Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff developed the Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler Analyzer (RASA) for worldwide aerosol monitoring in the 1990s. Recently, researchers at PNNL and Creare, LLC, have investigated possibilities for how RASA could be improved, based on lessons learned from more than 15 years of continuous operation, including during the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. Key themes addressed in upgrade possibilities include having a modular approach to additional radionuclide measurements, optimizing the sampling/analyzing times to improve detection location capabilities, and reducing power consumption by using electrostatic collection versus classic filtration collection. These individual efforts have been made in a modular context that might constitute retrofits to the existing RASA, modular components that could improve a manual monitoring approach, or a completely new RASA. Substantial optimization of the detection and location capabilities of an aerosol network is possible and new missions could be addressed by including additional measurements.

The measurement of Ar-37 has been proposed as a method of detecting underground nuclear testing. The isotope Ar-37 is generated by neutron activation of calcium by the reaction, Ca-40(n, a)Ar-37, and, as a noble gas, is able to migrate more freely underground. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a high throughput Ar-37 collection and measurement system using modified Ultra-Low Background Proportional Counters (ULBPCs). This system is capable of collecting, purifying, and measuring radioactivity in argon from either atmospheric or soil gas samples. This process is automated, with minimal operator intervention. This paper describes quantification of Ar-37 and how we account for varying background conditions. An example is provided in which Ar-39 has been shown to be a significant background in some sample sets, created by process K-39(n,p)Ar-39 during an underground nuclear explosion that would also create Ar-37. To account for the large background of Ar-39, we fit the data with a constant plus exponential background model with Gaussian signal model and use the results of a constrained fit to calculate Ar-37 activity. We discuss the methods used to purify and count samples. We discuss the impact of increased Ar-39 backgrounds on the measurement of Ar-37.

This paper describes some potential applications for UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in international nuclear safeguards. UAV missions can include indoor and outdoor operations including: 1) surveillance, which includes all types of sensors and imagers, 2) command and control augmentation (radio relays and real-time imagery used primarily to coordinate ground operations), and 3) physical sample collection and transport.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deploys unattended monitoring systems to provide continuous monitoring of nuclear material within safeguarded facilities around the world. As the number of unattended monitoring instruments increases, the IAEA is challenged to become more efficient in the implementation of those systems. In 2010, the IAEA initiated the Front-End Electronics for Unattended Measurement (FEUM) project with the goals of greater flexibility in the interfaces to various sensors and data acquisition systems, and improved capabilities for remotely located sensors (e.g., where sensor and front-end electronics might be separated by tens of meters). In consultation with the IAEA, a technical evaluation of a candidate FEUM device produced by a commercial vendor has been performed. This evaluation assessed the device against the IAEA’s original technical specifications and a broad range of important parameters that include sensor types, cable lengths and types, industrial electromagnetic noise that can degrade signals from remotely located detectors, and high radiation fields. Testing data, interpretation, findings and recommendations are provided.

Acceleration in development of additional conventional hydropower requires tools and methods to perform laboratory and in-field validation of turbine performance and fish passage claims. The new-generation Sensor Fish has been developed with more capabilities to accommodate a wider range of users over a broader range of turbine designs and operating environments. It provides in situ measurements of three-dimensional (3D) linear accelerations, 3D rotational velocities, 3D orientation, pressure, and temperature at a sampling frequency of 2048 Hz. It also has an automatic floatation system and built-in radio-frequency transmitter for recovery. The relative errors of the pressure, acceleration, and rotational velocity were within ±2%, ±5%, and ±5%, respectively. The accuracy of orientation was within ±4° and accuracy of temperature was ±2 °C. The new-generation Sensor Fish is becoming a major technology and being deployed for evaluating the conditions for fish passage of turbines or other hydraulic structures in both the United States and several other countries.

The Multi-sensor Airborne Radiation Survey (MARS) project has developed a new single cryostat detector array design for high purity germanium (HPGe) gama ray spectrometers that achieves the high detection efficiency required for stand-off detection and actionable characterization of radiological threats. This approach is necessary since a high efficiency HPGe detector can only be built as an array due to limitations in growing large germanium crystals. The system is ruggedized and shock mounted for use in a variety of field applications, including airborne and maritime operations.

Aerosol collections were initiated at several locations by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) shortly after the Great East Japan earthquake of May 2011. Aerosol samples were transferred to laboratory high-resolution gamma spectrometers for analysis. Similar to treaty monitoring stations operating across the Northern hemisphere, iodine and other isotopes which could be volatilized at high temperature were detected. Though these locations are not far apart, they have significant variations with respect to water, mountain-range placement, and local topography. Variation in computed source terms will be shown to bound the variability of this approach to source estimation.

The Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler/Analyzer (RASA) is an automated collection and analysis system designed for aerosol radionuclide monitoring for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The advantages of an automated system include minimal need for human intervention and consistent analytical data. However, maintainability and down time issues threaten this utility, even for systems with over 90 % data availability. Engineering upgrades to the RASA are currently being pursued to address these issues, as well as measures relevant to technical lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear power plant event. Current work includes a new automation control unit and other potential improvements such as alternative detector cooling and sampling options. This paper presents the current state of upgrades and improvements under investigation.

Two independent radionuclide aerosol air samplers were operated at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in close proximity during the Fukushima reactor releases. One system was an automated aerosol collection and analysis unit, whereas the other was a manual sampler of simpler design. The samples collected from each sampler showed correlation in radionuclide activity, although some variations were observed. During this unique event, the small variations observed between the co-located air samplers illustrate the effectiveness of a way to acquire useful parallel samples for scientific purposes. The results in radionuclide activity concentration show that, in some circumstances, use of a manual high volume air sampler in parallel to a complex automated sampler can produce results that are of comparable quality to International Monitoring System samples.

GammaTracker is a handheld radioisotope identification device in development at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that uses eighteen pixelated Cadmium-Zinc Telluride (CZT) crystals to provide energy resolution approaching that of high-purity germanium without the need for cryogenic cooling. Additionally, these crystals can be used to provide directional and imaging capabilities that cannot be found in other handheld detectors. A significant number of CZT crystals have been procured during the development of the GammaTracker system; the majority of these were procured with the same set of specifications. Each of these detectors has been characterized in terms of key parameters, including current-voltage response and pixel-by-pixel energy resolution. The results of this testing indicate that the overall quality of CZT crystals is improving over time.

Assessment of the pregnancy rate resulting from the combined use of a medical device and consultancy service to assist couples in achieving natural pregnancy. A retrospective cohort study was performed of the first 200 couples on the DuoFertility expectant management programme, with comparison to European statistics on ART. The DuoFertility program resulted in a pregnancy success rate of 19.5% after 6 months, which is statistically similar to the European IVF pregnancy success rate (21.5%), and significantly higher than the European IUI pregnancy success rate (8.5%).