Radiochemical Determination of Plutonium Isotopes and Americium-241 in a Plutonium Sample

Abstract

Isotopic ratios of ²³⁸Pu, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu and ²⁴¹Am in a plutonium sample were approximately determined by means of combined α- and γ-ray spectrometry without chemical separation of americium from plutonium. The intensity of α-ray followed by internal conversion was determined by measuring the intensity of LX-rays. The ratio of ²⁴⁰Pu to ²³⁹Pu was obtained from the ratio between the α-ray intensity thus determined and the total α-ray intensity from the two nuclides.