4. Application example: analysis of nuclear material

The radiation emitted during radioactive processes is very often characteristic of a radionuclide. This is particularly useful for identifying the constituents of nuclear material. However, there are a number of precautions to be taken, the most important of which are outlined in this brief presentation, which should not be regarded as a working procedure.

• Alpha emitters: the energy of the α particles emitted is highly characteristic of a radionuclide, but because of their very short range (only a few tens of micrometers in solids), α sources are very tricky to prepare. They must be "material-free", which implies a complex cycle of chemical separation operations, and consequently requires advance knowledge of the sample's composition. This makes them unsuitable as a first step in characterization. Fortunately, most α emitters are also γ emitters...