Chemical speciation correlated with microstructural heterogeneity of interdicted uranium materials

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Two uranium powders seized by law enforcement in Victoria, Australia, have been characterized by established nuclear forensic methods in a previously published study. Here, the results of further characterization by a scanning transmission x-ray microscope (STXM) operating in the soft x-ray regime are reported. STXM images are used to estimate the elemental distribution in micrometer-scale particles of each powder, and oxygen K-edge absorption spectra are used to determine the chemical state of uranium. The results of the current study are consistent with the previous analysis; the first powder is found to be a potassium-uranium hydrate, while the second powder is determined to be a mixture of uranium oxides primarily consisting of UO3.

Source: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A Vacuum Surfaces and Films

DOI: 10.1116/6.0004526

Authors: Joseph I. Pacold, Danil E. Smiles, Michael W. Mara, Jesse D. Ward, David K. Shuh, Tolek Tyliszczak, Michael. J. Kristo, Elizabeth Keegan

Institutions: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

Language: English

Topic: X-ray Spectroscopy and Fluorescence Analysis

Subfield: Radiation

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, National Nuclear Security Administration, University of California, Santa Barbara, Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

OpenAlex ID: W4409768818