Unbiased equations for ⁹⁵Zr-⁹⁵Nb chronometry.
Formulae are presented for (95)Zr-(95)Nb chronometry of a nuclear event. In particular, they allow for a bias-free calculation of the moment of a nuclear explosion, based solely on a measurement of the produced activity ratio of (95)Zr and (95)Nb in a finite time interval. Also uncertainty propagation factors are presented, which relate the relative uncertainty on the nuclear decay data and activity ratio measurements with the relative uncertainty on the elapsed time. This allows for the calculation of an uncertainty budget, without the need for Monte Carlo simulations. The equations are applied to a set of measurement data and consistency is demonstrated.
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Retieseweg 111, B-2440 Geel, Belgium. Electronic address: stefaan.pomme@ec.europa.eu.
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Pommé
National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 OLW, UK.
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Collins
CTBT; Non-proliferation; Nuclear chronometry; Uncertainty