Chemical analysis of nuclear debris via a portable LIBS device

This work demonstrates the efficacy of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) portable laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) device for the rapid geochemical analysis of nuclear debris. The geological makeup of debris samples from the Nevada test site are analyzed; geochemical signatures are established from the recorded LIBS spectra allowing for the discrimination of samples based on the detonation environment. This study represents the first effort to field a COTS LIBS analyzer for in-field nuclear debris analysis; the results indicate the device has high potential to yield pertinent nuclear forensic information of debris from recorded spectra.