Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution and behavior of some radionuclides associated with the Trinity nuclear test

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The activities of 133Ba, 137Cs, 152Eu, 154Eu, 155Eu, 239Pu, and 241Am were determined by gamma spectroscopy on the largest sample set (n = 49) of bulk trinitite to date. The range in activity for all isotopes is large. For example, the activity of 241Am (normalized to the time of detonation) ranges between 1 and 42 Bq/g. Comparison of activities for isotopes derived from the device, 241Am versus 137Cs, 155Eu, and 239Pu, indicate positive trends. Correlations were not observed between the activities of the soil-derived activation products 152Eu and 154Eu and the radioisotopes from the device. The calculated ratio of fission products (155Eu/137Cs) is 0.012 ± .006 (1σ, n = 3), which is lower than predicted for the thermal neutron-induced fission of 239Pu (~0.03). This discrepancy may be attributed to the spontaneous fission of the natural U tamper resulting in mixing between fission products from 239Pu and 235U. The spatial distribution of the trinitite samples relative to ground zero has been modeled based on the activity of 152Eu. The calculated distances do not correlate with any of the activities for the radioisotopes investigated here, and suggest a relatively homogeneous distribution. However, trinitite samples with the highest activities for 137Cs, 239Pu, and 241Am yield the shortest calculated distances of 50–60 m away from ground zero.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fahey AJ, Zeissler CJ, Newbury DE, Davis J, Lindstrom RM (2010) Postdetonation nuclear debris for attribution. Proc Nat Acad Sci 107(47):20207–20212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Parekh PP, Semkow TM, Torres MA, Haines DK, Cooper JM, Rosenburg PM, Kitto ME (2006) Radioactivity in trinitite six decades later. J Environ Radioact 85:103–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Eby N, Hermes R, Charnley N, Smoliga JA (2010) Trinitite-the atomic rock. Geol Today 26(5):180–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Staritzky E (1950) Thermal effects of atomic bomb explosions on soils at Trinity and Eniwetok. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, LA-1126, p 21

  5. Storms B (1965) Trinity. The Atom 2(8):1–34

    Google Scholar 

  6. Rhodes R (1986) The making of the atomic bomb, 1st edn. Simon and Schuster, New York, pp 575–577, 657

  7. Wahl AC (1988) Nuclear-charge distribution and delayed-neutron yields for thermal-neutron-induced fission of 235U, 233U, and 239Pu and for spontaneous fission of 252Cf. At Data Nucl Data Tables 39:1–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Semkow TM, Parekh PP, Haines DK (2006) Modeling the effects of the trinity test. Appl Model Comput Nucl Sci 945:142–159

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bainbridge KT (1976) Trinity Report LA-6300-H. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos

    Google Scholar 

  10. Belloni F, Himbert J, Marzocchi O, Romanello V (2011) Investigating incorporation and distribution of radionuclides in trinitite. J Environ Radioact 102:852–862

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Love DW, Allen BD, Myers RG (2008) Gypsum crystal morphologies and diverse accumulations of gypsum and other evaporites in the Tularosa basin. New Mexico Geol 30:120–121

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bellucci JJ, Simonetti A (2012) Nuclear forensics: searching for nuclear device debris in trinitite-hosted inclusions. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 293:313–319

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. US GPO (2000) Trinity site July 16, 1945. US Government Printing Office: 2000–844-916, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  14. Brunfelt AO, Roelandts I, Steinnes E (1977) Some new methods for the determination of rare-earth elements in geological materials using thermal and epithermal neutron activation. J Radioanal Chem 38:451–459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Klema ED (1945) July 16th nuclear explosion: neutron measurements with gold-foil detectors. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory report, LA-362

  16. Schlauf D, Siemon K, Weber R, Esterlund RA, Molzahn D, Parzelt P (1997) Trinitite redux: comment of “Determining the yield of the Trinity nuclear device via gamma-ray spectroscopy” by David Arkatz and Christopher Bragg. American Journal of Physics. 65(11), 1110–112. Am J Phys 63:411–413

    Google Scholar 

  17. Liede DR (ed) (2003) CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, 84th edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  18. Shoupp WE, Hill JE (1949) Thresholds for fast neutron fission in thorium and uranium. Phys Rev 75(5):785–789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the separations and radiochemistry research team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Dr. Ed Stech in the Department of Physics at the University of Notre Dame for thoughtful discussions. This research work was funded by DOE/NNSA grant PDP11-40/DE-NA0001112.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA

    Jeremy J. Bellucci, Christine Wallace, Elizabeth C. Koeman, Antonio Simonetti & Peter C. Burns

  2. RSSI 6312, West Oakton Street, Morton Grove, IL, 60053-2723, USA

    Jeremy Kieser, Eli Port & Terri Walczak

Authors
  1. Jeremy J. Bellucci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christine Wallace
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elizabeth C. Koeman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Antonio Simonetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Peter C. Burns
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jeremy Kieser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Eli Port
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Terri Walczak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeremy J. Bellucci.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (XLS 46 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bellucci, J.J., Wallace, C., Koeman, E.C. et al. Distribution and behavior of some radionuclides associated with the Trinity nuclear test. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 295, 2049–2057 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-2201-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-2201-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation