PIXE analysis of U and Pu from hot particles: K-lines vs L-lines

Transuranic nuclides have been released into the environment since the beginning of the nuclear age. In many of the areas so contaminated, a significant fraction of the plutonium appears under the form of radioactive particles (also called ‘hot’ particles).In previous works, García López et al. (2007) [1] and Jiménez-Ramos et al. (2010) [2], radioactive particles from aircraft accidents in Palomares and Thule have been characterized.

Using micro-Proton Induced X-ray Emission (μ-PIXE) and confocal X-ray fluorescence microprobe (μ-XRF), the L-lines of the main components in these particles, U and Pu, were analyzed.In this work, the key goal is the possibility to determine elemental ratios and concentration of transuranic elements in hot particles from the same areas but using their K-lines, because of their advantages in comparison with the study of L-lines.

Indeed, the U and Pu K-lines present not overlapping between the main peaks in the spectra and the X-ray absorption in the sample is much lower than for L-lines.