Status of the Nuclear Forensics Capabilities Establishment at Necsa in South Africa

An assessment of Necsa’s capability to service the Republic of South Africa (RSA) with regard to nuclear forensics (a technical initiative to strengthen Nuclear Non-Proliferation systems) requirements was completed a year ago through the assistance and support of experts from the USA’s Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories. The assessment revealed the inadequacy or total absence of key instrumentation needed to provide credible trace element determination in uranium rich materials, clean laboratories for processing of nuclear forensic sample, and the requisite expertise for forensic sample processing and analysis. Following examination of RSA’s national experience with regard to the seizure of illicit nuclear material, coupled with nuclear forensic experts’ recommendations, the Necsa Nuclear Forensic Management Department (NFMD) was established and has prioritized activities in its work plan dealing with the establishment of core capabilities in nuclear forensics. These are (i) the development and implementation of a nuclear forensics National Model Action Plan which defines the scope of response to illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and (ii) procedures for forensic sample handling internally at Necsa. The following activities, relating specifically to the establishment of the nuclear forensic analysis laboratory and operational capabilities that are also highlighted in this paper, are carried out under a collaboration agreement with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) of the USA Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). These include (iii) the acquisition of a modern Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP MS) instrument for the determination of trace element concentrations in a uranium rich matrix, (iv) the establishment of a dedicated clean laboratory, (v) the training of Necsa scientists in USA national laboratories in nuclear forensic analysis techniques including clean laboratory practices to handle and analyse samples, and (vi) preparations to participate in joint nuclear forensic analysis exercises. The scope, experience and progress made towards the realization of the set goals for the above named nuclear forensic capabilities establishment are presented in this paper.