Aerosol Physics Of Radioactive Particles

This book is intended as an introduction to radioactivity and aerosols for the scientifically literate reader who has had no previous exposure to either of these subjects. Although its main focus is radioactive aerosols, on the road to this subject I provide short, somewhat independent introductions to both radioactivity and aerosols, with some emphasis on experimental aspects. The audience I have in mind is upper-level undergraduates or beginning graduate students with a minimum background of introductory college courses in physics, chemistry, and calculus. This book may also be useful to "crossover" professional- professionals in other fields of science and engineering, for example biology or geoscience, who would like a step-by-step introduction to this subject matter from the physical science perspective. In writing this book I have been sensitive to requests and suggestions from students who need some background in this subject matter but will probably not specialize in it. These students are bright, but busy, and they sometimes feel overwhelmed by the mass of information in advanced, comprehensive texts. No matter how noble the intentions of the authors (or the teachers assigning the books!), these students often do not have time to read such books through cover to cover, and they fmd it difficult to pick out a coherently-connected subset of the material. Furthermore, modern students studying an interdisciplinary subject like radioactive aerosols are likely to be more diversified than ever, in educational background, in interests, and in preparation.

The subject of aerosols goes back many years and enters many aspects of science and technology. Optics, heat-transfer, biology, meteorology and pollution are just a few areas where the behaviour of small particles suspended in a gas is of vital importance. More recently, with increasing concern about the consequences of accidents in nuclear reactors and the effect of global nuclear war (i.e., the nuclear winter) a great deal of work has been directed towards the dispersal of radioactive aerosols in closed containers and in the atmosphere. The purpose of the book is twofold: to give a thorough treatment of the fundamentals of aerosol behaviour with rigorous proofs and detailed derivations of the basic equations and removal mechanisms and also to give practical examples with special attention to radioactive particles and their distribution in size following a release arising from an accident with a nuclear system. This book will be useful both as a course text and as a reference source.

Whenever radioactivity is released to the atmosphere, for example by the detonation of nuclear weapons or the testing of nuclear weapons or from nuclear reactor accidents that fraction of it which remains airborne for more than a few hours is liable to be attached to aerosol particles. The resulting radioactive aerosols are carried by atmospheric mixing processes until they settle out or are scavenged by precipitation. The radiation exposure pathway of maximum concern to humans is by inhalation of aerosols and their deposition in the respiratory tract. In this context, it is important to note that radioactive aerosols are commonly of natural origin alos. In particular, the associated radionuclides can be of natural terrestrial origin, such as the decay products of radon gas, or they can e cosmogenic, such as beryllium-7. The exposure of miners of uranium and other ores and minerals to radon and its aerosol-borne decay products is of major significance. The book describes the formation of aerosols, their aerodynamic size distribution, their atmospheric residence time, their sampling and measurement, the range of radioactive aerosols found and studied thus far, including man-made nuclides and radon decay products and their interaction with man, including deposition in the lung and subsequent health effects. * Advanced level science handbook for researchers, scientists and academics * Covers all aspects of radiation exposure in humans, including subsequent health implications * Presents the latest findings and analysis in this highly topical area

Describes radioactive emissions and their effects.

During the past 30 years, there have been advances in the understanding of multi-particle hydrodynamic interactions in the field of aerosol dynamics. Aerosol dynamics is developing from isolated-particle stage into multi-particle stage. This book reviews these progresses, and the subjects it covers include sedimentation, coagulation, mass or heat transfer, effective viscosity, and the evolution of the size distribution.

The book describes the morphological, physical and chemical properties of aerosols from various natural and anthropogenic sources to help the reader better understand the direct role of aerosol particles in scattering and absorbing short- and long-wave radiation.