The Galaxy Serpent Exercise: Methodology, Experience, and Findings of the Institute for Transuranium Elements.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	The Galaxy Serpent Exercise: Methodology, Experience, and Findings of the Institute for Transuranium Elements.
Authors:	Wallenius, Maria¹, Varga, Zsolt¹, Mayer, Klaus¹
Source:	Journal of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management. Summer2014, Vol. 42 Issue 4, p76-82. 7p.
Subjects:	Transuranium elements, Nuclear reactors, Comparative studies, Evaluation, Statistical correlation
Abstract:	In the framework of the Galaxy Serpent exercise, a data set of an unknown spent fuel material (code name Terpsichore) was compared against three data sets associated with three distinct reactors. The data of the known materials were compiled in a model national nuclear forensics library. The comparative evaluation aimed at (i) assessing whether the hypothetical seizure is or is not consistent with material contained in the library, and, (ii) identifying the reactor the unknown material may be associated with. Two different evaluation methods were applied. The first one is based on the isotope correlation technique and concluded that one of the three known reactors (code name Siarnaq) as potential origin of the unknown material. The second method uses multivariate analysis for clustering and classification of the data, identifying the same known reactor (Siarnaq) as the likely origin of the Terpsichore material. Thus, the evaluation resulted in a consistent answer provided by two independent methods. In addition to demonstrating the usefulness of having a national nuclear forensics library, the exercise showed that selected statistical techniques, such as principal component analysis or factor analysis, may serve to optimize the content of a national nuclear forensics library by eliminating redundant (correlating) variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Engineering Source

Description
Abstract:	In the framework of the Galaxy Serpent exercise, a data set of an unknown spent fuel material (code name Terpsichore) was compared against three data sets associated with three distinct reactors. The data of the known materials were compiled in a model national nuclear forensics library. The comparative evaluation aimed at (i) assessing whether the hypothetical seizure is or is not consistent with material contained in the library, and, (ii) identifying the reactor the unknown material may be associated with. Two different evaluation methods were applied. The first one is based on the isotope correlation technique and concluded that one of the three known reactors (code name Siarnaq) as potential origin of the unknown material. The second method uses multivariate analysis for clustering and classification of the data, identifying the same known reactor (Siarnaq) as the likely origin of the Terpsichore material. Thus, the evaluation resulted in a consistent answer provided by two independent methods. In addition to demonstrating the usefulness of having a national nuclear forensics library, the exercise showed that selected statistical techniques, such as principal component analysis or factor analysis, may serve to optimize the content of a national nuclear forensics library by eliminating redundant (correlating) variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	08936188