Establishing discordance as a radiochronometric signature for nuclear forensic investigations. A multi-laboratory intercomparison exercise

The radiochronometric model age is an important signature in nuclear forensic analysis. Recent studies have illustrated the need for controlled experiments on the behavior of decay products during uranium metal casting to provide a foundation for interpretation of discordant model ages. A variety of uranium metal and alloy samples cast under known conditions were analysed by three laboratories. This work is the first multi-laboratory study of its kind to explore how these progeny isotopes are chemically fractionated from uranium metal during casting. The intercomparison allowed for capability demonstration and method development on samples and provided data to increase our understanding of the behavior of decay progeny in these complex systems. (author)