Forensics

Lasers can detect weapons-grade uranium from afar

A technique for detecting enriched uranium with lasers could help regulators sniff out illicit nuclear activities from as far as a couple of miles away.

It's hard enough to identify nuclear materials when you can directly scan a suspicious suitcase or shipping container. But if you can't get close?

Now, the researchers have shown that a technique often used to identify chemicals at a distance can also distinguish between ordinary uranium-238 and the fission-prone uranium-235. Just three fewer neutrons make a big difference in the element's potential for destruction.