Abstract
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting radioanalytical developmental programs with the goal of providing near real-time analysis technology for airborne signature radionuclides which are indicative of a nuclear weapons test in any of the earth’s environments. If a test were conducted in the atmosphere or above the atmosphere, then the full spectrum of fission and activation products, together with residues from the device would be dispersed in the atmosphere. However, if a nuclear test were conducted underground or underwater, the emission could range from a major to a very minor vent, and the material released would likely consist mainly of noble gas radionuclides and the radioiodines. Since many of the noble gases decay to form particulate radionuclides, these may serve as the more sensitive signatures. For example, Ba-140 is a daughter of Xe-140 (13.6 s), and Cs-137 is a daughter of Xe-137 (3.82 min). Both of these have been observed in large amounts relative to other fission products in dynamic venting of U.S. underground nuclear detonations.(1)
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References
Hicks, H. G. (1981) Radiochemical Data Collected on Events from Which Radioactivity Escaped Beyond the Borders of the Nevada Test Range Complex, UCRL-52934, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California.
Perkins, R.W., Robertson, D.E., Thomas, C.W., and Young, J.A. (1989) Measurement of Accident Versus Nuclear Test Debris. In: Proceedings of IAEA Symposium on Environmental Contamination Following a Major Nuclear Accident, October 16–20, 1989. IAEA-SM-306/125, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
Perkins, R.W. and Nielsen, J.M. (1965) Multidimensional Gamma-Ray Spectrometry and Its Use in Health Physics. BNSA51-A, Battelle Memorial Institute, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington.
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© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Perkins, R.W., Miley, H.S., Hensley, W.K., Abel, K.H. (1996). Airborne Radionuclides of Concern and Their Measurement in Monitoring a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. In: Husebye, E.S., Dainty, A.M. (eds) Monitoring a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. NATO ASI Series, vol 303. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0419-7_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0419-7_12
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