Comparative Study on Uranium Isotopic Analysis for Single Particle Based on Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry

In nuclear safeguards, measurement of uranium isotope ratio in single particle from swipe samples provides crucial information for detecting undeclared or clandestine activities. Fission track analysis combined with thermal ionization mass spectrometry (FTTIMS) is one of the dominant techniques in this field. With the development of technique, a new approach, scanning electron microscopy combined with thermal ionization mass spectrometry (SEMTIMS) was introduced in recent years. Both methods were evaluated by testing the same uranium standard particles in the paper. The result shows a good agreement with certified values. FTTIMS is prone to identify and locate fissile nuclides and has a high sensitivity for highly enriched uranium (HEU). SEMTIMS which is compatible with morphological and elemental analysis could be considered as a beneficial supplement for FTTIMS.