Fission Track Dating at RA-6 Reactor

MARCEL CHRISTIAN PABLO; SOLDATI, ANALIA; HERNANDEZ, ROBERTO; GLASSMACHER, U.; RUEDA, G.

S.C. de Bariloche

Congreso; 16th IGORR 2014/IAEA Technical Meeting; 2014

INVAP - CNEA

Public institutions CONICET and Y-TEC and the private enterprise GEOMAP S.A. join efforts to create the first Thermochronology Laboratory in Argentina, the La-Te-Andes Thermochronology Development Center. This institute will comprise a Heavy Mineral Separation Unit (HMSU), a Fission-Track dating Unit (FTU) and a Numerical Modeling Unit (NMU). Aiming to develop the complete technological path in the country and, associated with German Institutions of the Heidelberg University and the Technical University München FRM II Reactor, the group will be involved in knowledge transfer and staff training. Within this framework, the Centro Atómico Bariloche participates with the irradiation facility, the MTR type 1 MW RA-6 reactor. In this work, we show the present possibilities of RA-6 for a successful irradiation of apatite and zircon samples for the fission-track dating studies. In addition, we present the future reactor modifications that would allow better neutron flux characteristics according to the dating requirements.