Nuclear event zero-time calculation and uncertainty evaluation.
It is important to know the initial time, or zero-time, of a nuclear event such as a nuclear weapon's test, a nuclear power plant accident or a nuclear terrorist attack (e.g. with an improvised nuclear device, IND). Together with relevant meteorological information, the calculated zero-time is used to help locate the origin of a nuclear event. The zero-time of a nuclear event can be derived from measured activity ratios of two nuclides. The calculated zero-time of a nuclear event would not be complete without an appropriately evaluated uncertainty term. In this paper, analytical equations for zero-time and the associated uncertainty calculations are derived using a measured activity ratio of two nuclides. Application of the derived equations is illustrated in a realistic example using data from the last Chinese thermonuclear test in 1980.
Environmental Compliance and Laboratory Services Division, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, 3484 Limebank Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1V 1E1. Pujing.Pan@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca
Pujing
P
Pan
R Kurt
RK
Ungar
D000465:Algorithms; D006207:Half-Life; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D054043:Nuclear Weapons; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D023481:Terrorism; D013995:Time; D035501:Uncertainty
D011868:Radioisotopes