Abstract
In Chapter 10 we described the production of radionuclides by cosmic rays in the atmosphere. We have seen that the limited number of target elements in the atmosphere (mainly N, O, and Ar) means that only a small number of different cosmogenic radionuclides are produced. In Sect. 11 we have then discussed the production rate of cosmogenic radionuclides in other environmental systems such as rocks, meteorites, and water. In this section we provide an overview of other production mechanisms which may be important for specific radionuclides in general or for common radionuclides at specific sites. First in Sect. 12.2 we consider natural production mechanisms related to cosmic rays and to radioactive decay underground. Then in Sect. 12.3 we address the production of radionuclides related to human activities. Among those are the radionuclides produced in nuclear bomb explosions and power plants. In recent times there is also a growing number of radionuclides mainly produced by accelerators for applications in industry, research, and medicine.
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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Beer, J., McCracken, K., von Steiger, R. (2012). Alternative Production Mechanisms. In: Cosmogenic Radionuclides. Physics of Earth and Space Environments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14651-0_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14651-0_12
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