Anomalous non-isotropic temporal variation of gamma-radiation from radon (progeny) within air in confined conditions

Abstract

SUMMARY New experimental results add information on the space–time variation pattern of nuclear radiation from radon in air at confined conditions. Using five gamma sensors placed around a canister containing radon in gas demonstrated temporal variation consisting of a long-term variation, which may be related to an annual variation, multiday (MD) signals and periodic daily radon (DR) signals. Separate processes drive the MD and DR signals. Both MD and DR signals exhibit inverse temporal variation patterns in the east–west and north–south directions. The MD and DR signal patterns along the vertical axis are associated with the north–south directed radiation pattern suggesting that the up–down axis of the system is actually inclined relative to the vertical axis of the canister, i.e. related to the latitude of the experiment. The relations of the time–space variations including the apparent tilt relative to a principal geographic direction imply a connection to global orientation. These results are in line with the proposition of an influence of a component of solar irradiation on variation patterns of nuclear radiation from radon.