JOINT SAMPLE ANALYSIS OF NUCLEAR FORENSIC MATERIALS
PROVIDED BY KAZAKHSTAN

Over the last few decades, nuclear forensics has become an essential tool in the fight against illicit trafficking of nuclear and radiological materials. Nuclear forensic analysis can provide information to law enforcement agencies regarding the composition, origin, process history and suspected use of the interdicted nuclear material. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) is the primary nuclear forensics laboratory, responsible for the analysis of samples found outside of regulatory control in the country. The INP has been a long-standing partner of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Global Material Security (DOE/NNSA/GMS) and is an active member of international nuclear forensics community and the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG). As part of an on-going project coordinated through the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) and GMS, INP has shared a set of five nuclear forensic samples with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for joint, collaborative analysis. The sample set contains four uranium powders and one low enriched uranium fuel pellet. The joint analysis of this set of materials is being conducted using well-developed analytical plans. The measured material characteristics will populate an evolving nuclear forensics library. The participating laboratories (INP, LLNL and LANL) have employed similar and complementary techniques to learn more about these nuclear forensic materials and the methods used to study and catalog them. Through virtual and in-person meetings and quarterly reports, the participating laboratories have compared data and analysis methods on the Kazakhstan sample set, shared best practices on the implementation of a national nuclear forensic library and laid the groundwork for broader nuclear forensics activities in the region.