Stratospheric fallout of bomb-produced cerium isotopes and atmospheric fractionation of nuclear debris

Conference · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4020157

Kuroda, P. K.; Menon, K. K.; Palmer, B. D.

Levels of Ce¹⁴¹, Ce¹⁴³ and Ce¹⁴⁴ in individual samples of rain and snow have been measured radiochemically at Fayetteville, Arkansas, during the past few years. The data are compared with the Sr⁸⁹, Sr⁹⁰ and Ba¹⁴⁰ data also obtained at Fayetteville, Arkansas. The concentrations of both radiocerium and radiostrontium show a marked seasonal variation with a peak in the spring and a minimum in the fall. During a nuclear test suspension period, the Ce¹⁴¹/Ce¹⁴⁴ ratios in a series of rainfalls can be expressed as a simple function of the decay constants of Ce¹⁴¹ and Ce¹⁴⁴ and the time elapsed since the cessation of the nuclear test series. The Sr⁸⁹ /Sr⁹⁰ ratio data, however, tend to deviate from such a theoretical equation and show a considerable scatter of experimental points. The Ce¹⁴⁴/Sr⁹⁰ ratio data, on the other hand, can not be expressed as a simple function of the decay constants and time. These results are tentatively explained as due to the effects of fractionation of the bomb-produced fission products in the atmosphere.

• Research Organization: Arkansas. Univ., Fayetteville, AR (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• NSA Number: NSA-18-039485
• OSTI ID: 4020157
• Report Number(s): CONF-337--43
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ARKANSAS
ATMOSPHERE
BARIUM 140
CERIUM
CERIUM 141
CERIUM 143
CERIUM 144
DECAY
EQUATIONS
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCTS
FRACTIONATION
GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY
ISOTOPES
MATHEMATICS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PRECIPITATION
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
RAIN
SNOW
STRATOSPHERE
STRONTIUM
STRONTIUM 89
STRONTIUM 90