Study of Neutron-Induced Stable and Radioactive Nuclides in a Post Detonation Urban Environment

Abstract

In the event of a nuclear detonation in an urban environment, response time for triage by first responders, and forensic sample collection are of the utmost importance. When it comes to response planning, decision makers within the government need to have the most up-to-date information regarding several quantities of interest so that the maximum amount of lives can be saved. Quantities of interest in a post-detonation scenario include the spatial distribution of neutron-induced stable and radioactive isotopes in the environment, fallout patterns, blast and re damage zones [1]. The UMPRINDER toolkit is developed to calculate the prompt neutron-induced stable and radioactive isotopes in the surrounding environment in a nuclear forensics post-detonation scenario. The distribution of these isotopes in the environment can be used to provide guidance in determining best routes for first responders in order to minimize dose, debris sample collection routes for subsequent radiochemical analysis, and provide initial radionuclide inventories to fallout codes in order to improve fallout zone fidelity. Other methods have approached isotope transmutation on unstructured mesh for the fusion community concerning shutdown dose rates associated with fusion reactors. UMPRINDER is the first method to be focused on calculating some of the quantities of interest for the nuclear forensics and weapon effects communities.