ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, the physical properties of nuclei that govern their production and decay characteristics were discussed. They give rise to the signatures that the radiochemist interprets in the forensic analysis of nuclear materials. Although physics governs the signatures, the materials that display those signatures have been created or modified by engineers. Engineering is the technology responsible for the recovery of raw materials from the natural environment and the adjustment of their isotopic content for use in energy production. Engineering provides the methods whereby synthetic materials are produced from primordial starting materials, and for their isolation from undesirable byproducts. The nuclear forensic analyst often interprets physical signatures, which are defined by differences in nuclear, mechanical, and chemical engineering techniques, to identify the source of a given sample.
