Radioisotope Fractionation and Particle Size Characteristics of a Low-Yield Surface Nuclear Detonation.

摘要

Aircraft sampling penetrations of a low-yield nuculear cloud from a land-surface burst in Nevada were made at four altitudes, from 20 to 54 minutes after detonation. Samples from each of the four levels were radiochemically analyzed for 15 fission product isotopes. Other samples from each level were fractionated into seven particle size groups by settling in benzene. The individual size fractions were analyzed radiochemically and by gamma spectrometry. Particle size distributions and specific activities were measured in the untreated and artificially fractionated specimens of debris. Fallout samples were collected in trays along the fallout hot-line. The fallout samples were radiochemically and gamma spectrometrically analyzed. The importance of synthesizing data from cloud and surface sampling analysis programs is stressed. Isotopic fractionation is used as a tool in arriving at a partitioning between prompt and more remote fallout. (Author)