Authors: A A Marchetti T A Brown C C Cox T F Hamilton R E Martinelli
Publish Date: 2005/01/01
Volume: 263, Issue: 2, Pages: 483-487
Abstract
Accelerator mass spectrometry AMS is a sensitive and robust technique typically applied to the quantification of longlived radioisotopes in samples too small to be decaycounted AMS is characterized by a high rejection of interferences and a low susceptibility to matrix components which reduce the demands on sample preparation chemistry At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry CAMS we have developed an AMS capability for the measurement of actinide concentrations and isotopic ratios To date this capability has been primarily devoted to the measurement of 239Pu and 240Pu in bioassay and environmental samples including soils sediments waters and human urine For these analyses a known amount of 242Pu is added to the samples as a reference isotope for normalization Measurements of standard and intercomparison samples have shown that quantification is accurate and precise from at least 106 to 1011 atoms/sample Recently the ratios of 240Pu 241Pu 242Pu and +Pu to intrinsic 239Pu have been successfully measured in soil samples from nuclear test sites In addition initial measurements of U and Np isotopes have yielded results consistent with the Pu measurements with respect to sensitivity accuracy precision and linear range
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