Jungmin Kang, "Using the Graphite Isotope Ratio Method to Verify the DPRK's Plutonium-Production Declaration," Science & Global Security, 19, no. 2, (2011): 121-129.
The graphite isotope ratio method can give an accurate estimate of the total plutonium production in a graphite-moderated reactor without detailed information on the reactor's operating history. Transmutation of trace impurities in the graphite is directly related to the cumulative plutonium production in the nuclear fuel. This study explains how the total amount of plutonium produced in the five megawatt electric graphite reactor at Yongbyon could be estimated using the Graphite Isotope Ratio Method (GIRM) technique once a number of strategically located samples from the graphite moderator are available.
Article access: Taylor & Francis Online | Free PDF
Article access: Taylor & Francis Online | Free PDF
