DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: In the nuclear explosion monitoring context, what is an anomaly?

Journal Article · · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Abstract In the early years of nuclear explosion monitoring, experts used downwind detections with meaningful ratios of radioactive species to identify an explosion. Today’s reality is sparse networks of radionuclide monitoring stations looking for weak signals. Analysts need to discriminate between industrial background radioactivity and nuclear explosion signals, even using the detection of one isotope. Aerosol and xenon measurements potentially related to nuclear tests in 2006 and 2013 announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and from worldwide civilian background radioactivity are considered when defining radionuclide detection anomalies to objectively guide the use of limited analyst resources and reduce the possibility of not detecting nuclear explosions.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
OSTI ID:
2320271
Journal Information:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Vol. 333 Journal Issue: 4; ISSN 0236-5731
Publisher:
Springer Science + Business MediaCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Hungary
Language:
English

References (74)

Overview of temporary radioxenon background measurement campaigns conducted for the CTBTO between 2008 and 2018 journal February 2023
Improved performance comparisons of radioxenon systems for low level releases in nuclear explosion monitoring journal November 2017
Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview journal January 2010
Source localisation and its uncertainty quantification after the third DPRK nuclear test journal July 2018
Measurements of ambient radioxenon levels using the automated radioxenon sampler/analyzer (ARSA) journal January 2001
Research reactors as sources of atmospheric radioxenon journal September 2012
Using STAX data to predict IMS radioxenon concentrations journal September 2022
Impact of Environmental Backgrounds on Atmospheric Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions journal August 2022
Xenon-133 and caesium-137 releases into the atmosphere from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant: determination of the source term, atmospheric dispersion, and deposition journal January 2012
Source type estimation using noble gas samples journal December 2020
Source term estimation in the presence of nuisance signals journal July 2019
Radiological effluents released from US continental tests, 1961 through 1992. Revision 1 report August 1996
Potential of Spectrum Categorisation Concepts using Radionuclide Ratios for Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Verification journal September 2012
Isotopic noble gas signatures released from medical isotope production facilities—Simulations and measurements journal September 2010
áBayesian inverse modeling and source location of an unintended I-131 release in Europe in the fall of 2011 posted_content March 2017
Source term estimation of radioxenon released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors using measured air concentrations and atmospheric transport modeling journal January 2014
Relative Locations of the October 2006 and May 2009 DPRK Announced Nuclear Tests Using International Monitoring System Seismometer Arrays journal July 2010
Design considerations for future radionuclide aerosol monitoring systems journal November 2019
Projected network performance for next generation aerosol monitoring systems journal February 2023
Environmental radioactivity aspects of recent nuclear accidents associated with undeclared nuclear activities and suggestion for new monitoring strategies journal April 2020
Global Radioxenon Emission Inventory from Nuclear Research Reactors journal July 2021
The 12 February 2013 North Korean Underground Nuclear Test journal January 2014
Multi-detection events, probability density functions, and reduced location area journal July 2015
Setting the baseline for estimated background observations at IMS systems of four radioxenon isotopes in 2014 journal November 2017
Isotopic signature of atmospheric xenon released from light water reactors journal January 2006
Worldwide measurements of radioxenon background near isotope production facilities, a nuclear power plant and at remote sites: the “EU/JA-II” Project journal August 2012
The operational status of the IMS radionuclide particulate network journal July 2009
The 2014 Integrated Field Exercise of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty revisited: The case for data fusion journal September 2018
Regional Seismic Characteristics of the 9 October 2006 North Korean Nuclear Test journal December 2008
The total release of xenon-133 from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident journal October 2012
Phase II testing of Xenon International on Mount Schauinsland, Germany journal December 2022
Radioxenon detections in the CTBT international monitoring system likely related to the announced nuclear test in North Korea on February 12, 2013 journal February 2014
Isotopic Characterization of Radioiodine and Radioxenon in Releases from Underground Nuclear Explosions with Various Degrees of Fractionation journal September 2012
Bayesian source reconstruction of an anomalous Selenium-75 release at a nuclear research institute journal July 2020
Source Term Analysis of Xenon (STAX): An effort focused on differentiating man-made isotope production from nuclear explosions via stack monitoring journal December 2022
SAUNA Q - Array: The realization of a new concept in radioxenon detection journal May 2023
Elevated radioxenon detected remotely following the Fukushima nuclear accident journal July 2011
Characterization of Xe-133 global atmospheric background: Implications for the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Xe-133 Global Atmospheric Background journal May 2016
International challenge to predict the impact of radioxenon releases from medical isotope production on a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty sampling station journal June 2016
Seasonal Variability of Xe‐133 Global Atmospheric Background: Characterization and Implications for the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear‐Test‐Ban Treaty journal February 2018
Changes in radioxenon observations in Canada and Europe during medical isotope production facility shut down in 2008 journal July 2009
Advanced Seismic Analyses of the Source Characteristics of the 2006 and 2009 North Korean Nuclear Tests journal June 2013
Global Xenon-133 Emission Inventory Caused by Medical Isotope Production and Derived from the Worldwide Technetium-99m Demand journal June 2013
Analysis of data from sensitive U.S. monitoring stations for the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactor accident journal December 2012
Characterization of CTBT-Relevant Radioxenon Detections at IMS Stations Using Isotopic Activity Ratio Analysis journal April 2023
Sample Association by using Anomalous Concentration Episodes and Decay-Consistent Isotopic Ratios at IMS Radionuclide Stations journal May 2022
Investigations of association among atmospheric radionuclide measurements journal January 2022
Projected network performance for next-generation xenon monitoring systems journal October 2022
Sensitivity of a Bayesian source-term estimation model to spatiotemporal sensor resolution journal July 2019
Source term estimation using multiple xenon isotopes in atmospheric samples journal August 2019
Analysis of Radionuclide Releases from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident Part II journal September 2012
Limits for qualitative detection and quantitative determination. Application to radiochemistry journal March 1968
Determining the source of unusual xenon isotopes in samples journal June 2022
Atmospheric modeling and source reconstruction of radioactive ruthenium from an undeclared major release in 2017 journal November 2019
Xenon International Overview report June 2018
Investigation on atmospheric radioactivity sample association using consistency with isotopic ratio decay over time at IMS radionuclide stations journal December 2023
Next-generation particulate monitoring journal June 2022
Global emission inventory of 131mXe, 133Xe, 133mXe, and 135Xe from all kinds of nuclear facilities for the reference year 2014 journal May 2023
Discrimination of Nuclear Explosions against Civilian Sources Based on Atmospheric Radioiodine Isotopic Activity Ratios journal August 2012
An episode of Ru-106 in air over Europe, September–October 2017 – Geographical distribution of inhalation dose over Europe journal September 2019
Backtracking of Noble Gas Measurements Taken in the Aftermath of the Announced October 2006 Event in North Korea by Means of PTS Methods in Nuclear Source Estimation and Reconstruction journal December 2009
Discrimination of Nuclear Explosions against Civilian Sources Based on Atmospheric Xenon Isotopic Activity Ratios journal January 2010
Measurement of Fukushima aerosol debris in Sequim and Richland, WA and Ketchikan, AK journal September 2012
Measurements of radioxenon in ground level air in South Korea following the claimed nuclear test in North Korea on October 9, 2006 journal July 2009
The influence of radiopharmaceutical isotope production on the global radioxenon background journal May 2009
Third international challenge to model the medium- to long-range transport of radioxenon to four Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty monitoring stations journal December 2022
On the model uncertainties in Bayesian source reconstruction using the emission inverse modelling system FREARtool v1.0 and the Lagrangian transport and dispersion model Flexpart v9.0.2 posted_content September 2020
Automated radioxenon monitoring for the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty in two distinctive locations: Ottawa and Tahiti journal January 2005
Global Radioxenon Emission Inventory from Nuclear Power Plants for the Calendar Year 2014 journal September 2020
Cesium-137 deposition and contamination of Japanese soils due to the Fukushima nuclear accident journal November 2011
Projected network performance for multiple isotopes using next-generation xenon monitoring systems journal October 2022
Low level radioactivity measurement in support of the CTBTO journal July 2000
Examining Nuisance Aerosol Detections in Light of the Origin of the Screening Process (November 2021) report December 2021
6 months of radioxenon detection in western Europe with the SPALAX-New generation system - Part1: Metrological capabilities journal December 2020