Operation Plumbob: Fallout Studies and Assessment of Radiological Phenomena.
Abstract
Several related fields important to fallout reclamation research were investigated. A comparison of the ionization from an infinite plane photon source to that of a real surface having attenuating irregularities was made. The results for Nevada desert soil surfaces show terrain attenuation of the photon source to be as high as 40 per cent when measured with a TiB survey meter at 3 ft. This attenuation was found to be a function of time since detonation and to fall off rapidly with height, becoming small at 50 ft above the terrain. A technique for rapidly evaluating this factor is presented. Comparisons were made on fallout particles resulting from one tower supported and one balloon detonated shot in order to evaluate the effect of shot towers on the nature of fallout particles. The inclusion of the iron from the shot tower into the fireball caused a significant increase in the amount of gamma activity deposited in the local fallout, suggesting a means of controlling the balance of activity between local and world wide fallout, as well as questioning the representativeness of tower o operationally delivered low alr burst phenomenology. Several prototype collecting instruments were evaluated, and the results of their applicability to future experimentation were discussed. The results of the technical measurements on several fallout events are given for reference to the work presented in the final report of Project 32.3.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1958
- Accession Number
- ADA304431
Entities
People
- E. A. Schuert
Organizations
- United States Department of Energy