At the beginning of the 1990's, incidents of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials generated a serious concern: An unexpected threat appeared and effective countermeasures based on nuclear forensic capabilities had to be quickly deployed. The first seizures of smuggled radioactive material were reported in 1991 in Switzerland and in Italy. In the subsequent years numerous similar incidents...
Introduction
Increased requests for model age determination of nuclear material during nuclear forensic assessments have resulted in broad efforts by nuclear forensic laboratories to establish 231Pa/235U radiochronometry capabilities. Ingrowth of 231Pa from decay of 235U in chemically purified uranium provides a daughter/parent chronometry pair with which to age date uranium. The application...
The Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS) is a well known and widely used analytical technique in the material science. PAS is typically used to measure structure defects in the materials, e.g. to determine material defects in various metal alloys or the molecular structure of medicines. This is also why it is used in nuclear industry to study the material structure of irradiated metal...
With the current credible terrorism threat level at ‘probable’ , Australian state and federal police agencies continue to prioritise CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high yield Explosives) interagency training for frontline responders. The ANSTO Nuclear Forensics team have provided the RN component of the interagency workshops for Australian law enforcement over the last...
Introduction
Objects of nuclear forensics investigation usually are sources of ionizing radiation (IR), environmental samples from the crime scene and other objects contaminated with nuclear and other radioactive materials (NRM). Nevertheless, people and other living organisms may become witnesses or victims of an incident associated with NRM. In this case, biological samples contaminated with...
Nuclear forensics involves the analysis of nuclear material for possible provenance determination using various analytical tools that are available for such analysis. In this study, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with Electron Dispersion Spectrometer (EDS), were used to determine the signatures of uranium ore concentrates (UOC) samples for nuclear forensic applications. SEM and...
Introduction
The objects of investigation in nuclear forensics may be represented as soil samples, vegetation, tissue fragments, filter materials, biological samples, everyday objects contaminated with particles of nuclear and other radioactive materials (NRM). The analysis of such objects, during the investigation, first of all, requires the use of non-destructive methods of analysis....
Introduction
Whenever nuclear or other radioactive material is found out of regulatory control, the investigating authority needs to identify the radiological hazard associated with the material, the potential origin of the material and the route it has taken after regulatory control was lost. In order to answer these questions, (samples of) the seized material may be subject to nuclear...
Nuclear forensics is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as the “examination of nuclear and other radioactive materials using analytical techniques to determine the origin and history of this material in the context of law enforcement investigations or the assessment of nuclear security vulnerabilities”. It is a complex, multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted activity that...
The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD) is to strengthen the capabilities of partner countries to detect, disrupt, and investigate the smuggling of nuclear and radioactive material. NSDD works with over 80 national and international partners to achieve its mission. The ongoing...
The Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) recently completed its sixth Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX-6) – Operation Celestial Skónis. This latest CMX also represented the largest exercise on record in the 25-year history of the ITWG and included participation by 22 laboratories and 15 law enforcement (LE) agencies from 21 countries and one multinational...
The field of nuclear forensics is recognized as an indispensable tool in the management of nuclear security events, in particular those resulting from the trafficking of nuclear materials and nuclear materials beyond regulatory control. During this decade, the agency, in cooperation with certain specialized organizations and other partners, has developed various nuclear forensics tools,...
Nuclear forensics is a method that uses nuclear material to uncover information. The nature of the method of manufacturing is expressed in the material's elemental and isotopic structure as well as its microscopic and macroscopic appearance. Notwithstanding the presence of national nuclear security frameworks, there keeps on being instances of material out of regulatory control, regardless of...
- INTRODUCTION
Thailand arranged the ASEAN Regional Forum on Nuclear Forensics in December 2011, Then, the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) planned to establish a Nuclear Forensics Center. Since 2013, nuclear forensics in Thailand was established under the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. The Prime Minister has declared to support global nuclear security as well as nuclear terrorism mitigation....
Any nuclear security event involving nuclear and other radioactive materials outside of regulatory control (MORC) has the potential to have severe consequences for public health, the environment, the economy and society. Each state has a responsibility to develop national nuclear security measures to respond to such an event, and this includes a nuclear forensics capability. In Japan, national...
We describe the development of a comprehensive microanalysis method using focussed ion beam- scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) in combination with time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) for potential applications in the investigation of nuclear forensic samples and safeguards. Possible materials for examination include bulk uranium and powder specimens with varying...
As part of an agreement between the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD), the JAEA-ISCN (Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security) and DOE/NNSA cooperatively aim to advance technology development in nuclear...
- INTRODUCTION
In 2013, with the support of the Royal Thai Government, the European Commission, and the IAEA, Thailand Nuclear Forensics Laboratory was established officially at the Office of Atoms for Peace. For almost ten years, Thailand has kept the momentum to enhance the national capability to fight against illicit trafficking on nuclear and other radioactive materials out of regulatory...
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) has a long history of research and development in nuclear fuels as well as expertise in handling and characterization of radioactive materials. CNL has been leveraging its knowledge base and specialized facilities to support the enhancement of Canadian nuclear forensics capabilities. Most of this work is conducted through projects within the Federal Nuclear...
Gamma spectrometry plays an important role as a non destructive method in nuclear forensics. In this work an evaluation of the analysys of different uranium containing materials, measured on two High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector types (planar and coaxial) and analyzed using four software packages is presented. For the purpose of the analysis efficiency transfer software Angle and EFFTRAN...
Introduction
The need for joint investigations of seized radioactive samples by both NRM specialists and forensic experts, who study these samples using traditional forensic techniques is no longer in doubt. However, the most significant steps in identifying the problems arising from the interaction of specialists from different scientific schools and different departments, in finding ways...
Nuclear security is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Detecting criminal/unauthorized acts involving nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control is a priority in nuclear security. In nuclear forensics detection of nuclear materials to determine whether the sample is nuclear, its isotopics and corresponding enrichment are the key aspects to collect...
Nuclear or other radioactive materials can be a target of criminal acts and terror attacks, as these materials can be effective tools used in a variety of radiological weapons as in radiological dispersal devices (RDD) or in radiological exposure devices (RED). These weapons can be effective for panic generation and causing economical demage at a state. Illicit trafficking and smuggling of...
- INTRODUCTION
Thailand was established nuclear forensics in 2013. The project began with the Thai government budget and European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE) supported the funding of the Network of Excellence for Nuclear Forensics in the South East Asia Region (Project 30) in 2013–14. The objective was to strengthen...
When conducting a criminal investigation in which nuclear or orther radioactive material is present, an important role will be played by the application of traditional forensic methods in analyzing the evidences contaminated with radionuclides.
Fingerprints found on the contamianted evidence can lead to the identification of the perpetrators by using the judicial or law enforecement national...
Eight Cm-244 sealed radioactive sources (example: Figure 1.) with unknown origin were investigated by non-destructive methods from nuclear forensics aspect including physical characterization, handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF), high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry (HRGS) and X-ray radiography. The goal of the research was to carry out origin assessment, to find key parameters and to test the...
Illicit trafficking of nuclear material has been a subject of concern since the first seizures of nuclear material were reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency in the beginning of the 1990s. In South Africa cases of illegal trafficking of nuclear materials has been reported to the South African Police Services (SAPS). The aim of this study was to determine whether the lanthanides...
High-resolution gamma spectrometry (HRGS) is a non-destructive analysis technique, that plays a dual role at the first stages of nuclear forensic examination: fast in-field categorization of radiological or nuclear material in order to identify the safety risk to first responders and to the public and more comprehensive characterization of the material in the laboratory to accurately determine...
Introduction
The increase in the number of incidents with NRM [1] and the resonance of some crimes, as well as some ambiguous results of the investigation [2, 3, 4], are the cause of increased attention for the prospect of investigating such crimes and incidents. In the 1990s and 2000s, in the investigation of incidents and crimes with NRM, all attention was focused on determining the...
Introduction
The increase in the number of incidents with NRM and the resonance of some crimes, as well as some ambiguous results of the investigation [, are the cause of increased attention for the prospect of investigating such crimes and incidents. In the 1990s and 2000s, in the investigation of incidents and crimes with NRM, all attention was focused on determining the characteristics of...
Abstract: Oxygen isotopes and impurities may provide nuclear forensic signatures related to processing of uranium materials. These signatures can be evaluated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Here we describe such SIMS characterization of U-O-bearing materials and discuss the need for reference materials to understand signatures from real materials.
SIMS oxygen isotope...
Introduction
Uranium-bearing materials are strictly controlled by the international nuclear safeguards system. However, if such materials get out of regulatory control and subsequently confiscated, a comprehensive characterization is required to assess the hazard, to determine the intended use and the potential origin. Nuclear forensics focuses on the analysis of these intercepted nuclear...
Abstract - NUCLEAR FORENSIC SCIENCE SUPPORT TO A NUCLEAR SECURITY EVENT
This paper describes the characterization of a large number of depleted uranium-based gamma radiography devices of different manufacturers and origins. It presents an application of different types of non-destructive analysis techniques that can provide quick information on the history and origin of the studied samples, thus assisting the criminal investigation and prosecution in cases when...
Nuclear and other radioactive materials outside of regulatory control (MORC) can trigger nuclear security events with severe environmental and economic consequences. In order to deal with such threats, it is necessary to strengthen international nuclear security measures, including nuclear forensics. Based on the national statement at the first Nuclear Security Summit, Japan has been...
Fourier-tranformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is an analytical method used to determine the infrared spectrum of the absorption, emission, photoconductive or Raman-scattering of solid, liquid or gaseous substances. Therefore FTIR allows the determination of the chemical composition or the molecular structure of substances, therefore it can be considered as a suitable technique for origin...
Introduction
The Virtual Laboratory on Age Dating for Investigation Support (VLADIS) is a consortium of researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and the National Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina (CNEA). The VLADIS initiative was launched in October 2020 with...
The nature of nuclear forensic science as a rarely necessary but crucial component of national security presents many challenges in implementing and sustaining a national nuclear forensics program. One such challenge is recruiting and maintaining scientists with the specific skillsets needed for nuclear forensic analysis, particularly when such analysis is rarely performed or requested by...
There are a large number of radiation-hazardous objects of different types located on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan: the sites of nuclear testing, research activities and nuclear power plants, the uranium- and oil- mining and processing plants. The large volumes involved with the shipments and transfer of nuclear and radioactive materials in Kazakhstan cause serious risks of...
Since the first Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX) organized by the NF-ITWG in 1999, the CEA participated to the whole series, including to the last one to date, CMX-7, during fall 2021. During these couple of decades, the panel of techniques and number of people implemented by CEA, representing France in the CMX exercise, have increased with the broadening of the scenarios. In that way,...
Technical Summary
For nearly two decades, the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has sponsored nuclear forensics collaboration between the United States and partner countries in the field of radiochronometry – the science of age dating nuclear material. This collaborative research is currently managed by the DOE/NNSA Office of Nuclear Smuggling...
Nuclear forensic interpretation is an unavoidable stage of the nuclear forensic process: it transforms the analytical results obtained at the stage of characterization into meaningful information useful for formulation of the nuclear forensic findings. As has been demonstrated by the ITWG’s exercises CMX-1 and Galaxy Serpent 1 and 4, a capability to understand and use nuclear forensics...
The aim of retrospective dosimetry is the determination of absorbed dose after a certain „radiological event” (e.g. accidents or terrorist attacks), when no dosimeters were used. These measurements are usually performed by applying thermoluminescence (TL) or optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry methods.
Retrospective dosimetry is an auxiliary science of Nuclear Forensics,...
In the recent years sealed radioactive sources are getting more interest from nuclear forensics point of view, because these materials, unlike the more rigorously guarded nuclear materials, are relatively easier to access due to their use in the industry or in the medical care system. As well-known, nuclear forensic science uses destructive and non-destructive methods for the analysis of an...
The Western Balkan (WB) countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. All of them except Bosnia and Herzegovina are European Union (EU) membership candidates. Western Balkan countries are a part of the European neighborhood that is also close geographically and in terms of trade and smuggling routes to the Black Sea region, which is widely recognized as...
Introduction
Nuclear materials are subject to strict verification by the international nuclear safeguards. However, the IAEA’s Incident and Trafficking Database records year by year cases where such a material is found out of regulatory control. Such an interception is typically followed by a comprehensive analysis of the material in order to provide hints on its intended use and potential...
A crime scene is any physical scene, anywhere, that may provide potential evidence to an investigator. It may include a person’s body, any building, vehicles, places in the open air, or objects found at those locations. “Crime scene examination” refers to an examination where forensic or scientific techniques are used to preserve and gather physical evidence of a crime.
The crime scene with...
The European Nuclear Security Training Centre (EUSECTRA) was inaugurated under this global name about than 10 years ago and is operated by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC). It, includes a large variety of capacity building and professional development activities, which span from the hands-on training for nuclear security and safeguards actors (e.g. front line officers, law...
- INTRODUCTION
The nuclear forensics is the process of comparing sample characteristics with existing information about the types of material the origin and methods of production of nuclear and other radioactive material or previous cases associated with similar material. Thus, nuclear forensics regarded as a new area of integrated science research that allows not only to identify...
The Nuclear Physics Lab, at School of Physics, at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (NPL-AUTH), has more than 40 years of research activity in the field of Radiation Physics and Nuclear Physics Applications.
The members of the NPL-AUTH are radiation Protection experts and nuclear security event responders ready to response to incidents involving nuclear and other radioactive materials out...
Description
This paper describes the main results of work on the elaboration of certain rules for the development of international guidance documents in the field of nuclear forensics and radiological crime scene management. The recommendations for the fields of application, the consultancy team formation as well as the content of these documents are defined.
International nuclear...
Nuclear forensics is essential in response to incidents involving nuclear and other radioactive materials out of regulatory control. Scientists are expected to apply extensive analytical tools resulting with clear and credible answers, needed by decision makers. The answers are related to a large set of practical questions, like: what is the origin of the materials found out of control, what...
The science of spectrometry is well established but the method of doing the actual analysis can be varied based on instrumentation available and software used. This skill set is key across a range of applications in nuclear security – from an initial detection through material characterization. The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Nuclear Smuggling...
On June 3, 2010, the FBI Laboratory opened its newest partner facility dedicated to the examination of evidence contaminated with or containing radioactive and nuclear materials at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). The FBI facility, known as the Radiological Evidence Examination Facility (REEF), opened with great fanfare, with local, state, and federal politicians giving speeches...
In order to help partner countries meet their nuclear security objectives, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), together with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), through partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD), have assisted over twenty countries to develop,...
The Nuclear Forensics Laboratory in Thailand was established in July 2014 at the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) through the support and collaborations of domestic and international partners. Thailand has implemented nuclear forensics to prevent and respond to nuclear security events and illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials in the country and the ASEAN region. OAP has...
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last January 2021. The partnership of ANSTO and PNRI covers a wide range of applications, such as Nuclear Forensics, Emergency Preparedness, Border Security Protection, Environmental Protection, Radiation Safety, and Advanced...
The Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH) in Romania is participating in a joint sample analysis with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) on a set of legacy high enriched uranium (HEU) materials that have been under safeguards at the IFIN-HH for many decades.
Initiated in 2019 as part of larger...
Dear All,
Our work aims to expand the traditional nuclear forensics characterization techniques by measuring the oxygen isotopic composition of U3O8 to explore new isotope signatures for attribution. We investigated the effect of different syntheses conditions such as calcination time, temperature, and cooling rates, on the final oxygen isotopic composition of U3O8, produced from Uranium...
In response to unprecedented global challenges including the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, nuclear forensics international engagements pivoted to virtual meeting formats and emerged with stronger, resilient and lasting partnerships. The need for international collaboration in nuclear security has never been greater; the security of the global nuclear fuel cycle involves extraction, refining and...
The development of national nuclear forensic science, commonly referred to as nuclear forensics, capacities offers states a meaningful mechanism to contribute to enforcement of national laws related to nuclear or other radioactive material out of regulatory control in line with key international nuclear counter-terrorism legal instruments.
While no single encompassing international legal...
Introduction
Seizures of nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control (MORC) have created widespread concern over the possibility of a non-state actor acquiring sufficient nuclear or other radioactive (R/N) material for malicious use. Anytime MORC is recovered, law enforcement and nuclear security investigators rely on an examination of the forensic characteristics of...
