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At least 145 records · Page 8

SNAP-8 post shutdown gamma radiation approximations

Detector responses were calculated for normalized sources in the Perkins and King energy group structure for a SNAP 8 power system on a NASA space station. Gamma decay rates were then calculated by using an expanded, updated list of isotopic decay data, and from these, actual detector responses were found for the SNAP 8 system. The results indicate that energy-dependent calculations must be made to determine decay gamma dose rates for actual reactor configurations. A simplified method for making these calculations has been devised.

Byrn, N. R.↗

Gamma radiation survey of the LDEF spacecraft

The retrieval of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft after nearly 6 years in orbit offered a unique opportunity to study the long term buildup of induced radioactivity in the variety of materials on board. The first complete gamma ray survey was conducted of a large spacecraft on LDEF shortly after its return to Earth. A surprising observation was the large Be-7 activity which was seen primarily on the leading edge of the satellite, implying that it was picked up by LDEF in orbit. This is the first known evidence for accretion of a radioactive isotope onto an orbiting spacecraft. Other isotopes seen during the survey, the strongest being Na-22 and Mn-54, are all attributed to activation of spacecraft components in orbit. Be-7 is a spallation product of cosmic rays on nitrogen and oxygen in the upper atmosphere. However, the observed density is much greater than expected due to cosmic ray production in situ. This implies transport of Be-7 from much lower altitudes up to the LDEF orbit.

Phillips, G. W.↗

COS-B observations of the high-energy gamma radiation from the galactic disk

The COS-B experiment has observed approximately one-fourth of the galactic disk, including the galactic-center region, the galactic anticenter, and the Vela region. A completely automatic analysis of the events recorded during these observations reveals a galactic gamma ray emission from the three regions. In the galactic center and Vela regions, the disk emission distribution was measured. From these data, the existence of a local (less than 1 kpc) and a distant (greater than 3 kpc) emitting region is apparent in the general direction of the inner galaxy.

Source record↗

Gamma radiation survey of the LDEF spacecraft

The retrieval of the Long Duration Exposure Facility spacecraft in January 1990 after nearly six years in orbit offered a unique opportunity to study the long term buildup of induced radioactivity in the variety of materials on board. We conducted the first complete gamma-ray survey of a large spacecraft on LDEF shortly after its return to earth. A surprising observation was the Be-7 activity which was seen primarily on the leading edge of the satellite, implying that it was picked up by LDEF in orbit. This is the first known evidence for accretion of a radioactive isotope onto an orbiting spacecraft. Other isotopes observed during the survey, the strongest being Na-22, are all attributed to activation of spacecraft components. Be-7 is a spallation product of cosmic rays on nitrogen and oxygen in the upper atmosphere. However, the observed density is much greater than expected due to cosmic-ray production in situ. This implies transport of Be-7 from much lower altitudes up to the LDEF orbit.

Phillips, G. W.↗

High-energy gamma radiation from extragalactic radio sources

We propose that the important relationship between 3C 273 and 3C 279, the first two extragalactic sources detected at over 100 MeV energies, is their superluminal nature. In support of this conjecture, we propose a kinematic focusing mechanism, based on Compton scattering of accretion-disk photons by relativistic nonthermal electrons in the jet, that preferentially emits gamma rays in the superluminal direction.

Dermer, C. D.↗

Gamma radiation from the Crab nebula above 35 MeV

Electromagnetic radiation from the Crab nebula were observed, showing that the Crab is unique among strong X-ray sources in that major component in the low energy range (1 to 10 KeV) shows little or no temporal variation. Observations of the Crab above 35 MeV were made with the high energy gamma ray telescope flown on SAS-2. The detector and technique are described in detail.

Kniffen, D. A.↗

Microwave and gamma radiation observations of soil moisture

The unique dielectric properties of water at microwave wavelengths afford the possibility for remotely sensing the moisture content in the surface layer of the soil. The surface emissivity and reflectivity for the soils at these wavelengths are strong functions of its moisture content. The changes in emissivity can be observed by passive microwave techniques (radiometry) and the change in reflectivity can be observed by active microwave techniques (radar). The difference in the natural terrestrial gamma ray flux measured for wet and dry soil may be used to determine soil moisture. The presence of water moisture in the soil causes an effective increase in soil density, resulting in an increased attenuation of the gamma flux for wet soil and a corresponding lower flux above the ground surface.

Schmugge, T. J.↗

Nonelastic nuclear reactions and accompanying gamma radiation

Several aspects of nonelastic nuclear reactions which proceed through the formation of a compound nucleus are dealt with. The full statistical model and the partial statistical model are described and computer programs based on these models are presented along with operating instructions and input and output for sample problems. A theoretical development of the expression for the reaction cross section for the hybrid case which involves a combination of the continuum aspects of the full statistical model with the discrete level aspects of the partial statistical model is presented. Cross sections for level excitation and gamma production by neutron inelastic scattering from the nuclei Al-27, Fe-56, Si-28, and Pb-208 are calculated and compared with avaliable experimental data.

Snow, R.↗

The external gamma radiation environment from the Kiwi Phoebus, and Pewee reactors

During the past few years, ground tests of high-powered propulsion-prototype reactors have provided several opportunities to observe the external radiation environment. Reactor tests have been conducted in free air and inside of open well shields. Measurements were taken over distances ranging from contact with the pressure vessel out to greater than 5000' both during operation and after shutdown. Some measurements characteristic of each of the systems are presented and compared with results of calculations.

Malenfant, R. E.↗