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The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Technical Issues for the United States (2012) / Chapter Skim
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APPENDIX F Issues Related to Containment of Radioactivity
Pages 181-182

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From page 181...
... defined successful containment as: "Successful Containment: Containment such that a test results in no radioactivity detectable off site as measured by normal monitoring equipment and no unanticipated release of radioactivity on site within a 24 hour period following execution. Detection of noble gases which appear on site at long times after an event due to changing atmospheric conditions is not unanticipated.
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From page 182...
... experience with containment of nuclear tests does not seem radically different than the Soviet containment experience. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, we judge that in at least 50 percent of nuclear tests near 1 kiloton or larger, even those carried out by experienced testers, xenon noble gases may be detectable offsite above the detection limits of the IMS (0.1 mBq/m3)
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Key Terms

  • noble gases
  • underground nuclear
  • considered containment
  • tests conducted
  • measurement technology

  • containment failure
  • nuclear test
  • nuclear testing
  • soviet containment
  • vent according

  • tests near
  • prompt venting
  • ims monitoring
  • products produced
  • radioactive debris

  • fission products
  • containment decreases
  • gas measurement
  • lost experience
  • radioactive xenon

  • specific guidance
  • somewhat lower
  • successful containment
  • ntm assets
  • soviet nuclear

  • experience base
  • xenon actually
  • mature nuclear
  • gases escaping
  • active scientists


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