IAEA Nuclear Security Series

Nuclear Forensics Support

Published 30 June 2006

Nuclear scientists have recognized that much can be learned from the analysis of reported cases of illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive material, specifically, what the material has been used for, where it was obtained from (stock, scrap or waste) and whether the amount seized was only a sample of a much more significant quantity. These and many other questions can be answered through detailed technical characterization of seized material samples. The combination of scientific methods used for this purpose is normally referred to as nuclear forensics, which has become an indispensable tool for use in law enforcement investigations of nuclear trafficking. This publication is unique in bringing together for the first time a concise but comprehensive description of the various tools and procedures of nuclear forensic investigations that have been described independently in the scientific literature. It also incorporates the experience accumulated over the past decade by law enforcement agencies and nuclear forensics laboratories confronted with cases of illicit events involving nuclear or other radioactive materials.