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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Inkjet droplets of radioactive material enable quick, precise testing at NIST
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a technique called cryogenic decay energy spectrometry capable of detecting single radioactive decay events from tiny material samples and simultaneously identifying the atoms involved. In time, the technology could replace characterization tasks that have taken months and could support rapid, accurate radiopharmaceutical development and used nuclear fuel recycling, according to an article published on July 8 by NIST.
K. Shure
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 85 | Number 1 | September 1983 | Pages 51-55
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE83-A17151
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The contributions from actinides to the decay heat and the decay rate relative to those from fission products in highly irradiated 235U-enriched uranium has been assessed. This assessment, which is based on measured and associated calculated actinide concentrations in a sample of uranium in which the 235U had been burned to 17% of its original >97% content (i.e., to ∼17% 235U), indicates that for most practical times (<108 s) after reactor shutdown, the actinide contribution to the decay heat and to the decay rate is a reasonably small fraction (<7%) of the total and comes mainly from 237U, 238Np, and 238Pu. These results differ from those for uranium only slightly enriched in 235U.
