Measurements of stable ruthenium fission products in nuclear reactor fuel samples.

ABSTRACT: Ruthenium isotopes produced by fission in nuclear materials could be valuable signatures for nuclear verification or non-proliferation monitoring. In this study, ruthenium (Ru), uranium (U), and plutonium (Pu) isotope ratios and concentrations were measured in six different samples taken along a single nuclear fuel rod from a pressurized water reactor (PWR). The Ru isotope ratios [Formula: see text]Ru/[Formula: see text]Ru, [Formula: see text]Ru/[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]Ru/[Formula: see text]Ru increase upon moving from the end of the rod towards the center, correlating with the amount of burnup of the fuel indicated by U and Pu isotope ratios. Ruthenium fission product concentrations also increase near the center of the rod, consistent with other isotopic and elemental c

SUBMITTER: Patton GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11794560 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature