München 2004 – scientific programme

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AKA: Physik und Abrüstung

AKA 10: Nukleare Detektion

AKA 10.1: Talk

Friday, March 26, 2004, 14:00–14:30, HS 118

Safeguarding, Detecting and Attributing Nuclear Material - A review of current methodology and recent developments — •Klaus Luetzenkirchen, Said Abousahl, Klaus Mayer, Herbert Ottmar, Ian Ray, Piet van Belle, and Maria Wallenius — European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Postf. 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe

Currently more than 600 t of Pu and some 320 000 t of uranium in the European Union are under Euratom Safeguards. The Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) has been involved since a number of years in the analysis of nuclear material; it is part of the IAEAs network of nuclear analytical laboratories and is the main analytical laboratory for Euratom Safeguards. The application of such highly accurate measurement techniques allows the inspectorates to independently verify the amounts of nuclear material declared.

The poor levels of nuclear safeguards and physical protection in some countries have led to illicit trafficking of nuclear material. In combating such illicit traffic, measurement instruments are being developed for detecting radioactive material carried by persons, goods or vehicles particularly at border crossing stations. Whenever nuclear material is seized, the material has to be analysed in order to identify its origin and its intended use. This source attribution shall contribute to prevent diversion or theft of nuclear material from the same source in the future. Up to now, ITU has analysed 26 samples of seized nuclear material. The paper will provide an overview on the methodologies developed for addressing the above issues.