material was transferred to LLNL by the Necsa’s Nuclear Obligations Management Services Department following protocols and procedures outlined in the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series No. 2 Model Action Plan. We will discuss the results of the forensic analyses including major and trace element composition, uranium assay, isotope abundances for O, U, Sr and Pb, near IR/VIS spectroscopy, morphology and grain size, molecular structure and ‘age’ (time since the last chemical purification). These data will be compared to information contained in the NNSA’s Uranium Sourcing Database and used to help constrain potential sites of origin of the material.
Primary authors
Dr
A. Nelwamondo
(South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA))
Dr
I. Hutcheon
(United States of America)
Mr
M. Sharp
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Dr
R. Williams
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Co-authors
Dr
A. Gaffney
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Mr
E. Ramon
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Mr
G. Eppich
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Dr
G. Klunder
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Mr
J. Hancke
(South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA))
Ms
K. Schorzman
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Dr
L. Borg
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Mr
M. Robel
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Dr
N. Marks
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Mr
P.R. Mogafe
(South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA))
Ms
R. Lindvall
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Mrs
S. Roberts
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Ms
V. Genetti
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
Dr
Z. Dai
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA)
