The behaviour of parent and daughter nuclides in aerosols released in radiological dispersion events

The behaviour of parent and daughter nuclides in aerosols released in radiological dispersion events: a study of a SrTiO3 source

van Maris, V. R. (European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Security,)
Naji, M. (European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Security,)
Di Lemma, F.G. (TU Delft RST/Reactor Physics and Nuclear Materials; European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Security,)
Colle, J-Y (European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Security,)
Bykov, D. (TU Delft RST/Reactor Physics and Nuclear Materials)
Konings, R. (TU Delft RST/Reactor Physics and Nuclear Materials; European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Security,)

2017-04-01

During rapid high-temperature events, like a terrorist attack with radiological dispersal device, radiological material will be released into the environment. In these scenarios, the ratio between parent and daughter nuclides can be used for nuclear forensic investigations to determine the age of the used radioactive source. We have used fast laser heating to produce aerosols of a material often found in radioisotope thermoelectric generators. To investigate the behaviour of SrTiO₃, we have recreated pure and mixed samples, mimicking several parent-to-daughter ratios. By combining scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis with Raman spectroscopy, we were able to distinguish different elements and phases present in the aerosols. Two types of aerosols have been identified: individual aerosols from a few micrometre to a few tens of micrometre and agglomerates of smaller aerosols from a few hundred nanometre to a few micrometre. The bigger aerosols, formed from mechanically expelled liquefied material, showed a parent-to-daughter ratio that stays close to the value that would be anticipated by the initial composition of the material, but in the agglomerates, formed from vaporised material, the presence of the daughter elements reduces significantly due to differences in the condensation behaviour.

aerosol characterisation
nuclear forensics
radiological dispersal device
Raman spectroscopy
strontium titanate

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:6c109908-b188-47b7-8193-ba45ee9030c6

https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5076

0377-0486

Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 48 (4), 549-559

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2017 V. R. van Maris, M. Naji, F.G. Di Lemma, J-Y Colle, D. Bykov, R. Konings