Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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An extensive characterization of xenon isotopic activity ratios from nuclear explosion and nuclear reactors in neighboring countries of South Korea

  • Ser Gi Hong (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Hanyang University) ;
  • Geon Hee Park (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Hanyang University) ;
  • Sang Woo Kim (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Hanyang University) ;
  • Yu Yeon Cho (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Hanyang University)
  • Received : 2023.06.23
  • Accepted : 2023.10.27
  • Published : 2024.02.25
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Abstract

This paper gives an extensive analysis on the characterization of xenon isotopic ratios for various nuclear reactors and nuclear explosions through neutronic depletion codes. The results of the characterization can be used for discriminating the sources of the xenon isotopes' release among the nuclear explosions and nuclear reactors. The considered sources of the xenon radionuclides do not only include PWR, CANDU, and nuclear explosions using uranium and plutonium bombs, but also IRT-200 and 5MWe Yongbyon (MAGNOX reactor) research reactors operated in North Korea. A new data base (DB) on xenon isotopic activity ratios was produced using the results of the characterization, which can be used in discrimination of the sources of xenon isotopes. The results of the study show that 5MWe Yongbyon reactor has quite different characteristics in 135Xe/133Xe ratio from the PWRs and the nuclear reactors have different characteristics in 135Xe/133Xe ratios from the nuclear explosions.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Nuclear Safety Research Program through the Korea Foundation Of Nuclear Safety (KoFONS) using the financial resource granted by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of the Republic of Korea. (No. 2103089).

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