Initial Analysis of the Detectability of UO2F2 Aerosols Produced by UF6 Released from Uranium Conversion Plants

This article considers the use of wide-area environmental sampling to detect a covert centrifuge-enrichment program. It is proposed that detection may be more feasible by looking for the uranium-conversion facilities that produce the feedstock for centrifuges instead of the centrifuges directly. Aer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science & global security 2008-01, Vol.16 (3), p.115-125
Main Author: Kemp, R. Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This article considers the use of wide-area environmental sampling to detect a covert centrifuge-enrichment program. It is proposed that detection may be more feasible by looking for the uranium-conversion facilities that produce the feedstock for centrifuges instead of the centrifuges directly. Aerosol particles of UO 2 F 2 suspended in the atmosphere are considered as a possible signature. Source terms for a small-scale plant are coarsely estimated based on limited emissions data, atmospheric chemistry, and the thermodynamic of UF 6 release. Atmospheric dispersion modeling is used to estimate the distance at which detection could be reasonably expected. Further research is necessary before drawing conclusions on the feasibility of this method.
ISSN:0892-9882
1547-7800
DOI:10.1080/08929880802551172