Measurements of Parameters Essential to Predicting Nuclide Migration

Abstract

In order to understand the migration of radionuclides in the environment characteristic for proposed geological repositories it is necessary to identify and measure the parameters that reflect the basic mechanisms of mobility and retention of the migrating species. Under the conditions expected to prevail in a repository only water can act as a mobilizing medium for the embedded material. The transport of nuclides can then occur in two different ways only, by entrainment in the flowing water and by diffusion. In general flowing water will cause faster migration than diffusion alone, but in the case of static conditions such as obtain e.g. in the sediment on the ocean floor the movement of the radionuclides takes place solely by diffusion.

Work performed under the auspices of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy.