Study of photonuclear reactions with the alpha particles' emission on zirconium, niobium, and molybdenum.

Photonuclear reactions with the emission of protons and alpha particles have been little studied experimentally since their cross-sections are much smaller than those of the (γ, n) channel due to the Coulomb barrier. However, the study of such reactions is of great applied interest to producing medical isotopes. Besides, experimental data on photonuclear reactions with the emission of charged particles for nuclei with Z = 40, 41, 42 open up great opportunities for learning the role of magic numbers.

Investigation of Radionuclide Migration at Sites Adjacent to the 30-km Exclusion Zone of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

This paper reports the study of the vertical migration of radionuclides in soils at test sites adjacent to the 30-km Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The results of this effort demonstrate that the migration processes for studied pollution occur similarly to the fuel fallout behavior at the vicinity of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) Unit 4. It was also observed that the main fallout component, 137Cs, originated from aerosol fallout and was bound in the surface layer.

Spectroscopy of Radiostrontium in Fuel Materials Retrieved from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Some basic methods of measuring radiostrontium activity by spectroscopic methods are considered in this study. These methods of assessing beta spectra and the characteristic radiation that accompanies the breakdown of radiostrontium are described. The sensitivity of these methods based on the assessments of beta spectra both after radiochemical procedures and without radiochemistry is presented.

Determination of the long-lived Be in construction materials of nuclear power plants using photoactivation method.

The problem of handling nuclear power plant irradiated structural materials holds one of the central places in the nuclear power industry. High toxic Be with a half-life of T = 1.6 × 10 years is discovered in NPP structural materials after reactor operating.

The plutonium isotopes and strontium-90 determination in hot particles by characteristic X-rays.

This paper reports the developed non-destructive methods for the plutonium isotopes and strontium-90 content determination in hot particles and other samples. The proposed methods are based on the measurement of the characteristic X-rays accompanying the decay of these radionuclides. For hot particles of NPP accident origin, the proposed method's error limits are 10-15% for hot particles (samples) with activity above 100 Bq and 15-20% for hot particles (samples) with activity less than 100 Bq.

Effects of ionizing radiation on the antioxidant system of microscopic fungi with radioadaptive properties found in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Some microscopic fungi found in the area of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone appear to have unique radioadaptive properties associated with their capability to respond positively to the effects of ionizing irradiation. On the one hand, this capability can be used potentially in bio-remediation technologies, and on the other hand, it requires additional, more thorough studies to identify its underlying mechanisms. Practically, no data are currently available on mechanisms for implementation of these radioadaptive properties by microscopic fungi.

Assessment of the radionuclide composition of "hot particles" sampled in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant fourth reactor unit.

Fuel-containing materials sampled from within the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) Unit 4 Confinement Shelter were spectroscopically studied for gamma and alpha content. Isotopic ratios for cesium, europium, plutonium, americium, and curium were identified, and the fuel burn-up in these samples was determined. A systematic deviation in the burn-up values based on the cesium isotopes in comparison with other radionuclides was observed.

Vertical migration of radionuclides in the vicinity of the chernobyl confinement shelter.

Studies of vertical migration of Chernobyl-origin radionuclides in the 5-km zone of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) in the area of the Red Forest experimental site were completed. Measurements were made by gamma spectrometric methods using high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors with beryllium windows. Alpha-emitting isotopes of plutonium were determined by the measurement of the x-rays from their uranium progeny.