Nuclear forensic applications involving high spatial resolution analysis of Trinitite cross-sections

• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4097-2
• Publication Date: 2015-04-03T15:46:56Z
• Authors: Patrick H. Donohue; Antonio Simonetti; Elizabeth C. Koeman; Sara Mana; Peter C. Burns
• Keywords: 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

This study reports a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis of major and trace element abundances and 240Pu/239Pu ratios within vertically oriented Trinitite thin sections. The upper glassy layer (~2 mm thick) represents fused desert sand combined with devolatilized fallout from the debris cloud. The vertical distribution of 240Pu/239Pu ratios indicates that residual fuel was incorporated deeper (up to ~10 mm depth) into Trinitite than previously reported. This requires thorough mixing and disturbance of the upper cm of the blast site prior to or during the initial melting of the desert sand resulting from the nuclear explosion.