Radiation Damage as a Possible Metal Chronometer for Pre-Detonation Nuclear Forensics

• Main Authors: Edward Peskie, Howard Hall
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute for Nuclear Security 2015-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Nuclear Security
• Subjects: nuclear security; nuclear forensics; radiation damage; metal chronometer; pre-detonation nuclear forensics; radiolytic damage; radioactive decay; a-recoil track dating
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.7290/V7W66HPT
• ISSN: 2376-9955

The ability to determine the time since the forming of seized nuclear material would provide crucial data to be used in its investigation. This paper examines the effects of radiolytic damage caused by the decay of uranium isotopes and assesses the potential forensic utility of examination of these damage regions for determining the time since forming of a metal sample. This paper draws parallels from studies of fission track dating in mineral samples under geologic time and proposes modifications to previously published work in the field of α-recoil track dating in order to determine the time since a metal sample was cast or formed.