Year
2016
Abstract
The National Nuclear Security Administration, Global Material Security (GMS)/ Off-site Source Recovery Program (OSRP) requires an approved final disposition pathway for sealed irradiated startup sources with undocumented irradiation histories. To obtain approval for WIPP disposal, a reliable method is required to determine yields of transmutation, fission and activation products contained within the source at the time of disposal. Using a known irradiation history and the ORIGEN code it is possible to characterize an irradiated source. In cases where the irradiation history is not well known, gamma spectroscopy can be used to reconstruct elements of the exposure and decay history. Gamma spectroscopy measurements have been performed for several irradiated Am-241 sources with known histories for analysis and comparison to ORIGEN simulations. Several isotopes have been identified as observable indicators of irradiation history, specifically Cm-234, Cs-137, Np-239, and Eu-154. Comparison to ORIGEN simulations is performed and results are discussed.