Radioxenon detections in the CTBT international monitoring system likely related to the announced nuclear test in North Korea on February 12, 2013

Ringbom, Anders; Axelsson, A.; Aldener, M.; Auer, Matthias; Bowyer, Theodore W.; Fritioff, T.; Hoffman, Ian; Khrustalev, Kirill; Nikkinen, M.; Popov, Vladimir; Popov, Yury; Ungar, Kurt; Wotawa, Gerhard

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.10.027

Cited by 116 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The only atmospheric indication of the underground nuclear test performed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 2013 was the detection of 131m Xe and 133 Xe (Ringbom et al, 2014). Taken individually, the detected concentrations of these two isotopes were within the typical range detected by current IMS samplers.…”

Section: Dprk 2013 Nuclear Testmentioning

confidence: 69%

Source term estimates of radioxenon released from the BaTek medical isotope production facility using external measured air concentrations

Eslinger

Cameron

Dumais

et al. 2015

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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BATAN Teknologi (BaTek) operates an isotope production facility in Serpong, Indonesia that supplies (99m)Tc for use in medical procedures. Atmospheric releases of (133)Xe in the production process at BaTek are known to influence the measurements taken at the closest stations of the radionuclide network of the International Monitoring System (IMS). The purpose of the IMS is to detect evidence of nuclear explosions, including atmospheric releases of radionuclides. The major xenon isotopes released from BaTek are also produced in a nuclear explosion, but the isotopic ratios are different. Knowledge of the magnitude of releases from the isotope production facility helps inform analysts trying to decide if a specific measurement result could have originated from a nuclear explosion. A stack monitor deployed at BaTek in 2013 measured releases to the atmosphere for several isotopes. The facility operates on a weekly cycle, and the stack data for June 15-21, 2013 show a release of 1.84 × 10(13) Bq of (133)Xe. Concentrations of (133)Xe in the air are available at the same time from a xenon sampler located 14 km from BaTek. An optimization process using atmospheric transport modeling and the sampler air concentrations produced a release estimate of 1.88 × 10(13) Bq. The same optimization process yielded a release estimate of 1.70 × 10(13) Bq for a different week in 2012. The stack release value and the two optimized estimates are all within 10% of each other. Unpublished production data and the release estimate from June 2013 yield a rough annual release estimate of 8 × 10(14) Bq of (133)Xe in 2014. These multiple lines of evidence cross-validate the stack release estimates and the release estimates based on atmospheric samplers.

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Section: Dprk 2013 Nuclear Testmentioning

confidence: 69%

Source term estimates of radioxenon released from the BaTek medical isotope production facility using external measured air concentrations

Eslinger

Cameron

Dumais

et al. 2015

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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“…In addition, as nonreactive noble gas, these radioxenons are more difficult to contain from underground nuclear explosions than particles and therefore more likely to escape to the atmosphere (e.g., Carrigan et al, ; Perkins & Casey, ). Monitoring radioxenon worldwide is therefore a key, discriminating step in the framework of the CTBT (Kalinowski et al, ) and has already been used to provide evidence of North Korea's nuclear tests (e.g., Ringbom et al, ). It can be noted that the IMS network has also detected radionuclide (aerosols and radioxenons) from the Fukushima accident (e.g., Achim et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Variability of Xe‐133 Global Atmospheric Background: Characterization and Implications for the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear‐Test‐Ban Treaty

et al. 2018

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Global simulations of the atmospheric dispersion of worldwide industrial Xe‐133 releases have revealed a large spatial and day‐to‐day variability of the resulting so‐called Xe‐133 atmospheric background. Most stations of the International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive nuclear‐Test‐Ban Treaty Organization actually detect Xe‐133 regularly. Measured levels are explained by a varying combination of local and distant industrial sources and can interfere with discrimination of nuclear test signatures. Therefore, a better understanding of the Xe‐133 atmospheric background is needed. In this study, a validated 2 year simulation data set and a 4 year measurement data set of Xe‐133 activity concentrations have been analyzed in order to characterize possible seasonal variations of the Xe‐133 atmospheric background due to atmospheric circulation, with a focus on (i) global distributions, (ii) occurrences of detections by the IMS network, and (iii) time series of monthly averages at IMS stations. Results show a larger spatial extent of the atmospheric background during winter months, which translates into a larger number of detections on the IMS network during winter months for both hemispheres. Some IMS stations present a significant seasonal variability in terms of levels, or both in terms of levels and origins. However, not all IMS stations are subject to seasonal variations, given their location with respect to sources and large‐scale atmospheric circulation. In addition, a first set of predicted information about expected levels of atmospheric background at IMS stations not yet operational is provided, given the current knowledge of sources.

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“…A striking case illustrating the high capability of the IMS noble gas network to detect delayed signals from a nuclear explosion is given by the radioxenon isotopic ratios 131m Xe/ 133 Xe measured in April 2013 at the Takasaki IMS station (Japan). These signals based on atmospheric transport conditions prevailing at that time and on the study of the station detection records, were considered to be possibly linked to releases of radioactive xenon 7-8 weeks following the nuclear test conducted on February 12, 2013 by North Korea (Ringbom et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spalax™ new generation: A sensitive and selective noble gas system for nuclear explosion monitoring

Petit

Cagniant

Gross

et al. 2015

Applied Radiation and Isotopes

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Radioxenon detections in the CTBT international monitoring system likely related to the announced nuclear test in North Korea on February 12, 2013

Cited by 116 publications

References 16 publications

Source term estimates of radioxenon released from the BaTek medical isotope production facility using external measured air concentrations

Source term estimates of radioxenon released from the BaTek medical isotope production facility using external measured air concentrations

Seasonal Variability of Xe‐133 Global Atmospheric Background: Characterization and Implications for the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear‐Test‐Ban Treaty

Spalax™ new generation: A sensitive and selective noble gas system for nuclear explosion monitoring

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