ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 May 1998
Page Count: 9

Forensic Analyses of Suspect Illicit Nuclear Material
Volpe, AM
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Alcaraz, A
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Andresen, BD
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Phinney, DL
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Klunder, GL
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Hutcheon, ID
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Andrews, JE
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Oldani, JJ
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Haas, JS
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Moody, KJ
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Stoyer, N
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Grant, PM
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Russo, RE
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Whipple, RE
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

Cantlin, S
Deputy director, radiochemist, materials scientist, materials scientist, chemist, chemist, metallurgist, chemist, radiochemist, chemist, chemist, laser specialist, chemist, director, and nuclear engineer, Forensic Science Center, L-178, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA

(Received 23 July 1997; accepted 26 September 1997)

Abstract

A small metal sample, alleged to be a substance that could substitute for highly enriched uranium in a nuclear weapon, was subjected to qualitative and quantitative forensic analyses using methods of materials science, radioisotopic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry. The specimen was determined to be moderately pure Sc, likely derived from a uranium refining operation. Although no fissionable species or weaponization signatures were detected, the sample did exhibit some unusual properties. These anomalies included lanthanide fractionation, with concentrations of Dy, Ho, and Er elevated by factors greater than 100 over normal levels, and the presence of long, odd-chain fatty acids.

Keywords:
forensic science, illicit, nuclear materials, nuclear smuggling, nuclear forensic analyses and characterization

Paper ID: JFS16201J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS16201J
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