Nuclear and Radiochemistry

Vital support for the nuclear enterprise

Specializing in radiochemistry, radioanalytical methods development, materials characterization, nuclear chemistry & physics, and actinide chemistry

The Nuclear and Radiochemistry (C-NR) group applies vital expertise in radiochemistry, radioanalytical chemistry, radiochemical debris diagnostics, nuclear chemistry, radiation spectrometry and mass spectrometry to a diverse range of basic research and applied scientific challenges facing the nuclear enterprise.

Researchers in C-NR conduct basic and applied research in radiochemistry, nuclear chemistry and physics, and actinide chemistry. C-NR researchers develop radioanalytical methods and charactize materials. Programmatic work supported by C-NR includes maintenance and stewardship of the nuclear stockpile, nuclear forensic science, treaty monitoring, international safeguards, global security, nuclear non-proliferation, and bioassay monitoring.

Addressing immediate and long-term mission needs with established capabilities for handling and characterization of radiological materials across a wide range of radioactivity levels

Capabilities 

Low-level Radiochemical Analysis

We maintain expertise, instrumentation, and clean laboratory facilities to support wide-ranging low-level actinide, fission product and impurity analysis of a wide variety of sample types. Key measurement tools supporting this capability area include low background beta and gamma counting, liquid scintillation counting, alpha spectrometry, single and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, thermal ionization mass spectrometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry. 

Radiochemical Analysis

We maintain expertise, instrumentation, and radiological laboratory facilities to support actinide, fission and activation product analysis in a variety of sample types. Key measurement tools supporting this capability area include automated beta and gamma counting, liquid scintillation counting, alpha spectrometry, single and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and thermal ionization mass spectrometry.

Nuclear Debris Diagnostics and Device Assessment

We maintain expertise and tools to assess and validate the performance of nuclear weapons based on measured post-detonation radiochemical signatures. This capability serves a role as the interface between the radiochemistry and weapon design communities.

Nuclear Chemistry and Physics

We maintain expertise, instrumentation, and radiological laboratory facilities to support studies of fundamental nuclear including prompt and delayed decay properties following nuclear reactions of interest such as gamma-ray multiplicities and energy distributions, half-lives and branching ratios, and fission product yields.

C-NR is sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of State. Additional sponsorship is provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory institutional support, competitive internal funding, and strategic partnership agencies.