An underwater sensing system for monitoring radioactivity in the marine environment

We describe a set up and an application for an autonomously working, radioactivity sensing instrument, usable in seawater and river environments. The system is based on a N aI scintillator with the appropriate specifications for use in the marine environment and for real time acquisition. It is simple, stable for long - term monitoring, and of low consumption. Many tests were carried out for the linearity and the stability of the electronics. The investigation of energy resolution and energy calibration of the sensor was performed in the laboratory using various reference point radioactive sources. The system was also deployed in a water tank in order to measure background radiation in the water and low volumetric activity of 137Cs (17 Bq/m3). Appropriate software identifies qualitatively the low level137Cs contribution to the measured γ-ray spectrum

Density profiles and collective excitations of a trapped two component Fermi vapour

We discuss the ground state and the small-amplitude excitations of a degenerate vapour of fermionic atoms placed in two hyperfine states inside a spherical harmonic trap. An equations-of-motion approach is set up to discuss the hydrodynamic dissipation processes from the interactions between the two components of the fluid beyond mean-field theory and to emphasize analogies with spin dynamics and spin diffusion in a homogeneous Fermi liquid. The conditions for the establishment of a collisional regime via scattering against cold-atom impurities are analyzed. The equilibrium density profiles are then calculated for a two-component vapour of 40K atoms: they are little modified by the interactions for presently relevant values of the system parameters, but spatial separation of the two components will spontaneously arise as the number of atoms in the trap is increased. The eigenmodes of collective oscillation in both the total particle number density and the concentration density are evaluated analytically in the special case of a symmetric two-component vapour in the collisional regime. The dispersion relation of the surface modes for the total particle density reduces in this case to that of a one-component Fermi vapour, whereas the frequencies of all other modes are shifted by the interactions.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Set up and application of an underwater Α-ray spectrometer for radioactivity measurements

The set up and control of an underwater measuring instrument for radioactivity pollution in the marine environment is described. The detection system is based on a NaI scintillator (RADAM III) with modifications for use in the marine environment with on-line measurements. The system is simple, has low power consumption and is stable for long-term monitoring (10 months). Before its deployment, the sensor was calibrated in the laboratory in a tank full of water to reproduce the marine environment. The calibrations were performed, by detecting the 661keV and 1461 keV gamma rays of known activity liquid sources 137 Cs and 40 K, respectively. The measured spectra in the laboratory were compared with spectra from a similar detector as acquired in the field. The analysis of the parallel measurement gave satisfactory agreement for the concentration of the potassium (40 K), as calculated from the salinity in the seawater, thus enabling the system for quantitative measurement of the seawater radioactivity

An attempt to identify and estimate the subsurface groundwater discharge in the south east coast of India

An attempt has been made to study the subsurface groundwater discharge (SGD) in the coastal Cuddalore region of south east India. Measurement for Radon, water level, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and pH in surface water for a total of twenty hours by hourly interval has been attempted and further correlated with tidal values calculated by WX Tide 32 software. The SGD measurements were made by using a modified seepage meter. The study reveals a match with water level variation and tide with minor variation due to influx of surface water. Saline discharges, fresh groundwater discharges and surface water mixing processes were identified along the coast. Lower SGD (37.24–79.16 cm/day) was observed during fresh groundwater discharge

Fast-neutron induced pre-equilibrium reactions on 55Mn and 63,65Cu at energies up to 40 MeV

Excitation functions were measured for the $^{55}$Mn(n,2n)$^{54}$Mn, $^{55}$Mn(n,$\alpha$)$^{52}$V, $^{63}$Cu(n,$\alpha$)$^{60}$Co, $^{65}$Cu(n,2n)$^{64}$Cu, and $^{65}$Cu(n,p)$^{65}$Ni reactions from 13.47 to 14.83 MeV. The experimental cross sections are compared with the results of calculations including all activation channels for the stable isotopes of Mn and Cu, for neutron incident energies up to 50 MeV. Within the energy range up to 20 MeV the model calculations are most sensitive to the parameters related to nuclei in the early stages of the reaction, while the model assumptions are better established by analysis of the data in the energy range 20-40 MeV. While the present analysis has taken advantage of both a new set of accurate measured cross sections around 14 MeV and the larger data basis fortunately available between 20 and 40 MeV for the Mn and Cu isotopes, the need of additional measurements below as well as above 40 MeV is pointed out. Keywords: 55Mn, 63,65Cu, E$\leq$40 MeV, Neutron activation cross section measurements, Nuclear reactions, Model calculations, Manganese, CopperComment: 39 pages, 12 figure

The application of sediment fingerprinting to floodplain and lake sediment cores: assumptions and uncertainties evaluated through case studies in the Nene Basin, UK

Purpose: Fine sediment has been shown to be a major cause of the degradation of lakes and rivers and, as a result, research has been directed towards the understanding of fine sediment dynamics and the minimisation of sediment inputs. The use of tracers within a sediment fingerprinting framework has become a heavily used technique to investigate the sources of fine sediment pressures. When combined with the use of historically deposited sediment, the technique provides the opportunity to reconstruct past changes to the environment. However, alterations to tracer signatures during sediment transport and storage are a major potential source of uncertainty associated with tracer use. At present, few studies have quantified the uncertainties associated with tracer use. Materials and methods: This paper investigated uncertainty by determining the differences between sediment provenance predictions obtained using lithogenic radionuclide, geochemical and mineral magnetic signatures when fingerprinting lake and floodplain sedimentary deposits. It also investigated the potential causes of the observed differences. Results and discussion: A reservoir core was fingerprinted with the least uncertainty, with tracer group predictions ∼28 % apart and a consistent down-core trend in changing sediment provenance produced. When fingerprinting an on-line lake core and four floodplain cores, differences between tracer group predictions were as large as 100 %; the down-core trends in changing sediment provenance were also different. The differences between tracer group predictions could be attributed to the organic matter content and particle size of the sediment. There was also evidence of the in-growth of bacterially derived magnetite and chemical dissolution affecting the preservation of tracer signatures. Simple data corrections for sediment organic matter content and particle size did not result in significantly greater agreement between the predictions of the different tracer groups. Likewise, the inclusions of weightings for tracer discriminatory efficiency and within-source variability had minimal effects on the fingerprinting results. Conclusions: This paper highlights the importance of tracer selection and the consideration of recognising tracer non-conservatism when using lake and floodplain sediment deposits to reconstruct anthropogenic changes to the environment and changing sediment dynamics. It was recommended that future research focus on the assessment of uncertainty using the artificial mixing of sediment source samples, the limitation of the fingerprinting to narrow particle size fractions and the development of specific particle size and organic matter correction factors for each tracer

Design of an Interactive Cellular System for the Remote Operation of Ocean Sensors: A Pilot Study Integrating Radioactivity Sensors

Ocean in-situ sensors are crucial for measuring oceanic parameters directly from the sea in a spatial and temporal basis. Real-time operation is used in many applications related to decision support tools and early warning services in case of accidents, incidents and/or disasters. The design of the proposed system is described as a rapid-response detection system, which aims to measure natural and artificial radioactive contaminants or other crucial ocean parameters, to replace the traditional method of sampling. The development of an interactive cellular system is undertaken using a commercial router that is programmed according to sensor specifications. A radioactivity sensor is integrated in a communication box enabling self-powered operation with a solar panel. The proposed system operates in (near) real-time mode and provides gamma-ray spectra by integrating the sensor and the appropriate electronic modules in it. Additionally, an on-site experiment was conducted to test the operability of the system in a real environment close to the sea, for monitoring fallout due to rainfall and snowfall events. The main intense radionuclides that were observed by different energy lines, were radon progenies (214Bi, 214Pb). The continuous operation of the whole system was controlled by operating the system during the winter period