Discrimination of Nuclear Explosions against Civilian Sources Based on 
Atmospheric Xenon Isotopic Activity Ratios

Kalinowski, Martin B.; Axelsson, Anders; Bean, Marc; Blanchard, Xavier; Bowyer, Theodore W.; Brachet, Guy; Hebel, Simon; McIntyre, Justin I.; Peters, Jana; Pistner, Christoph; Raith, Maria; Ringbom, Anders; Saey, Paul R. J.; Schlosser, Clemens; Stocki, Trevor J.; Taffary, Thomas; Ungar, R. Kurt

doi:10.1007/s00024-009-0032-1

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Discrimination of Nuclear Explosions against Civilian Sources Based on Atmospheric Xenon Isotopic Activity Ratios

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Citation

Kalinowski, M. B., Axelsson, A., Bean, M., Blanchard, X., Bowyer, T. W., Brachet, G., et al. (2010). Discrimination of Nuclear Explosions against Civilian Sources Based on Atmospheric Xenon Isotopic Activity Ratios. PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS, 167(4-5), 517-539. doi:10.1007/s00024-009-0032-1.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0018-164F-7

Abstract

A global monitoring system for atmospheric xenon radioactivity is being established as part of the International Monitoring System that will verify compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) once the treaty has entered into force. This paper studies isotopic activity ratios to support the interpretation of observed atmospheric concentrations of (135)Xe, (133m)Xe, (133)Xe and (131m)Xe. The goal is to distinguish nuclear explosion sources from civilian releases. Simulations of nuclear explosions and reactors, empirical data for both test and reactor releases as well as observations by measurement stations of the International Noble Gas Experiment (INGE) are used to provide a proof of concept for the isotopic ratio based method for source discrimination.