SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT ON PROJECT STAR DUST

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4822170

Friend, J P; Feely, H W

A Star Dust sampling corridor was established in the vicinity of the 98th meridian W., extending from 15 deg N to 48 deg N latitude. The results of radiochemical amalyses of filter samples collected in this corridor between July 6 amd September 28, 1961 and the results of gross activity meas urements of samples collected in the corridor between September 30 amd November 1, 1961 are reported. Analyses of a few samples collected elsewhere are also included. Virtually all filters were included in a series of composite samples which were analyzed for the fission products Sr/sup 90/ and Ce/sup 144/, for the tracer nuclides W/sup 181/ and Rh/sup 102/, and for the natural nuclides Be/sup 7/, Pb/ sub 210/, and Po/sup 210/. Some were also included in composite samples analyzed for Sr/sup 90/, Cs/sup 137/, and Pu. Detectable activities of W/sup 181/ were not found and no results are yet available from the plutonium analyses. The highest concentrations of Sr/sup 90/ from weapons tests before 1961 which were encountered in the Star Dust sampling corridor during late 1961 were found at the highest altitudes and highest latitudes sampled. A similar distribution of stratospheric Rh/sup 102/ was found. This situation is basically the same as that which existed in the stratosphere during early 1960. The activity ratio Ce/ sup 144//Sr/sup 90/ in debris was used to calculate the relative quantities of the debris which originated in the rocket shots and which originated in low altitude detonations. It appeared that almost 70% of this debris was produced by the rocket shots. This calculation was applied to data from samples collected during 1960 as well as to data from samples collected during 1961. Stratospheric burdens of Sr/sup 90/ were calculated from the results. It appeared that the total stratospheric Sr/sup 90/ burden during early 1960 was 1.0 Mc, of which 0.4 Mc was produced by the rocket shots and 0.6 Mc by low altitude detonations. Approximately 0.62 Mc of Sr/sup 90/ was present in the stratosphere of the Northern Hemisphere during early 1960, 0.28 Mc derived from the rocket shots, and 0.34 derived from other sources. By late 1961, however, the stratospheric burden in the Northern Hemisphere had dropped to 0.35 Mc, 0.25 Mc from the rocket shots and O.10 Mc from low altitude detonations. The distribution in the Star Dust sampling corridor during October 1961 of debris from the 1961 Soviet Tests was quite consistent with the characteristics of stratospheric mixing and transfer deduced from investigations of stratospheric radioactivity during the High Altitude Sampling Program. High concentrations of this Soviet debris spread as far south as 30 deg N within a month after its injection at high latitudes, but only low concentrations appear to have spread further southward into the tropical stratosphere (to 10 deg N) by the end of October 1961. Evidently meandering currents of the zonal circulation produced the rapid mixing to 30 deg N, for the highest concentrations found in the Star Dust sampling corridor were found near this latitude, and the secondary maximum '' in the distribution of debris which these represented (assuming the existence of a primary maximum in the polar stratosphere north of the limits of Star Dust sampling) could not be produced by simple diffusion processes. It appeared, further, that the clouds of Soviet debris rose to higher altitudes as they mixed southward, a phenomenon complementary to the sinking of poleward-moving debris observed during HASP. The distribution of Be/sup 7/ within the stratosphere sampled by Star Dust during late-1961 was quite similar to the distribution of that nuclide observed during HASP in late 1959 and early 1960. The stratospheric distribution of Pb/sup 210/ and Po/sup 210/during late 1961 is difficult to explain because these nuclides were virtually in radioactive equilibrium, suggesting a stratospheric residence time of Pb/sup 210/ excess of one year. (auth)

• Research Organization: Isotopes, Inc., Westwood, N.J.
• NSA Number: NSA-16-023407
• OSTI ID: 4822170
• Report Number(s): DASA-1302
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BERYLLIUM 7
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CERIUM 144
CESIUM 137
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCTS
GEOPHYSICS
LEAD 210
MATHEMATICS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PLUTONIUM
POLONIUM 210
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOCHEMISTRY
RHODIUM 102
ROCKETS
SAMPLING
STRATOSPHERE
STRONTIUM 90
TUNGSTEN 181