Laser ablation absorption spectroscopy for remote analysis of uranium

To determine experimental conditions suitable for isotope analysis, we studied the plume dynamics of uranium. A uranium oxide sample was ablated by 2nd harmonic radiation from a Nd:YAG laser at a fluence of 0.5 J/cm 2 . The temporal evolution of the ablation plume was investigated in 800 Pa helium environment. It was found that the observation at 3–5 μs after the ablation at the height of about 2.5 mm are most suited for obtaining higher sensitivity. Using the established conditions, we obtained the limit of detection of the isotope ratio ( 235 U/ 238 U) to be 0.01 %. In addition, the limit of detection of elemental abundance of uranium in uranium glass was also evaluated.