Atomic fingerprint identifies emission sources of uranium
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 - 08:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Depending on whether uranium is released by the civil nuclear industry or as fallout from nuclear weapon tests, the ratio of the two anthropogenic, i.e. human-made, uranium isotopes 233U and 236U varies. These results provide a promising new ''fingerprint'' for the identification of radioactive emission sources. As a consequence, it is also an excellent environmental tracer for ocean currents.