Barium-140 in New Zealand Rainwater

Journal Article · Sat Sep 30 04:00:00 EDT 1961 · Nature (London)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/1911344a0· OSTI ID:4837635

McNAUGHTON, G. S.; WOODWARD, R. N.

Some of the results of a program started in November, 1958 to determine 28-year strontium-90 and 12.8-day barium-140 in fortrightly accumulated rain samples, are reported. The strontium-90 and barium-140 depositions were calculated from the measured activities of their daughter products, 64-hr yttrium- 90 and 40-hr lanthanum140. The measured counts were never greater than 1 cpm. During early 1959 the accuracy of the barium-140 determinations was about plus or minus 100 mu c/sq mile, but was reduced to about 1 to 2 mu c/sq mile by 1961. Results for total beta activity suggest that the October series of tests in the Soviet Union did not contribute more than 4% of the total strontium-90 deposited at Lower Hutt from November, 1958 until June, 1959. During 1960-61 six positive barium140 results were obtained after the French test on February 13, 1960, and also approximately four weeks after each of the French tests on April 1, and December 23, 1960. The data are tabulated. (P.C.H.)

• Research Organization: Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lower Hutt, N.Z.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-15-030975
• OSTI ID: 4837635
• Journal Information: Nature (London), Journal Name: Nature (London) Journal Issue: 4796 Vol. 191; ISSN 0028-0836
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BARIUM 140
BETA PARTICLES
DECAY
EFFICIENCY
FALLOUT
GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY, AND METEOROLOGY
LANTHANUM 140
MONITORING
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOACTIVITY
RAIN
STRONTIUM 90
WATER
YTTRIUM 90