Field-Expedient Nuclear Isotope Characterization Spectrometer

To address the DTRA's need for a field deployable mass spectrometer for nuclear forensic analysis (NFA), Hedgefog Research Inc. (HFR) proposes to develop a new Field-Expedient Nuclear Isotope Characterization Spectrometer (FENICS), based on species-specific ionization and novel signal enhancement schemes. New system features in FENICS will enable rapid, on-site characterization of nuclear debris samples in field environments without chemical processing. The FENICS system can provide time-sensitive nuclear forensics data for actinides and fission product elements with laboratory-level precision, from samples recovered immediately after a nuclear event. Therefore, the FENICS development directly addresses the needs of DTRA and nuclear forensics scientists in field-deployable mass spectrometric analyses. In Phase I, HFR will demonstrate the feasibility of FENICS by building a benchtop prototype and showing its species selectivity, precision/accuracy, and novel signal enhancing capabilities, to reach TRL-4. In Phase II, HFR will assemble a portable mass spectrometer integrated with all novel features of FENICS to reach TRL-6.