Production of the minor actinide sources using the electrodeposition method

Partitioning and transmutation technology division is planning to measure fission rate ratios that contribute to validate nuclear data of minor actinides (MA). For this purpose, MA sources for fission chambers were prepared using electrodeposition method. The radioactivity of each MA source was quantified, and its uncertainty was evaluated. Seven types of MA sources with different radioactivity were prepared using four nuclides of ²³⁷Np, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴³Am, and ²⁴⁴Cm. A ²⁴⁴Cm source solution of which radioactivity was quantified by isotope dilution method was used to prepare working standard sources of ²⁴⁴Cm. The radioactivities were quantified as 1461 Bq, 2179 Bq, and 2938 Bq for ²³⁷Np sources, 1.428 MBq for ²⁴¹Am source, 370.5 kBq and 89.57 kBq for ²⁴³Am sources, and 2.327 MBq for ²⁴⁴Cm source with, the uncertainty of 0.35% (1σ). This report summarizes the method for preparation and quantification of MA sources, and uncertainty evaluation. (author)