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Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications

Research output: Thesis › Doctoral Thesis

Published

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Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications. / Tighe, Christopher.
Lancaster University: Lancaster University, 2020. 141 p.

Research output: Thesis › Doctoral Thesis

Harvard

Tighe, C 2020, 'Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications', PhD, Lancaster University, Lancaster University. https://doi.org/10.17635/lancaster/thesis/918

APA

Tighe, C. (2020). Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications. [Doctoral Thesis, Lancaster University]. Lancaster University. https://doi.org/10.17635/lancaster/thesis/918

Vancouver

Tighe C. Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications. Lancaster University: Lancaster University, 2020. 141 p. doi: 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/918

Author

Tighe, Christopher. / Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications. Lancaster University : Lancaster University, 2020. 141 p.

Bibtex

@phdthesis{34a467cc87c64caca6a26a0cc9fd868d,
title = "Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications",
abstract = "The development of fast neutron assay of low radioactivity samples collected from Dounreay decommissioning site is described, the development aims to identify a plutonium detection limit with neutrons. To inform the neutron measurements, a greater analysis of the chosen samples is presented.Analyses used were fast neutron counting, gamma spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry. Analysis showed that fast neutron detection can distinguish samples at a radioactivity of approximately 1 Bq/g of 240Pu origin from samples at background levels of natural uranium radioactivity.Further, AMS and gamma spectrometry has showed that the Dounreay samples are consistent with the global fallout averages for the main plutonium isotopes 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, and 242Pu. The 240Pu/239Pu ratio measured in this research is lower than average however for most Dounreay site samples, leading to a conclusion that this 240Pu/239Pu ratio is symptomatic of the Dounreay site hosting breeder reactors, which could boost the levels of 239Pu in comparison to 240Pu.",
author = "Christopher Tighe",
year = "2020",
doi = "10.17635/lancaster/thesis/918",
language = "English",
publisher = "Lancaster University",
school = "Lancaster University",

}

RIS

TY - BOOK

T1 - Bespoke analysis of soil in a high uranium background for identification of trace plutonium in decommissioning applications

AU - Tighe, Christopher

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - The development of fast neutron assay of low radioactivity samples collected from Dounreay decommissioning site is described, the development aims to identify a plutonium detection limit with neutrons. To inform the neutron measurements, a greater analysis of the chosen samples is presented.Analyses used were fast neutron counting, gamma spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry. Analysis showed that fast neutron detection can distinguish samples at a radioactivity of approximately 1 Bq/g of 240Pu origin from samples at background levels of natural uranium radioactivity.Further, AMS and gamma spectrometry has showed that the Dounreay samples are consistent with the global fallout averages for the main plutonium isotopes 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, and 242Pu. The 240Pu/239Pu ratio measured in this research is lower than average however for most Dounreay site samples, leading to a conclusion that this 240Pu/239Pu ratio is symptomatic of the Dounreay site hosting breeder reactors, which could boost the levels of 239Pu in comparison to 240Pu.

AB - The development of fast neutron assay of low radioactivity samples collected from Dounreay decommissioning site is described, the development aims to identify a plutonium detection limit with neutrons. To inform the neutron measurements, a greater analysis of the chosen samples is presented.Analyses used were fast neutron counting, gamma spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry. Analysis showed that fast neutron detection can distinguish samples at a radioactivity of approximately 1 Bq/g of 240Pu origin from samples at background levels of natural uranium radioactivity.Further, AMS and gamma spectrometry has showed that the Dounreay samples are consistent with the global fallout averages for the main plutonium isotopes 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, and 242Pu. The 240Pu/239Pu ratio measured in this research is lower than average however for most Dounreay site samples, leading to a conclusion that this 240Pu/239Pu ratio is symptomatic of the Dounreay site hosting breeder reactors, which could boost the levels of 239Pu in comparison to 240Pu.

U2 - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/918

DO - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/918

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

PB - Lancaster University

CY - Lancaster University

ER -