Plutonium accountability measurements by calorimetry and gamma spectrometry: evaluation of measurement uncertainties and method performance

B. Srinivasan; K. Mathew; U. Narayanan; W. Guthrie; T. Sampson

doi:10.1007/s10967-009-0230-4

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Volume/Issue:: Volume 282: Issue 3

Plutonium accountability measurements by calorimetry and gamma spectrometry: evaluation of measurement uncertainties and method performance

Authors:

B. Srinivasan

B. Srinivasan New Brunswick Laboratory Department of Energy 9800 South Cass Avenue, Bldg. 350 Argonne IL 60439 USA

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K. Mathew

K. Mathew New Brunswick Laboratory Department of Energy 9800 South Cass Avenue, Bldg. 350 Argonne IL 60439 USA

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U. Narayanan

U. Narayanan New Brunswick Laboratory Department of Energy 9800 South Cass Avenue, Bldg. 350 Argonne IL 60439 USA

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W. Guthrie

W. Guthrie National Institute of Standards and Technology Statistical Engineering Division 100 Bureau Drive Gaithersburg MD 20899 USA

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T. Sampson

T. Sampson Sampson Professional Services LLC, 36602 N. Twilight Tr PO Box 3633 Carefree AZ 85377 USA

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Pages:: 963–970

Online Publication Date:: 30 Jul 2009

Publication Date:: 01 Dec 2009

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0230-4

Keywords:: Calorimetry; Gamma spectrometry; Measurement evaluation; Uncertainty estimation; GUM; Plutonium

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Abstract

The calorimetry exchange (CALEX) program is administered by New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL). The main objective of the program is to provide an independent verification of the internal quality control practices in nuclear material safeguards facilities making plutonium accountability measurements by non-destructive calorimetry/gamma spectrometry techniques. Facilities measure the calorimetric power, and plutonium and ²⁴¹Am isotope abundances of CALEX program standards using routine accountability procedures. The measurement results as well as two other quantities (effective specific power and plutonium mass) calculated from these results are evaluated for accuracy (or bias) and precision. In this paper, a limited number of measurement results of a CALEX program standard (identified as Calex I) are evaluated with specific goals to identify a suitable method for uncertainty estimation and to identify the major contributors to the uncertainties. In order to achieve the goals, the Calex I measurement results were evaluated using two different methods: the first method confined to uncertainty estimation from random variations of the measurement results alone, and the second method providing a more comprehensive evaluation of uncertainties from both the measurements and the characterized values of the measured standard according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM). The results of this study, and a subsequent study extended to a larger number of results in the CALEX program database, are expected to provide relevant input for developing the International Target Values for plutonium measurements by the calorimetry/gamma spectrometry method.

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Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Print ISSN:: 0236-5731

Online ISSN:: 1588-2780

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Journal of Radionalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Language	English
Size	A4
Year of Foundation	1968
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	12
Founder	Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245. CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible Publisher	Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN	0236-5731 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2780 (Online)