The Uranium Sourcing Database Project: a Comprehensive International Nuclear Forensics Collaboration from Ore to Attribution

Comparative signature development used for nuclear forensic attribution requires a training set of representative samples of sufficient breadth against which to compare a sample of unknown or unconfirmed origin. Access to samples and information suitable for such a training set is by nature fragmented across international boundaries and institutions. The Uranium Sourcing Database project provides a framework to facilitate all aspects of a functional nuclear material characterization and attribution capability. Samples of uranium ore, ore concentrate, and other fuel cycle materials from around the globe have been obtained and analyzed at participating DOE laboratories. Sample data are catalogued into a relational database, with subsequent extraction for use as a training set in fully automated “search engine” which applies robust multivariate pattern classification techniques to predict the source of an unknown sample via the iDAVE (Internet Discriminant Analysis Verification Engine) web application. This presentation will give an overview of the Uranium Sourcing Database project. This research is being performed at the request of the United States Department of Energy / National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Office of Nuclear Verification (NA-243).