Dudley Emer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Dudley Emer
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2015
The Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches were closed in-place in September 1993. Post-closure monitor... more The Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches were closed in-place in September 1993. Post-closure monitoring of the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches began in October 1993. The post-closure monitoring program is used to verify that the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trench covers are performing properly, and that there is no water infiltrating into the waste trenches. The performance of the Area
The state of Nevada has granted permission to dispose of mixed waste (MW) at the NTS. During inte... more The state of Nevada has granted permission to dispose of mixed waste (MW) at the NTS. During interim status, MW must be disposed of in an existing pit (Pit 3); there will be no new pit excavated for the disposal of MW prior to state approval; and groundwater monitoring, pit liners, and a moisture monitoring system are not required. However,
This inspection and monitoring report has been prepared for the Area 3 Waste Management Division ... more This inspection and monitoring report has been prepared for the Area 3 Waste Management Division (WMD) U-3ax/bl Crater Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 110 in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) of 1996. This inspection and monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and soil moisture monitoring data obtained at CAU 110,
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2013
ABSTRACT It is well known that radon is present in relatively high concentrations below the surfa... more ABSTRACT It is well known that radon is present in relatively high concentrations below the surface of the Earth due to natural decay of uranium and thorium. However, less information is available on the background levels of other isotopes such as 133Xe and 131mXe produced via spontaneous fission of either manmade or naturally occurring elements. The background concentrations of radioxenon in the subsurface are important to understand because these isotopes potentially can be used to confirm violations of the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty during an on-site inspection. Recently, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory measured radioxenon concentrations from the subsurface at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS—formerly known as the Nevada Test Site) to determine whether xenon isotope background levels could be detected from spontaneous fission of naturally occurring uranium or legacy 240Pu as a result of historic nuclear testing. In this paper, we discuss the results of those measurements and review the sources of xenon background that must be taken into account during OSI noble gas measurements.
This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site ins... more This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and neutron soil moisture monitoring data obtained at the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) unit, located in Area 23 of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, during the October 1999-October 2000 period. Inspections of the Area
An objective of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is to identify low-yield nuclear explosions f... more An objective of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is to identify low-yield nuclear explosions from a regional distance. Low-yield nuclear explosions can often be difficult to discriminate among the clutter of natural and man-made explosive events (e.g., earthquakes and mine blasts). The SPE is broken into three phases. Phase I has provided the first of the physics-based data to test the empirical models that have been used to discriminate nuclear events. The Phase I series of tests were placed within a highly fractured granite body. The evolution of the project has led to development of Phase II, to be placed within the opposite end member of geology, an alluvium environment, thereby increasing the database of waveforms to build upon in the discrimination models. Both the granite and alluvium sites have hosted nearby nuclear tests, which provide comparisons for the chemical test data. Phase III of the SPE is yet to be determined.
Health Physics, 2016
A radioactive particulate release experiment to produce a near-field ground deposition representa... more A radioactive particulate release experiment to produce a near-field ground deposition representative of small-scale venting from an underground nuclear test was conducted to gather data in support of treaty capability development activities. For this experiment, a CO2-driven "air cannon" was used to inject La, a radioisotope of lanthanum with 1.7-d half-life and strong gamma-ray emissions, into the lowest levels of the atmosphere at ambient temperatures. Witness plates and air samplers were laid out in an irregular grid covering the area where the plume was anticipated to deposit based on climatological wind records. This experiment was performed at the Nevada National Security Site, where existing infrastructure, radiological procedures, and support personnel facilitated planning and execution of the work. A vehicle-mounted NaI(Tl) spectrometer and a polyvinyl toluene-based backpack instrument were used to survey the deposited plume. Hand-held instruments, including NaI(Tl) and lanthanum bromide scintillators and high purity germanium spectrometers, were used to take in situ measurements. Additionally, three soil sampling techniques were investigated and compared. The relative sensitivity and utility of sampling and survey methods are discussed in the context of on-site inspection.
This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site ins... more This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and neutron soil moisture data obtained at the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) unit, located in Area 23 of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada during the October 1997 - October 1998 period. Inspections of the
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2015
The Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches were closed in-place in September 1993. Post-closure monitor... more The Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches were closed in-place in September 1993. Post-closure monitoring of the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches began in October 1993. The post-closure monitoring program is used to verify that the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trench covers are performing properly, and that there is no water infiltrating into the waste trenches. The performance of the Area
The state of Nevada has granted permission to dispose of mixed waste (MW) at the NTS. During inte... more The state of Nevada has granted permission to dispose of mixed waste (MW) at the NTS. During interim status, MW must be disposed of in an existing pit (Pit 3); there will be no new pit excavated for the disposal of MW prior to state approval; and groundwater monitoring, pit liners, and a moisture monitoring system are not required. However,
This inspection and monitoring report has been prepared for the Area 3 Waste Management Division ... more This inspection and monitoring report has been prepared for the Area 3 Waste Management Division (WMD) U-3ax/bl Crater Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 110 in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) of 1996. This inspection and monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and soil moisture monitoring data obtained at CAU 110,
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2013
ABSTRACT It is well known that radon is present in relatively high concentrations below the surfa... more ABSTRACT It is well known that radon is present in relatively high concentrations below the surface of the Earth due to natural decay of uranium and thorium. However, less information is available on the background levels of other isotopes such as 133Xe and 131mXe produced via spontaneous fission of either manmade or naturally occurring elements. The background concentrations of radioxenon in the subsurface are important to understand because these isotopes potentially can be used to confirm violations of the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty during an on-site inspection. Recently, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory measured radioxenon concentrations from the subsurface at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS—formerly known as the Nevada Test Site) to determine whether xenon isotope background levels could be detected from spontaneous fission of naturally occurring uranium or legacy 240Pu as a result of historic nuclear testing. In this paper, we discuss the results of those measurements and review the sources of xenon background that must be taken into account during OSI noble gas measurements.
This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site ins... more This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and neutron soil moisture monitoring data obtained at the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) unit, located in Area 23 of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, during the October 1999-October 2000 period. Inspections of the Area
An objective of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is to identify low-yield nuclear explosions f... more An objective of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is to identify low-yield nuclear explosions from a regional distance. Low-yield nuclear explosions can often be difficult to discriminate among the clutter of natural and man-made explosive events (e.g., earthquakes and mine blasts). The SPE is broken into three phases. Phase I has provided the first of the physics-based data to test the empirical models that have been used to discriminate nuclear events. The Phase I series of tests were placed within a highly fractured granite body. The evolution of the project has led to development of Phase II, to be placed within the opposite end member of geology, an alluvium environment, thereby increasing the database of waveforms to build upon in the discrimination models. Both the granite and alluvium sites have hosted nearby nuclear tests, which provide comparisons for the chemical test data. Phase III of the SPE is yet to be determined.
Health Physics, 2016
A radioactive particulate release experiment to produce a near-field ground deposition representa... more A radioactive particulate release experiment to produce a near-field ground deposition representative of small-scale venting from an underground nuclear test was conducted to gather data in support of treaty capability development activities. For this experiment, a CO2-driven "air cannon" was used to inject La, a radioisotope of lanthanum with 1.7-d half-life and strong gamma-ray emissions, into the lowest levels of the atmosphere at ambient temperatures. Witness plates and air samplers were laid out in an irregular grid covering the area where the plume was anticipated to deposit based on climatological wind records. This experiment was performed at the Nevada National Security Site, where existing infrastructure, radiological procedures, and support personnel facilitated planning and execution of the work. A vehicle-mounted NaI(Tl) spectrometer and a polyvinyl toluene-based backpack instrument were used to survey the deposited plume. Hand-held instruments, including NaI(Tl) and lanthanum bromide scintillators and high purity germanium spectrometers, were used to take in situ measurements. Additionally, three soil sampling techniques were investigated and compared. The relative sensitivity and utility of sampling and survey methods are discussed in the context of on-site inspection.
This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site ins... more This annual Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring report provides an analysis and summary for site inspections, meteorological information, and neutron soil moisture data obtained at the Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) unit, located in Area 23 of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada during the October 1997 - October 1998 period. Inspections of the