Spectroscopy Staff

Articles by Spectroscopy Staff

After a nuclear war. The old gas mask and ammunition among the ruins | Image Credit: © nouskrabs - stock.adobe.com

A study shows that microwave-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (MWE-LIBS) can effectively analyze zirconium metals and oxides in nuclear fuel debris. The study found that microwaves lower the excitation temperature and increase ionization of zirconium, resulting in consistent enhancements in zirconium emissions with a higher signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio across all sample types.