The use of stable noble gases as a predictor of reactor fuel type and exposure

Ensuring spent reactor fuel is not produced to provide weapons-grade plutonium is becoming a major concern as many countries resort to nuclear power as a solution to their energy problems. Proposed solutions range from the development of proliferation resistant fuel to continuous monitoring of the fuel. This paper discusses the use of the stable isotopes of the fissiogenic noble gases, xenon and krypton, for determining the burnup characteristics, fuel type, and the reactor type of the fuel from which the sample was obtained. The gases would be collected on-stack as the fuel is reprocessed, and thus confirm that the fuel is as declared