High-Precision Plutonium Isotopic Compositions Measured on Los Alamos National Laboratory???s General???s Tanks Samples: Bearing on Model Ages, Reactor Modelling, and Sources of Material. Further Discussion of Chronometry

Spencer, Khalil J.¹  Rim, Jung Ho¹  Porterfield, Donivan R.¹  Roback, Robert Clifford¹  Boukhalfa, Hakim¹  Stanley, Floyd E.¹ 

[1] Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

关键词: chronometry;    fate and transport;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1188192
RP-ID  :  LA-UR--15-24855
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1188192

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

In this study, we re-analyzed late-1940???s, Manhattan Project era Plutonium-rich sludge samples recovered from the ''General???s Tanks'' located within the nation???s oldest Plutonium processing facility, Technical Area 21. These samples were initially characterized by lower accuracy, and lower precision mass spectrometric techniques. We report here information that was previously not discernable: the two tanks contain isotopically distinct Pu not only for the major (i.e., ²⁴⁰Pu, ²³⁹Pu) but trace (²³⁸Pu ,²⁴¹Pu, ²⁴²Pu) isotopes. Revised isotopics slightly changed the calculated ²⁴¹Am-²⁴¹Pu model ages and interpretations.