A tracer investigation of the atmospheric dispersion in the Dyrnaes Valley, Greenland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gryning, S.-E.; Lyck, E.

1983-02-01

Mining at Kvanefjeld, Greenland, will result in releases of air pollution gases. In order to measure the dilution of these gases tracer experiments were carried out in July-August 1981. Results from these experiments are described. The Kvanefjeld constitutes the northwestern side of a valley. The tracer was released at the Kvanefjeld during the night and sampled in the valley. The measured tracer concentrations were compared with those calculated by use of a conventional model of the dispersion of plumes. The dilution of the tracer was found to correspond to the dilution at ground level of a plume from a stack of 100-200 m height in atmospheric neutral conditions (wind speed 5 m/s). General aspects of the flow-field in the valley are discussed. It was observed that the flow direction in the valley shifts between downvalley and upvalley with a period of approximately 1 hour. It is suggested that this behaviour is caused by the interplay of a drainage flow and a sea-breeze. (author)

CityFlux perfluorocarbon tracer experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Petersson, F. K.; Martin, D.; White, I. R.; Henshaw, S. J.; Nickless, G.; Longley, I.; Percival, C. J.; Gallagher, M.; Shallcross, D. E.

2010-07-01

In June 2006, two perfluorocarbon tracer experiments were conducted in central Manchester UK as part of the CityFlux campaign. The main aim was to investigate vertical dispersion in an urban area during convective conditions, but dispersion mechanisms within the street network were also studied. Paired receptors were used in most cases where one receptor was located at ground level and one at roof level. One receptor was located on the roof of Portland Tower which is an 80 m high building in central Manchester. Source receptor distances in the two experiments varied between 120 and 600 m. The results reveal that maximum concentration was sometimes found at roof level rather than at ground level implying the effectiveness of convective forces on dispersion. The degree of vertical dispersion was found to be dependent on source receptor distance as well as on building height in proximity to the release site. Evidence of flow channelling in a street canyon was also found. Both a Gaussian profile and a street network model were applied and the results show that the urban topography may lead to highly effective flow channelling which therefore may be a very important dispersion mechanism should the right meteorological conditions prevail. The experimental results from this campaign have also been compared with a simple urban dispersion model that was developed during the DAPPLE framework and show good agreement with this. The results presented here are some of the first published regarding vertical dispersion. More tracer experiments are needed in order to further characterise vertical concentration profiles and their dependence on, for instance, atmospheric stability. The impact of urban topography on pollutant dispersion is important to focus on in future tracer experiments in order to improve performance of models as well as for our understanding of the relationship between air quality and public health.

A comparative modeling study of a dual tracer experiment in a large lysimeter under atmospheric conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Stumpp, C.; Nützmann, G.; Maciejewski, S.; Maloszewski, P.

2009-09-01

SummaryIn this paper, five model approaches with different physical and mathematical concepts varying in their model complexity and requirements were applied to identify the transport processes in the unsaturated zone. The applicability of these model approaches were compared and evaluated investigating two tracer breakthrough curves (bromide, deuterium) in a cropped, free-draining lysimeter experiment under natural atmospheric boundary conditions. The data set consisted of time series of water balance, depth resolved water contents, pressure heads and resident concentrations measured during 800 days. The tracer transport parameters were determined using a simple stochastic (stream tube model), three lumped parameter (constant water content model, multi-flow dispersion model, variable flow dispersion model) and a transient model approach. All of them were able to fit the tracer breakthrough curves. The identified transport parameters of each model approach were compared. Despite the differing physical and mathematical concepts the resulting parameters (mean water contents, mean water flux, dispersivities) of the five model approaches were all in the same range. The results indicate that the flow processes are also describable assuming steady state conditions. Homogeneous matrix flow is dominant and a small pore volume with enhanced flow velocities near saturation was identified with variable saturation flow and transport approach. The multi-flow dispersion model also identified preferential flow and additionally suggested a third less mobile flow component. Due to high fitting accuracy and parameter similarity all model approaches indicated reliable results.

Data volume of atmospheric tracer studies at Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia -1996-1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, G.H.; Stone, D.J.M.; Pascoe, J.H.

2000-01-01

A perfluorocarbon atmospheric tracer system has been used to investigate atmospheric dispersion processes in the region surrounding the Lucas Heights Science and Technology Centre. Tracers have been released from two locations: a laboratory vent near the ridge of the Woronora river valley and from the HIFAR research reactor ventilation system. Most studies have been conducted during the early to late morning periods when valley influences might be expected on dispersion of the tracer plume. This report summarises the meteorological and tracer air concentration data and makes comparisons with estimates from a simple gaussian dispersion model. It is intended that the data will also be used for evaluation of more elaborate wind field and atmospheric models

CityFlux perfluorocarbon tracer experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. K. Petersson

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In June 2006, two perfluorocarbon tracer experiments were conducted in central Manchester UK as part of the CityFlux campaign. The main aim was to investigate vertical dispersion in an urban area during convective conditions, but dispersion mechanisms within the street network were also studied. Paired receptors were used in most cases where one receptor was located at ground level and one at roof level. One receptor was located on the roof of Portland Tower which is an 80 m high building in central Manchester. Source receptor distances in the two experiments varied between 120 and 600 m.

The results reveal that maximum concentration was sometimes found at roof level rather than at ground level implying the effectiveness of convective forces on dispersion. The degree of vertical dispersion was found to be dependent on source receptor distance as well as on building height in proximity to the release site.

Evidence of flow channelling in a street canyon was also found. Both a Gaussian profile and a street network model were applied and the results show that the urban topography may lead to highly effective flow channelling which therefore may be a very important dispersion mechanism should the right meteorological conditions prevail.

The experimental results from this campaign have also been compared with a simple urban dispersion model that was developed during the DAPPLE framework and show good agreement with this.

The results presented here are some of the first published regarding vertical dispersion. More tracer experiments are needed in order to further characterise vertical concentration profiles and their dependence on, for instance, atmospheric stability. The impact of urban topography on pollutant dispersion is important to focus on in future tracer experiments in order to improve performance of models as well as for our understanding of the relationship between air quality and public health.

Field studies of transport and dispersion of atmospheric tracers in nocturnal drainage flows

Science.gov (United States)

Paul H. Gudiksen; Gilbert J. Ferber; Malcolm M. Fowler; Wynn L. Eberhard; Michael A. Fosberg; William R. Knuth

1984-01-01

A series of tracer experiments were carried out as part of the Atmospheric Studies in Complex Terrain (ASCOT) program to evaluate pollutant transport and dispersion characteristics of nocturnal drainage flows within a valley in northern California. The results indicate that the degree of interaction of the drainage flows with the larger scale regional flows are...

Atmospheric Gas Tracers in Groundwater: Theory, Sampling. Measurement and Interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayari, C.S.

2002-01-01

Some of the atmospheric gasses posses features that are sought in an environmental tracer of hydrogeologic interest. Among these, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur hegzafluoride, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, krypton-85 etc. have found increasing use in groundwater age dating studies during the last ten years. This paper explains the theory of their use as tracer and discusses the major concerns as related to their sampling and analyses. Factors affecting their applicability and the approach to interpret tracer gas data is briefly outlined

ZZ SIESTA, Atmospheric Dispersion Experiment over Complex Terrain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

1 - Name of experiment: SIESTA. 2 - Computer for which program is designed and other machine version packages available: To request or retrieve programs click on the one of the active versions below. A password and special authorization is required. Explanation of the status codes. Program-name: ZZ-SIESTA; Package-ID Status: NEA-1617/01 Tested; Machines used: Package-ID: NEA-1617/01; Orig. Computer: DEC VAX 6000; Test Computer: DEC VAX 6000. 3 - Purpose and phenomena tested: The aim of the project was to obtain knowledge of the general nature of the turbulence, advection and atmospheric dispersion in the two flow regimes parallel to the Swiss Jura ridge, which represent the most frequent wind systems occurring on the Swiss Plain. 4 - Description of the experimental set-up used: The atmospheric dispersion process was investigated by carrying out SF 6 tracer experiments. The tracer was released about 6 m above ground level near the Goesgen meteo tower. Sampling units were placed on ellipses around the release point. Total sampling time was at least one hour. Tracer concentrations were determined after each experiment by Gas chromatography. 5 - Special features: Because of the uncertainty in the transport direction of the tracer plume, a mobile tracer analyzing system was used. 6 - Description of experiment and analysis: To investigate the flow field in the test region, the following measuring setups were used: (1) Three tethered balloon sounding systems to measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction; (2) a meteo tower to measure 10-minute averages of wind direction and velocity at two fixed heights; (3) sonic anemometers to measure heat flux, friction velocity, Monin-Obukhov length, and wind speed at the release point and at a certain distance; (4) 2-m masts to measure wind speed and direction continuously. The wind flow system was measured by radar-tracked tetroons

Elevated source SF6-tracer dispersion experiments in the Copenhagen area. Preliminary results II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gryning, S.E.; Lyck, E.

1980-01-01

The results from 10 experiments, performed in neutral to unstable meteorological conditions, are reported from an ongoing series of elevated-source, urban-scale tracer dispersion experiments in the Copenhagen area. The tracer is released at a height of 115 m from the TV-tower in GLADSAXE, a suburb of Copenhagen, with tracer sampling units positioned at ground-level in 1 to 3 crosswind series, 2 to 6 km downwind of the tower. The lateral dispersion parameter, sigma(y), was estimated from the measured tracer concentration distribution and compared with values of sigma(y), computed by 1) methods based on wind variance measured during the experiments and 2) methods based on a stability classification of the atmospheric conditions. The wind-variance based methods proved superior in predicting the variation of sigma(y) compared with the stability based methods. Moreover, some of the former methods produced significantly biased estimates of sigma(y). The measured tracer concentration distributions were also crosswind integrated, chi(CWI). Estimates of chi(CWI) were computed using sigma (z) -values derived from the aforementioned computations assuming a Gaussian-type vertical tracer concentration distribution. A comparison is measured and calculated values of chi(CWI) showed no significant differences in the ability of the methods to predict the variation of chi(CWI). Only one method, the EPA, came out with a mean fractional error outside the range +-20% which constitutes the uncertainty in the absolute tracer concentration associated with the calibration of the gas chromatograph for tracer analysis

Atlantic Coast Unique Regional Atmospheric Tracer Experiment (ACURATE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, J.F.; Heffter, J.L.; Mead, G.A.

1985-01-01

A long-range, long-term data set on the regional scale for air pollution model was developed for evaluation. The ACURATE model used Kr-85 emitted intermittently from the Savannah River Plant as a tracer of hourly source emission data at 5 sites for a total of 3858 measurements

Atmospheric tracer tests and assessment of a potential accident at the National Medical Cyclotron, Camperdown, NSW, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, G.H.; Bartsch, F.J.K.; Stone, D.J.M.

1994-08-01

In order to assess the impact of a potential atmospheric release of radionuclides from the National Medical Cyclotron facility, in Camperdown, an atmospheric tracer release, sampling and analysis system using SF 6 was developed. During eight experiments conducted in a variety of meteorological conditions, ten samplers were located in the vicinity of the Cyclotron building and other nearby buildings on the rapid downward movement of the tracer gas plume. The atmospheric dilution factors which lead to the highest observed air concentrations were then applied to the releases of I 123 and Xe 123 from a potential accident scenario in order to assess the impact on nearby receptors. Even given the conservative assumptions about the release of I 123 , the estimated radiation doses were at least an order of magnitude below the international standards for doses to member of the public. 27 refs., 8 tabs., 5 figs

Atmospheric tracer tests and assessment of a potential accident at the National Medical Cyclotron, Camperdown, NSW, Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, G H; Bartsch, F J.K.; Stone, D J.M.

1994-08-01

In order to assess the impact of a potential atmospheric release of radionuclides from the National Medical Cyclotron facility, in Camperdown, an atmospheric tracer release, sampling and analysis system using SF{sub 6} was developed. During eight experiments conducted in a variety of meteorological conditions, ten samplers were located in the vicinity of the Cyclotron building and other nearby buildings on the rapid downward movement of the tracer gas plume. The atmospheric dilution factors which lead to the highest observed air concentrations were then applied to the releases of I{sup 123} and Xe{sup 123} from a potential accident scenario in order to assess the impact on nearby receptors. Even given the conservative assumptions about the release of I{sup 123}, the estimated radiation doses were at least an order of magnitude below the international standards for doses to member of the public. 27 refs., 8 tabs., 5 figs.

Statistical atmospheric inversion of local gas emissions by coupling the tracer release technique and local-scale transport modelling: a test case with controlled methane emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ars

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study presents a new concept for estimating the pollutant emission rates of a site and its main facilities using a series of atmospheric measurements across the pollutant plumes. This concept combines the tracer release method, local-scale atmospheric transport modelling and a statistical atmospheric inversion approach. The conversion between the controlled emission and the measured atmospheric concentrations of the released tracer across the plume places valuable constraints on the atmospheric transport. This is used to optimise the configuration of the transport model parameters and the model uncertainty statistics in the inversion system. The emission rates of all sources are then inverted to optimise the match between the concentrations simulated with the transport model and the pollutants' measured atmospheric concentrations, accounting for the transport model uncertainty. In principle, by using atmospheric transport modelling, this concept does not strongly rely on the good colocation between the tracer and pollutant sources and can be used to monitor multiple sources within a single site, unlike the classical tracer release technique. The statistical inversion framework and the use of the tracer data for the configuration of the transport and inversion modelling systems should ensure that the transport modelling errors are correctly handled in the source estimation. The potential of this new concept is evaluated with a relatively simple practical implementation based on a Gaussian plume model and a series of inversions of controlled methane point sources using acetylene as a tracer gas. The experimental conditions are chosen so that they are suitable for the use of a Gaussian plume model to simulate the atmospheric transport. In these experiments, different configurations of methane and acetylene point source locations are tested to assess the efficiency of the method in comparison to the classic tracer release technique in coping

Statistical atmospheric inversion of local gas emissions by coupling the tracer release technique and local-scale transport modelling: a test case with controlled methane emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Ars, Sébastien; Broquet, Grégoire; Yver Kwok, Camille; Roustan, Yelva; Wu, Lin; Arzoumanian, Emmanuel; Bousquet, Philippe

2017-12-01

This study presents a new concept for estimating the pollutant emission rates of a site and its main facilities using a series of atmospheric measurements across the pollutant plumes. This concept combines the tracer release method, local-scale atmospheric transport modelling and a statistical atmospheric inversion approach. The conversion between the controlled emission and the measured atmospheric concentrations of the released tracer across the plume places valuable constraints on the atmospheric transport. This is used to optimise the configuration of the transport model parameters and the model uncertainty statistics in the inversion system. The emission rates of all sources are then inverted to optimise the match between the concentrations simulated with the transport model and the pollutants' measured atmospheric concentrations, accounting for the transport model uncertainty. In principle, by using atmospheric transport modelling, this concept does not strongly rely on the good colocation between the tracer and pollutant sources and can be used to monitor multiple sources within a single site, unlike the classical tracer release technique. The statistical inversion framework and the use of the tracer data for the configuration of the transport and inversion modelling systems should ensure that the transport modelling errors are correctly handled in the source estimation. The potential of this new concept is evaluated with a relatively simple practical implementation based on a Gaussian plume model and a series of inversions of controlled methane point sources using acetylene as a tracer gas. The experimental conditions are chosen so that they are suitable for the use of a Gaussian plume model to simulate the atmospheric transport. In these experiments, different configurations of methane and acetylene point source locations are tested to assess the efficiency of the method in comparison to the classic tracer release technique in coping with the distances

Tracer migration experiments in the Stripa mine 1980-1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birgersson, L.; Widen, H.; Aagren, T.; Neretnieks, I.

1992-05-01

During more than 10 years, tracer experiments have been performed in the Stripa mine as part of the Stripa project to investigate the properties of both 'average' fractured rock and fracture zones. Experiments have been performed that have ranged from a few decimeters, to examine the diffusion into the rock matrix, up to tracer migration to a drift more than 50 meters from the injection point. This report compiles the results and experience that have been gained from all these tracer experiments. The experiments that are described in this report are: * The in-situ diffusion experiment where simultaneous flow and diffusion of tracers in undisturbed rock were studied over more than 3 years to validate diffusivities obtained under laboratory conditions. * Migration in a single fracture where water flow distribution and tracer transport were studied using both conservative and sorbing tracers over migration distances up to 10 meters. * The 3-D migration experiment where water inflow and tracer transport to a drift covered with 350 plastic sheet were investigated to get information on flow porosity, dispersion and channeling. The transport distances were between 10 and 56 meters from the injection points to the drift. * The channeling experiments in which the aim was to examine the channeling properties of single fractures in detail. Pressure pulse tests and tracer experiments were performed over a distances of 2 meters. * The tracer migration experiment in the validation drift where the tracer were injected mainly in a fracture zone and the collection was inside both a drift covered with plastic sheets similar to in the 3-D experiment as well as in a borehole. The distances between injection and sampling location were between 10 and 25 meters. (57 refs.) (au)

Verification of atmospheric diffusion models with data of atmospheric diffusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hato, Shinji; Homma, Toshimitsu

2009-02-01

The atmospheric diffusion experiments were implemented by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) around Mount Tsukuba in 1989 and 1990, and the tracer gas concentration were monitored. In this study, the Gauss Plume Model and RAMS/HYPACT that are meteorological forecast code and atmospheric diffusion code with detailed physical law are made a comparison between monitored concentration. In conclusion, the Gauss Plume Model is better than RAM/HYPACT even complex topography if the estimation is around tens of kilometer form release point and the change in weather is constant for short time. This reason is difference of wind between RAMS and observation. (author)

Data of long term atmospheric diffusion experiments (Winter, 1992)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayashi, Takashi; Chino, Masamichi; Yamazawa, Hiromi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment] [and others

1998-10-01

The data were obtained in the long-term atmospheric diffusion experiments in the Tokai area, autumn, 1991 which were a part of the Evaluation Safety Demonstration Experiments of Environmental Radiation entrusted with the Science and Technology Agency. The experiments were conducted by JAERI in cooperation with the Japan Weather Association. The report includes tracer concentration data of surface sampling points and meteorological data. (author)

MESYST, Simulation of 3-D Tracer Dispersion in Atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mastrangelo, V.; Mehilli, I.

2000-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: Mesyst code is used for the simulation of 3D tracer dispersion in atmosphere. Three packages are part of this system: Cre-topo: prepares the terrain data for the Mesyst. Noabl: code calculates three- dimensional free divergence wind fields over complex terrain. Pas: Computing of tracer concentrations and depositions on a given domain. 2 - Method of solution: NOABL - Line Over Relaxation + Special adaptation of Gauss procedure. PAS - Monte Carlo Method. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Computations: Mesh size: variable from some meters to some hundreds meters Mesh number: variable depending on available real data (some hundreds points on each directions)

Meteorological conditions at the release site during the two tracer experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gryning, Sven-Erik; Batchvarova, E.; Schneiter, D.

1998-01-01

The state of the boundary layer at the release site during the two tracer experiments is described, based on measurements of atmospheric turbulence carried our by a sonic anemometer, profiles of horizontal and vertical wind by a SODAR as well as frequent radiosonde releases. The boundary layer...... height is derived from radiosoundings, modelled and discussed. The study is meant as background for discussions of the tracer behaviour near the release site, and possible influence of the local meteorology at the release site on the long-range dispersion. The difference in the initial mese...... model development. It is concluded that the micrometeorological measurements are very important as background information for the understanding of plume behaviour on small as well as long scales. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved....

Meteorological tracers in regional planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, K.H.

1974-11-01

Atmospheric tracers can be used as indicators to study both the ventilation of an urban region and its dispersion meteorology for air pollutants. A correlation analysis applied to the space-time dependent tracer concentrations is able to give transfer functions, the structure and characteristic parameters of which describe the meteorological and topographical situation of the urban region and its surroundings in an integral manner. To reduce the number of persons usually involved in a tracer experiment an automatic air sampling system had to be developed

Tracer-tracer relations as a tool for research on polar ozone loss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Rolf

2010-07-01

The report includes the following chapters: (1) Introduction: ozone in the atmosphere, anthropogenic influence on the ozone layer, polar stratospheric ozone loss; (2) Tracer-tracer relations in the stratosphere: tracer-tracer relations as a tool in atmospheric research; impact of cosmic-ray-induced heterogeneous chemistry on polar ozone; (3) quantifying polar ozone loss from ozone-tracer relations: principles of tracer-tracer correlation techniques; reference ozone-tracer relations in the early polar vortex; impact of mixing on ozone-tracer relations in the polar vortex; impact of mesospheric intrusions on ozone-tracer relations in the stratospheric polar vortex calculation of chemical ozone loss in the arctic in March 2003 based on ILAS-II measurements; (4) epilogue.

3-D migration experiment - report 2: Instrumentation and tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abelin, H.; Birgersson, L.; Gidlund, J.

1987-11-01

This report is one of the four reports describing the Stripa 3D experiment where water and tracer flow has been monitored in a specially excavated drift in the Stripa mine. The experiment was performed in a specially excavated drift at the 360 m level in granite. The whole ceiling and upper part of the walls were covered with more than 350 individual plastic sheets where the water flow into the drift could be collected. 11 different tracers were injected at distances between 11 and 50 m from the ceiling of the drift. The flow rate and tracer monitoring was kept up for more than two years. The tracer breakthrough curves and flow rate distributions were used to study the flow paths, velocities, hydraulic conductivities, dispersivities and channeling effects in the rock. The report describes the instrumentation developed and used as well as the tracers that were tested and used in the experiment. (orig.)

Iterative ensemble Kalman filter for atmospheric dispersion in nuclear accidents: An application to Kincaid tracer experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, X L; Su, G F; Chen, J G; Raskob, W; Yuan, H Y; Huang, Q Y

2015-10-30

Information about atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides is vitally important for planning effective countermeasures during nuclear accidents. Results of dispersion models have high spatial and temporal resolutions, but they are not accurate enough due to the uncertain source term and the errors in meteorological data. Environmental measurements are more reliable, but they are scarce and unable to give forecasts. In this study, our newly proposed iterative ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation scheme is used to combine model results and environmental measurements. The system is thoroughly validated against the observations in the Kincaid tracer experiment. The initial first-guess emissions are assumed to be six magnitudes underestimated. The iterative EnKF system rapidly corrects the errors in the emission rate and wind data, thereby significantly improving the model results (>80% reduction of the normalized mean square error, r=0.71). Sensitivity tests are conducted to investigate the influence of meteorological parameters. The results indicate that the system is sensitive to boundary layer height. When the heights from the numerical weather prediction model are used, only 62.5% of reconstructed emission rates are within a factor two of the actual emissions. This increases to 87.5% when the heights derived from the on-site observations are used. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and Validation of Water Vapor Tracers as Diagnostics for the Atmospheric Hydrologic Cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Understanding of the local and remote sources of water vapor can be a valuable diagnostic in understanding the regional atmospheric hydrologic cycle. In the present study, we have implemented passive tracers as prognostic variables to follow water vapor evaporated in predetermined regions until the water tracer precipitates. The formulation of the sources and sinks of tracer water is generally proportional to the prognostic water vapor variable. Because all water has been accounted for in tracers, the water vapor variable provides the validation of the tracer water and the formulation of the sources and sinks. The tracers have been implemented in a GEOS General Circulation Model (GCM) simulation consisting of several summer periods to determine the source regions of precipitation for the United States and India. The recycling of water and interannual variability of the sources of water will be examined. Potential uses in GCM sensitivity studies, predictability studies and data assimilation will be discussed.

Chemical Tracer Methods: Chapter 7

Science.gov (United States)

Healy, Richard W.

2017-01-01

Tracers have a wide variety of uses in hydrologic studies: providing quantitative or qualitative estimates of recharge, identifying sources of recharge, providing information on velocities and travel times of water movement, assessing the importance of preferential flow paths, providing information on hydrodynamic dispersion, and providing data for calibration of water flow and solute-transport models (Walker, 1998; Cook and Herczeg, 2000; Scanlon et al., 2002b). Tracers generally are ions, isotopes, or gases that move with water and that can be detected in the atmosphere, in surface waters, and in the subsurface. Heat also is transported by water; therefore, temperatures can be used to trace water movement. This chapter focuses on the use of chemical and isotopic tracers in the subsurface to estimate recharge. Tracer use in surface-water studies to determine groundwater discharge to streams is addressed in Chapter 4; the use of temperature as a tracer is described in Chapter 8.Following the nomenclature of Scanlon et al. (2002b), tracers are grouped into three categories: natural environmental tracers, historical tracers, and applied tracers. Natural environmental tracers are those that are transported to or created within the atmosphere under natural processes; these tracers are carried to the Earth’s surface as wet or dry atmospheric deposition. The most commonly used natural environmental tracer is chloride (Cl) (Allison and Hughes, 1978). Ocean water, through the process of evaporation, is the primary source of atmospheric Cl. Other tracers in this category include chlorine-36 (36Cl) and tritium (3H); these two isotopes are produced naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere; however, there are additional anthropogenic sources of them.

Tagging moisture sources with Lagrangian and inertial tracers: application to intense atmospheric river events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Pérez-Muñuzuri

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Two Lagrangian tracer tools are evaluated for studies on atmospheric moisture sources and pathways. In these methods, a moisture volume is assigned to each particle, which is then advected by the wind flow. Usual Lagrangian methods consider this volume to remain constant and the particle to follow flow path lines exactly. In a different approach, the initial moisture volume can be considered to depend on time as it is advected by the flow due to thermodynamic processes. In this case, the tracer volume drag must be taken into account. Equations have been implemented and moisture convection was taken into account for both Lagrangian and inertial models. We apply these methods to evaluate the intense atmospheric rivers that devastated (i the Pacific Northwest region of the US and (ii the western Iberian Peninsula with flooding rains and intense winds in early November 2006 and 20 May 1994, respectively. We note that the usual Lagrangian method underestimates moisture availability in the continent, while active tracers achieve more realistic results.

Downscale cascades in tracer transport test cases: an intercomparison of the dynamical cores in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Kent

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The accurate modeling of cascades to unresolved scales is an important part of the tracer transport component of dynamical cores of weather and climate models. This paper aims to investigate the ability of the advection schemes in the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5 to model this cascade. In order to quantify the effects of the different advection schemes in CAM5, four two-dimensional tracer transport test cases are presented. Three of the tests stretch the tracer below the scale of coarse resolution grids to ensure the downscale cascade of tracer variance. These results are compared with a high resolution reference solution, which is simulated on a resolution fine enough to resolve the tracer during the test. The fourth test has two separate flow cells, and is designed so that any tracer in the western hemisphere should not pass into the eastern hemisphere. This is to test whether the diffusion in transport schemes, often in the form of explicit hyper-diffusion terms or implicit through monotonic limiters, contains unphysical mixing.

An intercomparison of three of the dynamical cores of the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Atmosphere Model version 5 is performed. The results show that the finite-volume (CAM-FV and spectral element (CAM-SE dynamical cores model the downscale cascade of tracer variance better than the semi-Lagrangian transport scheme of the Eulerian spectral transform core (CAM-EUL. Each scheme tested produces unphysical mass in the eastern hemisphere of the separate cells test.

The European tracer experiment ETEX: a real-time long range atmospheric dispersion model exercise in different weather conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graziani, G.; )

1998-01-01

Two long-range tracer experiments were conducted. An inert, non-depositing tracer was being released at Rennes in France for 12 hours. The 168 sampling ground stations were run by the National Meteorological Services. Twenty-four institutions took part in the real-time forecasting of the cloud evolution using 28 long-range dispersion models. The horizontal projection of the cloud evolution over Europe was combined with real-time aerial chemical analysis. The results of the comparison indicate that a limited group of models (7-8) were capable of obtaining a good reproduction of the cloud movement throughout Europe for the first release. Large differences were, however, found in the predicted tracer concentration at a particular location. For the second release, there were large differences between the measured and calculated cloud, particularly after a front passage, which indicates that some efforts have still to be spent before consensus on the model reliability is achieved. (P.A.)

Stratospheric temperatures and tracer transport in a nudged 4-year middle atmosphere GCM simulation

Science.gov (United States)

van Aalst, M. K.; Lelieveld, J.; Steil, B.; Brühl, C.; Jöckel, P.; Giorgetta, M. A.; Roelofs, G.-J.

2005-02-01

We have performed a 4-year simulation with the Middle Atmosphere General Circulation Model MAECHAM5/MESSy, while slightly nudging the model's meteorology in the free troposphere (below 113 hPa) towards ECMWF analyses. We show that the nudging 5 technique, which leaves the middle atmosphere almost entirely free, enables comparisons with synoptic observations. The model successfully reproduces many specific features of the interannual variability, including details of the Antarctic vortex structure. In the Arctic, the model captures general features of the interannual variability, but falls short in reproducing the timing of sudden stratospheric warmings. A 10 detailed comparison of the nudged model simulations with ECMWF data shows that the model simulates realistic stratospheric temperature distributions and variabilities, including the temperature minima in the Antarctic vortex. Some small (a few K) model biases were also identified, including a summer cold bias at both poles, and a general cold bias in the lower stratosphere, most pronounced in midlatitudes. A comparison 15 of tracer distributions with HALOE observations shows that the model successfully reproduces specific aspects of the instantaneous circulation. The main tracer transport deficiencies occur in the polar lowermost stratosphere. These are related to the tropopause altitude as well as the tracer advection scheme and model resolution. The additional nudging of equatorial zonal winds, forcing the quasi-biennial oscillation, sig20 nificantly improves stratospheric temperatures and tracer distributions.

Proceedings of the atmospheric tracers and tracer application workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barr, S.; Gedayloo, T.

1979-12-01

In addition to presentations by participating members a general discussion was held in order to summarize and outline the goals and objectives of the workshop. A number of new low level background tracers such as heavy methanes, perfluorocarbons, multiply labeled isotopes such as 13 C 18 O 2 , helium 3, in addition to sample collection techniques and analytical methods for various tracers were discussed. This report is a summary of discussions and papers presented at this workshop

Air pollution tracer studies in the lower atmosphere (citations from the NTIS data base). Report for 1964-Jan 80

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavagnaro, D.M.

1980-02-01

The cited reports cover research on the use of tracers to study lower atmospheric air pollution movements. The tracer used include sulfur hexafluoride, krypton 85, carbon 14, and other radioactive isotopes. The studies cite the results and techniques used, tracer movement from nuclear power plants, industrial stacks, urban areas, and the detectors used in their measurement

Crustal tracers in the atmosphere and ocean: Relating their concentrations, fluxes, and ages

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Qin

Crustal tracers are important sources of key limiting nutrients (e.g., iron) in remote ocean regions where they have a large impact on global biogeochemical cycles. However, the atmospheric delivery of bio-available iron to oceans via mineral dust aerosol deposition is poorly constrained. This dissertation aims to improve understanding and model representation of oceanic dust deposition and to provide soluble iron flux maps by testing observations of crustal tracer concentrations and solubilities against predictions from two conceptual solubility models. First, we assemble a database of ocean surface dissolved Al and incorporate Al cycling into the global Biogeochemical Elemental Cycling (BEC) model. The observed Al concentrations show clear basin-scale differences that are useful for constraining dust deposition. The dynamic mixed layer depth and Al residence time in the BEC model significantly improve the simulated dissolved Al field. Some of the remaining model-data discrepancies appear related to the neglect of aerosol size, age, and air mass characteristics in estimating tracer solubility. Next, we develop the Mass-Age Tracking method (MAT) to efficiently and accurately estimate the mass-weighted age of tracers. We apply MAT to four sizes of desert dust aerosol and simulate, for the first time, global distributions of aerosol age in the atmosphere and at deposition. These dust size and age distributions at deposition, together with independent information on air mass acidity, allow us to test two simple yet plausible models for predicting the dissolution of mineral dust iron and aluminum during atmospheric transport. These models represent aerosol solubility as controlled (1) by a diffusive process leaching nutrients from the dust into equilibrium with the liquid water coating or (2) by a process that continually dissolves nutrients in proportion to the particle surface area. The surface-controlled model better captures the spatial pattern of observed

A comparison of measurements and calculations for the Stripa tracer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgkinson, D.P.; Copper, N.S.

1992-03-01

This paper presents a comparison of measurements and predictions for migration of tracers from boreholes to the validation drift and to other boreholes in the Site Characterisation and Validation (SCV) block. The comparison was carried out on behalf of the Stripa task force on fracture flow modelling. The paper summarises the radar/saline tracer experiments, the tracer migration experiment observations and reviews the fracture flow and tracer transport modelling approaches and predictions made by AEA Technology, Fracflow Consultants, Golder Associates and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The predictions are compared with the observed breakthrough curves on the basis of the validation process and criteria defined by the task force. The results of all four modelling groups met the validation criteria, with the predictions of the tracer breakthrough concentrations and times being within an order of magnitude of the observations. Also the AEA and Golder approaches allow the spatial distribution of tracer breakthrough into the validation drift to be predicted and these predictions also showed reasonable accuracy. The successful completion of this project demonstrates the feasibility of discrete fracture flow and tracer transport modelling. (36 refs.) (au)

Inert tracer wind resuspension as a function of wind speed, atmospheric stability, and initial tracer particle size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sehmel, G.A.; Lloyd, F.D.

1979-01-01

Wind-caused resuspension rates are being determined in three different, long-term, inert-tracer field experiments. Chemical results were recently received from an accumulated backlog of air filter samples. Resuspension rates are yet to be calculated from these data

Reducing errors in aircraft atmospheric inversion estimates of point-source emissions: the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak as a natural tracer experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Gourdji, S. M.; Yadav, V.; Karion, A.; Mueller, K. L.; Conley, S.; Ryerson, T.; Nehrkorn, T.; Kort, E. A.

2018-04-01

Urban greenhouse gas (GHG) flux estimation with atmospheric measurements and modeling, i.e. the ‘top-down’ approach, can potentially support GHG emission reduction policies by assessing trends in surface fluxes and detecting anomalies from bottom-up inventories. Aircraft-collected GHG observations also have the potential to help quantify point-source emissions that may not be adequately sampled by fixed surface tower-based atmospheric observing systems. Here, we estimate CH4 emissions from a known point source, the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak in Los Angeles, CA from October 2015–February 2016, using atmospheric inverse models with airborne CH4 observations from twelve flights ≈4 km downwind of the leak and surface sensitivities from a mesoscale atmospheric transport model. This leak event has been well-quantified previously using various methods by the California Air Resources Board, thereby providing high confidence in the mass-balance leak rate estimates of (Conley et al 2016), used here for comparison to inversion results. Inversions with an optimal setup are shown to provide estimates of the leak magnitude, on average, within a third of the mass balance values, with remaining errors in estimated leak rates predominantly explained by modeled wind speed errors of up to 10 m s‑1, quantified by comparing airborne meteorological observations with modeled values along the flight track. An inversion setup using scaled observational wind speed errors in the model-data mismatch covariance matrix is shown to significantly reduce the influence of transport model errors on spatial patterns and estimated leak rates from the inversions. In sum, this study takes advantage of a natural tracer release experiment (i.e. the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak) to identify effective approaches for reducing the influence of transport model error on atmospheric inversions of point-source emissions, while suggesting future potential for integrating surface tower and

GTS-LCS, in-situ experiment 2. Modeling of tracer test 09-03

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manette, M.; Saaltink, M.W.; Soler, J.M.

2015-02-01

Within the framework of the GTS-LCS project (Grimsel Test Site - Long-Term Cement Studies), an in-situ experiment lasting about 5 years was started in 2009 to study water-cement-rock interactions in a fractured granite. Prior to the experiment, a tracer test was performed to characterize the initial flow and transport properties of the rock around the experimental boreholes. This study reports on the model interpretation of tracer test 09-03. The calculations were performed by means of a two-dimensional model (homogeneous fracture plane including 3 boreholes) using the Retraso-CodeBright software package. In the tracer test, Grimsel groundwater containing the tracer (uranine) was circulated in the emplacement borehole during 43 days (zero injection flow rate). Circulation continued without tracer afterwards. Water was extracted at the observation and extraction boreholes. Results from a model sensitivity analysis comparing model results with measured tracer concentrations showed 3 cases where the evolution of tracer concentrations in the 3 different boreholes was satisfactory. In these cases a low-permeability skin affected the emplacement and observation boreholes. No skin appeared to affect the extraction borehole. The background hydraulic gradient seems to have no effect on the results of the tracer test. These results will be applied in the calculation of the initial flow field for the reactive transport phase of in-situ experiment 2 (interaction between pre-hardened cement and fractured granite at Grimsel). (orig.)

The field tracer test study of atmospheric dispersion in Fujian Huian Nuclear Power Plant site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Erbang; Xin Cuntian; Yan Jiangyu; Ren Zhiqiang; Xuan Yiren; Jia Peirong

2003-01-01

The SF 6 tracer tests and its main results completed in site of Fujian Huian Nuclear Power Plant during summer, 2002, are described. A total of 15 times of SF 6 tracer tests were done in the July, in which the time of atmospheric stability B, C, D, E is respectively 3, 2, 9, 1 based on ΔT-U method and the time of B, D, E is respectively 1, 11, 3 based on ΔT method. About 50 samples were collected in each SF 6 tracer tests, the maximum of sample distance from the tower in which the SF 6 tracer was released is about 15 km. The values of p y , p z , q y , q z in the formula of diffusion parameters is determined. Finally the above diffusion parameters are compared with P-G curve, Briggs diffusion parameters and those obtained from turbulence observation and wind tunnel simulation test done in the past time. (authors)

Live controls for radioisotope tracer food chain experiments using meiofauna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montagna, P.A.

1983-01-01

Formalin poisoned samples are inadequate for measuring the amount of label to be subtracted as control values for certain food chain studies that employ radioactive tracers. In some studies, tracer is added just before incubation to label ''food'' during the feeding study. Commonly, parallel, poisoned incubations are used to distinguish between biotic and abiotic label incorporation. But, a poisoned control does not account for label that could enter a consumer via active transport, epicuticular microfloral uptake, or grazing on labeled, non-food particles. Experiments were performed to test if label uptake is greater in live non-grazing than dead organisms. Marine benthic meiofauna incoporate from 3 to 133 times more tracer when they are alive and not grazing than when they are formalin killed. These results suggest that control experiments with live animals be performed to measure all processes by which label can enter consumers in food chain experiments. (orig.)

Numerical Simulation of a Tracer Experiment at the Wolsong Nuclear Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hyojoon; Kim, Eunhan; Park, Misun; Jeong, Haesun; Hwang, Wontae; Han, Moonhee

2014-01-01

By comparing the concentration of a tracer measured under weather conditions that are disadvantageous to the dilution of radioactive materials released from the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant, with the concentration of a tracer calculated using an air Dispersion model, it is possible to evaluate the characteristics of the air concentrations of radioactive materials estimated with an air Dispersion model, which can then be used in an environmental impact analysis of radioactive materials. Therefore, a field Dispersion experiment has been carried out to figure out the behavioral characteristics of the tracer under weather conditions that are disadvantageous to the dilution of radioactive materials released from the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea. In addition, through a comparison of the tracer concentrations estimated by the Gaussian plume model with measurements, this study checked the degree of conservative estimation for the Gaussian plume at the Wolsong nuclear site in Korea. A tracer Dispersion experiment using an SF 6 trace was implemented to determine the Dispersion characteristics of radioactive materials at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea. Based on meteorological data and the emission rate of the tracers, this study estimated the tracer concentrations using a Gaussian plume model, and then compared it with the measurement to check the conservative estimation of the Gaussian plume model. The measured concentrations of the tracer tends to be lower than the concentrations estimated by the Gaussian plume model overall

Our experience of blood flow measurements using radioactive tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danet, Bernard.

1974-01-01

A critical study of blood flow measuring methods is proposed. After a review of the various diffusible and non-diffusible radioactive tracers and the corresponding detector systems, the principles which allow to measure blood flow from the data so obtained, are studied. There is a different principle of flow measurement for each type of tracer. The theory of flow measurement using non-diffusible tracers (human serum albumin labelled with 131 I or sup(99m)Tc, 113 In-labelled siderophiline) and its application to cardiac flow measurement are described first. Then the theory of flow measurement using diffusible tracers ( 133 Xe, 85 Kr) and its application to measurement of blood flow through tissues (muscles and kidney particularly) are described. A personal experience of this various flow measurements is reported. The results obtained, the difficulties encountered and the improvments proposed are developed [fr

Atmospheric Gas Tracers in Groundwater: Theory, Sampling. Measurement and Interpretation; Yeraltisuyunda Atmosferik Gaz Izleyiciler: Kuram, Oernekleme, Oelcuem ve Yorum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bayari, C S [Hacettepe University, Ankara(Turkey)

2002-07-01

Some of the atmospheric gasses posses features that are sought in an environmental tracer of hydrogeologic interest. Among these, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur hegzafluoride, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, krypton-85 etc. have found increasing use in groundwater age dating studies during the last ten years. This paper explains the theory of their use as tracer and discusses the major concerns as related to their sampling and analyses. Factors affecting their applicability and the approach to interpret tracer gas data is briefly outlined.

Site characterization and validation - Tracer migration experiment in the validation drift, report 2, part 1: performed experiments, results and evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birgersson, L.; Widen, H.; Aagren, T.; Neretnieks, I.; Moreno, L.

1992-01-01

This report is the second of the two reports describing the tracer migration experiment where water and tracer flow has been monitored in a drift at the 385 m level in the Stripa experimental mine. The tracer migration experiment is one of a large number of experiments performed within the Site Characterization and Validation (SCV) project. The upper part of the 50 m long validation drift was covered with approximately 150 plastic sheets, in which the emerging water was collected. The water emerging into the lower part of the drift was collected in short boreholes, sumpholes. Sex different tracer mixtures were injected at distances between 10 and 25 m from the drift. The flowrate and tracer monitoring continued for ten months. Tracer breakthrough curves and flowrate distributions were used to study flow paths, velocities, hydraulic conductivities, dispersivities, interaction with the rock matrix and channelling effects within the rock. The present report describes the structure of the observations, the flowrate measurements and estimated hydraulic conductivities. The main part of this report addresses the interpretation of the tracer movement in fractured rock. The tracer movement as measured by the more than 150 individual tracer curves has been analysed with the traditional advection-dispersion model and a subset of the curves with the advection-dispersion-diffusion model. The tracer experiments have permitted the flow porosity, dispersion and interaction with the rock matrix to be studied. (57 refs.)

Inverse modelling of atmospheric tracers: non-Gaussian methods and second-order sensitivity analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Bocquet

2008-02-01

Full Text Available For a start, recent techniques devoted to the reconstruction of sources of an atmospheric tracer at continental scale are introduced. A first method is based on the principle of maximum entropy on the mean and is briefly reviewed here. A second approach, which has not been applied in this field yet, is based on an exact Bayesian approach, through a maximum a posteriori estimator. The methods share common grounds, and both perform equally well in practice. When specific prior hypotheses on the sources are taken into account such as positivity, or boundedness, both methods lead to purposefully devised cost-functions. These cost-functions are not necessarily quadratic because the underlying assumptions are not Gaussian. As a consequence, several mathematical tools developed in data assimilation on the basis of quadratic cost-functions in order to establish a posteriori analysis, need to be extended to this non-Gaussian framework. Concomitantly, the second-order sensitivity analysis needs to be adapted, as well as the computations of the averaging kernels of the source and the errors obtained in the reconstruction. All of these developments are applied to a real case of tracer dispersion: the European Tracer Experiment [ETEX]. Comparisons are made between a least squares cost function (similar to the so-called 4D-Var approach and a cost-function which is not based on Gaussian hypotheses. Besides, the information content of the observations which is used in the reconstruction is computed and studied on the application case. A connection with the degrees of freedom for signal is also established. As a by-product of these methodological developments, conclusions are drawn on the information content of the ETEX dataset as seen from the inverse modelling point of view.

Tracer experiment by using radioisotope in surface water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, K.S.; Kim, K.C.; Chun, I.Y.; Jung, S.H.; Lee, C.W.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. 1. Objective An expansion of industrial activities and urbanization result in still increasing amount of pollutants discharged into surface water. Discharged pollutants in surface water have harmful effects on the ecology of a river system and human beings. Pollutants discharged into surface water is transported and dispersed under conditions characteristic to particular natural water receiver. Radiotracer method is a useful tool for monitoring the pollutant dispersion and description of mixing process taking place in natural streams. A tracer experiment using radioisotope was carried out to investigate the characteristics of a pollutant transport and a determination of the diffusion coefficients in a river system. 2. Methods The upper area of the Keum river was selected for the tracer experiment, which is located in a mid west of Korea. The measurements of the velocity and bathymetry before a tracer experiment were performed to select the sampling lines for a detection of the radioisotope. The radioisotope was instantaneously injected into a flow as a point source by an underwater glass-vial crusher. The detection was made with 60 2inch NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors at 3 transverse lines at a downstream position. The multi-channel data acquisition systems were used to collect and process the signals transmitted from the detectors. Two-dimensional numerical models were used to simulate the hydraulic parameters and the concentration distributions of the radioisotope injected into the river. 3. Results and Conclusion The calculated results such as velocity and concentrations were compared with the measured ones. The dispersion characteristics of the radioisotope were analyzed according to a variation of the flow rate, water level and diffusion coefficients. Also, the diffusion coefficients were calculated by using the measured concentrations and the coefficients obtained from the field experiment were compared with the ones

Movement of iodine and rain water from the atmosphere to the plant - soil - water system by the activable tracer techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuita, Kouichi

1996-01-01

Iodine is one of the important elements in the environmental and agricultural sciences. It is requested to elucidate the long-term behavior of iodine in the atmosphere - soil·plant - soil water system. We developed the new tracer method, in which iodine released into the atmosphere from the stack of iodine manufacturing plant in Chiba prefecture was used as the activable tracer. Using this method, we traced the direct deposition of iodine in atmosphere onto the plant tops and the penetration of fallout iodine into soil in an open air over a long period. A quantitative evaluation of recharge function of water resources in agricultural and forest lands of Japan was eagerly requested from the nation. For it, we developed the new Br - tracer method combined with the soil water sampling system with the alumina porous ceramic cup. This tracer method was successfully applied to the agricultural and forest land in the catchment area of Sakawa river in Kanagawa prefecture. And the infiltration rate of the rain water and irrigation water, from the soil surface to the dept of 3m of the soil horizon in the forest land, tea garden and paddy field was quantitatively measured during two years. (J.P.N.)

Experiments to Evaluate and Implement Passive Tracer Gas Methods to Measure Ventilation Rates in Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lunden, Melissa [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Faulkner, David [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Heredia, Elizabeth [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Cohn, Sebastian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Dickerhoff, Darryl [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Noris, Federico [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Logue, Jennifer [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hotchi, Toshifumi [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singer, Brett [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sherman, Max H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-10-01

This report documents experiments performed in three homes to assess the methodology used to determine air exchange rates using passive tracer techniques. The experiments used four different tracer gases emitted simultaneously but implemented with different spatial coverage in the home. Two different tracer gas sampling methods were used. The results characterize the factors of the execution and analysis of the passive tracer technique that affect the uncertainty in the calculated air exchange rates. These factors include uncertainties in tracer gas emission rates, differences in measured concentrations for different tracer gases, temporal and spatial variability of the concentrations, the comparison between different gas sampling methods, and the effect of different ventilation conditions.

Reconstruction of Atmospheric Tracer Releases with Optimal Resolution Features: Concentration Data Assimilation

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sarvesh Kumar; Turbelin, Gregory; Issartel, Jean-Pierre; Kumar, Pramod; Feiz, Amir Ali

2015-04-01

function which exhibits a priori information about the unknown releases apparent to the monitoring network. The properties of the weight function provide an optimal data resolution and model resolution to the retrieved source estimates. The retrieved source estimates are proved theoretically to be stable against the random measurement errors and their reliability can be interpreted in terms of the distribution of the weight functions. Further, the same framework can be extended for the identification of the point type releases by utilizing the maximum of the retrieved source estimates. The inversion technique has been evaluated with the several diffusion experiments, like, Idaho low wind diffusion experiment (1974), IIT Delhi tracer experiment (1991), European Tracer Experiment (1994), Fusion Field Trials (2007), etc. In case of point release experiments, the source parameters are mostly retrieved close to the true source parameters with least error. Primarily, the proposed technique overcomes two major difficulties incurred in the source reconstruction: (i) The initialization of the source parameters as required by the optimization based techniques. The converged solution depends on their initialization. (ii) The statistical knowledge about the measurement and background errors as required by the Bayesian inference based techniques. These are hypothetically assumed in case of no prior knowledge.

Tracer tests - possibilities and limitations. Experience from SKB fieldwork: 1977-2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loefgren, Martin; Crawford, James; Elert, Mark (Kemakta Konsult AB, Stockholm (SE))

2007-09-15

Tracer tests have played, and still play, a central role in investigations relating to the understanding of radionuclide retention processes in the field. At present there is a debate within the scientific community concerning how, and to what extent, tracer tests can be used to evaluate large-scale and long-term transport and retardation of radionuclides and other solutes of interest for Safety Assessment of repositories for spent nuclear fuel. In this report the SKB fieldwork on tracer tests performed at Swedish sites from 1977 to 2007 is described and discussed. Furthermore, the knowledge and process understanding evolved during the decades of radionuclide transport experiments and modelling within the SKB programme is summarised. One of the main objectives of this report is to discuss what data and knowledge can be extracted from different in situ tests in a robust fashion. Given the level of complexity associated with transport processes that may occur over the timescale of a tracer test, the utility of tracer tests is considered in the context of evidence-based interpretations of data which we characterise in the form of a sequence of questions of increasing complexity. The complexity of this sequence ranges from whether connection can be confirmed between injection and withdrawal points to whether quantitative data can be extrapolated from a tracer test to be subsequently used in Safety Assessment. The main findings of this report are that: Field scale tracer tests can confirm flow connectivity. Field scale tracer tests confirm the existence of retention. Field scale tracer tests alone can only broadly substantiate our process understanding. However, if performing extensive Site Characterisation and integrating the tracer test results with the full range of geoscientific information available, much support can be given to our process understanding. Field scale tracer tests can deliver the product of the material property group MPG and the F-factor, valid

Tracer tests and image analysis of biological clogging in a two-dimentsional sandbox experiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kildsgaard, J.; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard

2002-01-01

A two-dimensional flow experiment on biological clogging was carried out by biostimulating a sandbox packed with sand inoculated with bacteria. Biostimulation. consisted of continuously injecting nutrients (acetate and nitrate). Clogging was visualized by frequently carrying out colored tracer...... experiments using Brilliant Blue. The tracer experiments were recorded with a digital camera and converted to concentration maps using an image-analysis method that revealed in detail the complex spreading pattern surrounding clogged areas. Clogging resulted in a finger-like spreading of the tracer around...

Atmospheric Tracer Depletion Testing for Unfiltered Air In-Leakage Determination at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T. M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Wilke, R. J. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Roberts, T. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Vignato, G. J. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2017-03-01

Atmospheric Tracer Depletion tests were conducted at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant to quantify the unfiltered in-leakage (UI) into the Control Room (CR), Control Building (CB), and Equipment Rooms (ER) at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant. Wolf Creek has two independent charcoal filter Emergency Ventilation Systems (EVS) that can be used to purify air entering the control building and control room. The Bravo System contains a filtration system in Room 1501 in the Auxiliary Building for the Control Room and another filtration system (FGK02B) on Elevation 2016 for the Control Building. The Alpha system contains a filtration system in Room 1512 in the Auxiliary Building for the Control Room and another filtration system (FGK02A) on Elevation 2016 for the Control Building. The Atmospheric Tracer Depletion (ATD) test is a technique to measure in-leakage using the concentration of perfluorocarbon compounds that have a constant atmospheric background. These levels are present in the Control Room and Control Building under normal operating conditions. When air is supplied by either of the EVS, most of the PFTS are removed by the charcoal filters. If the concentrations of the PFTs measured in protected areas are the same as the levels at the output of the EVS, the in-leakage of outside air into the protected area would be zero. If the concentration is higher in the protected area than at the output of the filter system, there is in-leakage and the in-leakage can be quantified by the difference. Sampling was performed using state-of-the-art Brookhaven Atmospheric Tracer Samplers (BATS) air sampling equipment and analysis performed on Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) dedicated PFT analytical systems. In the Alpha test two tracers PMCH and mcPDCH were used to determine in-leakage into the control building. The analytical system was tuned to maximize sensitivity after initial analysis of the Alpha test. The increased sensitivity permitted accurate quantification of

Atmospheric Tracer Depletion Testing for Unfiltered Air In-Leakage Determination at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, T. M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Wilke, R. J. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Roberts, T. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Vignato, G. J. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2017-04-01

Atmospheric Tracer Depletion tests were conducted at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant to quantify the unfiltered in-leakage (UI) into the Control Room (CR), Control Building (CB), and Equipment Rooms (ER) at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant. Wolf Creek has two independent charcoal filter Emergency Ventilation Systems (EVS) that can be used to purify air entering the control building and control room. The Bravo System contains a filtration system in Room 1501 in the Auxiliary Building for the Control Room and another filtration system (FGK02B) on Elevation 2016 for the Control Building. The Alpha system contains a filtration system in Room 1512 in the Auxiliary Building for the Control Room and another filtration system (FGK02A) on Elevation 2016 for the Control Building.The Atmospheric Tracer Depletion (ATD) test is a technique to measure in-leakage using the concentration of perfluorocarbon compounds that have a constant atmospheric background. These levels are present in the Control Room and Control Building under normal operating conditions. When air is supplied by either of the EVS, most of the PFTS are removed by the charcoal filters. If the concentrations of the PFTs measured in protected areas are the same as the levels at the output of the EVS, the in-leakage of outside air into the protected area would be zero. If the concentration is higher in the protected area than at the output of the filter system, there is in-leakage and the in-leakage can be quantified by the difference.Sampling was performed using state-of-the-art Brookhaven Atmospheric Tracer Samplers (BATS) air sampling equipment and analysis performed on Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) dedicated PFT analytical systems. In the Alpha test two tracers PMCH and mcPDCH were used to determine in-leakage into the control building. The analytical system was tuned to maximize sensitivity after initial analysis of the Alpha test. The increased sensitivity permitted accurate quantification of five

Keeping the secret: Insights from repeated catchment-scale tracer experiments under transient conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Bogner, Christina; Hauhs, Michael; Lange, Holger

2016-04-01

Catchment-level tracer experiments are generally performed to identify site-specific hydrological response functions of the catchment. The existence and uniqueness of these response functions are hardly ever questioned. Here, we report on a series of replicated tracer experiments in two small first-order catchments, G1 (0.6 ha, roofed) and F4 (2.3 ha, without roof) at Gårdsjön in SW Sweden. The soils in both catchments are shallow (500 m2) the experiments were done without a roof mostly at transient conditions. The catchment F4 was equipped with a sprinkler system with a watering capacity of around 38-45 m3 day-1. Natural rainfall comes in addition. A bromide tracer solution was injected to groundwater at a single location about 40 m upstream the weir over a period of less than an hour, and was monitored using a set of groundwater tubes and the weir at the outlet over the following 4 days. In addition, discharge was measured. The experiments were repeated each summer from 2007 to 2015. While steady state conditions were guaranteed in G1, steady runoff has been achieved only four times in F4. We investigated tracer recovery rates against cumulated runoff since tracer application. Substantially different transit times and qualitatively different behaviour of the breakthrough curves were observed, even under steady state conditions. In G1, no single system response function could be identified in 5 replicates. Similarly, the catchment response functions in F4 under steady state differed between experiments. However, they remained in a similar range as in G1. Based on these results, we question the identifiability of flow paths and system properties, such as saturated water content or hydrologic transmissivity, at the catchment scale using tracer experiments. Rather, the series demonstrate the utter importance of the initial and boundary conditions which largely determine the response of the system to inert tracer pulses.

Discrete fracture modelling for the Stripa tracer validation experiment predictions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dershowitz, W.; Wallmann, P.

1992-02-01

Groundwater flow and transport through three-dimensional networks of discrete fractures was modeled to predict the recovery of tracer from tracer injection experiments conducted during phase 3 of the Stripa site characterization and validation protect. Predictions were made on the basis of an updated version of the site scale discrete fracture conceptual model used for flow predictions and preliminary transport modelling. In this model, individual fractures were treated as stochastic features described by probability distributions of geometric and hydrologic properties. Fractures were divided into three populations: Fractures in fracture zones near the drift, non-fracture zone fractures within 31 m of the drift, and fractures in fracture zones over 31 meters from the drift axis. Fractures outside fracture zones are not modelled beyond 31 meters from the drift axis. Transport predictions were produced using the FracMan discrete fracture modelling package for each of five tracer experiments. Output was produced in the seven formats specified by the Stripa task force on fracture flow modelling. (au)

Tracer gas experiment to verify the dispersion from a tall stack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivertsen, B.; Irwin, J.S.

1996-01-01

At the request of the Ministerios de Obras Publicas y Urbanismo (MOPU) in Madrid, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) planned and carried out a comprehensive field experiment at the Andorra (Teruel) power plant in Spain. All together, eleven releases of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer were carried out at the 1,200 MW electric coal fired power plant. The tracer was emitted into the atmosphere from the 343 m high stack, stack exit diameter of 9 m. The stack gas emission characteristics were nearly constant during the period having an exit temperature of 175.1 C (1.9), exit velocity of 35.5 m/s (0.14) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emission rate of 46.1 x 10 3 kg/hr (5.15 x 10 3 ); standard deviations are listed in parentheses. Samples were taken at the surface along sampling arcs located approximately 8, 23, 43 and 75 km downwind. The releases were undertaken during typical late spring daytime conditions. The synoptic weather conditions were dominated by a large high pressure system on the Atlantic, west of Spain. Fronts were passing the area from the north and a low pressure system was developing over central Europe (Germany). Winds at the surface were generally brisk from the northwest at 7 to 12 m/s

Tracer dispersion - experiment and CFD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zitny, R.

2004-01-01

Description of tracer distribution by means of dispersion models is a method successfully used in process engineering for fifty years. Application of dispersion models in reactor engineering for characterization of flows in column apparatus, heat exchangers, etc. is summarized and experimental tracer techniques as well as CFD methods for dispersion coefficients evaluation are discussed. Possible extensions of thermal axial dispersion model (ADM) and a core-wall ADM model suitable for description of tracer dispersion in laminar flows are suggested as well as CFD implementation as 1D finite elements. (author)

Remarks relating to field experiments to measure the wet scavenging of tracer aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stensland, G.J.

1977-12-01

An important question is whether or not the wet deposition of debris from a single (or multiple) airburst of a nuclear device poses a significant hazard to people on the ground. To answer this question for various scenarios, a basic understanding of the aerosol attachment rates to cloud water and raindrops is needed. The attachment rates can then be incorporated into the cloud physics scavenging models to make intelligent assessments. In order to gain an initial impression as to the importance (order of magnitude) of the wet scavenging effects and to provide the data to validate the cloud scavenging models, tracer release field experiments are useful and necessary. The major purpose of this report is to address questions related to the operation and interpretation of such field tracer efforts and in particular to consider the results from the August 3, 1972, Battelle Northwest Laboratory tracer experiment in St. Louis. The Battelle experiment involved the release of several aerosol tracers at 10,000 to 13,000 feet, near rain clouds, and the measurement of the resulting tracer in the rain collected at the ground level sampling sites

Tracer simulation using a global general circulation model: Results from a midlatitude instantaneous source experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahlman, J.D.; Moxim, W.J.

1978-01-01

An 11-level general circulation model with seasonal variation is used to perform an experiment on the dispersion of passive tracers. Specially constructed time-dependent winds from this model are used as input to a separate tracer model. The methodologies employed to construct the tracer model are described.The experiment presented is the evolution of a hypothetical instantaneous source of tracer on 1 Janaury with maximum initial concentration at 65 mb, 36 0 N, 180 0 E. The tracer is assumed to have no sources or sinks in the stratosphere, but is subject to removal processes in the lower troposphere.The experimental results reveal a number of similarities to observed tracer behavior, including the average poleward-downward slope of mixing ratio isopleths, strong tracer gradients across the tropopause, intrusion of tracer into the Southern Hemisphere lower stratosphere, and the long-term interhemispheric exchange rate. The model residence times show behavior intermediate to those exhibited for particulate radioactive debris and gaseous C 14 O 2 . This suggests that caution should be employed when either radioactive debris or C 14 O 2 data are used to develop empirical models for prediction of gaseous tracers which are efficiently removed in the troposphere.In this experiment, the tracer mixing ratio and potential vorticity evolve to very high correlations. Mechanisms for this correlation are discussed. The zonal mean tracer balances exhibit complex behavior among the various transport terms. At early stages, the tracer evolution is dominated by eddy effects. Later, a very large degree of self-cancellation between mean cell and eddy effects is observed. During seasonal transitions, however, this self-cancellation diminishes markedly, leading to significant changes in the zonal mean tracer distribution. A possible theoretical explanation is presented

Seasonal cycles of secondary organic aerosol tracers in rural Guangzhou, Southern China: The importance of atmospheric oxidants.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Qi; Lai, Senchao; Song, Junwei; Ding, Xiang; Zheng, Lishan; Wang, Xinming; Zhao, Yan; Zheng, Junyu; Yue, Dingli; Zhong, Liuju; Niu, Xiaojun; Zhang, Yingyi

2018-05-21

Thirteen secondary organic aerosol (SOA) tracers of isoprene (SOA I ), monoterpenes (SOA M ), sesquiterpenes (SOA S ) and aromatics (SOA A ) in fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) were measured at a Pearl River Delta (PRD) regional site for one year. The characteristics including their seasonal cycles and the factors influencing their formation in this region were studied. The seasonal patterns of SOA I , SOA M and SOA S tracers were characterized over three enhancement periods in summer (I), autumn (II) and winter (III), while the elevations of SOA A tracer (i.e., 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid, DHOPA) were observed in Periods II and III. We found that SOA formed from different biogenic precursors could be driven by several factors during a one-year seasonal cycle. Isoprene emission controlled SOA I formation throughout the year, while monoterpene and sesquiterpene emissions facilitated SOA M and SOA S formation in summer rather than in other seasons. The influence of atmospheric oxidants (O x ) was found to be an important factor of the formation of SOA M tracers during the enhancement periods in autumn and winter. The formation of SOA S tracer was influenced by the precursor emissions in summer, atmospheric oxidation in autumn and probably also by biomass burning in both summer and winter. In this study, we could not see the strong contribution of biomass burning to DHOPA as suggested by previous studies in this region. Instead, good correlations between observed DHOPA and O x as well as [NO 2 ][O 3 ] suggest the involvement of both ozone (O 3 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) in the formation of DHOPA. The results showed that regional air pollution may not only increase the emissions of aromatic precursors but also can greatly promote the formation processes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of laser-separation of 36S and its use as an atmospheric tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herman, I.P.

1981-01-01

This report addresses one of the possible uses of isotopic tracers, produced by laser-assisted iostope separation, in the investigation of pollution problems. Specifically, the use of laser-produced sulfur isotopes to analyze the acid rain situation is considered as it is a most important application of this technique. The proposed use of isotopically-labelled SO 2 , in particular of 36 SO 2 , as a tracer can help elucidate the chemical and transport facets in a unified experiment. Separation of a sufficient quantity of the rare 36 S isotope to perform several of these tracer studies appears to be practical and economical. This overall process is certainly deserving of further investigation

Development of X-ray tracer diagnostics for radiatively-driven ablator experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacFarlane, J.J.; Cohen, D.H.; Wang, P.; Moses, G.A.; Peterson, R.R.; Jaanimagi, P.A.; Langen, O.L.; Olson, R.E.; Murphy, T.J.; Magelssen, G.R.; Delamater, N.D.

1999-01-01

This report covers fiscal year 1998 of our ongoing project to develop tracer X-ray spectroscopic diagnostics for hohlraum environments. This effort focused on an experimental campaign carried out at OMEGA on 25--27 August 1998. This phase of the project heavily emphasized experimental design, diagnostic development, and target fabrication, as well as building up numerical models for the experiments. The spectral diagnostic under development involves using two thin (few 1000 Angstroem) mid-Z tracers in two witness plates mounted on the side of a hohlraum with the tracers' K a absorption features seen against an X-ray backlighter. The absorption data are used to sample the time-dependent, localized properties of each witness plate as a radiation wave ablates it. The experiments represented the first application of this diagnostic, in this case to side-by-side doped and undoped plastic to investigate the effects of capsule ablator dopants

Characterization of two-phase flow regimes in horizontal tubes using 81mKr tracer experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Oriol, Jean; Leclerc, Jean Pierre; Berne, Philippe; Gousseau, Georges; Jallut, Christian; Tochon, Patrice; Clement, Patrice

2008-10-01

The diagnosis of heat exchangers on duty with respect to flow mal-distributions needs the development of non-intrusive inlet-outlet experimental techniques in order to perform an online fault diagnosis. Tracer experiments are an example of such techniques. They can be applied to mono-phase heat exchangers but also to multi-phase ones. In this case, the tracer experiments are more difficult to perform. In order to check for the capabilities of tracer experiments to be used for the flow mal-distribution diagnosis in the case of multi-phase heat exchangers, we present here a preliminary study on the simplest possible system: two-phase flows in a horizontal tube. (81m)Kr is used as gas tracer and properly collimated NaI (TI) crystal scintillators as detectors. The specific shape of the tracer response allows two-phase flow regimes to be characterized. Signal analysis allows the estimation of the gas phase real average velocity and consequently of the liquid phase real average velocity as well as of the volumetric void fraction. These results are compared successfully to those obtained with liquid phase tracer experiments previously presented by Oriol et al. 2007. Characterization of the two-phase flow regimes and liquid dispersion in horizontal and vertical tubes using coloured tracer and no intrusive optical detector. Chem. Eng. Sci. 63(1), 24-34, as well as to those given by correlations from literature.

Characterization of two-phase flow regimes in horizontal tubes using 81mKr tracer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oriol, Jean; Leclerc, Jean Pierre; Berne, Philippe; Gousseau, Georges; Jallut, Christian; Tochon, Patrice; Clement, Patrice

2008-01-01

The diagnosis of heat exchangers on duty with respect to flow mal-distributions needs the development of non-intrusive inlet-outlet experimental techniques in order to perform an online fault diagnosis. Tracer experiments are an example of such techniques. They can be applied to mono-phase heat exchangers but also to multi-phase ones. In this case, the tracer experiments are more difficult to perform. In order to check for the capabilities of tracer experiments to be used for the flow mal-distribution diagnosis in the case of multi-phase heat exchangers, we present here a preliminary study on the simplest possible system: two-phase flows in a horizontal tube. 81m Kr is used as gas tracer and properly collimated NaI (TI) crystal scintillators as detectors. The specific shape of the tracer response allows two-phase flow regimes to be characterized. Signal analysis allows the estimation of the gas phase real average velocity and consequently of the liquid phase real average velocity as well as of the volumetric void fraction. These results are compared successfully to those obtained with liquid phase tracer experiments previously presented by Oriol et al. 2007. Characterization of the two-phase flow regimes and liquid dispersion in horizontal and vertical tubes using coloured tracer and no intrusive optical detector. Chem. Eng. Sci. 63(1), 24-34, as well as to those given by correlations from literature

Haze in the Grand Canyon: An evaluation of the Winter Haze Intensive Tracer Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-10-01

The Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular natural sights on earth. Approximately 4 million visitors travel to Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) each year to enjoy its majestic geological formations and intensely colored views. However, visibility in GCNP can be impaired by small increases in concentrations of fine suspended particles that scatter and absorb light; the resulting visibility degradation is perceived as haze. Sulfate particles are a major factor in visibility impairment at Grand Canyon in summer and winter. Many wintertime hazes at GCNP are believed to result from the accumulation of emissions from local sources during conditions of air stagnation, which occur more frequently in winter than in summer. In January and February 1987, the National Park Service (NPS) carried out a large-scale experiment known as the Winter Haze Intensive Tracer Experiment (WHITEX) to investigate the causes of wintertime haze in the region of GCNP and Canyonlands National Park. The overall objective of WHITEX was to assess the feasibility of attributing visibility impairment in specific geographic regions to emissions from a single point source. The experiment called for the injection of a tracer, deuterated methane (CD{sub 4}), into one of the stacks of the Navajo Generating Station (NGS), a major coal-fired power plant located 25 km from the GCNP boundary and 110 km northeast of Grand Canyon Village. A network of field stations was established in the vicinity -- mostly to the northeast of GCNP and NGS -- to measure CD{sub 4} concentrations, atmospheric aerosol and optical properties, and other chemical and physical attributes. 19 refs., 3 figs.

Heat tracer test in an alluvial aquifer: Field experiment and inverse modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Klepikova, Maria; Wildemeersch, Samuel; Hermans, Thomas; Jamin, Pierre; Orban, Philippe; Nguyen, Frédéric; Brouyère, Serge; Dassargues, Alain

2016-09-01

Using heat as an active tracer for aquifer characterization is a topic of increasing interest. In this study, we investigate the potential of using heat tracer tests for characterization of a shallow alluvial aquifer. A thermal tracer test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River, Belgium. The tracing experiment consisted in simultaneously injecting heated water and a dye tracer in an injection well and monitoring the evolution of groundwater temperature and tracer concentration in the pumping well and in measurement intervals. To get insights in the 3D characteristics of the heat transport mechanisms, temperature data from a large number of observation wells closely spaced along three transects were used. Temperature breakthrough curves in observation wells are contrasted with what would be expected in an ideal layered aquifer. They reveal strongly unequal lateral and vertical components of the transport mechanisms. The observed complex behavior of the heat plume is explained by the groundwater flow gradient on the site and heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity field. Moreover, due to high injection temperatures during the field experiment a temperature-induced fluid density effect on heat transport occurred. By using a flow and heat transport numerical model with variable density coupled with a pilot point approach for inversion of the hydraulic conductivity field, the main preferential flow paths were delineated. The successful application of a field heat tracer test at this site suggests that heat tracer tests is a promising approach to image hydraulic conductivity field. This methodology could be applied in aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) projects for assessing future efficiency that is strongly linked to the hydraulic conductivity variability in the considered aquifer.

Double tracer experiments to investigate models for the calculation of gamma doses from a radioactive cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, S.P.; Gryning, S.E.; Thykier-Nielsen, S.; Karlberg, O.; Lyck, E.

1984-01-01

The paper presents work from a series of atmospheric dispersion experiments in May 1981 at the Ringhals nuclear power plant in Sweden. The aim of the project was to obtain short-term observations of concentrations and gamma-ray exposures from stack effluents and to compare these results with corresponding values calculated from computer models. Two tracers, sulphurhexafluoride (SF 6 ) and radioactive noble gases, were released from a 110-m stack and detected at ground level downwind at distances of 3-4 km. Calculations were made with two Gaussian plume models: PLUCON developed at Riso National Laboratory and UNIDOSE developed at Studsvik Energiteknik AB. (orig.)

Ground water pollution by roof runoff infiltration evidenced with multi-tracer experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Ammann, Adrian A; Hoehn, Eduard; Koch, Sabine

2003-03-01

The infiltration of urban roof runoff into well permeable subsurface material may have adverse effects on the ground water quality and endanger drinking water resources. Precipitation water from three different roofs of an industrial complex was channelled to a pit and infiltrated into a perialpine glaciofluvial gravel-and-sand aquifer. A shaft was constructed at the bottom of the pit and equipped with an array of TDR probes, lysimeters and suction cups that allowed measuring and sampling soil water at different depths. A fast infiltration flow was observed during natural rainfall events and during artificial infiltration experiments. For a better understanding of the behaviour of contaminants, experiments were conducted with cocktails of compounds of different reactivity (ammonium, strontium, atratone) and of non-reactive tracers (uranine, bromide, naphthionate), which represent different classes of pollutants. The experiment identified cation exchange reactions influencing the composition of the infiltrating water. These processes occurred under preferential flow conditions in macropores of the material. Measuring concentration changes under the controlled inflow of tracer experiments, the pollution potential was found to be high. Non-reactive tracers exhibited fast breakthrough and little sorption.

Characterization of two-phase flow regimes in horizontal tubes using {sup 81m}Kr tracer experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oriol, Jean [LPAC, CEA Grenoble, 17, rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Leclerc, Jean Pierre [Laboratoire des Sciences du Genie Chimique (LSGC), Nancy-Universite, CNRS, BP 20451, F-54001 Nancy (France)], E-mail: leclerc@ensic.inpl-nancy.fr; Berne, Philippe; Gousseau, Georges [L2T, CEA Grenoble, 17, rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Jallut, Christian [Universite de Lyon, Universite Lyon 1, LAGEP, UMR CNRS 5007, ESCPE, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Tochon, Patrice; Clement, Patrice [GRETh, CEA Grenoble, 17, rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

2008-10-15

The diagnosis of heat exchangers on duty with respect to flow mal-distributions needs the development of non-intrusive inlet-outlet experimental techniques in order to perform an online fault diagnosis. Tracer experiments are an example of such techniques. They can be applied to mono-phase heat exchangers but also to multi-phase ones. In this case, the tracer experiments are more difficult to perform. In order to check for the capabilities of tracer experiments to be used for the flow mal-distribution diagnosis in the case of multi-phase heat exchangers, we present here a preliminary study on the simplest possible system: two-phase flows in a horizontal tube. {sup 81m}Kr is used as gas tracer and properly collimated NaI (TI) crystal scintillators as detectors. The specific shape of the tracer response allows two-phase flow regimes to be characterized. Signal analysis allows the estimation of the gas phase real average velocity and consequently of the liquid phase real average velocity as well as of the volumetric void fraction. These results are compared successfully to those obtained with liquid phase tracer experiments previously presented by Oriol et al. 2007. Characterization of the two-phase flow regimes and liquid dispersion in horizontal and vertical tubes using coloured tracer and no intrusive optical detector. Chem. Eng. Sci. 63(1), 24-34, as well as to those given by correlations from literature.

Interpretation of field experiments on the flow of water and tracers through crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgkinson, D.P.; Lever, D.A.; Robinson, P.C.; Bourke, P.J.

1983-01-01

This paper reviews recent work at Harwell on the interpretation of field experiments on the flow of water and tracers through crystalline rock. First a model for the radial transport of tracers through an isolated fracture is outlined and used to analyse a recent Swedish experiment at Finnsjoen. Secondly, the theoretical and experimental approach that is being used to quantify flow and dispersion through networks of fractures is described

INTRAVAL Finnsjoen Test - modelling results for some tracer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakob, A.; Hadermann, J.

1994-09-01

This report presents the results within Phase II of the INTRAVAL study. Migration experiments performed at the Finnsjoen test site were investigated. The study was done to gain an improved understanding of not only the mechanisms of tracer transport, but also the accuracy and limitations of the model used. The model is based on the concept of a dual porosity medium, taking into account one dimensional advection, longitudinal dispersion, sorption onto the fracture surfaces, diffusion into connected pores of the matrix rock, and sorption onto matrix surfaces. The number of independent water carrying zones, represented either as planar fractures or tubelike veins, may be greater than one, and the sorption processes are described either by linear or non-linear Freundlich isotherms assuming instantaneous sorption equilibrium. The diffusion of the tracer out of the water-carrying zones into connected pore space of the adjacent rock is calculated perpendicular to the direction of the advective/dispersive flow. In the analysis, the fluid flow parameters are calibrated by the measured breakthrough curves for the conservative tracer (iodide). Subsequent fits to the experimental data for the two sorbing tracers strontium and cesium then involve element dependent parameters providing information on the sorption processes and on its representation in the model. The methodology of fixing all parameters except those for sorption with breakthrough curves for non-sorbing tracers generally worked well. The investigation clearly demonstrates the necessity of taking into account pump flow rate variations at both boundaries. If this is not done, reliable conclusions on transport mechanisms or geometrical factors can not be achieved. A two flow path model reproduces the measured data much better than a single flow path concept. (author) figs., tabs., 26 refs

The data analysis of the single well injection-withdraw tracer experiment using the MACRO II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirakawa, Toshihiko; Kanazawa, Yasuo; Hatanaka, Koichiro

2001-04-01

On understanding the radionuclide transport in natural barrier in radioactive waste isolation research, the macroscopic dispersion in heterogeneous permeability field in the underground rock is regarded as an important process. Therefore, we have conducted lots of tracer experiments by the MACRO II facility with an artificially constructed heterogeneous permeability field. In order to study the scale dependence of dispersion coefficients in case of laboratory experiments, we placed the flow cell horizontally, and conducted injection-withdraw tracer experiment with a single well. We have conducted 15 cases experiments. These cases were prepared by changing a position of single well and the injection-withdraw time. At each position we have conducted 9 cases and 6 cases experiments. In this report, we evaluated the macroscopic dispersion coefficients by the fitting of analytical solution to breakthrough curve measured by the 15 cases pumping tracer experiment. Consequently, we could evaluate the dispersion coefficients for 12 cases of 15 cases. Then, we discussed the relation between a injection-withdraw flow rate and a property of heterogeneous media and dispersion coefficient. The conclusions obtained from the results of the evaluation are summarized as follows, It was found that the macroscopic dispersion coefficients tend to be increased with increase of the average radius of tracer front spread around a single well. We have conducted any experiments with s single well settled at two positions. In case of that there is low permeability around a single well, we found dispersion coefficients are large. In case of that there is high permeability around a single well, we found dispersion coefficients are small. In three cases that we could not evaluate because of incorrect accuracy of fitting, we have found it possible that there is some points that dispersion coefficients were strikingly small in tracer front. (author)

A discussion on the determination of atmospheric OH and its trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Jöckel

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The oxidation efficiency of the troposphere is largely determined by the hydroxyl radical and its global distribution. Its presence limits the lifetime of most trace gases. Because of the great importance of several of these gases for climate, ozone budget and OH itself, it is of fundamental importance to acquire knowledge about atmospheric OH and possible trends in its concentrations. In the past, average concentrations of OH and trends were largely derived using industrially produced CH3CCl3 as a chemical tracer. The analyses have given valuable, but also rather uncertain results. In this paper we describe an idealized computer aided tracer experiment which has as one of its goals to derive tracer concentration weighted, global average k(OH>, where the temporal and spatial OH distribution is prescribed and k is the reaction rate coefficient of OH with a hitherto never produced (Gedanken tracer, which is injected at a number of surface sites in the atmosphere in well known amounts over a given time period. Using a three-dimensional (3-D time-dependent chemistry transport model, k(OH> can be accurately determined from the calculated 3-D tracer distribution. It is next explored how well k(OH> can be retrieved solely from tracer measurements at a limited number of surface sites. The results from this analysis are encouraging enough to actually think about the feasibility to carry out a global dedicated tracer experiment to derive k(OH> and its temporal trends. However, before that, we propose to test the methods that are used to derive k(OH>, so far largely using CH3CCl3, with an idealized tracer experiment, in which a global chemistry transport model is used to calculate the ``Gedanken'' tracer distribution, representing the real 3-D world, from which k(OH> is derived, using only the tracer information from a limited set of surface sites. We propose here that research groups which are, or will be, involved in global average OH studies to

Field measurements of tracer gas transport by barometric pumping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagus, P.L.; McKinnis, W.B.; Hearst, J.R.; Burkhard, N.R.; Smith, C.F.

1994-01-01

Vertical gas motions induced by barometric pressure variations can carry radioactive gases out of the rubblized region produced by an underground nuclear explosion, through overburden rock, into the atmosphere. To better quantify transit time and amount of transport, field experiments were conducted at two sites on Pahute Mesa, Kapelli and Tierra, where radioactive gases had been earlier detected in surface cracks. At each site, two tracer gases were injected into the rubblized chimney 300-400 m beneath the surface and their arrival was monitored by concentration measurements in gas samples extracted from shallow collection holes. The first ''active'' tracer was driven by a large quantity of injected air; the second ''passive'' tracer was introduced with minimal gas drive to observe the natural transport by barometric pumping. Kapelli was injected in the fall of 1990, followed by Tierra in the fall of 1991. Data was collected at both sites through the summer of 1993. At both sites, no surface arrival of tracer was observed during the active phase of the experiment despite the injection of several million cubic feet of air, suggesting that cavity pressurization is likely to induce horizontal transport along high permeability layers rather than vertical transport to the surface. In contrast, the vertical pressure gradients associated with barometric pumping brought both tracers to the surface in comparable concentrations within three months at Kapelli, whereas 15 months elapsed before surface arrival at Tierra. At Kapelli, a quasisteady pumping regime was established, with tracer concentrations in effluent gases 1000 times smaller than concentrations thought to exist in the chimney. Tracer concentrations observed at Tierra were typically an order of magnitude smaller. Comparisons with theoretical calculations suggest that the gases are traveling through ∼1 millimeter vertical fractures spaced 2 to 4 meters apart. 6 refs., 18 figs., 3 tabs

Deuterium used as artificial tracer in column studies under saturated water flow conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Koeniger, P.; Geiges, M.; Leibundgut, Ch.

2003-04-01

In contrast to numerous investigations using deuterium as an environmental tracer, hydrological investigations with deuterium-labelled water are rather rare. Currently applications in groundwater studies are restricted due to increasing costs of spiking large water quantities but an application as intelligent tracer might be of advantage especially in combination with other tracers and under distinct environmental conditions. Therefore deuterium was applied as artificial tracer in column experiments that are well proved as a tool to characterise tracer behaviour in recent studies. Deuterium was tested in comparison to the more familiar conservative tracer fluorescein. Varying experimental conditions, e.g. column length (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 m), initial tracer concentration (0.01, 0.02, 0.2 mg) and flow velocity (1.5 to 6.0 m/d) were used to investigate tracer behaviour under saturated water flow conditions. Deuterium was analysed using an H/Device with chrome reduction connected to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and expressed in relative concentrations [per mill V-SMOW]. Theoretical tracer breakthrough curves were calculated using a one dimensional dispersion model. The results indicate higher mean transport velocities and smaller dispersion for deuterium in all experiments. Due to different molecule properties that also determine the interaction of soil substrate and tracer, deuterium indicates a more conservative transport behaviour. Deuterium is non-toxic, completely soluble, chemically and biologically stable and not subject to light-influenced decay. Furthermore, it shows promise for investigations of water flow in the unsaturated zone, and of interactions of water in soil-plant-atmosphere systems. A further discussion of problems, together with possibilities for applying deuterium as an artificial tracer, will be presented.

Investigation of Groundwater Flow Variations near a Recharge Pond with Repeat Deliberate Tracer Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordan F Clark

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Determining hydraulic connections and travel times between recharge facilities and production wells has become increasingly important for permitting and operating managed aquifer recharge (MAR sites, a water supply strategy that transfers surface water into aquifers for storage and later extraction. This knowledge is critical for examining water quality changes and assessing the potential for future contamination. Deliberate tracer experiments are the best method for determining travel times and identifying preferential flow paths between recharge sites over the time scales of weeks to a few years. This paper compares the results of two deliberate tracer experiments at Kraemer Basin, Orange County, CA, USA. Results from the first experiment, which was conducted in October 1998, showed that a region of highly transmissive sedimentary material extends down gradient from the basin for more than 3 km [1]. Mean groundwater velocities were determined to be approximately 2 km/year in this region based on the arrival time of the tracer center of mass. A second experiment was initiated in January 2008 to determine if travel times from this basin to monitoring and production wells changed during the past decade in response to new recharge conditions. Results indicate that flow near Kraemer Basin was stable, and travel times to most wells determined during both experiments agree within the experimental uncertainty.

Hanford 67-series: a volume of atmospheric field diffusion measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickola, P.W.

1977-11-01

This volume documents atmospheric diffusion experiments carried out at the Hanford reservation during the period 1967 to 1973. A total of 103 tracer releases during 54 release periods is tabulated. Multi-tracer releases (generally from different elevations) were made during most of the experimental periods. Release heights varied from ground level to an elevation of 111 m. Tracers were sampled simultaneously on as many as 10 arcs at distances of up to 12.8 km from the tracer release point. As many as 718 field sampling locations were employed during some of the experiments. Vertical profiles of concentration were monitored on towers during 23 of the 54 release periods. Concurrent vertical profiles of mean temperature, of mean wind speed and direction, and of direction standard deviation are also tabled for elevations up to 122 m

Development of soft x-ray tracer diagnostics for hohlraum experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacFarlane, J.J.; Cohen, D.H.; Wang, P.; Peterson, R.R.; Moses, G.A.

1998-04-01

The purpose of this report is to summarize work performed by the University of Wisconsin during fiscal year 1996 under the NLUF contract DE-FG-96SF21015. This contract involved the development of soft x-ray spectral diagnostics from tracer layers in hohlraum witness plates. This effort was originally intended to be focused on OMEGA experiments, but the experiments were changed to NOVA because initial indirect drive shots had not yet been performed on the OMEGA upgrade. Data were collected in a series of experiments between January 1997 and October 1997. Experiments were delayed somewhat due to bringing up the Hettrick spectrometer on the NOVA target chamber. The tasks related to the planning, carrying out, and modeling of the experiments are outlined in Table 1.1 and detailed in the remainder of this report

Small molecules as tracers in atmospheric secondary organic aerosol

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ge

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed from in-air oxidation of volatile organic compounds, greatly affects human health and climate. Although substantial research has been devoted to SOA formation and evolution, the modeled and lab-generated SOA are still low in mass and degree of oxidation compared to ambient measurements. In order to compensate for these discrepancies, the aqueous processing pathway has been brought to attention. The atmospheric waters serve as aqueous reaction media for dissolved organics to undergo further oxidation, oligomerization, or other functionalization reactions, which decreases the vapor pressure while increasing the oxidation state of carbon atoms. Field evidence for aqueous processing requires the identification of tracer products such as organosulfates. We synthesized the standards for two organosulfates, glycolic acid sulfate and lactic acid sulfate, in order to measure their aerosol-state concentration from five distinct locations via filter samples. The water-extracted filter samples were analyzed by LC-MS. Lactic acid sulfate and glycolic acid sulfate were detected in urban locations in the United States, Mexico City, and Pakistan with varied concentrations, indicating their potential as tracers. We studied the aqueous processing reaction between glyoxal and nitrogen-containing species such as ammonium and amines exclusively by NMR spectrometry. The reaction products formic acid and several imidazoles along with the quantified kinetics were reported. The brown carbon generated from these reactions were quantified optically by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The organic-phase reaction between oxygen molecule and alkenes photosensitized by alpha-dicarbonyls were studied in the same manner. We observed the fast kinetics transferring alkenes to epoxides under simulated sunlight. Statistical estimations indicate a very effective conversion of aerosol-phase alkenes to epoxides, potentially forming organosulfates in a deliquescence event and

Tracers and tracing methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leclerc, J.P.

2001-01-01

The first international congress on 'Tracers and tracing methods' took place in Nancy in May 2001. The objective of this second congress was to present the current status and trends on tracing methods and their applications. It has given the opportunity to people from different fields to exchange scientific information and knowledge about tracer methodologies and applications. The target participants were the researchers, engineers and technologists of various industrial and research sectors: chemical engineering, environment, food engineering, bio-engineering, geology, hydrology, civil engineering, iron and steel production... Two sessions have been planned to cover both fundamental and industrial aspects: 1)fundamental development (tomography, tracer camera visualization and particles tracking; validation of computational fluid dynamics simulations by tracer experiments and numerical residence time distribution; new tracers and detectors or improvement and development of existing tracing methods; data treatments and modeling; reactive tracer experiments and interpretation) 2)industrial applications (geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications; civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications; chemical engineering; environment; food engineering and bio-engineering). The program included 5 plenary lectures, 23 oral communications and around 50 posters. Only 9 presentations are interested for the INIS database

Atmospheric chemistry and physics in the atmosphere of a developed megacity (London: an overview of the REPARTEE experiment and its conclusions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. M. Harrison

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The REgents PARk and Tower Environmental Experiment (REPARTEE comprised two campaigns in London in October 2006 and October/November 2007. The experiment design involved measurements at a heavily trafficked roadside site, two urban background sites and an elevated site at 160–190 m above ground on the BT Tower, supplemented in the second campaign by Doppler lidar measurements of atmospheric vertical structure. A wide range of measurements of airborne particle physical metrics and chemical composition were made as well as measurements of a considerable range of gas phase species and the fluxes of both particulate and gas phase substances. Significant findings include (a demonstration of the evaporation of traffic-generated nanoparticles during both horizontal and vertical atmospheric transport; (b generation of a large base of information on the fluxes of nanoparticles, accumulation mode particles and specific chemical components of the aerosol and a range of gas phase species, as well as the elucidation of key processes and comparison with emissions inventories; (c quantification of vertical gradients in selected aerosol and trace gas species which has demonstrated the important role of regional transport in influencing concentrations of sulphate, nitrate and secondary organic compounds within the atmosphere of London; (d generation of new data on the atmospheric structure and turbulence above London, including the estimation of mixed layer depths; (e provision of new data on trace gas dispersion in the urban atmosphere through the release of purposeful tracers; (f the determination of spatial differences in aerosol particle size distributions and their interpretation in terms of sources and physico-chemical transformations; (g studies of the nocturnal oxidation of nitrogen oxides and of the diurnal behaviour of nitrate aerosol in the urban atmosphere, and (h new information on the chemical composition and source apportionment of particulate

Tracers of air-sea gas exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liss, P.S.

1988-01-01

The flux of gas across the air-sea interface is determined by the product of the interfacial concentration difference driving the exchange and a rate constant, often termed the transfer velocity. The concentration-difference term is generally obtained by direct measurement, whereas more indirect approaches are required to estimate the transfer velocity and its variation as a function of controlling parameters such as wind and sea state. Radioactive tracers have proved particularly useful in the estimation of air-sea transfer velocities and, recently, stable purposeful tracers have also started to be used. In this paper the use of the following tracers to determine transfer velocities at the sea surface is discussed: natural and bomb-produced 14 C, dissolved oxygen, 222 Rn and sulphur hexafluoride. Other topics covered include the relation between transfer velocity and wind speed as deduced from tracer and wind-tunnel studies, and the discrepancy between transfer velocities determined by using tracers and from eddy correlation measurements in the atmosphere. (author)

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Final report of the first stage of the tracer retention understanding experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winberg, A. [Conterra AB, Uppsala (Sweden); Andersson, Peter [Geosigma AB, Uppsala (Sweden); Hermanson, Jan [Golder Grundteknik, Solna (Sweden); Byegaard, Johan [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Nuclear Chemistry; Cvetkovic, V. [Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Water Resources Engineering; Birgersson, Lars [Kemakta Konsult AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2000-03-15

The first stage of the Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments (TRUE) was performed as a SKB funded project. The overall objectives of TRUE are to develop the understanding of radionuclide migration and retention in fractured rock, to evaluate the realism in applied model concepts, and to assess whether the necessary input data to the models can be collected from site characterisation. Further, to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of different model approaches, and finally to provide in situ data on radionuclide migration and retention. The strive for address with multiple approaches is facilitated through a close collaboration with the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes. The TRUE programme is a staged programme which addresses various scales from laboratory (< 0.5 m), detailed scale (< 10 m) and block scale (10-50 m). The First TRUE Stage was performed in the detailed scale with the specific objectives of providing data and conceptualising the investigated feature using conservative and sorbing tracers. Further, to improve methodologies for performing tracer tests, and to develop and test a methodology for obtaining pore volume/aperture data from epoxy resin injection, excavation and subsequent analyses. The experimental site is located at approximately 400 m depth in the northeastern part of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. The identification of conductive fractures and the target feature has benefited from the use of BIPS borehole TV imaging combined with detailed flow logging. The assessment of the conductive geometry has been further sustained by cross-hole pressure interference data. The investigated target feature (Feature A) is a reactivated mylonite which has later undergone brittle deformation. The feature is oriented northwest, along the principal horizontal stress orientation, and is a typical conductor for Aespoe conditions. Hydraulic characterisation shows that the feature is relatively well isolated

How well do different tracers constrain the firn diffusivity profile?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. M. Trudinger

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Firn air transport models are used to interpret measurements of the composition of air in firn and bubbles trapped in ice in order to reconstruct past atmospheric composition. The diffusivity profile in the firn is usually calibrated by comparing modelled and measured concentrations for tracers with known atmospheric history. However, in most cases this is an under-determined inverse problem, often with multiple solutions giving an adequate fit to the data (this is known as equifinality. Here we describe a method to estimate the firn diffusivity profile that allows multiple solutions to be identified, in order to quantify the uncertainty in diffusivity due to equifinality. We then look at how well different combinations of tracers constrain the firn diffusivity profile. Tracers with rapid atmospheric variations like CH₃CCl₃, HFCs and ¹⁴CO₂ are most useful for constraining molecular diffusivity, while &delta:¹⁵N₂ is useful for constraining parameters related to convective mixing near the surface. When errors in the observations are small and Gaussian, three carefully selected tracers are able to constrain the molecular diffusivity profile well with minimal equifinality. However, with realistic data errors or additional processes to constrain, there is benefit to including as many tracers as possible to reduce the uncertainties. We calculate CO₂ age distributions and their spectral widths with uncertainties for five firn sites (NEEM, DE08-2, DSSW20K, South Pole 1995 and South Pole 2001 with quite different characteristics and tracers available for calibration. We recommend moving away from the use of a firn model with one calibrated parameter set to infer atmospheric histories, and instead suggest using multiple parameter sets, preferably with multiple representations of uncertain processes, to assist in quantification of the uncertainties.

Influence of stability classification on atmospheric diffusion calculations for elevated releases over a terrain of major roughness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Erbang

1988-01-01

A series (22) of atmospheric tracer experiments with 100m release height have been performed at the kernforschungszentrum karlsruhe (KfK) of West Germany over a terrain of major roughness (Z 0 = 1.5 m). The concentration data of the tracers are statistically analysed in which 5 methods of stability classification are used. The results show that the normalized diffusion factors predicted by Gaussian plume dispersion model is in good agreement with the observed ones for elevated releases over a terrain of major roughness. Differnent sets of dispersion parameters could be obtained for the same series of atmospheric tracer experiments if different methods of classification are applied. The same method of stability classification should be used for the application of these dispersion parameters to evaluate the environment impact

Analysis of tracer responses in the BULLION Forced-Gradient Experiment at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul W. Reimus; Marc J. Haga

1999-10-01

This report presents an analysis of the tracer data from the BULLION forced-gradient experiment (FGE) conducted on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site from June 2, 1997 through August 28, 1997, for the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Program. It also serves to document the polystyrene microsphere data from the FGE. The FGE involved the injection of solute and colloid tracers into wells ER-20-6 No. 1 and ER-20-6 No. 2 while ER-20-6 No. 3 was pumped at approximately 116 gallons per minute (gpm). The experimental configuration and test design are described briefly in this report; more details are provided elsewhere (IT, 1996, 1997, 1998). The tracer responses in the various wells yielded valuable information about transport processes such as longitudinal dispersion, matrix diffusion and colloid transport in the hydrogeologic system in the vicinity of the BULLION nuclear test cavity. Parameter values describing these processes are derived from the semi-analytical model interpretations presented in this report. A companion report (IT, 1998) presents more detailed numerical modeling interpretations of the solute tracer responses.

Analysis of tracer responses in the BULLION Forced-Gradient Experiment at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimus, Paul W.; Haga, Marc J.

1999-01-01

This report presents an analysis of the tracer data from the BULLION forced-gradient experiment (FGE) conducted on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site from June 2, 1997 through August 28, 1997, for the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Program. It also serves to document the polystyrene microsphere data from the FGE. The FGE involved the injection of solute and colloid tracers into wells ER-20-6 No. 1 and ER-20-6 No. 2 while ER-20-6 No. 3 was pumped at approximately 116 gallons per minute (gpm). The experimental configuration and test design are described briefly in this report; more details are provided elsewhere (IT, 1996, 1997, 1998). The tracer responses in the various wells yielded valuable information about transport processes such as longitudinal dispersion, matrix diffusion and colloid transport in the hydrogeologic system in the vicinity of the BULLION nuclear test cavity. Parameter values describing these processes are derived from the semi-analytical model interpretations presented in this report. A companion report (IT, 1998) presents more detailed numerical modeling interpretations of the solute tracer responses

The evaluation of data from the MACRO tracer experiment. The report for Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watari, Shingo

1999-12-01

On understanding the radionuclide transport in Natural Barrier in radioactive waste isolation research, the macroscopic dispersion in heterogeneous permeability field in the underground rock is regarded as an important process. Therefore, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) developed the MACRO experiment with an artificial heterogeneous permeability field and has been conducted lots of tracer experiments. To estimate the effect of characteristics of field on the macroscopic dispersion using data from those tracer experiments, the evaluation of dispersion coefficient is required. In this report, the macroscopic dispersion coefficients were evaluated for the results of the tracer experiments using the MACRO facility with a single well. The coefficients for the experiments of 18 cases were evaluated by the fitting of analytical solution to the breakthrough curve measured in the well. In the evaluations, the correction of data measured in the experiments and of the accuracy in the evaluation were considered. The conclusions are as follows. The macroscopic dispersion coefficients for 18 cases were evaluated using Least Square Method by fitting the analytical evaluation to the result of experiment. Consequently, the coefficients for 7 cases were evaluated with not enough accurate fitting results. Therefore, another evaluations for those 7 cases were required to be with more accuracy. Then, those coefficients were evaluated with enough accuracy. It was verified that the macroscopic dispersion coefficient tend to be increased with increase of the average radius of tracer front. In some cases, however, the trend was not verified because of the limit of accuracy for data measured in the experiment and for the evaluation method of the coefficient. It was found that the macroscopic dispersion coefficients evaluated for the cases with heterogeneous permeability field type B tend to be higher than those with heterogeneous permeability field type A. (author)

Numerical simulation of atmospheric dispersion in the vicinity of the Rocky Flats plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossert, J.E.; Poulos, G.S.

1993-01-01

The Atmospheric Studies in Complex Terrain (ASCOT) program sponsored a field experiment in the winter of 1991 near Rocky Flats, Colorado. Both meteorological and tracer dispersion measurements were taken. These two data sets provided an opportunity to investigate the influence of terrain-generated, radiatively-driven flows on the dispersion of the tracer. In this study, we use the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to simulate meteorological conditions and tracer dispersion on the case night of 4--5 February 1991. The simulations were developed to examine the influence of nocturnal drainage flow from various topography regimes on the dispersion of tracer from the Rocky Flats plant. The simulation described herein demonstrates the extent to which Rocky Mountain drainage winds influence the flow at the mountain/plain interface for a particular case night, and shows the potential importance of canyon drainage on dispersion from the Rocky Flats area

Development of radioisotope tracer technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Joon Ha; Lee, Myun Joo; Jung, Sung Hee; Park, Soon Chul; Lim, Dong Soon; Kim, Jae Ho; Lee, Jae Choon; Lee, Doo Sung; Cho, Yong Suk; Shin, Sung Kuan

2000-04-01

The purpose of this study is to develop the radioisotope tracer technology, which can be used in solving industrial and environmental problems and to build a strong tracer group to support the local industries. In relation to the tracer technology in 1999, experiments to estimate the efficiencies of a sludge digester of a waste water treatment plant and a submerged biological reactor of a dye industry were conducted. As a result, the tracer technology for optimization of facilities related to wastewater treatment has been developed and is believed to contribute to improve their operation efficiency. The quantification of the experimental result was attempted to improve the confidence of tracer technology by ECRIN program which basically uses the MCNP simulation principle. Using thin layer activation technique, wear of tappet shim was estimated. Thin layer surface of a tappet shim was irradiated by proton beam and the correlation between the measured activity loss and the amount of wear was established. The equipment was developed to adjust the energy of proton which collides with the surface of tappet. The tracer project team has participated into the tracer test for estimating the efficiency of RFCC system in SK cooperation. From the experiment the tracer team has obtained the primary elements to be considered for judging the efficiency of RFCC unit. By developing the tracer techniques to test huge industrial units like RFCC, the tracer team will be able to support the local industries that require technical services to solve any urgent trouble. (author)

FLORIDA TOWER FOOTPRINT EXPERIMENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

WATSON,T.B.; DIETZ, R.N.; WILKE, R.; HENDREY, G.; LEWIN, K.; NAGY, J.; LECLERC, M.

2007-01-01

The Florida Footprint experiments were a series of field programs in which perfluorocarbon tracers were released in different configurations centered on a flux tower to generate a data set that can be used to test transport and dispersion models. These models are used to determine the sources of the CO{sub 2} that cause the fluxes measured at eddy covariance towers. Experiments were conducted in a managed slash pine forest, 10 km northeast of Gainesville, Florida, in 2002, 2004, and 2006 and in atmospheric conditions that ranged from well mixed, to very stable, including the transition period between convective conditions at midday to stable conditions after sun set. There were a total of 15 experiments. The characteristics of the PFTs, details of sampling and analysis methods, quality control measures, and analytical statistics including confidence limits are presented. Details of the field programs including tracer release rates, tracer source configurations, and configuration of the samplers are discussed. The result of this experiment is a high quality, well documented tracer and meteorological data set that can be used to improve and validate canopy dispersion models.

Radioactive tracers in the sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, W.J.; Livingston, H.D.

1980-01-01

Artificial radionuclides introduced to the oceans during the last four decades have proved invaluable tools for study of many processes in marine water columns and sediments. Both global and close-in fallout of radioactivity from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing have distributed these radionuclides widely, and in amounts sufficient to be useful as tracers. An additional source of considerable significance and tracer potential comes from coastal discharges of European nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes. The nature of these sources, types and amounts of radionuclides introduced and the time histories of their introduction generate a variety of tracer distributions which illuminate a broad spectrum of physical and chemical processes active over a wide range of timescales. Depending on their respective chemistries, artificial radionuclides have been demonstrated to exhibit both conservative and non-conservative properties in the oceans. Some examples are given of the uses made of soluble, conservative tracers for the study of oceanic transport processes and of non-conservative tracers for studies of processes which move them to, and mix them within, marine sediments. Sampling and measurement techniques which have been used in these studies are described

Effects from influent boundary conditions on tracer migration and spatial variability features in intermediate-scale experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, H.R.; Polzer, W.L.; Springer, E.P.

1987-04-01

In previous unsaturated transport studies at Los Alamos dispersion coefficients were estimated to be higher close to the tracer source than at greater distances from the source. Injection of tracers through discrete influent outlets could have accounted for those higher dispersions. Also, a lack of conservation of mass of the tracers was observed and suspected to be due to spatial variability in transport. In the present study experiments were performed under uniform influent (ponded) conditions in which breakthrough of tracers was monitored at four locations at each of four depths. All other conditions were similar to those of the unsaturated transport experiments. A comparison of results from these two sets of experiments indicates differences in the parameter estimates. Estimates were made for the dispersion coefficient and the retardation factor by the one-dimensional steady flow computer code, CFITIM. Estimates were also made for mass and for velocity and the dispersion coefficient by the method of moments. The dispersion coefficient decreased with depth under discrete influent application and increased with depth under ponded influent application. Retardation was predicted better under the discrete influent application than under ponded influent application. Differences in breakthroughs and in estimated parameters among locations at the same depth were observed under ponded influent application. Those differences indicate that there is a lack of conservation of mass as well as significant spatial variability across the experimental domain. 14 refs., 9 figs., 8 tabs

Coefficients of tracer transfer through membranes. Pt. 7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorabialska, A; Hawlicka, E; Plonka, A [Politechnika Lodzka (Poland)

1974-01-01

The doubled value of the tracer transfer coefficient in the self-diffusion process is equal to the sum of tracer transfer coefficients in the diffusion and interfusion processes. The fundamental phenomenological relation can be deduced for the coefficients of tracer transfer between two phases of electrolyte solutions spearated by a virtual boundary. Indeed, the doubled value of the tracer mobility in the self-diffusion experiment (no concentration gradient of the traced substance) is equal to the sum of the tracer mobilities in the diffusion (tracer movement along with the concentration gradient of the traced substance) and interfusion experiments (tracer movement against the concentration gradient of the traced substance). Thus the doubled value of the tracer transfer coefficient in the self-diffusion process should be equal to the sum of tracer transfer coefficients in the diffusion and interfusion processes. The experimental verification of that fundamental relation is presented.

Inverse constraints for emission fluxes of atmospheric tracers estimated from concentration measurements and Lagrangian transport

Science.gov (United States)

Pisso, Ignacio; Patra, Prabir; Breivik, Knut

2015-04-01

Lagrangian transport models based on times series of Eulerian fields provide a computationally affordable way of achieving very high resolution for limited areas and time periods. This makes them especially suitable for the analysis of point-wise measurements of atmospheric tracers. We present an application illustrated with examples of greenhouse gases from anthropogenic emissions in urban areas and biogenic emissions in Japan and of pollutants in the Arctic. We asses the algorithmic complexity of the numerical implementation as well as the use of non-procedural techniques such as Object-Oriented programming. We discuss aspects related to the quantification of uncertainty from prior information in the presence of model error and limited number of observations. The case of non-linear constraints is explored using direct numerical optimisation methods.

A Tracer Experiment to Understand Dispersion Characteristics at a Nuclear Power Plant Site-Focusing on the Comparison with Predictive Results using Reg. Guide 1.145 model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Hyojoon; Kim, Eunhan; Jeong, Haesun; Hwang, Wontae; Han, Moonhee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

There remains disagreement regarding the application of a Gaussian plume model in PAVAN, as it relates to the complicated geographical features of a coastal area. Therefore, this study was performed in order to figure out the characteristics of the PAVAN program that was developed based on the equations of Gaussian Plume Model, which reflected the actual measured concentration of radioactive materials released to the air. It also evaluated the appropriateness of using a Gaussian plume model for assessing the environmental impact of radiation from a nuclear power plant. In order to analyze the dispersion characteristics of radioactive materials released into the air from the Wolsong nuclear power plant, SF{sub 6} gas was released from the site at night for one hour under stable atmospheric conditions disadvantageous to dilute a tracer gas in this study. The measured concentrations were compared with theoretical estimates derived from meteorological data observed during the experiment period to evaluate the prediction capabilities of the Gaussian plume model. This study conducted a tracer dispersion experiment at the site of Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea to analyze the atmospheric dispersion characteristics of radioactive materials. It compared the experimental value with the calculated value using the Gaussian Plume Model as suggested in Reg. 1.145, based on the meteorological data observed in the experiment time period, and evaluated the conservative estimate of the calculated value. In the area where the calculated value is relatively high, the calculated value tends to show higher than the experimental value, which confirmed the conservative manner of the estimating of the calculated value using the Gaussian Plume Model. The short-term exposure of radiation to a human body caused by a nuclear accident would be higher in the area where the atmospheric concentration of radiation is high. Therefore, it is a sufficiently conservative manner to use the

A Tracer Experiment to Understand Dispersion Characteristics at a Nuclear Power Plant Site-Focusing on the Comparison with Predictive Results using Reg. Guide 1.145 model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hyojoon; Kim, Eunhan; Jeong, Haesun; Hwang, Wontae; Han, Moonhee

2014-01-01

There remains disagreement regarding the application of a Gaussian plume model in PAVAN, as it relates to the complicated geographical features of a coastal area. Therefore, this study was performed in order to figure out the characteristics of the PAVAN program that was developed based on the equations of Gaussian Plume Model, which reflected the actual measured concentration of radioactive materials released to the air. It also evaluated the appropriateness of using a Gaussian plume model for assessing the environmental impact of radiation from a nuclear power plant. In order to analyze the dispersion characteristics of radioactive materials released into the air from the Wolsong nuclear power plant, SF 6 gas was released from the site at night for one hour under stable atmospheric conditions disadvantageous to dilute a tracer gas in this study. The measured concentrations were compared with theoretical estimates derived from meteorological data observed during the experiment period to evaluate the prediction capabilities of the Gaussian plume model. This study conducted a tracer dispersion experiment at the site of Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Korea to analyze the atmospheric dispersion characteristics of radioactive materials. It compared the experimental value with the calculated value using the Gaussian Plume Model as suggested in Reg. 1.145, based on the meteorological data observed in the experiment time period, and evaluated the conservative estimate of the calculated value. In the area where the calculated value is relatively high, the calculated value tends to show higher than the experimental value, which confirmed the conservative manner of the estimating of the calculated value using the Gaussian Plume Model. The short-term exposure of radiation to a human body caused by a nuclear accident would be higher in the area where the atmospheric concentration of radiation is high. Therefore, it is a sufficiently conservative manner to use the Gaussian

Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Final report of the first stage of the tracer retention understanding experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winberg, A.; Andersson, Peter; Hermanson, Jan; Byegaard, Johan

2000-03-01

The first stage of the Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments (TRUE) was performed as a SKB funded project. The overall objectives of TRUE are to develop the understanding of radionuclide migration and retention in fractured rock, to evaluate the realism in applied model concepts, and to assess whether the necessary input data to the models can be collected from site characterisation. Further, to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of different model approaches, and finally to provide in situ data on radionuclide migration and retention. The strive for address with multiple approaches is facilitated through a close collaboration with the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes. The TRUE programme is a staged programme which addresses various scales from laboratory ( 22 Na + 47 Ca 2+ ≅ 85 Sr 2+ 86 Rb + ≅ 133 Ba 2+ The field tracer tests, using essentially the same cocktail of sorbing tracers as in the laboratory, were found to show the same relative sorbtivity as seen in the laboratory. A test using 137 Cs showed that after termination of the test, some 63% of the injected activity remained sorbed in the rock. The interpretation of the in situ tests with sorbing tracers was performed using the LaSAR approach, developed as a part of the TRUE project. In this approach the studied flow path is viewed as a part of an open fracture. Key processes are spatially variable advection and mass transfer. The evaluation shows that laboratory diffusion data are not representative for in situ conditions, and that a close fit between field and modelled breakthrough is obtained only when a parameter group which includes diffusion is enhanced with a factor varying between 32-50 for all tracers and experiments (except for Cs) and 137 for Cs. Our interpretation is that the enhancement is mainly due to higher diffusivity/porosity and higher sorption in the part of the altered rim zone of the feature which is accessible over the time scales

Characterization of reactive tracers for C-wells field experiments 1: Electrostatic sorption mechanism, lithium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, H.R.; Polzer, W.L.; Essington, E.H.; Newman, B.D.

1989-11-01

Lithium (Li + ) was introduced as lithium bromide (LiBr), as a retarded tracer for experiments in the C-wells complex at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. The objective was to evaluate the potential of lithium to sorb predominately by physical forces. lithium was selected as a candidate tracer on the basis of high solubility, good chemical and biological stability, and relatively low sorptivity; lack of bioaccumulation and exclusion as a priority pollutant in pertinent federal environmental regulations; good analytical detectability and low natural background concentrations; and a low cost Laboratory experiments were performed with suspensions of Prow Pass cuttings from drill hole UE-25p number-sign 1 at depths between 549 and 594 m in J-13 water at a pH of approximately 8 and in the temperature range of 25 degree C to 45 degree C. Batch equilibrium and kinetics experiments were performed; estimated thermodynamic constants, relative behavior between adsorption and desorption, and potentiometric studies provided information to infer the physical nature of lithium sorption

Isotopes as tracers of the oceanic circulation: Results from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlosser, P.; Jenkins, W.J.; Key, R.; Lupton, J.

2002-01-01

During the past decades, natural and anthropogenic isotopes such as tritium ( 3 H), radiocarbon ( 14 C), 3 He, or the stable isotopes of water have been used in studies of the dynamics of natural systems. Early applications of tracers to studies of the ocean were directed at determination of circulation patterns and mean residence times of specific water masses, as well as estimates of mixing coefficients. These exploratory studies suggested that tracers can add significantly to our understanding of the oceanic circulation. In order to fully exploit this potential, the first global tracer study, the GEochemical Ocean SECtions Study (GEOSECS), was launched. From the GEOSECS results it was immediately apparent that very close coordination of tracer programs with physical oceanography studies is required for full utilization of tracer data. During the 1980s plans for the World OCean Experiment (WOCE) were developed. As part of its Hydrographic Program (WHP), especially during the one-time survey, a set of tracers were measured on a global scale with unprecedented spatial resolution (both lateral and vertical). The original plan included a larger number of tracers (CFCs, 3 H/ 3 He, 14 C, 39 Ar, stable isotopes of water, helium isotopes, 228 Ra, 90 Sr, 137 Cs, 85 Kr) than could actually be measured systematically (CFCs, 3 H/ 3 He, 14 C, H 2 18 O/H 2 16 O, helium isotopes). Nevertheless, the resulting data set, which presently is under evaluation, exceeds those obtained from pre-WOCE tracer studies by a wide margin. In this contribution, we describe the existing WOCE data set and demonstrate the type of results that can be expected from its interpretation on the basis of a few selected examples. These examples include: (1) the application of tritium and 3 He to studies of the ventilation of the upper waters in the Pacific Ocean, (2) the spreading of intermediate water in the Pacific and Indian oceans as derived from the distribution of 3 He, and (3) the evaluation of

Exploring Hydrofluorocarbons as Groundwater Age Tracers (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Haase, K. B.; Busenberg, E.; Plummer, L. N.; Casile, G.; Sanford, W. E.

2013-12-01

Groundwater dating tracers are an essential tool for analyzing hydrologic conditions in groundwater systems. Commonly used tracers for dating post-1940's groundwater include sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), 3H-3He, and other isotopic tracers (85Kr, δ2H and δ18O isotopes, etc.). Each tracer carries a corresponding set of advantages and limitations imposed by field, analytical, and interpretive methods. Increasing the number available tracers is appealing, particularly if they possess inert chemical properties and unique temporal emission histories from other tracers. Atmospherically derived halogenated trace gases continue to hold untapped potential for new tracers, as they are generally inert and their emission histories are well documented. SF5CF3, and CFC-13 were previously shown to have application as dating tracers, though their low mixing ratios and low solubility require large amounts of water to be degassed for their quantification. Two related groups of compounds, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are hypothesized to be potential age tracers, having similar mixing ratios to the CFCs and relatively high solubility. However, these compounds yield gas chromatography electron capture detector (GC-ECD) responses that are 10-2 -10-5 less than CFC-12, making purge and trap or field stripping GC-ECD approaches impractical. Therefore, in order to use dissolved HCFCs and HFCs as age tracers, different approaches are needed. To solve this problem, we developed an analytical method that uses an atomic emission detector (GC-AED) in place of an ECD to detect fluorinated compounds. In contrast to the ECD, the AED is a universally sensitive, highly linear, elementally specific detector. The new GC-AED system is being used to measure chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), and other fluorinated compounds in one liter water samples to study their potential as age dating tracers. HCFC-22 is a

The fluorescent tracer experiment on Holiday Beach near Mugu Canyon, Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsman, Nicole; Xu, J. P.

2012-01-01

After revisiting sand tracer techniques originally developed in the 1960s, a range of fluorescent coating formulations were tested in the laboratory. Explicit steps are presented for the preparation of the formulation evaluated to have superior attributes, a thermoplastic pigment/dye in a colloidal mixture with a vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer. In September 2010, 0.59 cubic meters of fluorescent tracer material was injected into the littoral zone about 4 kilometers upcoast of Mugu submarine canyon in California. The movement of tracer was monitored in three dimensions over the course of 4 days using manual and automated techniques. Detailed observations of the tracer's behavior in the coastal zone indicate that this tracer successfully mimicked the native beach sand and similar methods could be used to validate models of tracer movement in this type of environment. Recommendations including how to time successful tracer studies and how to scale the field of view of automated camera systems are presented along with the advantages and disadvantages of the described tracer methodology.

Quadratic tracer dynamical models tobacco growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiang Jiyi; Hua Cuncai; Wang Shaohua

2011-01-01

In order to study the non-uniformly transferring process of some tracer dosages, we assume that the absorption of some tracer by tobacco is a quadratic function of the tracer quantity of the tracer in the case of fast absorption, whereas the exclusion of the tracer from tobacco is a linear function of the tracer quantity in the case of slow exclusion, after the tracer is introduced into tobacco once at zero time. A single-compartment quadratic dynamical model of Logistic type is established for the leaves of tobacco. Then, a two-compartment quadratic dynamical model is established for leaves and calms of the tobacco. Qualitative analysis of the models shows that the tracer applied to the leaves of the tobacco is excluded finally; however, the tracer stays at the tobacco for finite time. Two methods are also given for computing the parameters in the models. Finally, the results of the models are verified by the 32 P experiment for the absorption of tobacco. (authors)

Atmospheric dispersion experiments over complex terrain in a spanish valley site (Guardo-90)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibarra, J.I.

1991-01-01

An intensive field experimental campaign was conducted in Spain to quantify atmospheric diffusion within a deep, steep-walled valley in rough, mountainous terrain. The program has been sponsored by the spanish companies of electricity and is intended to validate existing plume models and to provide the scientific basis for future model development. The atmospheric dispersion and transport processes in a 40x40 km domain were studied in order to evaluate SO 2 and SF 6 releases from an existing 185 m chimney and ground level sources in a complex terrain valley site. Emphasis was placed on the local mesoscale flows and light wind stable conditions. Although the measuring program was intensified during daytime for dual tracking of SO 2 /SF 6 from an elevated source, nighttime experiments were conducted for mountain-valley flows characterization. Two principle objectives were pursued: impaction of plumes upon elevated terrain, and diffusion of gases within the valley versus diffusion over flat, open terrain. Artificial smoke flows visualizations provided qualitative information: quantitative diffusion measurements were obtained using sulfur hexafluoride gas with analysis by highly sensitive electron capture gas chromatographs systems. Fourteen 2 hours gaseous tracer releases were conducted

Excavation damage zone tracer experiment in the floor of the room 415 test tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frost, L.H.; Everitt, R.A.

1997-03-01

A 3.5-m-diameter test tunnel was constructed on the 420 Level of AECL's Underground Research Laboratory using a mechanical excavation technique. The orientation of the tunnel was chosen to maximize the stress ratio in the plane perpendicular to the tunnel axis in order to promote and study stress-induced excavation damage. The resulting excavation damage zone (EDZ) is characterized by a distinct breakout notch in both the floor and roof of the tunnel. In the floor of the tunnel, the main flow pathway within the EDZ is within a zone of intense grain-size fracturing (process zone) located at the tip of the breakout notch; virtually no flow occurs outside this region. A tracer experiment was performed within the EDZ in the floor of the tunnel to characterize the solute transport properties (permeability, transport porosity and dispersivity) within the process zone, as well as to develop and demonstrate methods for determining the transport properties within EDZs of underground tunnels. The experiment was performed as a constant head test by continuously injecting a constant concentration of iodide tracer into a region of the process zone, and by monitoring tracer breakthrough from the zone at a distance 1.5 m away. An equivalent-porous-media approach was taken in analysing fluid flow and solute transport through the process zone. Based on mass flux calculations, the hydraulic conductivity and transport porosity of the process zone are estimated to be 7.4 x 10 -7 m/s and 2.7 % respectively. Based on an analytic solution that represents tracer transport within the process zone as one-dimensional advective diffusive transport in a finite homogeneous porous medium, the longitudinal dispersivity and transport porosity of the zone are estimated to be 0.60 m and 3.3 % respectively. The transport porosity values estimated by both the mass flux and analytic calculations compare quite well. (author)

Field tracer transport experiments at the site of Canada's underground research laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frost, L.H.; Davison, C.C.; Vandergraaf, T.T.; Scheier, N.W.; Kozak, E.T.

1997-01-01

To gain a better understanding of the processes affecting solute transport in fractured crystalline rock, groundwater tracer experiments are being performed within natural fracture domains and excavation damage zones at various scales at the site of AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The main objective of these experiments is to develop and demonstrate methods for characterizing the solute transport properties within fractured crystalline rock. Estimates of these properties are in turn being used in AECL's conceptual and numerical models of groundwater flow and solute transport through the geosphere surrounding a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault in plutonic rock of the Canadian Shield. (author)

Atmospheric diffusion at coastal site in presence of sea-breeze

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messaci, M.

1987-03-01

The coastal sites present special features so much by the dominant wind system then by the lower layers of the atmosphere. Two types of experiments were handled on a coastal site in presence of sea breeze. First, vertical atmospheric sounding by radiosounding and by throwing experimental balloons; then the discharge of tracer: the SF6. The first experiment lead us to put in a prominent position the Internal Boundary Layer and the determination of its height. Whereas the second experiment allowed us to estimate the diffusion parameters of the site as well as to obtain interesting conclusions on diffusivity of the environment studied and the influence of certain factors

GRIP LIDAR ATMOSPHERIC SENSING EXPERIMENT (LASE) V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GRIP Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) dataset was collected by NASA's Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) system, which is an airborne...

The use of nonlinear regression analysis for integrating pollutant concentration measurements with atmospheric dispersion modeling for source term estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, L.L.; Freis, R.P.; Peters, L.G.; Gudiksen, P.H.; Pitovranov, S.E.

1993-01-01

The accuracy associated with assessing the environmental consequences of an accidental release of radioactivity is highly dependent on the knowledge of the source term characteristics, which are generally poorly known. The development of an automated numerical technique that integrates the radiological measurements with atmospheric dispersion modeling for more accurate source term estimation is reported. Often, this process of parameter estimation is performed by an emergency response assessor, who takes an intelligent first guess at the model parameters, then, comparing the model results with whatever measurements are available, makes an intuitive, informed next guess of the model parameters. This process may be repeated any number of times until the assessor feels that the model results are reasonable in terms of the measured observations. A new approach, based on a nonlinear least-squares regression scheme coupled with the existing Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability three-dimensional atmospheric dispersion models, is to supplement the assessor's intuition with automated mathematical methods that do not significantly increase the response time of the existing predictive models. The viability of the approach is evaluated by estimation of the known SF 6 tracer release rates associated with the Mesoscale Atmospheric Transport Studies tracer experiments conducted at the Savannah River Laboratory during 1983. These 19 experiments resulted in 14 successful, separate tracer releases with sampling of the tracer plumes along the cross-plume arc situated ∼30 km from the release site

A mathematical model for the design and interpretation of tracer experiments intended to measure the T90 in estuarine coastal waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez Antola, R.

2006-07-01

In highly stratified estuarine waters, with significant sediment loads, it is fairly difficult to predict the T90 , the time scale that characterizes the bacterial inactivation or death, using mathematical formulae, so that suitable experiments must be done using tracers to measure physical dilution and microbiological methods to measure bacterial disappearance or inactivation. The location and characteristics of a second sewage out fall for the city of Montevideo is being determined. In this framework, several experiments with tracers were done to measure the self-purifying capacity of the coastal waters at the selected site. Due to the difficulties in the design and interpretation of the measurements, special mathematical models were constructed and applied to help in obtaining a deeper understanding of the complex advection-dispersion-inactivation processes. In this report the construction and the solution of the equations of an analytical model that guided all the subsequent modelling activities is described. The tracer and the bacteria fields are obtained as products of a function of time and the horizontal coordinates by a series of decaying exponential functions of time weighted by functions of depth. The quotient between the bacteria concentration and the tracer concentration, that is commonly used to determine a global value of T90 , taking suitable average values after a long enough transient, is studied. A procedure that may be used to summarize the field of local inactivation times by a few parameters, determined by tracer experiments and microbiological measurements, is discussed. A half-empirical correlation formula between the T90 parameter and the main variables of the body of receiving waters is suggested from the results of tracer experiments and other sources of information. The advantages and limitations of the modelling approach used in this case are assessed and some possible improvements are briefly outlined

A mathematical model for the design and interpretation of tracer experiments intended to measure the T90 in estuarine coastal waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez Antola, R.

2006-03-01

In highly stratified estuarine waters, with significant sediment loads, it is fairly difficult to predict the T90, the time scale that characterizes the bacterial inactivation or death, using mathematical formulae, so that suitable experiments must be done using tracers to measure physical dilution and microbiological methods to measure bacterial disappearance or inactivation. The location and characteristics of a second sewage outfall for the city of Montevideo is being determined. In this framework, several experiments with tracers were done to measure the self-purifying capacity of the coastal waters at the selected site. Due to the difficulties in the design and interpretation of the measurements, special mathematical models were constructed and applied to help in obtaining a deeper understanding of the complex advection-dispersion-inactivation processes. In this report the construction and the solution of the equations of an analytical model that guided all the subsequent modelling activities is described. The tracer and the bacteria fields are obtained as products of a function of time and the horizontal coordinates by a series of decaying exponential functions of time weighted by functions of depth. The quotient between the bacteria concentration and the tracer concentration, that is commonly used to determine a global value of T90 , taking suitable average values after a long enough transient, is studied. A procedure that may be used to summarize the field of local inactivation times by a few parameters, determined by tracer experiments and microbiological measurements, is discussed. A half-empirical correlation formula between the T90 parameter and the main variables of the body of receiving waters is suggested from the results of tracer experiments and other sources of information. The advantages and limitations of the modelling approach used in this case are assessed and some possible improvements are briefly outlined

Representation of tropical deep convection in atmospheric models – Part 2: Tracer transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. R. Hoyle

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The tropical transport processes of 14 different models or model versions were compared, within the framework of the SCOUT-O3 (Stratospheric-Climate Links with Emphasis on the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere project. The tested models range from the regional to the global scale, and include numerical weather prediction (NWP, chemical transport, and chemistry-climate models. Idealised tracers were used in order to prevent the model's chemistry schemes from influencing the results substantially, so that the effects of modelled transport could be isolated. We find large differences in the vertical transport of very short-lived tracers (with a lifetime of 6 h within the tropical troposphere. Peak convective outflow altitudes range from around 300 hPa to almost 100 hPa among the different models, and the upper tropospheric tracer mixing ratios differ by up to an order of magnitude. The timing of convective events is found to be different between the models, even among those which source their forcing data from the same NWP model (ECMWF. The differences are less pronounced for longer lived tracers, however they could have implications for modelling the halogen burden of the lowermost stratosphere through transport of species such as bromoform, or short-lived hydrocarbons into the lowermost stratosphere. The modelled tracer profiles are strongly influenced by the convective transport parameterisations, and different boundary layer mixing parameterisations also have a large impact on the modelled tracer profiles. Preferential locations for rapid transport from the surface into the upper troposphere are similar in all models, and are mostly concentrated over the western Pacific, the Maritime Continent and the Indian Ocean. In contrast, models do not indicate that upward transport is highest over western Africa.

MIPAS ESA v7 carbon tetrachloride data: distribution, trend and atmospheric lifetime estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Valeri, M.; Barbara, F.; Boone, C. D.; Ceccherini, S.; Gai, M.; Maucher, G.; Raspollini, P.; Ridolfi, M.; Sgheri, L.; Wetzel, G.; Zoppetti, N.

2017-12-01

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a strong ozone-depleting atmospheric gas regulated by the Montreal protocol. Recently it received increasing interest due to the so called "mystery of CCl4": it was found that its atmospheric concentration at the surface declines with a rate significantly smaller than its lifetime-limited rate. Indeed there is a discrepancy between atmospheric observations and the estimated distribution based on the reported production and consumption. Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) measurements are used to estimate CCl4 distributions, its trend, and atmospheric lifetime in the upper troposphere / lower stratosphere (UTLS) region. In particular, here we use MIPAS product generated with Version 7 of the Level 2 algorithm operated by the European Space Agency. The CCl4 distribution shows features typical of long-lived species of anthropogenic origin: higher concentrations in the troposphere, decreasing with altitude due to the photolysis. We compare MIPAS CCl4 data with independent observations from Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment - Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE - FTS) and stratospheric balloon version of MIPAS (MIPAS-B). The comparison shows a general good agreement between the different datasets. CCl4 trends are evaluated as a function of both latitude and altitude: negative trends (-10/ -15 pptv/decade, -10/ -30 %/decade) are found at all latitudes in the UTLS, apart from a region in the Southern mid-latitudes between 50 and 10 hPa where the trend is slightly positive (5/10 pptv/decade, 15/20 %/decade). At the lowest altitudes sounded by the MIPAS scan we find trend values consistent with those determined on the basis of the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / Earth System Research Laboratory / Halocarbons and other Atmospheric Trace Species (NOAA / ESRL / HATS) networks. CCl4 global average lifetime of 47(39 - 61) years has been

Local study of pollutants dispersion by a real time tracer method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faivre-Pierret, R.X.; Sestier-Carlin, R.; Berne, P.

1992-01-01

It is possible to use a Gaussian mathematical model of atmospheric dispersion for calculating atmospheric transfer coefficient (ATC) in long range model, but for proximity models, an experimental model using a tracer technic has to take in account ground effects and natural or artificial obstacles. SF 6 tracer method gives the true plume ground trace in real time. The measured ATC shows a larger ground trace, lower concentration in the axis, and a displacement of the maximum concentration with regard to wind axis in comparison with the calculated ATC. (A.B.). 14 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Tracers and Tracer Testing: Design, Implementation, Tracer Selection, and Interpretation Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. Michael Shook; Shannon L.; Allan Wylie

2004-01-01

Conducting a successful tracer test requires adhering to a set of steps. The steps include identifying appropriate and achievable test goals, identifying tracers with the appropriate properties, and implementing the test as designed. When these steps are taken correctly, a host of tracer test analysis methods are available to the practitioner. This report discusses the individual steps required for a successful tracer test and presents methods for analysis. The report is an overview of tracer technology; the Suggested Reading section offers references to the specifics of test design and interpretation.

Effect on tracer concentrations of ABL depth models in complex terrain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galmarini, S.; Salin, P. [Joint Research Center Ispra (Italy); Anfossi, D.; Trini-Castelli, S. [CNR-ICGF, Turin (Italy); Schayes, G. [Univ. Louvain-la-Neuve, Louvain (Belgium)

1997-10-01

In the present preliminary study we use different ABL (atmospheric boundary layer) depth formulations to study atmospheric dispersion in complex-terrain conditions. The flow in an Alpine valley during the tracer experiment TRANSALP is simulated by means of a mesoscale model and a tracer dispersion is reproduced using a Lagrangian particle model. The ABL dept enters as key parameter in particle model turbulent-dispersion formulation. The preliminary results reveal that the ABL depth parameter can influence the dispersion process but that in the case of a dispersion in a valley-daytime flow the results depend much more strongly on the model horizontal and vertical resolution. A relatively coarse horizontal resolution implies a considerable smoothing of the topography that largely affects the dispersion characteristics. The vertical resolution does not allow on to resolve with sufficient details the rapid and large variation of the flow characteristic as the terrain feature vary. Two of the methods used to determine the ABL depth depend strongly on the resolution. The method that instead depends only on surface parameters like heat flux and surface based stability allowed us to obtain results to be considered satisfactory for what concerns the dispersion process, quite consistent with the flow model results, less numeric dependent and more physically sound. (LN)

Selection of tracers for oil and gas evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjoernstad, T.

1991-08-01

The importance of tracer tests in reservoir descriptions is increasingly acknowledged by reservoir engineers as a method to obtain valuable dynamic information from the reservoir. The report describes the ''state-of-the art'' on tracer technology for interwell investigations. Experiences gained from a number of reported field tracer tests are reviewed, and results from detailed laboratory investigations on the static and dynamic behavior of various tracer molecules are discussed. A critical evaluation of the applicability of the various identified tracers is provided. Present and future trends in the development of tracer technology for reservoir description are sketched. 64 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

Comparative calculations and validation studies with atmospheric dispersion models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paesler-Sauer, J.

1986-11-01

This report presents the results of an intercomparison of different mesoscale dispersion models and measured data of tracer experiments. The types of models taking part in the intercomparison are Gaussian-type, numerical Eulerian, and Lagrangian dispersion models. They are suited for the calculation of the atmospherical transport of radionuclides released from a nuclear installation. For the model intercomparison artificial meteorological situations were defined and corresponding arithmetical problems were formulated. For the purpose of model validation real dispersion situations of tracer experiments were used as input data for model calculations; in these cases calculated and measured time-integrated concentrations close to the ground are compared. Finally a valuation of the models concerning their efficiency in solving the problems is carried out by the aid of objective methods. (orig./HP) [de

Developing multi-tracer approaches to constrain the parameterisation of leaf and soil CO2 and H2O exchange in land surface models

Science.gov (United States)

Ogée, Jerome; Wehr, Richard; Commane, Roisin; Launois, Thomas; Meredith, Laura; Munger, Bill; Nelson, David; Saleska, Scott; Zahniser, Mark; Wofsy, Steve; Wingate, Lisa

2016-04-01

The net flux of carbon dioxide between the land surface and the atmosphere is dominated by photosynthesis and soil respiration, two of the largest gross CO2 fluxes in the carbon cycle. More robust estimates of these gross fluxes could be obtained from the atmospheric budgets of other valuable tracers, such as carbonyl sulfide (COS) or the carbon and oxygen isotope compositions (δ13C and δ18O) of atmospheric CO2. Over the past decades, the global atmospheric flask network has measured the inter-annual and intra-annual variations in the concentrations of these tracers. However, knowledge gaps and a lack of high-resolution multi-tracer ecosystem-scale measurements have hindered the development of process-based models that can simulate the behaviour of each tracer in response to environmental drivers. We present novel datasets of net ecosystem COS, 13CO2 and CO18O exchange and vertical profile data collected over 3 consecutive growing seasons (2011-2013) at the Harvard forest flux site. We then used the process-based model MuSICA (multi-layer Simulator of the Interactions between vegetation Canopy and the Atmosphere) to include the transport, reaction, diffusion and production of each tracer within the forest and exchanged with the atmosphere. Model simulations over the three years captured well the impact of diurnally and seasonally varying environmental conditions on the net ecosystem exchange of each tracer. The model also captured well the dynamic vertical features of tracer behaviour within the canopy. This unique dataset and model sensitivity analysis highlights the benefit in the collection of multi-tracer high-resolution field datasets and the developement of multi-tracer land surface models to provide valuable constraints on photosynthesis and respiration across scales in the near future.

Preliminary - discrete fracture network modelling of tracer migration experiments at the SCV site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dershowitz, W.S.; Wallmann, P.; Geier, J.E.; Lee, G.

1991-09-01

This report describes a numerical modelling study of solute transport within the Site Characterization and Validation (SCV) block at the Stripa site. The study was carried out with the FracMan/MAFIC package, utilizing statistics from stages 3 and 4 of the Stripa phase 3 Site Characterization and Validation project. Simulations were carried out to calibrate fracture solute transport properties against observations in the first stage of saline injection radar experiments. These results were then used to predict the performance of planned tracer experiments, using both particle tracking network solute transport, and pathways analysis approaches. Simulations were also carried out to predict results of the second stage of saline injection radar experiments. (au) (34 refs.)

Site-Specific Atmospheric Dispersion Characteristics of Korean Nuclear Power Plant Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, M. H.; Kim, E. H.; Suh, K. S.; Hwang, W. T.; Choi, Y. G.

2001-01-01

Site-specific atmospheric dispersion characteristics have been analyzed. The northwest and the southwest wind prevail on nuclear sites of Korea. The annual isobaric surface averaged for twenty years around Korean peninsula shows that west wind prevails. The prevailing west wind is profitable in the viewpoint of radiation protection because three of four nuclear sites are located in the east side. Large scale field tracer experiments over nuclear sites have been conducted for the purpose of analyzing the atmospheric dispersion characteristics and validating a real-time atmospheric dispersion and dose assessment system FADAS. To analyze the site-specific atmospheric dispersion characteristics is essential for making effective countermeasures against a nuclear emergency

Tracer monitoring of enhanced oil recovery projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kleven R.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In enhanced oil recovery (EOR, chemicals are injected into the oil reservoir, either to increase macroscopic sweep efficiency, or to reduce remaining oil saturation in swept zones. Tracers can be used to identify reservoirs that are specifically suited for EOR operations. Injection of a selection of partitioning tracers, combined with frequent sample analysis of produced fluids, provides information suited for estimation of residual oil saturation. Tracers can also be used to evaluate and optimize the application of EOR chemicals in the reservoir. Suitable tracers will follow the EOR chemicals and assist in evaluation of retention, degradation or trapping. In addition to field applications, tracers also have a large potential as a tool to perform mechanistic studies of EOR chemicals in laboratory experiments. By labelling EOR chemicals with radioactive isotopes of elements such as H, C and S, detailed studies of transport mechanisms can be carried out. Co-injection of labelled compounds in dynamic flooding experiments in porous media will give information about retention or separation of the unique compounds constituting the chemical formulation. Separation of such compounds may be detrimental to obtaining the EOR effect expected. The paper gives new information of specific methods, and discusses current status for use of tracers in EOR operations.

Direct inversion of circulation and mixing from tracer measurements – Part 1: Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. von Clarmann

2016-11-01

Full Text Available From a series of zonal mean global stratospheric tracer measurements sampled in altitude vs. latitude, circulation and mixing patterns are inferred by the inverse solution of the continuity equation. As a first step, the continuity equation is written as a tendency equation, which is numerically integrated over time to predict a later atmospheric state, i.e., mixing ratio and air density. The integration is formally performed by the multiplication of the initially measured atmospheric state vector by a linear prediction operator. Further, the derivative of the predicted atmospheric state with respect to the wind vector components and mixing coefficients is used to find the most likely wind vector components and mixing coefficients which minimize the residual between the predicted atmospheric state and the later measurement of the atmospheric state. Unless multiple tracers are used, this inversion problem is under-determined, and dispersive behavior of the prediction further destabilizes the inversion. Both these problems are addressed by regularization. For this purpose, a first-order smoothness constraint has been chosen. The usefulness of this method is demonstrated by application to various tracer measurements recorded with the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS. This method aims at a diagnosis of the Brewer–Dobson circulation without involving the concept of the mean age of stratospheric air, and related problems like the stratospheric tape recorder, or intrusions of mesospheric air into the stratosphere.

Use of radon-222 as a tracer in the study of atmospheric diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikebe, Y.; Yamada, H.; Nishimura, T.; Kojima, S.; Shimo, M.; Yamanishi, H.; Tojyo, K.; Iida, T.; Chino, M.

1991-01-01

222 Rn is one of the most useful tracer for studying the atmospheric diffusion. In this report, first we report analytical treatments about temporal variation of Rn concentration in the atmosphere to clarify origin and transport of Rn. Secondly we report the numerical simulation of the behavior of Rn. The results is compared with the observed Rn concentration for confirming the validity of the simulation. Based on the results of numerical analysis of a diffusion equation, we assumed that Rn concentration measured at Nagoya can be divided into the following two components: (I) Rn atom originated near from the measuring site, which is denoted by 'diurnal variation component'. For this, it was shown that the measured temporal variation can be explained by using ordinary non-steady state one dimensional diffusion equation. (II) Rn atoms originated far from the measuring site (including Chinese Continent), which is denoted by 'background component'. For this component, we propose a one layer transport model using air mass trajectory technique. By this model we can explain well the temporal variation of back-ground component and seasonal variation of Rn at Nagoya. A numerical simulation of the temporal variation of Rn was carried out for meso-regional scale (200kmx200kmx1km). The results was compared with the continuous measurements of Rn concentration at Nagoya, and fairly good agreements was obtained. We have obtained horizontal distributions of Rn around Nagoya (150kmx150km) for each season by using a passive method. The linear relationship between Rn concentration and measured Rn exhalation rate supports the transport model mentioned above and gives us other interesting informations. (author)

Use of labeled compounds in tracer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

The use of radiotracers in research has become common. This chapter looks at some of the underlying assumptions and advantages of labeled compounds: advantages of radiotracers; availability of suitable tracers and labeled compounds; purity of labeled compounds; autoradiolysis; storage of labeled compounds; detection systems for chromatography and electrophoretic methods. 14 refs., 2 figs

Hydraulic characterisation of karst systems with man-made tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werner, A.

1998-01-01

Tracer experiments using man-made tracers are common in hydrogeological exploration of groundwater aquifers in karst systems. In the present investigation, a convection-dispersion model (multidispersion model with consideration of several flow paths) and a single-cleft model (consideration of the diffusion between the cleft and the surrounding rock matrix) were used for evaluating tracer experiments in the main hydrological system of the saturated zone of karst systems. In addition to these extended analytical solutions, a numerical transport model was developed for investigating the influence of the transient flow rate on the flow and transport parameters. Comparative evaluations of the model approaches for the evaluation of tracer experiments were made in four different karst systems: Danube-Aach, Paderborn, Slowenia and Lurbach, of which the Danube-Aach system was considered as the most important. The investigation also comprised three supplementary experiments in order to enable a complete hydraulic characterisation of the system. (orig./SR) [de

Verification of atmospheric diffusion models using data of long term atmospheric diffusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Junji; Kido, Hiroko; Hato, Shinji; Homma, Toshimitsu

2009-03-01

Straight-line or segmented plume models as atmospheric diffusion models are commonly used in probabilistic accident consequence assessment (PCA) codes due to cost and time savings. The PCA code, OSCAAR developed by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (Present; Japan Atomic Energy Agency) uses the variable puff trajectory model to calculate atmospheric transport and dispersion of released radionuclides. In order to investigate uncertainties involved with the structure of the atmospheric dispersion/deposition model in OSCAAR, we have introduced the more sophisticated computer codes that included regional meteorological models RAMS and atmospheric transport model HYPACT, which were developed by Colorado State University, and comparative analyses between OSCAAR and RAMS/HYPACT have been performed. In this study, model verification of OSCAAR and RAMS/HYPACT was conducted using data of long term atmospheric diffusion experiments, which were carried out in Tokai-mura, Ibaraki-ken. The predictions by models and the results of the atmospheric diffusion experiments indicated relatively good agreements. And it was shown that model performance of OSCAAR was the same degree as it of RAMS/HYPACT. (author)

First atmospheric diffusion experiment compaign at the Angra site. Analysis of the data measured

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolli, D.

1986-07-01

An analysis of the data measured during the first atmospheric diffusion experiment campaign at the Angra site is presented. Some time before the diffusion experiments, with tritiated water vapor used as a tracer (HTO) could be started, many preparatory studies had to be concluded due to the local complex terrain surrounded by steep hills on three sides and a bay in the southern direction. An introductory account of these previous steps is given. Tritiated water vapor was released from a 100m-high tower and air humidity sampled at 25 locations as far as 1Km downwind of the source. An elaborated isoconcentration analysis indicates the plume spread has a Gaussian distribution in the horizontal plane up to the edge of the site's area bordered by the hill's top (about 1Km far-off). Nevertheless the Gaussian model has a restricted applicability at some parts of the site because of the terrain unevenness. In general, the results are comparable to those obtained in other countries for complex terrain. Meanwhile, the Angra's experiments seem only to validate the Gaussian model for short range dispersion from an elevated source. For releases in the lowest layer, the Gaussian model might not be valid. The isoconcentration analysis strengthens the assumption of sea breeze recirculation on the site. (Author) [pt

Tracer chemistry in the laboratory and the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowland, F.S.

1994-01-01

The steady bombardment of the Earth's atmosphere by cosmic radiation induces numerous radioactive species in the atmosphere of which the best known are 14 C and T. Others of interest include 7 Be, 10 Be, and several isotopes of chlorine. The eventual formation of 14 CO 2 and its subsequent significance for archaeological dating were brilliantly established by Willard Libby in the 1940s. However, the initial reactions of nascent 14 C in a mixture of N 2 and O 2 produce 14 CO, as shown first in the lab. and then in the atmosphere. Because cosmic ray production rates are essentially constant in a given location, the observed concentration of 14 CO provides an excellent tool for studying the removal process, oxidation by HO to form 14 CO 2 . Because 14 CO 2 becomes incorporated into all living biological species, other molecules become labeled with 14 C as well, including 14 CH 4 . Measurement of the 14 C radioactivity of such molecules in the atmosphere allows apportionment of sources between biological and fossil fuel origins. Tritium atoms are also formed by cosmic radiation, and can subsequently be incorporated into the chemical forms HT and HTO. Although most T atoms from cosmic radiation are found as HTO, the much higher specific radioactivity of HT provides interesting insights into atmospheric processes. Lab. studies furnish important clues for understanding the atmospheric routes. The differences in radioactive half-lives cause the terrestrial locations of cosmic ray induced 7 Be and 10 Be to be primarily the atmosphere and the oceans, respectively. In a comparable manner, the chemistry of atmospheric radiochlorine divides between the very long-lived 36 Cl and three isotopes with half-lives less than an hour, 34m Cl, 38 Cl and 39 Cl

Green River air quality model development: meteorological and tracer data, July/August 1982 field study in Brush Valley, Colorado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whiteman, C.D.; Lee, R.N.; Orgill, M.M.; Zak, B.D.

1984-06-01

Meteorological and atmospheric tracer studies were conducted during a 3-week period in July and August of 1982 in the Brush Creek Valley of northwestern Colorado. The objective of the field experiments was to obtain data to evaluate a model, called VALMET, developed at PNL to predict dispersion of air pollutants released from an elevated stack located within a deep mountain valley in the post-sunrise temperature inversion breakup period. Three tracer experiments were conducted in the valley during the 2-week period. In these experiments, sulfur hexafluoride (SF/sub 6/) was released from a height of approximately 100 m, beginning before sunrise and continuing until the nocturnal down-valley winds reversed several hours after sunrise. Dispersion of the sulfur hexafluoride after release was evaluated by measuring SF/sub 6/ concentrations in ambient air samples taken from sampling devices operated within the valley up to about 8 km down valley from the source. An instrumented research aircraft was also used to measure concentrations in and above the valley. Tracer samples were collected using a network of radio-controlled bag sampling stations, two manually operated gas chromatographs, a continuous SF/sub 6/ monitor, and a vertical SF/sub 6/ profiler. In addition, basic meteorological data were collected during the tracer experiments. Frequent profiles of vertical wind and temperature structure were obtained with tethered balloons operated at the release site and at a site 7.7 km down the valley from the release site. 10 references, 63 figures, 50 tables.

Carbon-14 tracer studies in rat-liver perfusion experiments under conditions of gluconeogenesis from lactate and pyruvate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muellhofer, G.; Schwab, A.; Mueller, C.; Stetten, C. von; Gruber, E.

1977-01-01

The intracellular events in the metabolic pathway of gluconeogenesis from lactate and pyruvate in liver tissue were assumed to be understood. Nevertheless the results of several 14 C-tracer experiments gave rise to the postulation of still unknown intracellular interactions under this condition. A contribution was made to the solution of this problem by using different 14 C labelled tracers such as [1- 14 C]lactate or pyruvate and [2- 14 C]lactate or pyruvate. [ 14 C]bicarbonate and [1- 14 C]-octanoate in perfusion experiments with livers from rats under conditions of gluconeogenesis from lactate and pyruvate. The 14 C labelling patterns of intracellular metabolities such as malate, citrate, phosphoenolpyruvate, phosphoglycerate and newly synthesized glucose were analysed under different conditions. A comparison with values calculated by using metabolic models based on the generally accepted concepts of intracellular interactions showed some fundamental discrepancies which justify the postulation. (orig./MG) [de

Methods of 15N tracer research in biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, K.; Faust, H.

1985-01-01

The application of the stable isotope 15 N is of increasing importance in different scientific disciplines, especially in medicine, agriculture, and the biosciences. The close correlation between the growing interest and improvements of analytical procedures resulted in remarkable advances in the 15 N tracer technique. On the basis of the latest results of 15 N tracer research in life sciences and agriculture methods of 15 N tracer research in biological systems are compiled. The 15 N methodology is considered under three headings: Chemical analysis with a description of methods of sample preparation (including different separation and isolation methods for N-containing substances of biological and agricultural origin) and special procedures converting ammonia to molecular nitrogen. Isotopic analysis with a review on the most important methods of isotopic analysis of nitrogen: mass spectrometry (including the GC-MS technique), emission spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and other analytical procedures. 15 N-tracer techniques with a consideration of the role of the isotope dilution analysis as well as different labelling techniques and the mathematical interpretation of tracer data (modelling, N turnover experiments). In these chapters also sources of errors in chemical and isotopic analysis, the accuracy of the different methods and its importance on tracer experiments are discussed. Procedures for micro scale 15 N analysis and aspects of 15 N analysis on the level of natural abundance are considered. Furthermore some remarks on isotope effects in 15 N tracer experiments are made. (author)

New SPECT tracers: Example of tracers of proteoglycans and melanin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cachin, F.; Mestas, D.; Kelly, A.; Merlin, C.; Veyre, A.; Maublant, J.; Cachin, F.; Chezal, J.M.; Miot-Noirault, E.; Moins, N.; Auzeloux, P.; Vidal, A.; Bonnet-Duquennoy, M.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Madelmont, J.C.; Maublant, J.; Boisgard, S.; D'Incan, M.; Redini, F.; Filaire, M.

2009-01-01

The majority of research program on new radiopharmaceuticals turn to tracers used for positron emission tomography (PET). Only a few teams work on new non fluorine labeled tracers. However, the coming of SPECT/CT gamma cameras, the arrival of semi-conductors gamma cameras should boost the development of non-PET tracers. We exhibit in this article the experience acquired by our laboratory in the conception and design of two new non fluorine labelled compounds. The 99m Tc-N.T.P. 15-5 (N.T.P. 15-5 for N-[tri-ethyl-ammonium]-3-propyl-[15]ane-N5) which binds to proteoglycans could be used for the diagnosis and staging of osteoarthritis and chondrosarcoma. The iodo benzamides, specific to the melanin, are nowadays compared to 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose in a phase III clinical trial for the diagnosis and detection of melanoma metastasis. Our last development focus on N-[2-(diethyl-amino)ethyl]-4 and 2-iodo benzamides respectively B.Z.A. and B.Z.A.2 hetero-aromatic analogues usable for melanoma treatment. (authors)

Simulation of tracer dispersion from elevated and surface releases in complex terrain

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, J. F.; Cremades, L.; Baldasano, J. M.

A new version of an advanced mesoscale dispersion modeling system for simulating passive air pollutant dispersion in the real atmospheric planetary boundary layer (PBL), is presented. The system comprises a diagnostic mass-consistent meteorological model and a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LADISMO). The former version of LADISMO, developed according to Zannetti (Air pollution modelling, 1990), was based on the Monte Carlo technique and included calculation of higher-order moments of vertical random forcing for convective conditions. Its ability to simulate complex flow dispersion has been stated in a previous paper (Hernández et al. 1995, Atmospheric Environment, 29A, 1331-1341). The new version follows Thomson's scheme (1984, Q. Jl Roy. Met. Soc.110, 1107-1120). It is also based on Langevin equation and follows the ideas given by Brusasca et al. (1992, Atmospheric Environment26A, 707-723) and Anfossi et al. (1992, Nuovo Cemento 15c, 139-158). The model is used to simulate the dispersion and predict the ground level concentration (g.l.c.) of a tracer (SF 6) released from both an elevated source ( case a) and a ground level source ( case b) in a highly complex mountainous terrain during neutral and synoptically dominated conditions ( case a) and light and apparently stable conditions ( case b). The last case is considered as being a specially difficult task to simulate. In fact, few works have reported situations with valley drainage flows in complex terrains and real stable atmospheric conditions with weak winds. The model assumes that nearly calm situations associated to strong stability and air stagnation, make the lowest layers of PBL poorly diffusive (Brusasca et al., 1992, Atmospheric Environment26A, 707-723). Model results are verified against experimental data from Guardo-90 tracer experiments, an intensive field campaign conducted in the Carrion river valley (Northern Spain) to study atmospheric diffusion within a steep walled valley in mountainous

Journal: Efficient Hydrologic Tracer-Test Design for Tracer ...

Science.gov (United States)

Hydrological tracer testing is the most reliable diagnostic technique available for the determination of basic hydraulic and geometric parameters necessary for establishing operative solute-transport processes. Tracer-test design can be difficult because of a lack of prior knowledge of the basic hydraulic and geometric parameters desired and the appropriate tracer mass to release. A new efficient hydrologic tracer-test design (EHTD) methodology has been developed to facilitate the design of tracer tests by root determination of the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation (ADE) using a preset average tracer concentration which provides a theoretical basis for an estimate of necessary tracer mass. The method uses basic measured field parameters (e.g., discharge, distance, cross-sectional area) that are combined in functional relatipnships that descrive solute-transport processes related to flow velocity and time of travel. These initial estimates for time of travel and velocity are then applied to a hypothetical continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) as an analog for the hydrological-flow system to develop initial estimates for tracer concentration, tracer mass, and axial dispersion. Application of the predicted tracer mass with the hydraulic and geometric parameters in the ADE allows for an approximation of initial sample-collection time and subsequent sample-collection frequency where a maximum of 65 samples were determined to be necessary for descri

Plutonium and tracer particle resuspension: an overview of selected Battelle-Northwest experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sehmel, G.A.

1977-01-01

Plutonium resuspension at Rocky Flats was determined in July 1973, by measuring airborne plutonium as a function of sampling height and of wind speed. The maximum airborne plutonium-239 concentration was 3700 aCi/m 3 . The maximum plutonium-239 activity per gram of collected airborne soil was 50 pCi/g. Airborne plutonium concentrations were shown to increase as the sixth power of wind speed, but the data were very imprecise. In measurement of fallout resuspension caused by burning vegetation, the 137 Cs concentration in a forest fire smoke plume was 22 times the concentration in ambient air. Resuspension rates for a man walking across a tracer area on an asphalt surface ranged from 1 x 10 -5 to 7 x 10 -4 fraction of tracer resuspended/pass. For vehicular traffic driven on a tracer lane, resuspension rates from the asphalt surface ranged from 10 -4 to 10 -2 fraction resuspended/pass. When the vehicle was driven on the lane adjacent to the tracer lane, resuspension rates were smaller, ranging from 10 -5 to 10 -3 fraction resuspended/pass. Resuspension rates decreased when the tracer had been on the ground for several days. In comparison to the asphalt surface, vehicle-caused tracer resuspension rates from a cheat grass area were lower, ranging from 10 -5 to 10 -4 fraction resuspended/pass. Wind caused tracer resuspension rates were on the order of 10 -11 fraction resuspended/sec for nonrespirable particles. Resuspension rates for respirable particles increased as the 4.8th power of wind speed, ranging from 10 -11 to 10 -7 fraction resuspended/sec. In another study, airborne respirable soil concentrations measured as a function of wind speed increased as the 0.6 to 3.2 power of wind speed

Radon-222 and beryllium-7 as natural tracer; Radon-222 und Beryllium-7 als natuerliche Tracer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frank, G.; Steinkopff, T. [Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach (Germany). Radioaktivitaetsueberwachung; Salvamoser, J. [Institut fuer Angewandte Isotopen-, Gas- und Umweltuntersuchungen (IGU), Woerthsee (Germany)

2016-07-01

The Global Atmosphere Watch Program (GAW) is intended to analyse worldwide the influence of anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere. Data are continuously transferred to the ''World Data Centre for Green House Gases'' of the WMO. For the study of atmospheric transports the natural radionuclides Rn-222, Be-7, Pb-210, Pb- 214 and Bi-214 are continuously measured at the Umweltforschungsstation Schneefernerhaus (2650 m) and at the Zugspitze (2962 m) by the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD, German Weather Service). The measurements support the classification of atmospheric transport, atmospheric dilution and dispersion models of gaseous and aerosol bond micro pollutants. Results are carried out in combination with meteorological data. It is shown the optimization and effect of a new sampling site for the measurement of Rn-222 activity at the Zugspitze. Results of Rn-222 and Be-7 concentrations are shown in relation to horizontal and vertical dispersion of air masses. The origin of natural Rn-222 and Be-7 are known, therefore both nuclides are well suited for the research of atmospheric transport. Rn-222 is an ideal tracer, because there is no influence by atmospheric processes (chemical processes, wash out effects).

A Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer /SUMS/ experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, R. C.; Duckett, R. J.; Hinson, E. W.

1982-01-01

A magnetic mass spectrometer is currently being adapted to the Space Shuttle Orbiter to provide repeated high altitude atmosphere data to support in situ rarefied flow aerodynamics research, i.e., in the high velocity, low density flight regime. The experiment, called Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer (SUMS), is the first attempt to design mass spectrometer equipment for flight vehicle aerodynamic data extraction. The SUMS experiment will provide total freestream atmospheric quantitites, principally total mass density, above altitudes at which conventional pressure measurements are valid. Experiment concepts, the expected flight profile, tradeoffs in the design of the total system and flight data reduction plans are discussed. Development plans are based upon a SUMS first flight after the Orbiter initial development flights.

Estimation of Knudsen diffusion coefficients from tracer experiments conducted with a binary gas system and a porous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Hibi, Yoshihiko; Kashihara, Ayumi

2018-03-01

A previous study has reported that Knudsen diffusion coefficients obtained by tracer experiments conducted with a binary gas system and a porous medium are consistently smaller than those obtained by permeability experiments conducted with a single-gas system and a porous medium. To date, however, that study is the only one in which tracer experiments have been conducted with a binary gas system. Therefore, to confirm this difference in Knudsen diffusion coefficients, we used a method we had developed previously to conduct tracer experiments with a binary carbon dioxide-nitrogen gas system and five porous media with permeability coefficients ranging from 10-13 to 10-11 m2. The results showed that the Knudsen diffusion coefficient of N2 (DN2) (cm2/s) was related to the effective permeability coefficient ke (m2) as DN2 = 7.39 × 107ke0.767. Thus, the Knudsen diffusion coefficients of N2 obtained by our tracer experiments were consistently 1/27 of those obtained by permeability experiments conducted with many porous media and air by other researchers. By using an inversion simulation to fit the advection-diffusion equation to the distribution of concentrations at observation points calculated by mathematically solving the equation, we confirmed that the method used to obtain the Knudsen diffusion coefficient in this study yielded accurate values. Moreover, because the Knudsen diffusion coefficient did not differ when columns with two different lengths, 900 and 1500 mm, were used, this column property did not influence the flow of gas in the column. The equation of the dusty gas model already includes obstruction factors for Knudsen diffusion and molecular diffusion, which relate to medium heterogeneity and tortuosity and depend only on the structure of the porous medium. Furthermore, there is no need to take account of any additional correction factor for molecular diffusion except the obstruction factor because molecular diffusion is only treated in a multicomponent

The use of synthetic colloids in tracer transport experiments in saturated rock fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimus, P.W.

1995-08-01

Studies of groundwater flow and contaminant transport in saturated, fractured geologic media are of great interest to researchers studying the potential long-term storage of hazardous wastes in or near such media. A popular technique for conducting such studies is to introduce tracers having different chemical and physical properties into a system and then observe the tracers at one or more downstream locations, inferring flow and transport mechanisms from the breakthrough characteristics of the different tracers. Many tracer studies have been conducted in saturated, fractured media to help develop and/or refine models capable of predicting contaminant transport over large scales in such media

Tumoral tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camargo, E.E.

1979-01-01

Direct tumor tracers are subdivided in the following categories:metabolite tracers, antitumoral tracers, radioactive proteins and cations. Use of 67 Ga-citrate as a clinically important tumoral tracer is emphasized and gallium-67 whole-body scintigraphy is discussed in detail. (M.A.) [pt

Evaluation of the moisture sources in two extreme landfalling atmospheric river events using an Eulerian WRF tracers tool

Science.gov (United States)

Eiras-Barca, Jorge; Dominguez, Francina; Hu, Huancui; Garaboa-Paz, Daniel; Miguez-Macho, Gonzalo

2017-12-01

A new 3-D tracer tool is coupled to the WRF model to analyze the origin of the moisture in two extreme atmospheric river (AR) events: the so-called Great Coastal Gale of 2007 in the Pacific Ocean and the Great Storm of 1987 in the North Atlantic. Results show that between 80 and 90 % of moisture advected by the ARs, and a high percentage of the total precipitation produced by the systems have a tropical origin. The tropical contribution to precipitation is in general above 50 % and largely exceeds this value in the most affected areas. Local convergence transport is responsible for the remaining moisture and precipitation. The ratio of tropical moisture to total moisture is maximized as the cold front arrives on land. Vertical cross sections of the moisture content suggest that the maximum in tropical humidity does not necessarily coincide with the low-level jet (LLJ) of the extratropical cyclone. Instead, the amount of tropical humidity is maximized in the lowest atmospheric level in southern latitudes and can be located above, below or ahead of the LLJ in northern latitudes in both analyzed cases.

Evaluation of the moisture sources in two extreme landfalling atmospheric river events using an Eulerian WRF tracers tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Eiras-Barca

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A new 3-D tracer tool is coupled to the WRF model to analyze the origin of the moisture in two extreme atmospheric river (AR events: the so-called Great Coastal Gale of 2007 in the Pacific Ocean and the Great Storm of 1987 in the North Atlantic. Results show that between 80 and 90 % of moisture advected by the ARs, and a high percentage of the total precipitation produced by the systems have a tropical origin. The tropical contribution to precipitation is in general above 50 % and largely exceeds this value in the most affected areas. Local convergence transport is responsible for the remaining moisture and precipitation. The ratio of tropical moisture to total moisture is maximized as the cold front arrives on land. Vertical cross sections of the moisture content suggest that the maximum in tropical humidity does not necessarily coincide with the low-level jet (LLJ of the extratropical cyclone. Instead, the amount of tropical humidity is maximized in the lowest atmospheric level in southern latitudes and can be located above, below or ahead of the LLJ in northern latitudes in both analyzed cases.

"Submesoscale Soup" Vorticity and Tracer Statistics During the Lateral Mixing Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Shcherbina, A.; D'Asaro, E. A.; Lee, C. M.; Molemaker, J.; McWilliams, J. C.

2012-12-01

A detailed view of upper-ocean velocity, vorticity, and tracer statistics was obtained by a unique synchronized two-vessel survey in the North Atlantic in winter 2012. In winter, North Atlantic Mode water region south of the Gulf Stream is filled with an energetic, homogeneous, and well-developed submesoscale turbulence field - the "submesoscale soup". Turbulence in the soup is produced by frontogenesis and the surface layer instability of mesoscale eddy flows in the vicinity of the Gulf Stream. This region is a convenient representation of the inertial range of the geophysical turbulence forward cascade spanning scales of o(1-100km). During the Lateral Mixing Experiment in February-March 2012, R/Vs Atlantis and Knorr were run on parallel tracks 1 km apart for 500 km in the submesoscale soup region. Synchronous ADCP sampling provided the first in-situ estimates of full 3-D vorticity and divergence without the usual mix of spatial and temporal aliasing. Tracer distributions were also simultaneously sampled by both vessels using the underway and towed instrumentation. Observed vorticity distribution in the mixed layer was markedly asymmetric, with sparse strands of strong anticyclonic vorticity embedded in a weak, predominantly cyclonic background. While the mean vorticity was close to zero, distribution skewness exceeded 2. These observations confirm theoretical and numerical model predictions for an active submesoscale turbulence field. Submesoscale vorticity spectra also agreed well with the model prediction.

Popularity framework to process dataset tracers and its application on dynamic replica reduction in the ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

Molfetas, A; Tykhonov, A; Garonne, V; Campana, S; Lassnig, M; Barisits, M; Dimitrov, G; Viegas, F

2011-01-01

The ATLAS experiment's data management system is constantly tracing file movement operations that occur on the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). Due to the large scale of the WLCG, direct statistical analysis of the traces is impossible in real-time. Factors that contribute to the scalability problems include the capability for users to initiatiate on-demand queries, high dimensionality of tracer entries combined with very low cardinality parameters, the large size of the namespace as well as rapid rate of file transactions occuring on the Grid. These scalability issues are alleviated through the adoption of an incremental model that aggregates data for all combinations occurring in selected tracer fields on a daily basis. Using this model it is possible to query on-demand relevant statistics about system usage. We present an implementation of this popularity model in the experiment's distributed data management system, DQ2, and describe a direct application example of the popularity framework, an automate...

Natural stream flow-rates measurements by tracer techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuellar Mansilla, J.

1982-01-01

This paper presents the study of the precision obtained measuring the natural stream flow rates by tracer techniques, especially when the system presents a great slope and a bed constituted by large and extended particle size. The experiences were realized in laboratory pilot channels with flow-rates between 15 and 130 [1/s]; and in natural streams with flow-rates from 1 to 25 m 3 /s. Tracer used were In-133m and Br-82 for laboratory and field measurements respectively. In both cases the tracer was injected as a pulse and its dilution measured collecting samples in the measured section, at constant flow-rates, of 5[1] in laboratory experiences and 60[1] of water in field experiences. Precisions obtained at a 95% confidence level were about 2% for laboratory and 3% for field. (I.V.)

Joint interpretation of two tracer tests with reversed flow fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunstmann, H.; Kinzelbach, W.; Marschall, P.; Li, G.

1995-01-01

Two dipole tracer experiments were performed in a fractured rock at the Grimsel Test Site in February/March 1993. In both experiments NaCl was used as a tracer. The extraction rate was twice the injection rate. In the second experiment injection and extraction were interchanged (Reverse-Experiment). Long tailing was characteristic for the breakthrough curves in both experiments. The tests were interpreted using a single fracture flow model. Tracer transport is described by advection/dispersion along the fracture allowing for diffusion into an immobile matrix. The authors were able to interpret the breakthrough curves for both experiments by one unique set of parameters, describing transport and baseflow. Uniqueness could only be achieved when using the information of both experiments. The authors conclude that performing a Reverse-Experiment is an indispensable tool for parameter identification in dipole tracer tests. A sensitivity analysis suggested that not only matrix diffusion is responsible for the tailing in the breakthrough curves but also transversal dispersivity. Further, the typical exchange time between mobile and immobile media was too small to be attributed to matrix diffusion in the strict sense which will cause tailing even at large spatial and temporal scales. Analysis of the covariance matrices showed that the parameters have small errors but high correlation

Tracer filamentation at an unstable ocean front

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yen Chia; Mahadevan, Amala; Thiffeault, Jean-Luc; Yecko, Philip

2017-11-01

A front, where two bodies of ocean water with different physical properties meet, can become unstable and lead to a flow with high strain rate and vorticity. Phytoplankton and other oceanic tracers are stirred into filaments by such flow fields, as can often be seen in satellite imagery. The stretching and folding of a tracer by a two-dimensional flow field has been well studied. In the ocean, however, the vertical shear of horizontal velocity is typically two orders of magnitude larger than the horizontal velocity gradient. Theoretical calculations show that vertical shear alters the way in which horizontal strain affects the tracer, resulting in thin, sloping structures in the tracer field. Using a non-hydrostatic ocean model of an unstable ocean front, we simulate tracer filamentation to identify the effect of vertical shear on the deformation of the tracer. In a complementary laboratory experiment, we generate a simple, vertically sheared strain flow and use dye and particle image velocimetry to quantify the filamentary structures in terms of the strain and shear. We identify how vertical shear alters the tracer filaments and infer how the evolution of tracers in the ocean will differ from the idealized two-dimensional paradigm. Support of NSF DMS-1418956 is acknowledged.

Bayesian inverse modeling of the atmospheric transport and emissions of a controlled tracer release from a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, Donald D.; Simpson, Matthew; Cameron-Smith, Philip; Baskett, Ronald L.

2017-01-01

Probability distribution functions (PDFs) of model inputs that affect the transport and dispersion of a trace gas released from a coastal California nuclear power plant are quantified using ensemble simulations, machine-learning algorithms, and Bayesian inversion. The PDFs are constrained by observations of tracer concentrations and account for uncertainty in meteorology, transport, diffusion, and emissions. Meteorological uncertainty is calculated using an ensemble of simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model that samples five categories of model inputs (initialization time, boundary layer physics, land surface model, nudging options, and reanalysis data). The WRF output is used to drive tens of thousands of FLEXPART dispersion simulations that sample a uniform distribution of six emissions inputs. Machine-learning algorithms are trained on the ensemble data and used to quantify the sources of ensemble variability and to infer, via inverse modeling, the values of the 11 model inputs most consistent with tracer measurements. We find a substantial ensemble spread in tracer concentrations (factors of 10 to 10 3 ), most of which is due to changing emissions inputs (about 80 %), though the cumulative effects of meteorological variations are not negligible. The performance of the inverse method is verified using synthetic observations generated from arbitrarily selected simulations. When applied to measurements from a controlled tracer release experiment, the inverse method satisfactorily determines the location, start time, duration and amount. In a 2 km x 2 km area of possible locations, the actual location is determined to within 200 m. The start time is determined to within 5 min out of 2 h, and the duration to within 50 min out of 4 h. Over a range of release amounts of 10 to 1000 kg, the estimated amount exceeds the actual amount of 146 kg by only 32 kg. The inversion also estimates probabilities of different WRF configurations. To best match

Bayesian inverse modeling of the atmospheric transport and emissions of a controlled tracer release from a nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lucas, Donald D.; Simpson, Matthew; Cameron-Smith, Philip; Baskett, Ronald L. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-07-01

Probability distribution functions (PDFs) of model inputs that affect the transport and dispersion of a trace gas released from a coastal California nuclear power plant are quantified using ensemble simulations, machine-learning algorithms, and Bayesian inversion. The PDFs are constrained by observations of tracer concentrations and account for uncertainty in meteorology, transport, diffusion, and emissions. Meteorological uncertainty is calculated using an ensemble of simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model that samples five categories of model inputs (initialization time, boundary layer physics, land surface model, nudging options, and reanalysis data). The WRF output is used to drive tens of thousands of FLEXPART dispersion simulations that sample a uniform distribution of six emissions inputs. Machine-learning algorithms are trained on the ensemble data and used to quantify the sources of ensemble variability and to infer, via inverse modeling, the values of the 11 model inputs most consistent with tracer measurements. We find a substantial ensemble spread in tracer concentrations (factors of 10 to 10{sup 3}), most of which is due to changing emissions inputs (about 80 %), though the cumulative effects of meteorological variations are not negligible. The performance of the inverse method is verified using synthetic observations generated from arbitrarily selected simulations. When applied to measurements from a controlled tracer release experiment, the inverse method satisfactorily determines the location, start time, duration and amount. In a 2 km x 2 km area of possible locations, the actual location is determined to within 200 m. The start time is determined to within 5 min out of 2 h, and the duration to within 50 min out of 4 h. Over a range of release amounts of 10 to 1000 kg, the estimated amount exceeds the actual amount of 146 kg by only 32 kg. The inversion also estimates probabilities of different WRF configurations. To best

IMAGE Project: Results of Laboratory Tests on Tracers for Supercritical Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandvoll, Øyvind; Opsahl Viig, Sissel; Nardini, Isabella; Muller, Jiri

2016-04-01

The use of tracers is a well-established technique for monitoring dynamic behaviour of water and gas through a reservoir. In geothermal reservoirs special challenges are encountered due to high temperatures and pressures. In this work, tracer candidates for monitoring water at supercritical conditions (temperature > 374°C, pressure ca 218 bar), are tested in laboratory experiments. Testing of tracers at supercritical water conditions requires experimental set-ups which tolerate harsh conditions with respect to high temperature and pressure. In addition stringent HES (health, environment and safety) factors have to be taken into consideration when designing and performing the experiments. The setup constructed in this project consists of a pressure vessel, high pressure pump, instrumentation for pressure and temperature control and instrumentation required for accurate sampling of tracers. In order to achieve accurate results, a special focus has been paid to the development of the tracer sampling technique. Perfluorinated cyclic hydrocarbons (PFCs) have been selected as tracer candidates. This group of compounds is today commonly used as gas tracers in oil reservoirs. According to the literature they are stable at temperatures up to 400°C. To start with, five PFCs have been tested for thermal stability in static experiments at 375°C and 108 bar in the experimental setup described above. The tracer candidates will be further tested for several months at the relevant conditions. Preliminary results indicate that some of the PFC compounds show stability after three months. However, in order to arrive at conclusive results, the experiments have to be repeated over a longer period and paying special attention to more accurate sampling procedures.

Investigations into exhaust air plume diffusion in the atmosphere. Progress report July 1973 - June 1974. P. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogt, K.J.; Geiss, H.; Horbert, M.; Nordsieck, H.; Polster, G.; Rohloff, F.

1974-09-01

The paper is the first part of the status report on the research project 'Diffusion of pollutants in the atmosphere and environmental hazards'. It investigates the diffusion of exhaust air plumes in tracer experiments, thereby continuing the present investigations of the same issue. (orig./AK) [de

A study plan for determining recharge rates at the Hanford Site using environmental tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, E.M.; Szercsody, J.E.; Phillips, S.J.

1991-02-01

This report presents a study plan for estimating recharge at the Hanford Site using environmental tracers. Past operations at the Hanford Site have led to both soil and groundwater contamination, and recharge is one of the primary mechanisms for transporting contaminants through the vadose zone and into the groundwater. An alternative to using fixed lysimeters for determining recharge rates in the vadose zone is to use environmental tracers. Tracers that have been used to study water movement in the vadose zone include total chloride, 36 Cl, 3 H, and 2 H/ 18 O. Atmospheric levels of 36 Cl and 3 H increased during nuclear bomb testing in the Pacific, and the resulting ''bomb pulse'' or peak concentration can be measured in the soil profile. Locally, past operations at the Hanford Site have resulted in the atmospheric release of numerous chemical and isotopic tracers, including nitrate, 129 I, and 99 Tc. Seven study sites on the Hanford Site have been selected, in two primary soil types that are believed to represent the extremes in recharge, the Quincy sand and the Warden silt loam. An additional background study site upwind of the Hanford facilities has been chosen at the Yakima Firing Center. Six tracer techniques (total chloride, 36 Cl, 3 H, nitrate, 129 I, and 99 Tc) will be tested on at least one site in the Quincy sand, one site in the Warden silt loam, and the background site, to determine which combination of tracers works best for a given soil type. In subsequent years, additional sites will be investigated. The use of environmental tracers is perhaps the only cost-effective method for estimating the spatial variability of recharge at a site as large as Hanford. The tracer techniques used at Hanford have wide applicability at other arid sites. 166 refs., 41 figs., 16 tabs

Analysis of some laboratory tracer runs in natural fissures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, L.; Neretnieks, I.

1984-01-01

Tracer tests in natural fissures performed in the laboratory are analysed by means of fitting two different models. In the experiments, sorbing and non-sorbing tracers were injected into a natural fissure running parallel to the axis of a drill core. The models take into account advection, diffusion into the rock matrix, sorption onto the rock surface and dispersion. For the last mechanism, one of the models considers hydrodynamic dispersion while the other model assumes channeling dispersion. The models take into account time delays in the inlet and outlet channels. The dispersion characteristics and water residence time were determined from the experiments with non-sorbing tracers. Surface and volume sorption coefficients and data on diffusion into the rock matrix were determined for the sorbing tracers. The results are compared with values independently determined in the laboratory. Good agreement was obtained using either model. When these models are used for prediction of tracer transport over larger distances, the results will depend on the model. The model with channeling dispersion will show a greater dispersion than the model with hydrodynamic dispersion. (author)

Present status and future prospects of the atmospheric neutrino experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kajita, Takaaki

2003-01-01

During the last several years, the understanding of the neutrino masses and mixings has been improved significantly. In this paper, we discuss neutrino oscillation studies in atmospheric neutrino experiments. Prospects of future atmospheric neutrino experiments are also discussed

Modelling tracer transport in fractured rock at Stripa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbert, A.

1992-01-01

We present the results of a modelling study, making predictions for tracer transport experiments carried out within the H-zone feature in the Stripa mine. We use a direct fracture network approach to represent the system of interconnected flow-conducting fractures comprising this zone. It is a highly fractured granite, and our fracture-network models include up to 60000 fractures. We have had to develop efficient algorithms to calculate the flow and transport through these networks; these techniques are described and justified. The first stage of modelling addressed two saline injection experiments. The results of these were known to us and so in addition to 'predicting' the results of these experiments, we used them to calibrate a flow model of the experimental site. This model was then used to make true 'blind' predictions for a set of tracer experiments carried out in the natural head-field, caused by an open drift. Where our flow model was good, our predictions were found to be very accurate, explaining the dispersion in the tracer breakthrough in terms of the fracture network geometry. Discrepancies for experiments in less well characterised regions of the H-zone are presented, and we suggest that the errors in these predictions are a consequence of the inaccuracies of the flow-field. We have demonstrated the use of large-scale fracture network modelling. It has proved very successful, and made very accurate predictions of field experiments carried out at the Stripa mine. The measured dispersion of tracers can be accounted for by the geometry of the fracture network flow system. (14 refs.) (au)

Recover Act. Verification of Geothermal Tracer Methods in Highly Constrained Field Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, Matthew W. [California State University, Long Beach, CA (United States)

2014-05-16

The prediction of the geothermal system efficiency is strong linked to the character of the flow system that connects injector and producer wells. If water flow develops channels or “short circuiting” between injection and extraction wells thermal sweep is poor and much of the reservoir is left untapped. The purpose of this project was to understand how channelized flow develops in fracture geothermal reservoirs and how it can be measured in the field. We explored two methods of assessing channelization: hydraulic connectivity tests and tracer tests. These methods were tested at a field site using two verification methods: ground penetrating radar (GPR) images of saline tracer and heat transfer measurements using distributed temperature sensing (DTS). The field site for these studies was the Altona Flat Fractured Rock Research Site located in northeastern New York State. Altona Flat Rock is an experimental site considered a geologic analog for some geothermal reservoirs given its low matrix porosity. Because soil overburden is thin, it provided unique access to saturated bedrock fractures and the ability image using GPR which does not effectively penetrate most soils. Five boreholes were drilled in a “five spot” pattern covering 100 m2 and hydraulically isolated in a single bedding plane fracture. This simple system allowed a complete characterization of the fracture. Nine small diameter boreholes were drilled from the surface to just above the fracture to allow the measurement of heat transfer between the fracture and the rock matrix. The focus of the hydraulic investigation was periodic hydraulic testing. In such tests, rather than pumping or injection in a well at a constant rate, flow is varied to produce an oscillating pressure signal. This pressure signal is sensed in other wells and the attenuation and phase lag between the source and receptor is an indication of hydraulic connection. We found that these tests were much more effective than constant

Heat tracer methods

Science.gov (United States)

Healy, Richard W.; Scanlon, Bridget R.

2010-01-01

The flow of heat in the subsurface is closely linked to the movement of water (Ingebritsen et al., 2006). As such, heat has been used as a tracer in groundwater studies for more than 100 years (Anderson, 2005). As with chemical and isotopic tracers (Chapter 7), spatial or temporal trends in surface and subsurface temperatures can be used to infer rates of water movement. Temperature can be measured accurately, economically, at high frequencies, and without the need to obtain water samples, facts that make heat an attractive tracer. Temperature measurements made over space and time can be used to infer rates of recharge from a stream or other surface water body (Lapham, 1989; Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003); measurements can also be used to estimate rates of steady drainage through depth intervals within thick unsaturated zones (Constantz et al., 2003; Shan and Bodvarsson, 2004). Several thorough reviews of heat as a tracer in hydrologic studies have recently been published (Constantz et al., 2003; Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003; Anderson, 2005; Blasch et al., 2007; Constantz et al., 2008). This chapter summarizes heat-tracer approaches that have been used to estimate recharge.Some clarification in terminology is presented here to avoid confusion in descriptions of the various approaches that follow. Diffuse recharge is that which occurs more or less uniformly across large areas in response to precipitation, infiltration, and drainage through the unsaturated zone. Estimates of diffuse recharge determined using measured temperatures in the unsaturated zone are referred to as potential recharge because it is possible that not all of the water moving through the unsaturated zone will recharge the aquifer; some may be lost to the atmosphere by evaporation or plant transpiration. Estimated fluxes across confining units in the saturated zone are referred to as interaquifer flow (Chapter 1). Focused recharge is that which occurs directly from a point or line source, such

Analysis of infiltration through mill tailings using a bromide tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, G.J.; Stephens, D.B.

1985-01-01

Infiltration of precipitation into tailings impoundments as a means of recharge to underlying materials is often considered insignificant, particularly in arid and semi-arid environments. A series of experiments was performed to investigate the behavior of infiltrated precipitation into tailing soils, by the use of a bromide tracer. A bromide tracer was applied to the surface of columns driven into the tailings to monitor downward advancement of tracer-laden water. Controlled laboratory experiments on the behavior of the bromide tracer under varying precipitation events and initial soil moisture contents were also conducted. Results indicate that a definite downward migration of infiltrated precipitation occurs, particularly with large magnitude precipitation events, and that, eventually, some fraction of the infiltrated precipitation may continue downward below the zone affected by evaporation. The use of an artificially applied bromide tracer to monitor depth of infiltration of precipitation is a simple, safe technique that can provide valuable information for long-term tailings management strategies at low cost

ACS experiment for atmospheric studies on "ExoMars-2016" Orbiter

Science.gov (United States)

Korablev, O. I.; Montmessin, F.; Fedorova, A. A.; Ignatiev, N. I.; Shakun, A. V.; Trokhimovskiy, A. V.; Grigoriev, A. V.; Anufreichik, K. A.; Kozlova, T. O.

2015-12-01

ACS is a set of spectrometers for atmospheric studies (Atmospheric Chemistry Suite). It is one of the Russian instruments for the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) of the Russian-European "ExoMars" program. The purpose of the experiment is to study the Martian atmosphere by means of two observations regimes: sensitive trace gases measurements in solar occultations and by monitoring the atmospheric state during nadir observations. The experiment will allow us to approach global problems of Mars research such as current volcanism, and the modern climate status and its evolution. Also, the experiment is intended to solve the mystery of methane presence in the Martian atmosphere. Spectrometers of the ACS set cover the spectral range from the near IR-range (0.7 μm) to the thermal IR-range (17 μm) with spectral resolution λ/Δλ reaching 50000. The ACS instrument consists of three independent IR spectrometers and an electronics module, all integrated in a single unit with common mechanical, electrical and thermal interfaces. The article gives an overview of scientific tasks and presents the concept of the experiment.

Models for tracer flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuber, A.

1983-01-01

A review and discussion is given of mathematical models used for interpretation of tracer experiments in hydrology. For dispersion model, different initial and boundary conditions are related to different injection and detection modes. Examples of applications of various models are described and commented. (author)

A Carbon Flux Super Site. New Insights and Innovative Atmosphere-Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Measurements and Modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leclerc, Monique Y. [The University of Georgia Research Foundation, Athens, GA (United States)

2014-11-17

This final report presents the main activities and results of the project “A Carbon Flux Super Site: New Insights and Innovative Atmosphere-Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Measurements and Modeling” from 10/1/2006 to 9/30/2014. It describes the new AmeriFlux tower site (Aiken) at Savanna River Site (SC) and instrumentation, long term eddy-covariance, sodar, microbarograph, soil and other measurements at the site, and intensive field campaigns of tracer experiment at the Carbon Flux Super Site, SC, in 2009 and at ARM-CF site, Lamont, OK, and experiments in Plains, GA. The main results on tracer experiment and modeling, on low-level jet characteristics and their impact on fluxes, on gravity waves and their influence on eddy fluxes, and other results are briefly described in the report.

The NPE gas tracer test and the development of on-site inspection techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrigan, C.; Heinle, R.; Zucca, J.J.

1995-01-01

Tracer gases emplaced in or near the detonation cavity of the 1-kiloton Non-Proliferation Event required 1.5 and 13.5 months for sulfur hexaflouride and helium-3, respectively, to reach the surface of Rainier Mesa from an emplacement depth of 400 meters. The sites that first produced tracer gases are those located in known faults and fractures. Numerical modeling suggests that transport to the surface is accomplished within this time frame through atmospheric pumping along high permeability pathways such as fractures. The difference in travel time between the two tracers is due to differences in gas diffusivity and can also be explained by our numerical modeling. (author)

Study of cation diffusion in Zn O using 65Zn as radioactive tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferraz, Wilmar B.; Correa, Ricardo F.; Nogueira, Maria A.N.; Ramos, Marcelo; Sabioni, Antonio C.S.

2000-01-01

Zinc self-diffusion coefficient were measured in polycrystalline Zn O of high purity (99,999%) prepared by conventional sintering at 1393 deg C, 4 h, in oxygen atmosphere. The Zn O samples had high density (>99% of the theoretical density) and grain size of 20 μm. These samples were resintered for 72 h at 1400 deg C in order to increase the grain-size higher than 50 μ m. Samples of 15 x 15 x 2 mm 3 were polished with diamond paste, and pre-annealed under the same conditions of temperature and atmosphere of the diffusion annealing. A thin film of 65 Zn - radioactive tracer - applied to the polished surface was oxidized in oxygen atmosphere for a short time before diffusion annealing. The diffusion experiments were performed between 1002 and 1201 deg C in oxygen atmosphere. The 65 Zn diffusion profiles were measured by sectioning in conjunction with residual-activity measurements. The results of the determination of the zinc in Zn O diffusion coefficients in function of temperature are presented and a comparison of these results obtained by the two radioactive method is showed. (author)

Use of tracers to quantify subsurface flow through a mining pit.

Science.gov (United States)

Schladow, S Geoffrey; Clark, Jordan F

2008-12-01

Three independent tracer experiments were conducted to quantify the through-flow of water from Herman Pit, an abandoned mercury (Hg) mine pit adjacent to Clear Lake, California, USA. The tracers used were Rhodamine-WT, sulfur hexafluoride, and a mixture of sulfur hexafluoride and neon-22. The tracers were injected into Herman Pit, a generally well-mixed water body of approximately 81,000 m2, and the concentrations were monitored in the mine pit, observation wells, and the lake for 2-3 months following each injection. The results for all three experiments showed that the tracer arrived at certain observation wells within days of injection. Comparing all the well data showed a highly heterogeneous response, with a small number of wells showing this near-instantaneous response and others taking months before the tracer was detectable. Tracer was also found in the lake on four occasions over a one-month period, too few to infer any pattern but sufficient to confirm the connection of the two water bodies. Using a simple mass balance model it was possible to determine the effective loss rate through advection for each of the tracers and with this to estimate the through-flow rate. The through-flow rate for all three experiments was approximately 630 L/s, at least 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than previous estimates, all of which had been based on geochemical inferences or other indirect measures of the pit through-flow.

26Al tracer experiment by accelerator mass spectrometry and its application to the studies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Koichi; Yumoto, Sakae; Nagai, Hisao; Hosoyama, Yoshiyuki; Imamura, Mineo; Masuzawa, Shin-ichirou; Koizumi, Yoshinobu; Yamashita, Hiroshi.

1990-01-01

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was applied for 26 Al tracer experiment to study the aluminum toxicity and metabolism in rats. To investigate the cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease, the aluminum incorporation into the brain (cerebrum) was studied by AMS using 26 Al as a tracer. When 26 Al was intraperitoneally injected into rats, a considerable amount of 26 Al was incorporated into the cerebrum after 5-35 days of the injection. (author)

Guidebook on radioisotope tracers in industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The idea of using tracers (chemical, dyes, etc.) in the investigation of complex physical phenomena has always attracted the attention of scientists and engineers. When radioactive isotopes became available it was immediately recognized that they offered an almost ideal solution to tracer selection. This book is devoted to reviewing the present status of the tracer method as such and to its applications to those branches of industry which have derived large benefits from the use of this modern technology. The main objectives of the IAEA's Industrial Applications and Chemistry Section is to help Member States in introducing to their own industries the different isotope and radiation techniques which have become available as a result of developments in the nuclear sciences. This section proposed the preparation of this guidebook, putting together various radiotracer methods and the experience obtained so far in their industrial use. Chapters 2 to 4 cover the general concept of tracers, technology and safety aspects, as well as data evaluation and interpretation. In chapter 5, therefore, general applications are discussed. In chapter 6, specialists in selected fields discuss their experience in radiotracer applications in various types of industrial activity. Most case studies are illustrated by at least one detailed example of an experiment carried out at an industrial installation. Current trends in the development of radiotracer methods are discussed in chapter 7, from both a theoretical and a practical viewpoint. Some possible new RTT applications in the future are also discussed here. Sealed radioactive sources are used almost as often as radioisotope tracers in industrial measurements. Annex I gives a short review of these techniques. Readers who are interested in the basic principles of radioisotope production will find the necessary information in Annex II. Annexes III, V and VI provide a demonstration of fundamental relations and properties; useful

TracerLPM (Version 1): An Excel® workbook for interpreting groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data

Science.gov (United States)

Jurgens, Bryant C.; Böhlke, J.K.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2012-01-01

TracerLPM is an interactive Excel® (2007 or later) workbook program for evaluating groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data by using lumped parameter models (LPMs). Lumped parameter models are mathematical models of transport based on simplified aquifer geometry and flow configurations that account for effects of hydrodynamic dispersion or mixing within the aquifer, well bore, or discharge area. Five primary LPMs are included in the workbook: piston-flow model (PFM), exponential mixing model (EMM), exponential piston-flow model (EPM), partial exponential model (PEM), and dispersion model (DM). Binary mixing models (BMM) can be created by combining primary LPMs in various combinations. Travel time through the unsaturated zone can be included as an additional parameter. TracerLPM also allows users to enter age distributions determined from other methods, such as particle tracking results from numerical groundwater-flow models or from other LPMs not included in this program. Tracers of both young groundwater (anthropogenic atmospheric gases and isotopic substances indicating post-1940s recharge) and much older groundwater (carbon-14 and helium-4) can be interpreted simultaneously so that estimates of the groundwater age distribution for samples with a wide range of ages can be constrained. TracerLPM is organized to permit a comprehensive interpretive approach consisting of hydrogeologic conceptualization, visual examination of data and models, and best-fit parameter estimation. Groundwater age distributions can be evaluated by comparing measured and modeled tracer concentrations in two ways: (1) multiple tracers analyzed simultaneously can be evaluated against each other for concordance with modeled concentrations (tracer-tracer application) or (2) tracer time-series data can be evaluated for concordance with modeled trends (tracer-time application). Groundwater-age estimates can also be obtained for samples with a single tracer measurement at one

A concept for limiting the number of radioactive tracer experiments in a factory plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monchy, A.R. de

1980-01-01

There are currently no restrictions regarding the quantities of radioactive material stored, used or discharged in factories where radioactive tracer experiments are performed. This article describes a concept for such restrictions, based on two criteria - 1) a system of standards for the absorption of the contamination by either water or air, dependent on the half life of the nuclides used and 2) a summation procedure of the activities of the nuclides used, the activities being weighed by the toxicity and chance of spreading of each nuclide. (C.F.)

Project ABLE: (Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment)

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, O.; Aurilio, G.; Bucknam, R. D.; Hurd, A. G.; Sheehan, W. H.

1985-03-01

Project ABLE (Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment) is part of the A.F. Geophysics Laboratory's continuing interest in developing techniques for making remote measurements of atmospheric quantities such as density, pressure, temperatures, and wind motions. The system consists of a balloonborne lidar payload designed to measure neutral molecular density as a function of altitude from ground level to 70 km. The lidar provides backscatter data at the doubled and tripled frequencies of a Nd:YAG laser, which will assist in the separation of the molecular and aerosol contributions and subsequent determination of molecular and aerosol contributions and subsequent determination of molecular density vs altitude. The object of this contract was to fabricate and operate in a field test a balloonborne lidar experiment capable of performing nighttime atmospheric density measurements up to 70 km altitude with a resolution of 150 meters. The payload included a frequency-doubled and -tripled Nd:YAG laser with outputs at 355 and 532 nm; a telescoped receiver with PMT detectors; a command-controlled optical pointing system; and support system, including thermal control, telmetry, command, and power. Successful backscatter measurements were made during field operations which included a balloon launch from Roswell, NM and a flight over the White Sands Missile Range.

Site characterization and validation - monitoring of saline tracer transport by borehole radar measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsson, O.; Andersson, P.; Gustafsson, E.

1991-08-01

The objective of this experiment was to map tracer transport in fractured crystalline rock through a combination of radar difference tomography and measurements of tracer concentration in boreholes and the validation drift. The experiment was performed twice, first the D-boreholes were used as a sink and then they were replaced by the validation drift and the experiment repeated. In both experiments saline tracer (200 ml/min, 2% salinity) was injected into fracture zone H about 25 m from the validation drift. The experiment revealed an inhomogeneous transmissivity distribution in Zone H. A significant portion of the tracer is transported upwards along Zone H and towards boreholes T1, T2, and W1. The breakthrough data from both experiments indicate that there are two major transport paths from borehole C2 to the D-boreholes/validation drift. One slow and diluted path to the bottom of the drift which carries the bulk of the mass and one fast path to the crown of the drift with high tracer concentration. The radar difference tomograms show that some tracer is lost through Zone S which intersects Zone H and is nearly perpendicular to it. The intersection between the two zones seems to constitute a preferred flow path. The breakthrough data and the radar difference tomograms have also been used to estimate flow porosity. The estimate obtained area of the same order approximately 10 -4 . (au) (28 refs.)

Measurements of atmospheric and gamma rays-balloon experiments at subantartic region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayanthi, U.B.; Correa, R.V.; Blanco, F.G.

1986-01-01

The results of two stratospheric balloon experiments conducted to measure the atmospheric X and gamma rays are presented. These experiments, conducted at Comandante Ferraz base in subantarctic region, have provided the spectrum of ground radioactivity in gamma rays (0.2 to 2.9 MeV) and atmospheric X-ray spectra at different altitudes. We specifically chose to discuss the observed ceiling spectrum of X-rays in the 28 to 180KeV region observed at 7.0 g. cm -2 . We have utilized the data of other experiments with different telescope geometries, to evaluate the builup effects due to cosmic ray secondaries in atmosphere. This behaviour, previoulsy studied for atmospheric gamma rays, permitted to compare the up/down flux rations to explain the observed atmospheric X-ray spectrum. (Author) [pt

Tracer gas diffusion sampling test plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohay, V.J.

1993-01-01

Efforts are under way to employ active and passive vapor extraction to remove carbon tetrachloride from the soil in the 200 West Area an the Hanford Site as part of the 200 West Area Carbon Tetrachloride Expedited Response Action. In the active approach, a vacuum is applied to a well, which causes soil gas surrounding the well to be drawn up to the surface. The contaminated air is cleaned by passage through a granular activated carbon bed. There are questions concerning the radius of influence associated with application of the vacuum system and related uncertainties about the soil-gas diffusion rates with and without the vacuum system present. To address these questions, a series of tracer gas diffusion sampling tests is proposed in which an inert, nontoxic tracer gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), will be injected into a well, and the rates of SF 6 diffusion through the surrounding soil horizon will be measured by sampling in nearby wells. Tracer gas tests will be conducted at sites very near the active vacuum extraction system and also at sites beyond the radius of influence of the active vacuum system. In the passive vapor extraction approach, barometric pressure fluctuations cause soil gas to be drawn to the surface through the well. At the passive sites, the effects of barometric ''pumping'' due to changes in atmospheric pressure will be investigated. Application of tracer gas testing to both the active and passive vapor extraction methods is described in the wellfield enhancement work plan (Rohay and Cameron 1993)

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain site characterization project: Quality Assurance Project Plan, Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stetzenbach, K.J.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this work is to identify and characterize candidate conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for experiments to be conducted at the Yucca Mountain C-well complex. During this quarter the main effort was directed towards rewriting the quality assurance program in preparation for a review and audit by the USGS. However, due to budget constraints the review and audit were not carried out. The tracer QA plan and standard operating procedures (SOPs) were revised and copies are included in the report. Instrumental problems were encountered and corrected with the addition of new integration and sample control software. In the sampling, there was an unexplained peak in the chromatograms of the tracers being tested in the light tuff. This was not correctable and these experiments will be repeated in the next quarter

Development of Models to Simulate Tracer Tests for Characterization of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Mark D.; Reimus, Paul; Vermeul, Vincent R.; Rose, Peter; Dean, Cynthia A.; Watson, Tom B.; Newell, D.; Leecaster, Kevin; Brauser, Eric

2013-05-01

A recent report found that power and heat produced from enhanced (or engineered) geothermal systems (EGSs) could have a major impact on the U.S energy production capability while having a minimal impact on the environment. EGS resources differ from high-grade hydrothermal resources in that they lack sufficient temperature distribution, permeability/porosity, fluid saturation, or recharge of reservoir fluids. Therefore, quantitative characterization of temperature distributions and the surface area available for heat transfer in EGS is necessary for the design and commercial development of the geothermal energy of a potential EGS site. The goal of this project is to provide integrated tracer and tracer interpretation tools to facilitate this characterization. This project was initially focused on tracer development with the application of perfluorinated tracer (PFT) compounds, non-reactive tracers used in numerous applications from atmospheric transport to underground leak detection, to geothermal systems, and evaluation of encapsulated PFTs that would release tracers at targeted reservoir temperatures. After the 2011 midyear review and subsequent discussions with the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technology Program (GTP), emphasis was shifted to interpretive tool development, testing, and validation. Subsurface modeling capabilities are an important component of this project for both the design of suitable tracers and the interpretation of data from in situ tracer tests, be they single- or multi-well tests. The purpose of this report is to describe the results of the tracer and model development for simulating and conducting tracer tests for characterizing EGS parameters.

Gas transport below artificial recharge ponds: insights from dissolved noble gases and a dual gas (SF6 and 3He) tracer experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Jordan F; Hudson, G Bryant; Avisar, Dror

2005-06-01

A dual gas tracer experiment using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and an isotope of helium (3He) and measurements of dissolved noble gases was performed at the El Rio spreading grounds to examine gas transport and trapped air below an artificial recharge pond with a very high recharge rate (approximately 4 m day(-1)). Noble gas concentrations in the groundwater were greater than in surface water due to excess air formation showing that trapped air exists below the pond. Breakthrough curves of SF6 and 3He at two nearby production wells were very similar and suggest that nonequilibrium gas transfer was occurring between the percolating water and the trapped air. At one well screened between 50 and 90 m below ground, both tracers were detected after 5 days and reached a maximum at approximately 24 days. Despite the potential dilution caused by mixing within the production well, the maximum concentration was approximately 25% of the mean pond concentration. More than 50% of the SF6 recharged was recovered by the production wells during the 18 month long experiment. Our results demonstrate that at artificial recharge sites with high infiltration rates and moderately deep water tables, transport times between recharge locations and wells determined with gas tracer experiments are reliable.

Hydraulic and tracer experiments in the TVO research tunnel 1993- 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hautojaervi, A.; Ilvonen, M.; Vieno, T.; Viitanen, P.

1995-04-01

Three full-size deposition holes (diameter 1.5 m, depth 7.5 m) for spent fuel canisters in a KBS-3 type repository have been bored with a new fullface boring method in the TVO Research Tunnel. The Research Tunnel lies in the crystalline bedrock at the depth of 60 metres in the VLJ Repository for low and medium level waste. The holes are 6 metres apart. The boring tests were accompanied by comprehensive pre- and post-characterization of the rock and the bored wells. The inflow rates of groundwater in two of the three full-size holes are 6 and 20 litres/hour. The well in the middle is almost dry as expected on the basis of the pre-characterization. In the tracer tests two different tracers, a dye and a radioactive tracer, were used at the same time. The comprehensive data analysis performed showed that novel techniques (e.g. Extreme Value Estimation, EVE) can be successfully applied to determine the impulse response from the experimental results even in cases where the measured signals are disturbed. Hydraulic and tracer tests as well as visual inspection of the inflow gave clear indications of flow and transport in sparse and narrow channels. Transport velocities could be predicted with a reasonable accuracy by using a simple concept of fracture cavities determining the transport time and 'bottlenecks' causing the hydraulic resistance. The observed non-Fickian dispersion is thought to be caused by velocity differences over the channel width or by diffusion into stagnant pools in the fracture filling. (orig.) (36 refs., 67 figs., 1 tab.)

Proceedings of Tracer 3. International Conference on Tracers and Tracing Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Tracer 3 conference is a continuation of former Tracer 1 (1998) and Tracer 2 (2001) conferences organized by CNRS - Nancy France. The objective of this 3rd conference is presentation of different aspects of tracer method applications and development of tracer methodology.The new field of activity presented at the Conference was application of stable isotopes as natural tracers for investigations of environmental processes. The conference gave the possibility for scientific information exchange between specialists from different fields of activity such as chemical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, environmental engineering, hydrology, civil engineering, metallurgy, etc. The presentations were divided into groups covering the principal items of Conference. Section A. Fundamental development - RTD and tracer methodology, - RTD methodology and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), - New tracers and detectors. Section B. Industrial applications - Environment, - Geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications, - Civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications, - Food engineering and bioengineering, - Material engineering, - Chemical engineering. During the Conference INIS promotion materials were exposed by INIS liaison officer for Poland

Proceedings of Tracer 3. International Conference on Tracers and Tracing Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

Tracer 3 conference is a continuation of former Tracer 1 (1998) and Tracer 2 (2001) conferences organized by CNRS - Nancy France. The objective of this 3rd conference is presentation of different aspects of tracer method applications and development of tracer methodology.The new field of activity presented at the Conference was application of stable isotopes as natural tracers for investigations of environmental processes. The conference gave the possibility for scientific information exchange between specialists from different fields of activity such as chemical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, environmental engineering, hydrology, civil engineering, metallurgy, etc. The presentations were divided into groups covering the principal items of Conference. Section A. Fundamental development - RTD and tracer methodology, - RTD methodology and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), - New tracers and detectors. Section B. Industrial applications - Environment, - Geology, hydrogeology and oil field applications, - Civil engineering, mineral engineering and metallurgy applications, - Food engineering and bioengineering, - Material engineering, - Chemical engineering. During the Conference INIS promotion materials were exposed by INIS liaison officer for Poland.

The Social Network of Tracer Variations and O(100) Uncertain Photochemical Parameters in the Community Atmosphere Model

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, D. D.; Labute, M.; Chowdhary, K.; Debusschere, B.; Cameron-Smith, P. J.

2014-12-01

Simulating the atmospheric cycles of ozone, methane, and other radiatively important trace gases in global climate models is computationally demanding and requires the use of 100's of photochemical parameters with uncertain values. Quantitative analysis of the effects of these uncertainties on tracer distributions, radiative forcing, and other model responses is hindered by the "curse of dimensionality." We describe efforts to overcome this curse using ensemble simulations and advanced statistical methods. Uncertainties from 95 photochemical parameters in the trop-MOZART scheme were sampled using a Monte Carlo method and propagated through 10,000 simulations of the single column version of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). The variance of the ensemble was represented as a network with nodes and edges, and the topology and connections in the network were analyzed using lasso regression, Bayesian compressive sensing, and centrality measures from the field of social network theory. Despite the limited sample size for this high dimensional problem, our methods determined the key sources of variation and co-variation in the ensemble and identified important clusters in the network topology. Our results can be used to better understand the flow of photochemical uncertainty in simulations using CAM and other climate models. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and supported by the DOE Office of Science through the Scientific Discovery Through Advanced Computing (SciDAC).

Anisotropy, reversibility and scale dependence of transport properties in single fracture and fractured zone - Non-sorbing tracer experiment at the Kamaishi mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Atushi; Uchida, Masahiro; Shimo, Michito; Yamamoto, Hajime; Takahara, Hiroyuki; Doe, T.W.

2001-01-01

A comprehensive set of the non-sorbing tracer experiments were run in the granodiorite of the Kamaishi mine located in the northern part of the main island of Japan-Honshu. A detailed geo-hydraulic investigation was carried out prior to performing the tracer migration experiments. The authors conducted a detailed but simple investigation in order to understand the spatial distribution of conductive fractures and the pressure field. Seven boreholes were drilled in the test area of which dimension is approximately 80 meters by 60 meters, revealing hydraulic compartmentalization and a heterogeneous distribution of conductive features. Central three boreholes which are approx. 2 to 4 meters apart form a triangle array. After identifying two hydraulically isolated fractures and one fractured zone, a comprehensive non-sorbing tracer experiments were conducted. Four different dipole fields were used to study the heterogeneity within a fracture. Firstly, anisotropy was studied using the central borehole array of three boreholes and changing injection/withdrawal wells. Secondly, dipole ratio was varied to study how prume spread could affect the result. Thirdly, reversibility was studied by switching injection/withdrawal wells. Lastly, scale dependency was studied by using outer boreholes. The tracer breakthrough curves were analyzed by using a streamline, analytical solution and numerical analysis of mass transport. Best-fit calculations of the experimental breakthrough curves were obtained by assigning apertures within the range of 1-10 times the square root of transmissivity and a dispersion length equal to 1/10 of the migration length. Different apertures and dispersion lengths were also interpreted in anisotropy case, reversibility case and scale dependency case. Fractured zone indicated an increased aperture and increased dispersivity

Tracer theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margrita, R.

1988-09-01

Tracers are used in many fields of science to investigate mass transfer. The scope of tracers applications in Service of Applications Radioisotopes (S.A.R.-France) is large and concerns natural and industrial systems such as Sciences of earth: hydrology - civil engineering - Sedimentology - environmental studies. Industrial field: chemical engineering - mechanical engineering. A general tracer methodology has been developed in our laboratories from these different applications fields and this paper shows these different points of view in using tracers; our wish is that the methods used in an experimental field can be employed in an another one

A Study Plan for Determining Recharge Rates at the Hanford Site Using Environmental Tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, E. M.; Szecsody, J. E.; Phillips, S. J.

1991-02-01

This report presents a study plan tor estimating recharge at the Hanford Site using environmental tracers. Past operations at the Hanford Site have led to both soil and groundwater contamination, and recharge is one of the primary mechanisms for transporting contaminants through the vadose zone and into the groundwater. The prediction of contaminant movement or transport is one aspect of performance assessment and an important step in the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) process. In the past, recharge has been characterized by collecting lysimeter data. Although lysimeters can generate important and reliable data, their limitations include 1) fixed location, 2) fixed sediment contents, 3) edge effects, 4) low rates, and 5) relatively short duration of measurement. These limitations impact the ability to characterize the spatial distribution of recharge at the Hanford Site, and thus the ability to predict contaminant movement in the vadose zone. An alternative to using fixed lysimeters for determining recharge rates in the vadose zone is to use environmental tracers. Tracers that have been used to study water movement in the vadose zone include total chloride, {sup 36}CI, {sup 3}H, and {sup 2}H/{sup 18}O. Atmospheric levels of {sup 36}CI and {sup 3}H increased during nuclear bomb testing in the Pacific, and the resulting "bomb pulse" or peak concentration can be measured in the soil profile. Locally, past operations at the Hanford Site have resu~ed in the atmospheric release of numerous chemical and isotopic tracers, including nitrate, {sup 129}I, and {sup 99}Tc. The radionuclides, in particular, reached a well-defined atmospheric peak in 1945. Atmospheric releases of {sup 129}I and {sup 99}Tc were greatly reduced by mid-1946, but nitrogen oxides continued to be released from the uranium separations facilities. As a result, the nitrate concentrations probably peaked in the mid-1950s, when the greatest number of separations facilities were operating

A random walk model to simulate the atmospheric dispersion of radionuclide

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuo, Jun; Huang, Liuxing; Niu, Shengli; Xie, Honggang; Kuang, Feihong

2018-01-01

To investigate the atmospheric dispersion of radionuclide in large-medium scale, a numerical simulation method based on random walk model for radionuclide atmospheric dispersion was established in the paper. The route of radionuclide migration and concentration distribution of radionuclide can be calculated out by using the method with the real-time or historical meteorological fields. In the simulation, a plume of radionuclide is treated as a lot of particles independent of each other. The particles move randomly by the fluctuations of turbulence, and disperse, so as to enlarge the volume of the plume and dilute the concentration of radionuclide. The dispersion of the plume over time is described by the variance of the particles. Through statistical analysis, the relationships between variance of the particles and radionuclide dispersion characteristics can be derived. The main mechanisms considered in the physical model are: (1) advection of radionuclide by mean air motion, (2) mixing of radionuclide by atmospheric turbulence, (3) dry and wet deposition, (4) disintegration. A code named RADES was developed according the method. And then, the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) in 1994 is simulated by the RADES and FLEXPART codes, the simulation results of the concentration distribution of tracer are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Sensitivity study of land biosphere CO2 exchange through an atmospheric tracer transport model using satellite-derived vegetation index data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knorr, W.; Heimann, M.

1994-01-01

We develop a simple, globally uniform model of CO 2 exchange between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere by coupling the model with a three-dimensional atmospheric tracer transport model using observed winds, and checking results against observed concentrations of CO 2 at various monitoring sites. CO 2 fluxes are derived from observed greenness using satellite-derived Global Vegetation Index data, combined with observations of temperature, radiation, and precipitation. We explore a range of CO 2 flux formulations together with some modifications of the modelled atmospheric transport. We find that while some formulations can be excluded, it cannot be decided whether or not to make CO 2 uptake and release dependent on water stress. It appears that the seasonality of net CO 2 fluxes in the tropics, which would be expected to be driven by water availability, is small and is therefore not visible in the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO 2 . The latter is dominated largely by northern temperate and boreal vegetation, where seasonality is mostly temperature determined. We find some evidence that there is still considerable CO 2 release from soils during northern-hemisphere winter. An exponential air temperature dependence of soil release with a Q 10 of 1.5 is found to be most appropriate, with no cutoff at low freezing temperatures. This result is independent of the year from which observed winds were taken. This is remarkable insofar as year-to-year changes in modelled CO 2 concentrations caused by changes in the wind data clearly outweigh those caused by year-to-year variability in the climate and vegetation index data. (orig.)

Accuracy of tracer stimulus response experiments in laminar flows

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Chlup, Hynek; Novotný, Pavel; Žitný, R.

2012-01-01

Roč. 55, 23-24 (2012), s. 6458-6462 ISSN 0017-9310 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : residence time distribution * tracer injection * laminar convective dominated flow Subject RIV: JB - Sensors, Measurment, Regulation Impact factor: 2.315, year: 2012 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001793101200470X

TRACER: an ‘eye-opener’ to the patient experience across the transition of care in an internal medicine resident program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren B. Meade

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: A safe patient transition requires a complex set of physician skills within the interprofessional practice. Objective: To evaluate a rotation which applies self-reflection and workplace learning in a TRAnsition of CarE Rotation (TRACER for internal medicine (IM residents. TRACER is a 2-week required IM resident rotation where trainees join a ward team as a quality officer and follow patients into postacute care. Methods: In 2010, residents participated in semistructured, one-on-one interviews as part of ongoing program evaluation. They were asked what they had learned on TRACER, the year prior, and how they used those skills in their practice. Using transcripts, the authors reviewed and coded each transcript to develop themes. Results: Five themes emerged from a qualitative, grounded theory analysis: seeing things from the other side, the ‘ah ha’ moment of fragmented care, team collaboration including understanding nursing scope of practice in different settings, patient understanding, and passing the learning on. TRACER gives residents a moment to breathe and open their eyes to the interprofessional practice setting and the patient's experience of care in transition. Conclusions: Residents learn about transitions of care through self-reflection. This learning is sustained over time and is valued enough to teach to their junior colleagues.

An experimental study of tracers for labelling of injection gas in oil reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dugstad, Oe.

1992-01-01

This work demonstrates the feasibility of the PMCP and PMCH as tracers in field experiments. These compounds have properties which make them as well suited for well to well studies as the more common tracers CH 3 T and 85 Kr. In an injection project carried out at the Gullfaks field in the North Sea the two PFCs verified communication between wells. This implies communication between different geological layers in the reservoir and also communication across faults within the same layers. Laboratory studies carried out have focused on the retention of the tracers in dynamic flooding experiments under conditions comparable with those in the petroleum reservoirs. Simultaneous injection of a variety of tracers has shown individual variations in tracer retention which are caused by important reservoir parameters as fluid saturation and rock properties. By proper design of field injection programs the tracers response may therefore be used to estimate fluid saturation if actual rock properties are known. 45 refs., 20 figs., 13 tabs

Enhancing the activation of silicon carbide tracer particles for PEPT applications using gas-phase deposition of alumina at room temperature and atmospheric pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valdesueiro, D. [Delft University of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2628 BL Delft (Netherlands); Garcia-Triñanes, P., E-mail: p.garcia@surrey.ac.uk [Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Meesters, G.M.H.; Kreutzer, M.T. [Delft University of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2628 BL Delft (Netherlands); Gargiuli, J.; Leadbeater, T.W.; Parker, D.J. [Positron Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Seville, J.P.K. [Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Ommen, J.R. van, E-mail: j.r.vanommen@tudelft.nl [Delft University of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2628 BL Delft (Netherlands)

2016-01-21

We have enhanced the radio-activation efficiency of SiC (silicon carbide) particles, which by nature have a poor affinity towards {sup 18}F ions, to be employed as tracers in studies using PEPT (Positron Emission Particle Tracking). The resulting SiC–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} core–shell structure shows a good labelling efficiency, comparable to γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tracer particles, which are commonly used in PEPT. The coating of the SiC particles was carried at 27±3 °C and 1 bar in a fluidized bed reactor, using trimethylaluminium and water as precursors, by a gas phase technique similar to atomic layer deposition. The thickness of the alumina films, which ranged from 5 to 500 nm, was measured by elemental analysis and confirmed with FIB-TEM (focused ion beam – transmission electron microscope), obtaining consistent results from both techniques. By depositing such a thin film of alumina, properties that influence the hydrodynamic behaviour of the SiC particles, such as size, shape and density, are hardly altered, ensuring that the tracer particle shows the same flow behaviour as the other particles. The paper describes a general method to improve the activation efficiency of materials, which can be applied for the production of tracer particles for many other applications too. - Highlights: • We deposited Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films on SiC particles at ambient conditions in a fluidized bed. • The affinity of {sup 18}F ions towards Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–SiC particle was improved compared to SiC. • We used the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–SiC activated particle as tracer in a PEPT experiment. • Tracer particles have suitable activity for accurate tracking. • The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film is thin enough not to alter the particle size, shape and density.

Medium-Range Dispersion Experiments Downwind from a Shoreline in Near Neutral Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gryning, Sven-Erik; Lyck, E.

1980-01-01

Five atmospheric dispersion experiments, all assigned Pasquill stability class D, were performed at Risø National Laboratory. The tracer sulphurhexafluoride was released at a height of 60 m from the Risø meteorological tower, situated on a peninsula in the Roskilde Fjord, Denmark, and was sampled...

Flow visualization in superfluid helium-4 using He2 molecular tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei

Flow visualization in superfluid helium is challenging, yet crucial for attaining a detailed understanding of quantum turbulence. Two problems have impeded progress: finding and introducing suitable tracers that are small yet visible; and unambiguous interpretation of the tracer motion. We show that metastable He2 triplet molecules are outstanding tracers compared with other particles used in helium. These molecular tracers have small size and relatively simple behavior in superfluid helium: they follow the normal fluid motion at above 1 K and will bind to quantized vortex lines below about 0.6 K. A laser-induced fluorescence technique has been developed for imaging the He2 tracers. We will present our recent experimental work on studying the normal-fluid motion by tracking thin lines of He2 tracers created via femtosecond laser-field ionization in helium. We will also discuss a newly launched experiment on visualizing vortex lines in a magnetically levitated superfluid helium drop by imaging the He2 tracers trapped on the vortex cores. This experiment will enable unprecedented insight into the behavior of a rotating superfluid drop and will untangle several key issues in quantum turbulence research. We acknowledge the support from the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMR-1507386 and the US Department of Energy under Grant No. DE-FG02 96ER40952.

Predicted fate of tritium residuum from groundwater tracer experiments in the Amargosa Desert, southern Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brikowski, T.

1993-07-01

Analytic solutions are used in this study to evaluate potential groundwater transport of tritium used in goundwater tracer tests southwest of the Nevada Test Site. Possible transport from this site is of interest because initial radionuclide concentrations were high and the site is close to goundwater discharge points (12 km). Anecdotal evidence indicates that 90 percent of these tracers were removed by pumping at the completion of the tests; this study examines the probable transport of the tracers with and without the removal. Classical dispersive transport analytic solutions are used, treating the tracer test as a point slug injection. Input parameters for the solutions were measured at the site, and consideration of parameter uncertainty is incorporated in the results. With removal of the tracer, the maximum expected region with above-Safe Drinking Water Act (40 CFR 121) concentrations of tritium extends 5 km from the injection point, and does not reach any sites of public access. Detectable tritium from the tests is likely to have reached the Ash Meadows fault zone, but flow along the fault probably diluted the tracer to below detection limits before arrival at springs along the fault. Arrival at the springs would have occurred 20 to 25 years after the tests. Without removal of the tracer, the solutions indicate that tritium concentrations just above Safe Drinking Water Act standards would have reached the Ash Meadows fault zone. In this case, detectable tritium might have been found in Devil's Hole or Longstreet Spring, the nearest points of possible public exposure

Waste tank ventilation rates measured with a tracer gas method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huckaby, J.L.; Evans, J.C.; Sklarew, D.S.; Mitroshkov, A.V.

1998-08-01

Passive ventilation with the atmosphere is used to prevent accumulation of waste gases and vapors in the headspaces of 132 of the 177 high-level radioactive waste Tanks at the Hanford Site in Southeastern Washington State. Measurements of the passive ventilation rates are needed for the resolution of two key safety issues associated with the rates of flammable gas production and accumulation and the rates at which organic salt-nitrate salt mixtures dry out. Direct measurement of passive ventilation rates using mass flow meters is not feasible because ventilation occurs va multiple pathways to the atmosphere (i.e., via the filtered breather riser and unsealed tank risers and pits), as well as via underground connections to other tanks, junction boxes, and inactive ventilation systems. The tracer gas method discussed in this report provides a direct measurement of the rate at which gases are removed by ventilation and an indirect measurement of the ventilation rate. The tracer gas behaves as a surrogate of the waste-generated gases, but it is only diminished via ventilation, whereas the waste gases are continuously released by the waste and may be subject to depletion mechanisms other than ventilation. The fiscal year 1998 tracer studies provide new evidence that significant exchange of air occurs between tanks via the underground cascade pipes. Most of the single-shell waste tanks are connected via 7.6-cm diameter cascade pipes to one or two adjacent tanks. Tracer gas studies of the Tank U-102/U-103 system indicated that the ventilation occurring via the cascade line could be a significant fraction of the total ventilation. In this two-tank cascade, air evidently flowed from Tank U-103 to Tank U-102 for a time and then was observed to flow from Tank U-102 to Tank U-103

Guiding principles for estimation of whole-body synthesis rates by tracer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krawielitzki, K.; Schadereit, R.; Wuensche, J.

1989-01-01

Methodical recommendations are suggested-predominantly for laboratory and small animals (rats and young chickens)-for the determination of parameters of the protein metabolism of the whole body after single dosis of a mixture of 15 N-labelled amino acids by means of the determination of the temporal course of cumulative 15 N excretion in urine and the assessment of the tracer kinetic data in a compartment model. These recommendations are to make it possible to carry out purposefully such experiments under comparable conditions. The advantages of this method are: (1) the non-invasive character of the method; (2) the possibility of repeating the experiment with the same animal; (3) the adaptability to other methods of investigation (e.g. measuring energy metabolism); (4) the relatively low expenditure of labour and requirement of test animals; (5) the relatively good reproducibility of the method. Thus this method is a good supplement to the flooding and permanent infusion methods and should be used wherever the determination of parameters of the protein metabolism of the total body is sufficient. (author)

Comparing the weight method and the use of the tracer Uranine for assessing pesticide drift on soils

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Santos, G.; Scheiben, D.; Leuenberger, F.; Binder, C. R.

2009-04-01

Drift from pesticide backpack-spraying is of major importance in the highlands of Colombia, where more than 20% be drifted by wind effects. This study assesses the usefulness of the weight method and the use of the tracer Uranine for assessing pesticide drift distribution on soils. The weight method has been used in developing countries and consists of weighing previously dried papers, installed close to the soil surface, before and after spraying a known amount of water. Relative humidity, temperature, direction and speed of the wind were monitored during the experiments. The tracer Uranine is often used for groundwater studies. Uranine was added to the water and sprayed by the farmer in the same way he would spray any pesticide mixture. The same papers used in the previous method were stored after the spraying and weighing. The tracer was extracted in water and analyzed using a fluorescent spectrometer. The advantage of Uranine over other tracers is its easy extraction with water and low detectable concentration. No solvents are required for the extraction. The experiments were performed during two months in the wet season in the region of Vereda la Hoya, Boyaca, Colombia at an altitude of 2800 m a.s.l., from September to October. Each experiment lasted about 30 min. The fast-changing meteorological conditions in the region affected the success of the weight method. The paper's weight was very sensitive to atmospheric high relative humidity and different evaporative conditions in grass and bare ground. Location of the blanks was essential and had to represent each of the different experimental evaporative conditions. Although the method was easy to implement, we consider that it is not appropriate for areas characterized by high evapotranspiration rates, and fast-changing climatic conditions as found in the Colombian highlands above 2800 m a.s.l. Whereas Uranine was not sensitive to different evapotranspiration rates nor fast changing climatic conditions, this

The brasimone study (brastud) an investigation of atmospheric dispersion over complex terrain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cagnetti, P.; Ocone, R.; Racalbuto, S.

1988-01-01

An investigation of atmospheric dispersion over complex terrain was carried out in September 1984 and in June 1985 at the Brasimone Energy Research Centre (B.E.R.C.). This place, where an experimental nuclear reactor is under construction, is located in the Tuscan-Emilian Appennine range approximately 50 km south of Bologna. The measuring campaigns, based on survey of wind and temperature parameters, tracer (SF 6 ) experiments and tracking of tetroons by radar, were performed with the purpose of assessing the atmospheric dispersion of pollutants under nocturnal drainage flow conditions. The three-dimensional MATHEW/ADPIC model was evaluated with the Brasimone data set and the results obtained are satisfactory

Assessing preferential flow by simultaneously injecting nanoparticle and chemical tracers

KAUST Repository

Subramanian, S. K.; Li, Yan; Cathles, L. M.

2013-01-01

The exact manner in which preferential (e.g., much faster than average) flow occurs in the subsurface through small fractures or permeable connected pathways of other kinds is important to many processes but is difficult to determine, because most chemical tracers diffuse quickly enough from small flow channels that they appear to move more uniformly through the rock than they actually do. We show how preferential flow can be assessed by injecting 2 to 5 nm carbon particles (C-Dots) and an inert KBr chemical tracer at different flow rates into a permeable core channel that is surrounded by a less permeable matrix in laboratory apparatus of three different designs. When the KBr tracer has a long enough transit through the system to diffuse into the matrix, but the C-Dot tracer does not, the C-Dot tracer arrives first and the KBr tracer later, and the separation measures the degree of preferential flow. Tracer sequestration in the matrix can be estimated with a Peclet number, and this is useful for experiment design. A model is used to determine the best fitting core and matrix dispersion parameters and refine estimates of the core and matrix porosities. Almost the same parameter values explain all experiments. The methods demonstrated in the laboratory can be applied to field tests. If nanoparticles can be designed that do not stick while flowing through the subsurface, the methods presented here could be used to determine the degree of fracture control in natural environments, and this capability would have very wide ranging value and applicability.

Structural aspects of the atmospheric aerosol of the Amazon basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artaxo Netto, P.E.; Orsini, C.M.Q.

1982-01-01

The results presented on this paper may be considered as complementary to the ones published on two previous papers about the natural atmospheric aerosol of the Amazon Basin, and the effects, on these physical-chemical systems of the large scale brushfires carried out from time to time on that region. The experiments have been performed in August-September, 1980, simultaneously to the ones of the 'Projeto Queimadas - 1980' promoted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research from the U.S.A.. The new results here in presented are size distribution concentration data as log-probability curves for the detected tracer-elements; from these curves, by introducing a new technique, is was possible to derive the corresponding log-normal curves. These last curves can be used conveniently to characterize the atmospheric aerosol system which is under investigation. (Author) [pt

Journal: A Review of Some Tracer-Test Design Equations for ...

Science.gov (United States)

Determination of necessary tracer mass, initial sample-collection time, and subsequent sample-collection frequency are the three most difficult aspects to estimate for a proposed tracer test prior to conducting the tracer test. To facilitate tracer-mass estimation, 33 mass-estimation equations are reviewed here, 32 of which were evaluated using previously published tracer-test design examination parameters. Comparison of the results produced a wide range of estimated tracer mass, but no means is available by which one equation may be reasonably selected over the others. Each equation produces a simple approximation for tracer mass. Most of the equations are based primarily on estimates or measurements of discharge, transport distance, and suspected transport times. Although the basic field parameters commonly employed are appropriate for estimating tracer mass, the 33 equations are problematic in that they were all probably based on the original developers' experience in a particular field area and not necessarily on measured hydraulic parameters or solute-transport theory. Suggested sampling frequencies are typically based primarily on probable transport distance, but with little regard to expected travel times. This too is problematic in that tends to result in false negatives or data aliasing. Simulations from the recently developed efficient hydrologic tracer-test design methodology (EHTD) were compared with those obtained from 32 of the 33 published tracer-

Lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment (LABLE) Final Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, P [University of Oklahoma - School of Meteorology; Bonin, TA; Newman, JF [National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Turner, DD [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Chilson, P [University of Oklahoma; Blumberg, WG [University of Oklahoma; Mishra, S; Wainwright, CE; Carney, M [University of Oklahoma - School of Meteorology; Jacobsen, EP [University of Oklahoma; Wharton, S [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

2015-11-01

The Lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment (LABLE) included two measurement campaigns conducted at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains site in Oklahoma during 2012 and 2013. LABLE was designed as a multi-phase, low-cost collaboration among the University of Oklahoma, the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the ARM program. A unique aspect was the role of graduate students in LABLE. They served as principal investigators and took the lead in designing and conducting experiments using different sampling strategies to best resolve boundary-layer phenomena.

Study on the metabolic characteristics of renal imaging agent 99mTc-PAHIDA with tracer experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Shoupeng; Wang Liuyi; Lun Mingyue

1995-01-01

Tracer experiment showed that 99m Tc-PAHIDA was distributed predominantly in kidney. The distribution in other tissue was in the following descending order: heart, gastrointestinal tract, liver, spleen, muscle, adipose tissue, testes, and brain. The smaller the intravenous dose, the lower the proportion of the drug was combined to plasma protein and the more the drug was distributed in kidney. Excretion of 99m Tc-PAHIDa via urine was rapid and was in its original form as shown by radiochromatography

TECHNOLOGY OF RADIATION MONITORING: TRACERS-INDICATORS OF DANGEROUS NATURAL AND TECHNOGENIC PHENOMENA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Yakovleva

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The analysis of results of experimental investigation concerning the influence of natural and technogenic events on radioactive gas and aerosols dynamics as well as structure and dynamics of different types of ionizing radiation in soil and ground atmosphere was performed. The results of the analysis were used to carry out of classification of revealed radiation tracersindicators of dangerous natural and technogenic phenomena. The algorithm of monitoring of optimum set of radiation tracers-indicators, which are measured simultaneously, of dangerous phenomena was developed. This algorithm uses the “2+1” rule for determining the optimum set of radiation tracers-indicators.

NAMMA LIDAR ATMOSPHERIC SENSING EXPERIMENT (LASE) V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA's Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) system using the DIAL (Differential Absorption Lidar) system was operated during the NASA African Monsoon...

New insights to the use of ethanol in automotive fuels: a stable isotopic tracer for fossil- and bio-fuel combustion inputs to the atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Giebel, Brian M; Swart, Peter K; Riemer, Daniel D

2011-08-01

Ethanol is currently receiving increased attention because of its use as a biofuel or fuel additive and because of its influence on air quality. We used stable isotopic ratio measurements of (13)C/(12)C in ethanol emitted from vehicles and a small group of tropical plants to establish ethanol's δ(13)C end-member signatures. Ethanol emitted in exhaust is distinctly different from that emitted by tropical plants and can serve as a unique stable isotopic tracer for transportation-related inputs to the atmosphere. Ethanol's unique isotopic signature in fuel is related to corn, a C4 plant and the primary source of ethanol in the U.S. We estimated a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for ethanol's oxidative loss in the atmosphere and used previous assumptions with respect to the fractionation that may occur during wet and dry deposition. A small number of interpretive model calculations were used for source apportionment of ethanol and to understand the associated effects resulting from atmospheric removal. The models incorporated our end-member signatures and ambient measurements of ethanol, known or estimated source strengths and removal magnitudes, and estimated KIEs associated with atmospheric removal processes for ethanol. We compared transportation-related ethanol signatures to those from biogenic sources and used a set of ambient measurements to apportion each source contribution in Miami, Florida-a moderately polluted, but well ventilated urban location.

Measurement of Kr-85 and Xe-133 as undisturbed tracers for the representing of atmospheric transport after disposal of radioactivity from nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, G.; Steinkopff, T.; Salvamoser, J.

2016-01-01

The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD, German Meteorological Service) operates since 1996 a sampling and measurement device for the radioactive rare gases Kr-85 and Xe-133 in Offenbach. These measurements are embedded in the German Measurement and Information System for Monitoring Environmental Radioactivity (Integriertes Mess- und Informationssystem zur Ueberwachung der Radioaktivitaet in der Umwelt, IMIS) [1]. In addition to these measurements the DWD is sampling rare gases in Potsdam and since 2014 in Trier in cooperation with the Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz (Federal Office for Radiation Protection, BfS). In the frame of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW)-program of the WMO the DWD operated a sampling station at the Zugspitze (Schneefernerhaus) from 1999 to 2005. This location at the Zugspitze is well suited for the observation of long distance transport of Kr-85 in the higher atmosphere. The DWD in Offenbach operates a complex analytical system for the measurement of Kr-85 and Xe-133 since 1998. This system consists of sampling with first enrichment, second enrichment, gas chromatographic separation and preparation of Krypton and Xenon and measurement of Kr-85 and Xe-133. Using the example Fukushima, it is shown, that the radioactive rare gases Kr-85 and Xe-133 are well undisturbed tracers for atmospheric transport in case of a nuclear accident or routine nuclear reprocessing plants. Measurements of Xe-133, I-131, Cs-137 and Kr-85 are correlated with source and atmospheric transport to the sampling sites at Offenbach and Potsdam.

Using neural networks to describe tracer correlations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. J. Lary

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Neural networks are ideally suited to describe the spatial and temporal dependence of tracer-tracer correlations. The neural network performs well even in regions where the correlations are less compact and normally a family of correlation curves would be required. For example, the CH4-N2O correlation can be well described using a neural network trained with the latitude, pressure, time of year, and methane volume mixing ratio (v.m.r.. In this study a neural network using Quickprop learning and one hidden layer with eight nodes was able to reproduce the CH4-N2O correlation with a correlation coefficient between simulated and training values of 0.9995. Such an accurate representation of tracer-tracer correlations allows more use to be made of long-term datasets to constrain chemical models. Such as the dataset from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE which has continuously observed CH4  (but not N2O from 1991 till the present. The neural network Fortran code used is available for download.

Using radioactive tracer technique in municipal hygiene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yurasova, O.I.

1974-01-01

Work of the A. N. Syrsin Institute of General and Municiapl Hygiene using raidoactive tracers is reviewed. The studies include research on protein metabolism in the living organism following action of unfavorable factors of the environment; determination of the paths of introduction into the organism of substances with an alien composition; and study of the rate of resorption of subcutaneous papuli. Results are shown of radioactive-tracer studies on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the living organism and of migration of alien chemical compounds in the organism and in objects in the environment. It is concluded that the radioactive tracer method has wide application in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology. The absence of laborious operations, economy of time, precision of the experiments, and the possibility of obtaining additional information on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the organism and the low cost of such studies compared with other methods makes the radioactive tracer method economically attractive. The studies made show the various types of use of the method in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology

Using radioactive tracer technique in municipal hygiene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yurasova, O I [Institut Obshchej i Kommunal' noj Gigieny, Moscow (USSR)

1974-01-01

Work of the A. N. Syrsin Institute of General and Municiapl Hygiene using raidoactive tracers is reviewed. The studies include research on protein metabolism in the living organism following action of unfavorable factors of the environment; determination of the paths of introduction into the organism of substances with an alien composition; and study of the rate of resorption of subcutaneous papuli. Results are shown of radioactive-tracer studies on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the living organism and of migration of alien chemical compounds in the organism and in objects in the environment. It is concluded that the radioactive tracer method has wide application in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology. The absence of laborious operations, economy of time, precision of the experiments, and the possibility of obtaining additional information on the mechanism of action of poisonous substances on the organism and the low cost of such studies compared with other methods makes the radioactive tracer method economically attractive. The studies made show the various types of use of the method in municipal hygiene and sanitary microbiology.

NAMMA LIDAR ATMOSPHERIC SENSING EXPERIMENT (LASE) V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The NAMMA Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) dataset used the LASE system using the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system was operated during the NASA...

Determination of the self purification of streams using tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salviano, J.S.

1982-04-01

A methodology for the 'in situ' evaluation of the self purification of streams is discussed. It consists of the simultaneous injection of two tracers into the stream. One of the tracers is oxidized by biochemical processes. It can be either artificially supplied to the stream or a naturally present component can be used. This tracer is used for the determination of the self purification parameters. The other tracer is conservative and allows for the hydrodynamic effects. Tests have been carried out in two streams with quite different hydrodynamic and physicochemical conditions. In the first stream, with a flow-rate of about 0.9 m 3 /s, urea was used as the nonconservative tracer. In the other stream, which had a flow-rate of about 5 m 3 /s, only a radioactive tracer has been used, and the rate of biochemical oxidation has been determined from BOD measurements. Calculations have been implemented on a digital computer. In both cases it was found that the reoxygenation rate is more conveniently determined by empirical formulas. Results from both tests have been deemed realistic by comparison with similar experiments. (Author) [pt

Predictions of PuO2 and tracer compound release from ISV melts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cronenberg, A.W.; Callow, R.A.

1992-04-01

Two field tests were conducted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to assess in situ vitrification (ISV) suitability for long-term stabilization of buried radioactive waste. Both tests contained rare-earth oxide tracers (DY 2 O 3 , Yb 2 O 3 , and Tb 4 O 7 ) to simulate the presence of plutonium in the form of PuO 2 . In the first test, Intermediate Field Test (IFT)-l, approximately 4-% release of tracer material occurred during soil melting and associated off-gassing, while essentially nil release was observed for the second experiment (IFT-2) for which off-gassing was much reduced. This report presents an evaluation of the IFT test data in terms of governing release processes. Prediction of tracer release during ISV melting centered on an assessment of three potential transport mechanisms, (a) tracer diffusion through stagnant pool, (b) tracer transport by convective currents, and (c) tracer carry-off by escaping gas bubbles. Analysis indicates that tracer release by escaping gas is the dominant release mechanism, which is consistent with video records of gas bubble escape from the ISV melt surface. Quantitative mass transport predictions were also made for the IFT-I test conditions, indicating similarity between the 4-% release data and calculational results at viscosities of ∼ poise and tracer diffusivities of ∼10 -6 CM 2 /s. Since PuO 2 has similar chemical and transport (diffusivity) properties as the rare-earth tracers used in the rare earth tracers used in the IFT experiments, release of PuO 2 is predicted for similar off-gassing conditions. Reduced off-gassing during ISV would thus be expected to improve the overall retention of heavy-oxides within vitrified soil

The Mars Pathfinder atmospheric structure investigation/meteorology (ASI/MET) experiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schofield, J.T.; Barnes, J.R.; Crisp, D.

1997-01-01

The Mars Pathfinder atmospheric structure investigation/meteorology (ASI/MET) experiment measured the vertical density, pressure, and temperature structure of the martian atmosphere from the surface to 160 km, and monitored surface meteorology and climate for 83 sols (1 sol = 1 martian day = 24...

Results of atmospheric diffusion experiments, vol.3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kakuta, Michio; Hayashi, Takashi; Adachi, Takashi.

1988-02-01

An extensive study on 'Emergency monitoring and prediction code system' has been carried in JAERI since 1980. Six series of field experiments on atmospheric diffusion were conducted to develop and verify the prediction models for environmental concentration distribution following accidental release of radioactivity. Results of field experiments (Inland complex terrain, surface and elevated point sources) conducted in 15 - 19th October 1984 (TSUKUBA84) and in 6 - 10th November 1985 (TSUKUBA85) are contained in this volume. (author)

Artificial radionuclide tracer supply to the Denmark strait overflow between 1972 and 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livingston, H.D.; Swift, J.H.; Ostlund, H.G.

1985-01-01

Measurements of the concentrations of the artificial radionuclides 3 H, 137 Cs, and 90 Sr in the northern Irminger Sea in 1972 and 1981 are reported. In both years, tracer measurements from this area included data from samples of the dense overflow water from the north through Denmark Strait. All three tracers were strongly correlated inversely with salinity in the dense outflows-the tracer maxima being related directly to the salinity minimum. When the tracer characteristics in the outflows in 1972 and 1981 were compared, concentrations of all in 1981 were observed to be about double the 1972 values. The individual tracer concentrations-on a decay-corrected, density-normalized basis-were higher in increasing order: 90 Sr(+93%) 3 H(+115%) 137 Cs(+150%). The relatively greater increases for 3 H and 137 Cs were attributed to contributions of new sources of these tracers in northern surface waters: the 3 H source is argued to derive from atmospheric hydrological recycling, whereas the 137 Cs source is identified as the input to the Greenland and Iceland seas of advected European nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes. Both the tracer and hydrographic data are used to identify northern locations of intermediate water formation capable of supplying the observed dense overflow water characteristics. It is argued, from the time taken for the overflow water to reflect the new surface 137 Cs source, that transport from the source to the overflow can be quite rapid (about 2 years)

Design and utilisation of protocols to characterise dynamic PET uptake of two tracers using basis pursuit

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Christopher; Puttick, Simon; Rose, Stephen; Smith, Jye; Thomas, Paul; Dowson, Nicholas

2017-06-01

Imaging using more than one biological process using PET could be of great utility, but despite previously proposed approaches to dual-tracer imaging, it is seldom performed. The alternative of performing multiple scans is often infeasible for clinical practice or even in research studies. Dual-tracer PET scanning allows for multiple PET radiotracers to be imaged within the same imaging session. In this paper we describe our approach to utilise the basis pursuit method to aid in the design of dual-tracer PET imaging experiments, and later in separation of the signals. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require a compartment model architecture to be specified or even that both signals are distinguishable in all cases. This means the method for separating dual-tracer signals can be used for many feasible and useful combinations of biology or radiotracer, once an appropriate scanning protocol has been decided upon. Following a demonstration in separating the signals from two consecutively injected radionuclides in a controlled experiment, phantom and list-mode mouse experiments demonstrated the ability to test the feasibility of dual-tracer imaging protocols for multiple injection delays. Increases in variances predicted for kinetic macro-parameters V D and K I in brain and tumoral tissue were obtained when separating the synthetically combined data. These experiments confirmed previous work using other approaches that injections delays of 10-20 min ensured increases in variance were kept minimal for the test tracers used. On this basis, an actual dual-tracer experiment using a 20 min delay was performed using these radio tracers, with the kinetic parameters (V D and K I) extracted for each tracer in agreement with the literature. This study supports previous work that dual-tracer PET imaging can be accomplished provided certain constraints are adhered to. The utilisation of basis pursuit techniques, with its removed need to specify a model

The interaction of sorbing and non-sorbing tracers with different Aespoe rock types. Sorption and diffusion experiments in the laboratory scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byegaard, J.; Johansson, Henrik; Skaalberg, M.

1998-11-01

Laboratory experiments studying the sorption and diffusivity of different tracers in Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (Aespoe HRL) site specific conditions have been performed. The experiments were conducted by applying both the batch sorption and the through diffusion technique. The investigation was focused on slightly sorbing tracers, i e, alkaline metals (Na + , Rb + and Cs + ) and alkaline earth metals (Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ ), but some presumed non-sorbing species have also been included. The dominating generic rock material from Aespoe HRL, Aespoe-diorite and fine-grained granite, were used as well as some altered wall rock and mylonite from the Feature A fracture, the fracture where in situ migration studies have been performed. Synthetic groundwater was used; similar to the high saline groundwater found at the 350m level at Aespoe HRL and at the Feature A site. The results of batch experiments show that the sorption of the tracers increase in the order Na + in the order of (4-30)x10 -6 m 3 /kg and for Cs + in the range of (I-400)x10 -3 m 3 /kg. The variations in sorption coefficients are due to differences in the composition of the geological material, contact time and particle size. Sorption is generally stronger for the Aespoe-diorite than for the fine-grained granite which is explained by the much higher concentration of biotite in Aespoe diorite than in fine-grained granite. In the altered material the biotite has been transformed to chlorite and a lower sorptivity is shown for those material compared to the fresh diorite and granite, respectively. Attempts to explain the sorption and desorption results to a surface sorption - diffusion model are presented. The diffusion results show that the tracers were retarded in the same order as was expected from the measured batch sorption coefficients. Furthermore, the largest size fraction was the most representative when comparing batch sorption coefficients with sorption coefficients evaluated from the

Environmental Tracers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trevor Elliot

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Environmental tracers continue to provide an important tool for understanding the source, flow and mixing dynamics of water resource systems through their imprint on the system or their sensitivity to alteration within it. However, 60 years or so after the first isotopic tracer studies were applied to hydrology, the use of isotopes and other environmental tracers are still not routinely necessarily applied in hydrogeological and water resources investigations where appropriate. There is therefore a continuing need to promote their use for developing sustainable management policies for the protection of water resources and the aquatic environment. This Special Issue focuses on the robustness or fitness-for-purpose of the application and use of environmental tracers in addressing problems and opportunities scientifically, to promote their wider use and to address substantive issues of vulnerability, sustainability, and uncertainty in (groundwater resources systems and their management.

the Martian atmospheric boundary layer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petrosyan, A.; Galperin, B.; Larsen, Søren Ejling

2011-01-01

. This portion of the atmosphere is extremely important, both scientifically and operationally, because it is the region within which surface lander spacecraft must operate and also determines exchanges of heat, momentum, dust, water, and other tracers between surface and subsurface reservoirs and the free...

Greenhouse gases regional fluxes estimated from atmospheric measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messager, C.

2007-07-01

build up a new system to measure continuously CO 2 (or CO), CH 4 , N 2 O and SF 6 mixing ratios. It is based on a commercial gas chromatograph (Agilent 6890N) which have been modified to reach better precision. Reproducibility computed with a target gas on a 24 hours time step gives: 0.06 ppm for CO 2 , 1.4 ppb for CO, 0.7 ppb for CH 4 , 0.2 ppb for N 2 O and 0.05 ppt for SF 6 . The instrument's run is fully automated, an air sample analysis takes about 5 minutes. In July 2006, I install instrumentation on a telecommunication tall tower (200 m) situated near Orleans forest in Trainou, to monitor continuously greenhouse gases (CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, SF 6 ), atmospheric tracers (CO, Radon-222) and meteorological parameters. Intake lines were installed at 3 levels (50, 100 and 180 m) and allow us to sample air masses along the vertical. Continuous measurement started in January 2007. I used Mace Head (Ireland) and Gif-sur-Yvette continuous measurements to estimate major greenhouse gases emission fluxes at regional scale. To make the link between atmospheric measurements and surface fluxes, we need to quantify dilution due to atmospheric transport. I used Radon-222 as tracer (radon tracer method) and planetary boundary layer heights estimates from ECMWF model (boundary layer budget method) to parameterize atmospheric transport. In both cases I compared results to available emission inventories. (author)

sup 26 Al tracer experiment by accelerator mass spectrometry and its application to the studies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobayashi, Koichi (Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology); Yumoto, Sakae; Nagai, Hisao; Hosoyama, Yoshiyuki; Imamura, Mineo; Masuzawa, Shin-ichirou; Koizumi, Yoshinobu; Yamashita, Hiroshi

1990-12-01

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was applied for {sup 26}Al tracer experiment to study the aluminum toxicity and metabolism in rats. To investigate the cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease, the aluminum incorporation into the brain (cerebrum) was studied by AMS using {sup 26}Al as a tracer. When {sup 26}Al was intraperitoneally injected into rats, a considerable amount of {sup 26}Al was incorporated into the cerebrum after 5-35 days of the injection. (author).

Ensemble-based simultaneous emission estimates and improved forecast of radioactive pollution from nuclear power plant accidents: application to ETEX tracer experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, X.L.; Li, Q.B.; Su, G.F.; Yuan, M.Q.

2015-01-01

The accidental release of radioactive materials from nuclear power plant leads to radioactive pollution. We apply an augmented ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) with a chemical transport model to jointly estimate the emissions of Perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH), a tracer substitute for radionuclides, from a point source during the European Tracer Experiment, and to improve the forecast of its dispersion downwind. We perturb wind fields to account for meteorological uncertainties. We expand the state vector of PMCH concentrations through continuously adding an a priori emission rate for each succeeding assimilation cycle. We adopt a time-correlated red noise to simulate the temporal emission fluctuation. The improved EnKF system rapidly updates (and reduces) the excessively large initial first-guess emissions, thereby significantly improves subsequent forecasts (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). It retrieves 94% of the total PMCH released and substantially reduces transport error (>80% average reduction of the normalized mean square error). - Highlights: • EnKF is augmented for estimating emission and improving dispersion forecast. • The improved system retrieves 94% of the actual total tracer release in ETEX. • The system substantially improves the 3-h forecast of the tracer dispersion. • The method is robust and insensitive to the first-guess emissions. • The meteorological uncertainties exert strong influence on the performance

Study on the metabolic characteristics of renal imaging agent {sup 99m}Tc-PAHIDA with tracer experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shoupeng, Zhu; Liuyi, Wang; Mingyue, Lun [Suzhou Medical Coll., JS (China); and others

1995-05-01

Tracer experiment showed that {sup 99m}Tc-PAHIDA was distributed predominantly in kidney. The distribution in other tissue was in the following descending order: heart, gastrointestinal tract, liver, spleen, muscle, adipose tissue, testes, and brain. The smaller the intravenous dose, the lower the proportion of the drug was combined to plasma protein and the more the drug was distributed in kidney. Excretion of {sup 99m}Tc-PAHIDa via urine was rapid and was in its original form as shown by radiochromatography.

Program report: FY 1976, Atmospheric and Geophysical Sciences Division, Physics Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knox, J.B.; Orphan, R.C.

1976-01-01

The Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC), with its central facility located at LLL, is meeting the long-term need for rapid and accurate regional dose-to-man estimates of nuclear material released as a result of accidents, operations, or terrorism acts. During the past two years, ARAC has been used in four potential WARMSPOT events and for one accidental release. Continuing research, in terms of new modeling techniques, simulation of regional tracer experiments, and other verification activities, support this capability. Emergency response is currently being upgraded to evaluate the consequences of atmospheric releases at selected nuclear facilities and for potential acts of nuclear terrorism anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Regional modeling was also applied in monitoring SO 2 -sulfate concentrations in the northeastern USA

Tracer studies with aortic infusion result in improper tracer distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wisneski, J.A.; Brooks, G.A.; Neese, R.A.; Stanley, W.C.; Morris, D.L.; Gertz, E.W.

1986-01-01

It has been suggested that lactate turnover can be accurately assessed by infusing radioactive lactate tracer into the aorta and sampling blood in the vena cava. However, there may be streaming of newly infused tracer in the aorta, resulting in a nonuniform arterial specific activity (SA). Furthermore vena caval blood may not be representative of mixed venous blood. The authors examined this problem in 7 anesthetized dogs with sampling catheters in the pulmonary (PA), carotid (CA), and femoral (FA) arteries, and the superior (SVC) and inferior (IVC) vena cavi. [1- 14 C]lactate was continuously infused into the left ventricle through a catheter introduced through the femoral artery. The same SA (dpm/μmol) was found in the CA and FA, indicating adequate mixing of newly infused tracer with trace. Three dogs showed differences between SVC, IVC and PA, suggesting a mixed venous sample can not be obtained from the VC. When the catheter was moved into the aorta, wide differences in SA appeared between the CA and FA, clearly reflecting streaming of tracer. These differences also appeared in the SVC and IVC. In conclusion, adequate mixing does not occur between tracer and trace in arterial blood with aortic infusion. Further, VC sampling will not give a consistent mixed venous SA. Therefore, for practical reasons, aortic tracer infusion with vena caval sampling will lead to erroneous turnover values

Noaa chlorofluorocarbon tracer program air and seawater measurements: 1986-1989. Data file

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wisegarver, D.P.; Bullister, J.L.; Gammon, R.H.; Menzia, F.A.; Kelly, K.C.

1993-04-01

The NOAA Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Tracer Program at PMEL has been measuring the growing burden of these anthropogenic gases in the thermocline waters of the Pacific Ocean since 1980. The central goals of the NOAA CFC Tracer Program are to document the transient invasion of the CFC tracers into the Pacific Ocean, by means of repeat occupations of key hydrographic sections at 5-year intervals, and to interpret these changing distributions in terms of coupled ocean-atmosphere models. Studies are underway to use the CFC observations in model-validation studies, and to help develop predictive capabilities on the decade-to-century timescale. The report includes measurements of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) and dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12) dissolved in seawater samples collected in the Pacific Ocean by the NOAA CFC Tracer Program on six cruises during the period of 1986-1989. Measurements of depth, pressure, salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen are included with the CFC data. Measurements of CFC-11 and CFC-12 in air samples collected along the cruise tracks are also included in the report. Data from the report are also available from the authors in digital format

Simulation of tracer transport for the site characterization and validation site in the Stripa Mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, J.C.S.; Karasaki, K.

1992-01-01

This report describes a series of numerical simulations of tracer tests that were performed in a fracture zone (the H-zone) at the Stripa Mine in Sweden. The tracer simulations are bases on Equivalent Discontinuum models which were developed bases on geophysical measurements and hydraulic interference data (Long et al., 1992). The transport simulations are calibrated to one set of saline tracer breakthrough curves (from the first radar/saline experiment, RSI) and these calibrated models are used to predict another series of breakthrough curves. Predicted breakthrough curves can be compared to the actual data and simulated ''snapshots'' of concentration in the plan of the fracture zone can be compared to radar difference tomograms made during the saline tracer experiments

Assessment of key transport parameters in a karst system under different dynamic conditions based on tracer experiments: the Jeita karst system, Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Doummar, Joanna; Margane, Armin; Geyer, Tobias; Sauter, Martin

2018-03-01

Artificial tracer experiments were conducted in the mature karst system of Jeita (Lebanon) under various flow conditions using surface and subsurface tracer injection points, to determine the variation of transport parameters (attenuation of peak concentration, velocity, transit times, dispersivity, and proportion of immobile and mobile regions) along fast and slow flow pathways. Tracer breakthrough curves (TBCs) observed at the karst spring were interpreted using a two-region nonequilibrium approach (2RNEM) to account for the skewness in the TBCs' long tailings. The conduit test results revealed a discharge threshold in the system dynamics, beyond which the transport parameters vary significantly. The polynomial relationship between transport velocity and discharge can be related to the variation of the conduit's cross-sectional area. Longitudinal dispersivity in the conduit system is not a constant value (α = 7-10 m) and decreases linearly with increasing flow rate because of dilution effects. Additionally, the proportion of immobile regions (arising from conduit irregularities) increases with decreasing water level in the conduit system. From tracer tests with injection at the surface, longitudinal dispersivity values are found to be large (8-27 m). The tailing observed in some TBCs is generated in the unsaturated zone before the tracer actually arrives at the major subsurface conduit draining the system. This work allows the estimation and prediction of the key transport parameters in karst aquifers. It shows that these parameters vary with time and flow dynamics, and they reflect the geometry of the flow pathway and the origin of infiltrating (potentially contaminated) recharge.

Quantifying solute transport processes: are chemically "conservative" tracers electrically conservative?

Science.gov (United States)

Singha, Kamini; Li, Li; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Regberg, Aaron B.

2012-01-01

The concept of a nonreactive or conservative tracer, commonly invoked in investigations of solute transport, requires additional study in the context of electrical geophysical monitoring. Tracers that are commonly considered conservative may undergo reactive processes, such as ion exchange, thus changing the aqueous composition of the system. As a result, the measured electrical conductivity may reflect not only solute transport but also reactive processes. We have evaluated the impacts of ion exchange reactions, rate-limited mass transfer, and surface conduction on quantifying tracer mass, mean arrival time, and temporal variance in laboratory-scale column experiments. Numerical examples showed that (1) ion exchange can lead to resistivity-estimated tracer mass, velocity, and dispersivity that may be inaccurate; (2) mass transfer leads to an overestimate in the mobile tracer mass and an underestimate in velocity when using electrical methods; and (3) surface conductance does not notably affect estimated moments when high-concentration tracers are used, although this phenomenon may be important at low concentrations or in sediments with high and/or spatially variable cation-exchange capacity. In all cases, colocated groundwater concentration measurements are of high importance for interpreting geophysical data with respect to the controlling transport processes of interest.

Coupling heat and chemical tracer experiments for estimating heat transfer parameters in shallow alluvial aquifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wildemeersch, S; Jamin, P; Orban, P; Hermans, T; Klepikova, M; Nguyen, F; Brouyère, S; Dassargues, A

2014-11-15

Geothermal energy systems, closed or open, are increasingly considered for heating and/or cooling buildings. The efficiency of such systems depends on the thermal properties of the subsurface. Therefore, feasibility and impact studies performed prior to their installation should include a field characterization of thermal properties and a heat transfer model using parameter values measured in situ. However, there is a lack of in situ experiments and methodology for performing such a field characterization, especially for open systems. This study presents an in situ experiment designed for estimating heat transfer parameters in shallow alluvial aquifers with focus on the specific heat capacity. This experiment consists in simultaneously injecting hot water and a chemical tracer into the aquifer and monitoring the evolution of groundwater temperature and concentration in the recovery well (and possibly in other piezometers located down gradient). Temperature and concentrations are then used for estimating the specific heat capacity. The first method for estimating this parameter is based on a modeling in series of the chemical tracer and temperature breakthrough curves at the recovery well. The second method is based on an energy balance. The values of specific heat capacity estimated for both methods (2.30 and 2.54MJ/m(3)/K) for the experimental site in the alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River (Belgium) are almost identical and consistent with values found in the literature. Temperature breakthrough curves in other piezometers are not required for estimating the specific heat capacity. However, they highlight that heat transfer in the alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River is complex and contrasted with different dominant process depending on the depth leading to significant vertical heat exchange between upper and lower part of the aquifer. Furthermore, these temperature breakthrough curves could be included in the calibration of a complex heat transfer model for

Statistical dynamic imaging of RI-labeled tracer from list-mode PET data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanimoto, Michiaki; Kuroda, Yoshihiro; Oshiro, Osamu; Watabe, Hiroshi; Kuroda, Tomohiro

2009-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) can be used in physiological analysis to illustrate physiological states by visualizing the accumulation of radioisotope (RI)-labeled tracer in specific organs or tissues. PET obtains spatio-temporal statistics in the form of list-mode data. However, conventional imaging techniques, which sum up list-mode data over a given time period, cannot depict detailed temporal dynamics of the RI-labeled tracer. In this study, a spatio-temporal analysis approach was employed to visualize the temporal flow dynamics of RI-labeled tracer from the obtained list-mode data. Experiments to assess the visualization of simulated RI-labeled tracer dynamics as well as RI-labeled tracer dynamics in a vascular phantom showed that the proposed method successfully depicted detailed temporal flow dynamics that could not be visualized using conventional methods. (author)

The propagation of Escherichia Coli and of conservative tracers. A comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexander, I.; Seiler, K.P.

1982-01-01

The propagation of Escherichia Coli (ATCC 11229, Gelsenkirchen) is compared with that of conservative tracers in groundwater. The experiments were performed with injection quantities of 10 7 , 10 8 , 10 10 and 10 11 of Escherichia Coli. Both, bacteria and conservative tracers pass their maximum at the same instant in the observation gauges. With injection quantities of more than 10 8 , the propagation of the Escherichia Coli sets in at the same time as it begins with the dyes. When the quantities range below 10 8 , the propagation begins after that of conservative tracers, because Coli bacteria were measured with a lower degree of detecting sensitivity than the tracers. With Coli injection quantities ranging above 10 10 , an increased filtering of these bacteria can be observed. Coli bacteria propagate more laterally than conservative tracers, however it could not be proved that this lateral propagation depends on the bacteria concentration. (orig.) [de

Atmospherical experiment in Angra I plant for characterizing the effluent transport threw in the atmospheric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva Lobo, M.A. da; Kronemberger, B.M.E.

1989-01-01

Available as short communication only. The Environmental Safety Division of the Nuclear Safety and Fuel Department from FURNAS Electric Station S.A. joint with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), achieved a field experiment for characterizing the atmospheric transport and diffusion in the site complex of Angra I Nuclear Power Plant. The complex topography with the thick vegetation and the neighbour building bring problems for the modelling of the effluent transport and the dispersion. The actual meteorological measure system is automatic and compound with four towers. An intensive atmospheric measure with captive balloon is included, and the collected data shows that the site flux is strongly influenced by the topography and insolation. (C.G.C.). 2 figs

The interaction of sorbing and non-sorbing tracers with different Aespoe rock types. Sorption and diffusion experiments in the laboratory scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byegaard, J.; Johansson, Henrik; Skaalberg, M. [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Nuclear Chemistry; Tullborg, E.L. [Terralogica AB, Graabo (Sweden)

1998-11-01

Laboratory experiments studying the sorption and diffusivity of different tracers in Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (Aespoe HRL) site specific conditions have been performed. The experiments were conducted by applying both the batch sorption and the through diffusion technique. The investigation was focused on slightly sorbing tracers, i e, alkaline metals (Na{sup +}, Rb{sup +} and Cs{sup +}) and alkaline earth metals (Ca{sup 2+}, Sr{sup 2+} and Ba{sup 2+}), but some presumed non-sorbing species have also been included. The dominating generic rock material from Aespoe HRL, Aespoe-diorite and fine-grained granite, were used as well as some altered wall rock and mylonite from the Feature A fracture, the fracture where in situ migration studies have been performed. Synthetic groundwater was used; similar to the high saline groundwater found at the 350m level at Aespoe HRL and at the Feature A site. The results of batch experiments show that the sorption of the tracers increase in the order Natracers were retarded in the same order as was expected from the measured batch sorption coefficients. Furthermore, the largest size fraction was the most

Application of enriched stable isotopes as tracers in biological systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stürup, Stefan; Hansen, Helle Rüsz; Gammelgaard, Bente

2008-01-01

The application of enriched stable isotopes of minerals and trace elements as tracers in biological systems is a rapidly growing research field that benefits from the many new developments in inorganic mass spectrometric instrumentation, primarily within inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry...... (ICP-MS) instrumentation, such as reaction/collision cell ICP-MS and multicollector ICP-MS with improved isotope ratio measurement and interference removal capabilities. Adaptation and refinement of radioisotope tracer experiment methodologies for enriched stable isotope experiments......, and the development of new methodologies coupled with more advanced compartmental and mathematical models for the distribution of elements in living organisms has enabled a broader use of enriched stable isotope experiments in the biological sciences. This review discusses the current and future uses of enriched...

SUMS preliminary design and data analysis development. [shuttle upper atmosphere mass spectrometer experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Hinson, E. W.

1981-01-01

The preliminary analysis and data analysis system development for the shuttle upper atmosphere mass spectrometer (SUMS) experiment are discussed. The SUMS experiment is designed to provide free stream atmospheric density, pressure, temperature, and mean molecular weight for the high altitude, high Mach number region.

Nanoparticle tracers in calcium carbonate porous media

KAUST Repository

Li, Yan Vivian

2014-07-15

Tracers are perhaps the most direct way of diagnosing subsurface fluid flow pathways for ground water decontamination and for natural gas and oil production. Nanoparticle tracers could be particularly effective because they do not diffuse away from the fractures or channels where flow occurs and thus take much less time to travel between two points. In combination with a chemical tracer they can measure the degree of flow concentration. A prerequisite for tracer applications is that the particles are not retained in the porous media as the result of aggregation or sticking to mineral surfaces. By screening eight nanoparticles (3-100 nm in diameter) for retention when passed through calcium carbonate packed laboratory columns in artificial oil field brine solutions of variable ionic strength we show that the nanoparticles with the least retention are 3 nm in diameter, nearly uncharged, and decorated with highly hydrophilic polymeric ligands. The details of these column experiments and the tri-modal distribution of zeta potential of the calcite sand particles in the brine used in our tests suggests that parts of the calcite surface have positive zeta potential and the retention of negatively charged nanoparticles occurs at these sites. Only neutral nanoparticles are immune to at least some retention. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media.

In situ gaseous tracer diffusion experiments and predictive modeling at the Greater Confinement Disposal Test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, M.C.

1985-07-01

The Greater Confinement Disposal Test (GCDT) at the Nevada Test Site is a research project investigating the feasibility of augered shaft disposal of low-level radioactive waste considered unsuitable for shallow land burial. The GCDT contains environmentally mobile and high-specific-activity sources. Research is focused on providing a set of analytically derived hydrogeologic parameters and an empirical database for application in a multiphase, two-dimensional, transient, predictive performance model. Potential contaminant transport processes at the GCDT are identified and their level of significance is detailed. Nonisothermal gaseous diffusion through alluvial sediments is considered the primary waste migration process. Volatile organic tracers are released in the subsurface and their migration is monitored in situ to determine media effective diffusion coefficients, tortuosity, and sorption-corrected porosity terms. The theoretical basis for volatile tracer experiments is presented. Treatment of thermal and liquid flow components is discussed, as is the basis for eliminating several negligible transport processes. Interpretive techniques include correlation, power spectra, and least squares analysis, a graphical analytical solution, and inverse numerical modeling. Model design and application to the GCDT are discussed. GCDT structural, analytical, and computer facilities are detailed. The status of the current research program is reviewed, and temperature and soil moisture profiles are presented along with results of operational tests on the analytical system. 72 refs., 39 figs., 2 tabs

The 1-way on-line coupled atmospheric chemistry model system MECO(n – Part 1: Description of the limited-area atmospheric chemistry model COSMO/MESSy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Kerkweg

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The numerical weather prediction model of the Consortium for Small Scale Modelling (COSMO, maintained by the German weather service (DWD, is connected with the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy. This effort is undertaken in preparation of a new, limited-area atmospheric chemistry model. Limited-area models require lateral boundary conditions for all prognostic variables. Therefore the quality of a regional chemistry model is expected to improve, if boundary conditions for the chemical constituents are provided by the driving model in consistence with the meteorological boundary conditions. The new developed model is as consistent as possible, with respect to atmospheric chemistry and related processes, with a previously developed global atmospheric chemistry general circulation model: the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC model. The combined system constitutes a new research tool, bridging the global to the meso-γ scale for atmospheric chemistry research. MESSy provides the infrastructure and includes, among others, the process and diagnostic submodels for atmospheric chemistry simulations. Furthermore, MESSy is highly flexible allowing model setups with tailor made complexity, depending on the scientific question. Here, the connection of the MESSy infrastructure to the COSMO model is documented and also the code changes required for the generalisation of regular MESSy submodels. Moreover, previously published prototype submodels for simplified tracer studies are generalised to be plugged-in and used in the global and the limited-area model. They are used to evaluate the TRACER interface implementation in the new COSMO/MESSy model system and the tracer transport characteristics, an important prerequisite for future atmospheric chemistry applications. A supplementary document with further details on the technical implementation of the MESSy interface into COSMO with a complete list of modifications to the COSMO code is provided.

Relative distance between tracers as a measure of diffusivity within moving aggregates

Science.gov (United States)

Pönisch, Wolfram; Zaburdaev, Vasily

2018-02-01

Tracking of particles, be it a passive tracer or an actively moving bacterium in the growing bacterial colony, is a powerful technique to probe the physical properties of the environment of the particles. One of the most common measures of particle motion driven by fluctuations and random forces is its diffusivity, which is routinely obtained by measuring the mean squared displacement of the particles. However, often the tracer particles may be moving in a domain or an aggregate which itself experiences some regular or random motion and thus masks the diffusivity of tracers. Here we provide a method for assessing the diffusivity of tracer particles within mobile aggregates by measuring the so-called mean squared relative distance (MSRD) between two tracers. We provide analytical expressions for both the ensemble and time averaged MSRD allowing for direct identification of diffusivities from experimental data.

Characterization of a managed aquifer recharge system using multiple tracers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moeck, Christian; Radny, Dirk; Popp, Andrea; Brennwald, Matthias; Stoll, Sebastian; Auckenthaler, Adrian; Berg, Michael; Schirmer, Mario

2017-12-31

Knowledge about the residence times of artificially infiltrated water into an aquifer and the resulting flow paths is essential to developing groundwater-management schemes. To obtain this knowledge, a variety of tracers can be used to study residence times and gain information about subsurface processes. Although a variety of tracers exists, their interpretation can differ considerably due to subsurface heterogeneity, underlying assumptions, and sampling and analysis limitations. The current study systematically assesses information gained from seven different tracers during a pumping experiment at a site where drinking water is extracted from an aquifer close to contaminated areas and where groundwater is artificially recharged by infiltrating surface water. We demonstrate that the groundwater residence times estimated using dye and heat tracers are comparable when the thermal retardation for the heat tracer is considered. Furthermore, major ions, acesulfame, and stable isotopes (δ 2 H and δ 18 O) show that mixing of infiltrated water and groundwater coming from the regional flow path occurred and a vertical stratification of the flow system exist. Based on the concentration patterns of dissolved gases (He, Ar, Kr, N 2 , and O 2 ) and chlorinated solvents (e.g., tetrachloroethene), three temporal phases are observed in the ratio between infiltrated water and regional groundwater during the pumping experiment. Variability in this ratio is significantly related to changes in the pumping and infiltration rates. During constant pumping rates, more infiltrated water was extracted, which led to a higher dilution of the regional groundwater. An infiltration interruption caused however, the ratio to change and more regional groundwater is extracted, which led to an increase in all concentrations. The obtained results are discussed for each tracer considered and its strengths and limitations are illustrated. Overall, it is demonstrated that aquifer heterogeneity and

Use of radioactive tracers in dynamic sedimentology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tola, Francois.

1982-01-01

In the first part, developments in the use of radioactive tracers in sedimentology are recalled together with the corresponding fields of application and the identities of the main users. The state-of-the-art in France is also discussed; The main characteristics of the method are then described and compared with those of more classical methods. The results that can be obtained with tracer methods are then outlined. The criteria employed to establish the granulometry characteristics of the tracer, the particular radioisotope to be used, and the masses and activities involved, are treated. A list is then given of the main isotopes available in France and their characteristics. The various different labelling techniques employed are studied together with their respective advantages and disadvantages. The special case of pelitic sediments is mentioned. The use of reduced model isotope generators, double labelling and applications to studies of the mud plug in the Gironde Estuary are also discussed. The methods and materials used for injecting and detecting tracers are described, emphasis being given to the economic factors associated with the use of radioactive tracers in sedimentology. The second part of the report contains two chapters: - studies of transport by driftage: presentation and analysis of results and the application of the Count Rate Balance method to obtain quantitative information on transport; - studies of in-suspension transport of fine sediments in the sea: the procedures adopted from the moment when the tracer is introduced up to the time when the results are analyzed and interpreted, enables the trajectories and mean velocities of the transported sediments to be determined together with their degree of dilution and their settling speeds and rates; it is also possible to investigate the evolution and horizontal dispersion of the sediments in this way. Results from recent experiments are presented in both parts of the report

Rate tracer studies of heterogeneous catalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Happel, J; Kiang, S

1977-10-01

An analysis is presented of the extent to which parameters involved in transient tracing of isotopic species in heterogeneous catalysis can be determined by experiments in which tracer concentrations are measured as a function of time. Different treatments for open and closed systems with the over-all reaction at equilibrium or irreversible were developed.

A novel recession rate physics methodology for space applications at CIRA by means of CIRCE radioactive beam tracers

Science.gov (United States)

De Cesare, M.; Di Leva, A.; Del Vecchio, A.; Gialanella, L.

2018-03-01

Thermal protection systems (TPSs) of spacecrafts, either for single use or reusable, experience wear by ablation and erosion, due to the high heat fluxes during a re-entry phase in the atmosphere. The determination of the wear rate is a crucial point, which is presently mainly possible in aerospace on-ground measurements by means of invasive diagnostics. The purpose of this paper is to present novel contactless, online, high-sensitivity and non-intrusive diagnostics for wear measurements based on radioactive tracers. We propose the technique for future on-ground experiments that might later be developed to perform in-flight TPSs monitoring, thus significantly increasing the safety of the aerospace vehicles. The basic ideas of the method, its sensitivity investigated by GEANT4 simulations, and the future experimental validation are outlined.

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain site characterization study. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stetzenbach, K.; Farnham, I.

1996-01-01

Extensive tracer testing is expected to take place at the C-well complex in the Nevada Test Site as part of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The C-well complex consists of one pumping well, C3, and two injection wells, C1 and C2 into which tracer will be introduced. The goal of this research was to provide USGS with numerous tracers to completed these tests. Several classes of fluorinated organic acids have been evaluated. These include numerous isomers of fluorinated benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, and salicylic acids. Also several derivatives of 2-hydroxy nicotinic acid (pyridone) have been tested. The stability of these compounds was determined using batch and column tests. Ames testing (mutagenicity/carcinogenicity) was conducted on the fluorinated benzoic acids and a literature review of toxicity of the fluorobenzoates and three perfluoro aliphatic acids was prepared. Solubilities were measured and method development work was performed to optimize the detection of these compounds. A Quality Assurance (QA) Program was developed under existing DOE and USGS guidelines. The program includes QA procedures and technical standard operating procedures. A tracer test, using sodium iodide, was performed at the C-well complex. HRC chemists performed analyses on site, to provide real time data for the USGS hydrologists and in the laboratories at UNLV. Over 2,500 analyses were performed. This report provides the results of the laboratory experiments and literature reviews used to evaluate the potential tracers and reports on the results of the iodide C-well tracer test

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain site characterization study. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stetzenbach, K.; Farnham, I.

1996-06-01

Extensive tracer testing is expected to take place at the C-well complex in the Nevada Test Site as part of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The C-well complex consists of one pumping well, C3, and two injection wells, C1 and C2 into which tracer will be introduced. The goal of this research was to provide USGS with numerous tracers to completed these tests. Several classes of fluorinated organic acids have been evaluated. These include numerous isomers of fluorinated benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, and salicylic acids. Also several derivatives of 2-hydroxy nicotinic acid (pyridone) have been tested. The stability of these compounds was determined using batch and column tests. Ames testing (mutagenicity/carcinogenicity) was conducted on the fluorinated benzoic acids and a literature review of toxicity of the fluorobenzoates and three perfluoro aliphatic acids was prepared. Solubilities were measured and method development work was performed to optimize the detection of these compounds. A Quality Assurance (QA) Program was developed under existing DOE and USGS guidelines. The program includes QA procedures and technical standard operating procedures. A tracer test, using sodium iodide, was performed at the C-well complex. HRC chemists performed analyses on site, to provide real time data for the USGS hydrologists and in the laboratories at UNLV. Over 2,500 analyses were performed. This report provides the results of the laboratory experiments and literature reviews used to evaluate the potential tracers and reports on the results of the iodide C-well tracer test.

Space fireworks for upper atmospheric wind measurements by sounding rocket experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, M.

2016-01-01

Artificial meteor trains generated by chemical releases by using sounding rockets flown in upper atmosphere were successfully observed by multiple sites on ground and from an aircraft. We have started the rocket experiment campaign since 2007 and call it "Space fireworks" as it illuminates resonance scattering light from the released gas under sunlit/moonlit condition. By using this method, we have acquired a new technique to derive upper atmospheric wind profiles in twilight condition as well as in moonlit night and even in daytime. Magnificent artificial meteor train images with the surrounding physics and dynamics in the upper atmosphere where the meteors usually appear will be introduced by using fruitful results by the "Space firework" sounding rocket experiments in this decade.

Wine ethanol C-14 as a tracer for fossil fuel CO2 emissions in Europe : Measurements and model comparison

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palstra, Sanne W. L.; Karstens, Ute; Streurman, Harm-Jan; Meijer, Harro A. J.

2008-01-01

C-14 (radiocarbon) in atmospheric CO2 is the most direct tracer for the presence of fossil-fuel-derived CO2 (CO2-ff). We demonstrate the C-14 measurement of wine ethanol as a way to determine the relative regional atmospheric CO2-ff concentration compared to a background site ("regional CO2-ff

Tracer transport in fractures: analysis of field data based on a variable - aperture channel model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, C.F.; Tsang, Y.W.; Hale, F.V.

1991-06-01

A variable-aperture channel model is used as the basis to interpret data from a three-year tracer transport experiment in fractured rocks. The data come from the so-called Stripa-3D experiment performed by Neretnieks and coworkers. Within the framework of the variable-aperture channel conceptual model, tracers are envisioned as travelling along a number of variable-aperture flow channels, whose properties are related to the mean b - and standard deviation σ b of the fracture aperture distribution. Two methods are developed to address the presence of strong time variation of the tracer injection flow rate in this experiment. The first approximates the early part of the injection history by an exponential decay function and is applicable to the early time tracer breakthrough data. The second is a deconvolution method involving the use of Toeplitz matrices and is applicable over the complete period of variable injection of the tracers. Both methods give consistent results. These results include not only estimates of b and σ, but also ranges of Peclet numbers, dispersivity and an estimate of the number of channels involved in the tracer transport. An interesting and surprising observation is that the data indicate that the Peclet number increases with the mean travel time: i.e., dispersivity decreasing with mean travel time. This trend is consistent with calculated results of tracer transport in multiple variable-aperture fractures in series. The meaning of this trend is discussed in terms of the strong heterogeneity of the flow system. (au) (22 refs.)

A monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution for research on plant physiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzui, N.; Kawachi, N.; Ishioka, N.; Fujimaki, S.; Yamaguchi, M.

2009-01-01

The mechanism of nutrient uptake in plants has received considerable attention in the field of plant science. Here we describe the development of a new monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution, which enables the noninvasive measurement of radioactive tracer uptake by an intact plant. In addition, we incorporated a weighing instrument into this system in order to simultaneously monitor water uptake by the same plant. For an evaluation of this monitoring system, we conducted a tracer experiment with a rice plant and a positron-emitting radioactive tracer, and successfully obtained continuous data for the amounts of radioactive tracer and water taken up by the intact plant over 36 h. (authors)

A monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution for research on plant physiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzui, N.; Kawachi, N.; Ishioka, N.; Fujimaki, S. [Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan); Yamaguchi, M. [Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

2009-07-01

The mechanism of nutrient uptake in plants has received considerable attention in the field of plant science. Here we describe the development of a new monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution, which enables the noninvasive measurement of radioactive tracer uptake by an intact plant. In addition, we incorporated a weighing instrument into this system in order to simultaneously monitor water uptake by the same plant. For an evaluation of this monitoring system, we conducted a tracer experiment with a rice plant and a positron-emitting radioactive tracer, and successfully obtained continuous data for the amounts of radioactive tracer and water taken up by the intact plant over 36 h. (authors)

Development of activable tracers for application in secondary recovering in petroleum reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Polyana Fabricia Fernandes; Moreira, Rubens Martins . Servico de Meio Ambiente e Tecnicas Nucleares.

2007-01-01

Nuclear methods are instrumental in describing detailed flow patterns and other features of oil reservoirs that are unattainable to other methods. Tracer studies in oil fields are performed in a net of injection and producing wells. Thus, the use of only one tracer species would not discriminate the contributions of distinct injection wells to the output of a given production well. Hence, a multi-tracer experiment is required, and the use of activable tracers, capable of being measured by neutron activation analysis (NAA) is here proposed. As additional tracer choices lanthanum (La) and europium (Eu) were chosen from the rare earth series due to their large neutron cross sections and general availability. In order to decrease losses to the oil phase and the retardation of the tracer relatively to the aqueous phase, these elements were complexed with organic chelating ligands: the polyaminocarboxylic acids EDTA, DTPA and DOTA. Infrared spectrometry was used to check complexation. In order to check the partition of the tracer between the aqueous and organic phases, tests were carried stirring the two phases together and measuring the tracer concentrations in the aqueous phase; the partition coefficient (Kao) was then calculated for all the combinations of the two lanthanides and the three ligands. Tests in which the tracer was continuously pumped through reservoir rock samples were also carried out using tritiated water as a reference tracer and the complexed lanthanides. (author)

Radio-isotopic tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolfangel, R.G.

1976-01-01

The invention concerns the dispersions that may be used for preparing radio-isotopic tracers, technetium labelled dispersions, processes for preparing these dispersions and their use as tracers. Technetium 99m sulphur colloids are utilized as scintillation tracers to give a picture of the reticulo-endothelial system, particularly the liver and spleen. A dispersion is provided which only requires the addition of a radioactive nuclide to form a radioactively labelled dispersion that can be injected as a tracer. It is formed of a colloid of tin sulphur dispersed in an aqueous buffer solution. Such a reagent has the advantage of being safe and reliable and is easier to use. The colloid can be prepared more quickly since additions of several different reagents are avoided. There is no need to heat up and no sulphuretted hydrogen, which is a toxic gas, is used [fr

Trimethylsilyl derivatives of organic compounds in source samples and in atmospheric fine particulate matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolte, Christopher G; Schauer, James J; Cass, Glen R; Simoneit, Bernd R T

2002-10-15

Source sample extracts of vegetative detritus, motor vehicle exhaust, tire dust paved road dust, and cigarette smoke have been silylated and analyzed by GC-MS to identify polar organic compounds that may serve as tracers for those specific emission sources of atmospheric fine particulate matter. Candidate molecular tracers were also identified in atmospheric fine particle samples collected in the San Joaquin Valley of California. A series of normal primary alkanols, dominated by even carbon-numbered homologues from C26 to C32, the secondary alcohol 10-nonacosanol, and some phytosterols are prominent polar compounds in the vegetative detritus source sample. No new polar organic compounds are found in the motor vehicle exhaust samples. Several hydrogenated resin acids are present in the tire dust sample, which might serve as useful tracers for those sources in areas that are heavily impacted by motor vehicle traffic. Finally, the alcohol and sterol emission profiles developed for all the source samples examined in this project are scaled according to the ambient fine particle mass concentrations attributed to those sources by a chemical mass balance receptor model that was previously applied to the San Joaquin Valley to compute the predicted atmospheric concentrations of individual alcohols and sterols. The resulting underprediction of alkanol concentrations at the urban sites suggests that alkanols may be more sensitive tracers for natural background from vegetative emissions (i.e., waxes) than the high molecular weight alkanes, which have been the best previously available tracers for that source.

Characteristics and parameters of bed-load movement for multi-bar near-shore zone on the base of tracer field experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wierzchnicki, R.

1997-01-01

The radiotracer method for field investigation of marine bed sediments in Baltic Sea near-shore zone has been elaborated and successfully used. The artificial sand made of special glass containing Ir-192 and quartz like density has been used as a tracer. The field experiments have been carried out at Coastal Station of the Institute of Hydroengineering in Lubiatowo. The tracer movement has been observed at different weather and wave conditions. On the base of obtained data the next characteristics and parameters of sand transport have been defined and discussed: critical velocities of sand grains; sediment velocities versus the long shore current; thickness of the layer transported; intensity of the transport. For the purpose of coastal engineering practice the global transport intensity in the multi bar-coastal zone conditions has been determined as a function of main parameters describing breaking waves (height and propagation angle)

The use of tracer techniques to measure water flow rates in steam turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitfield, O.J.; Blaylock, G.; Gale, R.W.

1979-01-01

Radioactive and chemical tracers offer some unique advantages in detailed flow measurement on steam turbine plant. A series of experiments on a nuclear power station are reported where tracers successfully measured water flow rates and the initial steam moisture with an accuracy suitable for performance and commissioning tests. Both radioactive and chemical tracer methods produced identical results. Straightforward practical procedures were evolved that ensured repeatable accuracy and in addition a quantitative method of detecting heater leaks on load was established. (author)

Study of the daily and seasonal atmospheric CH4 mixing ratio variability in a rural Spanish region using 222Rn tracer

Science.gov (United States)

Grossi, Claudia; Vogel, Felix R.; Curcoll, Roger; Àgueda, Alba; Vargas, Arturo; Rodó, Xavier; Morguí, Josep-Anton

2018-04-01

The ClimaDat station at Gredos (GIC3) has been continuously measuring atmospheric (dry air) mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), as well as meteorological parameters, since November 2012. In this study we investigate the atmospheric variability of CH4 mixing ratios between 2013 and 2015 at GIC3 with the help of co-located observations of 222Rn concentrations, modelled 222Rn fluxes and modelled planetary boundary layer heights (PBLHs). Both daily and seasonal changes in atmospheric CH4 can be better understood with the help of atmospheric concentrations of 222Rn (and the corresponding fluxes). On a daily timescale, the variation in the PBLH is the main driver for 222Rn and CH4 variability while, on monthly timescales, their atmospheric variability seems to depend on emission changes. To understand (changing) CH4 emissions, nocturnal fluxes of CH4 were estimated using two methods: the radon tracer method (RTM) and a method based on the EDGARv4.2 bottom-up emission inventory, both using FLEXPARTv9.0.2 footprints. The mean value of RTM-based methane fluxes (FR_CH4) is 0.11 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 with a standard deviation of 0.09 or 0.29 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 with a standard deviation of 0.23 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 when using a rescaled 222Rn map (FR_CH4_rescale). For our observational period, the mean value of methane fluxes based on the bottom-up inventory (FE_CH4) is 0.33 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 with a standard deviation of 0.08 mg CH4 m-2 h-1. Monthly CH4 fluxes based on RTM (both FR_CH4 and FR_CH4_rescale) show a seasonality which is not observed for monthly FE_CH4 fluxes. During January-May, RTM-based CH4 fluxes present mean values 25 % lower than during June-December. This seasonal increase in methane fluxes calculated by RTM for the GIC3 area appears to coincide with the arrival of transhumant livestock at GIC3 in the second half of the year.

Development of radioisotope tracer technology and nucleonic control system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Joon Ha; Lee, Myun Joo; Jung, Sung Hee and others

1999-04-01

The purpose of this study is to develop the radioisotope tracer technology, which can be used in solving industrial and environmental problems and basic technology of nuclear control systems that are widely used for automation of industrial plants, and to build a strong tracer group to support the local industries. In relation to the tracer technology, the data acquisition system, the column scanning equipment and the detection pig for a leakage test have been developed. In order to use in analyzing data of tracer experiments, a computer program for the analysis of residence time distribution has been created as well. These results were utilized in developing the tracer technologies, such as the column scanning, the flow measurement using the dilution method, the simultaneous monitoring rotational movement of piston rings and the optimization of a waste water treatment facility, and the technologies were successfully demonstrated in the local industrial. The stripper of RFCC reactor has been examined to find an unwanted structure in it by imminent request from the industry. Related to the development of nucleonic control system, the state of art report on the technology has been written and an equipment for the analysis of asphalt content has been developed. (author)

Dynamic dual-tracer PET reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Fei; Liu, Huafeng; Jian, Yiqiang; Shi, Pengcheng

2009-01-01

Although of important medical implications, simultaneous dual-tracer positron emission tomography reconstruction remains a challenging problem, primarily because the photon measurements from dual tracers are overlapped. In this paper, we propose a simultaneous dynamic dual-tracer reconstruction of tissue activity maps based on guidance from tracer kinetics. The dual-tracer reconstruction problem is formulated in a state-space representation, where parallel compartment models serve as continuous-time system equation describing the tracer kinetic processes of dual tracers, and the imaging data is expressed as discrete sampling of the system states in measurement equation. The image reconstruction problem has therefore become a state estimation problem in a continuous-discrete hybrid paradigm, and H infinity filtering is adopted as the estimation strategy. As H infinity filtering makes no assumptions on the system and measurement statistics, robust reconstruction results can be obtained for the dual-tracer PET imaging system where the statistical properties of measurement data and system uncertainty are not available a priori, even when there are disturbances in the kinetic parameters. Experimental results on digital phantoms, Monte Carlo simulations and physical phantoms have demonstrated the superior performance.

Stable hydrogen isotopic composition of n-alkanes in atmospheric aerosols as a tracer for the source region of terrestrial plant waxes

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, S.; Kawamura, K.

2009-12-01

growing leaves in Tokyo, which confirms the usefulness of the δD of long chain n-alkanes as a tracer for the source region of terrestrial plant waxes in atmospheric aerosols.

Dynamics and mechanics of bed-load tracer particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. B. Phillips

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding the mechanics of bed load at the flood scale is necessary to link hydrology to landscape evolution. Here we report on observations of the transport of coarse sediment tracer particles in a cobble-bedded alluvial river and a step-pool bedrock tributary, at the individual flood and multi-annual timescales. Tracer particle data for each survey are composed of measured displacement lengths for individual particles, and the number of tagged particles mobilized. For single floods we find that measured tracer particle displacement lengths are exponentially distributed; the number of mobile particles increases linearly with peak flood Shields stress, indicating partial bed load transport for all observed floods; and modal displacement distances scale linearly with excess shear velocity. These findings provide quantitative field support for a recently proposed modeling framework based on momentum conservation at the grain scale. Tracer displacement is weakly negatively correlated with particle size at the individual flood scale; however cumulative travel distance begins to show a stronger inverse relation to grain size when measured over many transport events. The observed spatial sorting of tracers approaches that of the river bed, and is consistent with size-selective deposition models and laboratory experiments. Tracer displacement data for the bedrock and alluvial channels collapse onto a single curve – despite more than an order of magnitude difference in channel slope – when variations of critical Shields stress and flow resistance between the two are accounted for. Results show how bed load dynamics may be predicted from a record of river stage, providing a direct link between climate and sediment transport.

The role of convective tracer transport for the NO{sub x} content in the North Atlantic flight corridor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koehler, I.; Sausen, R. [Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik der Atmosphaere

1997-12-31

The effect of convective tracer transport on the NO{sub x} distribution at cruising altitudes is studied by means of the atmosphere general circulation model ECHAM which was extended by a simplified (linear) NO{sub x} chemistry module. NO{sub x} originates from several sources including aircraft emissions. Two numerical simulations have been performed: one including convective tracer transport and one without this process. The differences in the NO{sub x} distribution of these two runs are discussed. (author) 8 refs.

The role of convective tracer transport for the NO{sub x} content in the North Atlantic flight corridor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koehler, I; Sausen, R [Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik der Atmosphaere

1998-12-31

The effect of convective tracer transport on the NO{sub x} distribution at cruising altitudes is studied by means of the atmosphere general circulation model ECHAM which was extended by a simplified (linear) NO{sub x} chemistry module. NO{sub x} originates from several sources including aircraft emissions. Two numerical simulations have been performed: one including convective tracer transport and one without this process. The differences in the NO{sub x} distribution of these two runs are discussed. (author) 8 refs.

Spectral analysis for evaluation of myocardial tracers for medical imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huesman, Ronald H.; Reutter, Bryan W.; Marshall, Robert C.

2000-01-01

Kinetic analysis of dynamic tracer data is performed with the goal of evaluating myocardial radiotracers for cardiac nuclear medicine imaging. Data from experiments utilizing the isolated rabbit heart model are acquired by sampling the venous blood after introduction of a tracer of interest and a reference tracer. We have taken the approach that the kinetics are properly characterized by an impulse response function which describes the difference between the reference molecule (which does not leave the vasculature) and the molecule of interest which is transported across the capillary boundary and is made available to the cell. Using this formalism we can model the appearance of the tracer of interest in the venous output of the heart as a convolution of the appearance of the reference tracer with the impulse response. In this work we parameterize the impulse response function as the sum of a large number of exponential functions whose predetermined decay constants form a spectrum, and each is required only to have a nonnegative coefficient. This approach, called spectral analysis, has the advantage that it allows conventional compartmental analysis without prior knowledge of the number of compartments which the physiology may require or which the data will support

Development of Standardized Mobile Tracer Correlation Approach for Large Area Emission Measurements (DRAFT UNDER EPA REVIEW)

Science.gov (United States)

Foster-wittig, T. A.; Thoma, E.; Green, R.; Hater, G.; Swan, N.; Chanton, J.

2013-12-01

Improved understanding of air emissions from large area sources such as landfills, waste water ponds, open-source processing, and agricultural operations is a topic of increasing environmental importance. In many cases, the size of the area source, coupled with spatial-heterogeneity, make direct (on-site) emission assessment difficult; methane emissions, from landfills for example, can be particularly complex [Thoma et al, 2009]. Recently, whole-facility (remote) measurement approaches based on tracer correlation have been utilized [Scheutz et al, 2011]. The approach uses a mobile platform to simultaneously measure a metered-release of a conservative gas (the tracer) along with the target compound (methane in the case of landfills). The known-rate tracer release provides a measure of atmospheric dispersion at the downwind observing location allowing the area source emission to be determined by a ratio calculation [Green et al, 2010]. Although powerful in concept, the approach has been somewhat limited to research applications due to the complexities and cost of the high-sensitivity measurement equipment required to quantify the part-per billion levels of tracer and target gas at kilometer-scale distances. The advent of compact, robust, and easy to use near-infrared optical measurement systems (such as cavity ring down spectroscopy) allow the tracer correlation approach to be investigated for wider use. Over the last several years, Waste Management Inc., the U.S. EPA, and collaborators have conducted method evaluation activities to determine the viability of a standardized approach through execution of a large number of field measurement trials at U.S. landfills. As opposed to previous studies [Scheutz et al, 2011] conducted at night (optimal plume transport conditions), the current work evaluated realistic use-scenarios; these scenarios include execution by non-scientist personnel, daylight operation, and full range of atmospheric condition (all plume transport

Tracer dating and ocean ventilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiele, G.; Sarmiento, J.L.

1990-01-01

The interpretation of transient tracer observations depends on difficult to obtain information on the evolution in time of the tracer boundary conditions and interior distributions. Recent studies have attempted to circumvent this problem by making use of a derived quantity, age, based on the simultaneous distribution of two complementary tracers, such as tritium and its daughter, helium 3. The age is defined with reference to the surface such that the boundary condition takes on a constant value of zero. The authors use a two-dimensional model to explore the circumstances under which such a combination of conservation equations for two complementary tracers can lead to a cancellation of the time derivative terms. An interesting aspect of this approach is that mixing can serve as a source or sink of tracer based age. The authors define an idealized ventilation age tracer that is conservative with respect to mixing, and they explore how its behavior compares with that of the tracer-based ages over a range of advective and diffusive parameters

Simulation of containment atmosphere stratification experiment using local instantaneous description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babic, M.; Kljenak, I.

2004-01-01

An experiment on mixing and stratification in the atmosphere of a nuclear power plant containment at accident conditions was simulated with the CFD code CFX4.4. The original experiment was performed in the TOSQAN experimental facility. Simulated nonhomogeneous temperature, species concentration and velocity fields are compared to experimental results. (author)

Suitable activated stable nuclide tracer technique and its applications in biology and medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Weicheng

1989-01-01

Stable isotopes as tracers in biology and medicine have been more extensively used. Mass spectrometry has been a classic technique in the analysis of stable isotopes because it is very sensitive and precise. Activation analysis has recently been introduced as an analytical tool. Its fast speed and simplicity is a great advantage for handling large batches of samples in isotopic tracer experiments. The combination of enriched stable isotope tracer studies and activation analysis techniques has become an ideal and reliable technique, especially in the fields of biology and medicine. This paper presents a survey of the fundamental principle, the character and the applications in biology and medicine for the suitable activated stable isotope tracer techniques

Diffusion from a Ground Level Point Source Experiment with Thermoluminescence Dosimeters and Kr 85 as Tracer Substance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gyllander, Ch; Hollman, S; Widemo, U

1969-04-15

Within the framework of the IRIS-project (Iodine Research in Safety Project) an experiment to study diffusion at near-ground level was carried out on 19 December 1967 using {sup 85}Kr as the tracer element. The object of the experiment was a) to test the method using |3-sensitive thermoluminescence dosimeters under actual field conditions. b) to study the initial dilution from a ground level point source. The test area chosen was the Tranvik valley just south of Trobbofjaerden, an inland bay of the Baltic. Dose distributions have been studied at two sections, 50 and 200 m respectively, from the release point. At each level various dispersion parameters have been experimentally determined and their conformity to normal distribution have been calculated. Dilution factors valid for the centre of the plume are related to the values reported in the literature. The experiment was made under ideal weather conditions above snow-free ground. Results of the next experiment, a point release at ground level from a building at Studsvik, are expected to yield valuable information concerning the effect of buildings on the diffusion pattern.

Diffusion from a Ground Level Point Source Experiment with Thermoluminescence Dosimeters and Kr 85 as Tracer Substance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyllander, Ch.; Hollman, S.; Widemo, U.

1969-04-01

Within the framework of the IRIS-project (Iodine Research in Safety Project) an experiment to study diffusion at near-ground level was carried out on 19 December 1967 using 85 Kr as the tracer element. The object of the experiment was a) to test the method using |3-sensitive thermoluminescence dosimeters under actual field conditions. b) to study the initial dilution from a ground level point source. The test area chosen was the Tranvik valley just south of Trobbofjaerden, an inland bay of the Baltic. Dose distributions have been studied at two sections, 50 and 200 m respectively, from the release point. At each level various dispersion parameters have been experimentally determined and their conformity to normal distribution have been calculated. Dilution factors valid for the centre of the plume are related to the values reported in the literature. The experiment was made under ideal weather conditions above snow-free ground. Results of the next experiment, a point release at ground level from a building at Studsvik, are expected to yield valuable information concerning the effect of buildings on the diffusion pattern

Pharmaceuticals as Groundwater Tracers - Applications and Limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Scheytt, T. J.; Mersmann, P.; Heberer, T.

2003-12-01

Pharmaceutically active substances and metabolites are found at concentrations up to the microgram/L-level in groundwater samples from the Berlin (Germany) area and from several other places world wide. Among the compounds detected in groundwater are clofibric acid, propyphenazone, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and carbamazepine. Clofibric acid, the active metabolite of clofibrate and etofibrate (blood lipid regulators) is detected in groundwater at maximum concentrations of 7300 ng/L. Among the most important input paths of drugs are excretion and disposal into the sewage system. Groundwater contamination is likely to be due to leaky sewage systems, influent streams, bank filtration, and irrigation with effluent water from sewage treatment plants. There are no known natural sources of the above mentioned pharmaceuticals. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers may include: (a) Quantification of infiltration from underground septic tanks (b) Detection of leaky sewage systems / leaky sewage pipes (c) Estimation of the effectiveness of sewage treatment plants (d) Identification of transport pathways of other organic compounds (e) Quantification of surface water / groundwater interaction (f) Characterization of the biodegradation potential. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers is limited by variations in input. These variations depend on the amount of drugs prescribed and used in the study area, the social structure of the community, the amount of hospital discharge, and temporal concentration variations. Furthermore, the analysis of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals is sophisticated and expensive and may therefore limit the applicability of pharmaceuticals as tracers. Finally, the transport and degradation behavior of pharmaceuticals is not fully understood. Preliminary experiments in the laboratory were conducted using sediment material and groundwater from the Berlin area to evaluate the transport and sorption behavior of selected drugs. Results of the column experiments

Combining tracer flux ratio methodology with low-flying aircraft measurements to estimate dairy farm CH4 emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Daube, C.; Conley, S.; Faloona, I. C.; Yacovitch, T. I.; Roscioli, J. R.; Morris, M.; Curry, J.; Arndt, C.; Herndon, S. C.

2017-12-01

Livestock activity, enteric fermentation of feed and anaerobic digestion of waste, contributes significantly to the methane budget of the United States (EPA, 2016). Studies question the reported magnitude of these methane sources (Miller et. al., 2013), calling for more detailed research of agricultural animals (Hristov, 2014). Tracer flux ratio is an attractive experimental method to bring to this problem because it does not rely on estimates of atmospheric dispersion. Collection of data occurred during one week at two dairy farms in central California (June, 2016). Each farm varied in size, layout, head count, and general operation. The tracer flux ratio method involves releasing ethane on-site with a known flow rate to serve as a tracer gas. Downwind mixed enhancements in ethane (from the tracer) and methane (from the dairy) were measured, and their ratio used to infer the unknown methane emission rate from the farm. An instrumented van drove transects downwind of each farm on public roads while tracer gases were released on-site, employing the tracer flux ratio methodology to assess simultaneous methane and tracer gas plumes. Flying circles around each farm, a small instrumented aircraft made measurements to perform a mass balance evaluation of methane gas. In the course of these two different methane quantification techniques, we were able to validate yet a third method: tracer flux ratio measured via aircraft. Ground-based tracer release rates were applied to the aircraft-observed methane-to-ethane ratios, yielding whole-site methane emission rates. Never before has the tracer flux ratio method been executed with aircraft measurements. Estimates from this new application closely resemble results from the standard ground-based technique to within their respective uncertainties. Incorporating this new dimension to the tracer flux ratio methodology provides additional context for local plume dynamics and validation of both ground and flight-based data.

CellProfiler Tracer: exploring and validating high-throughput, time-lapse microscopy image data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bray, Mark-Anthony; Carpenter, Anne E

2015-11-04

Time-lapse analysis of cellular images is an important and growing need in biology. Algorithms for cell tracking are widely available; what researchers have been missing is a single open-source software package to visualize standard tracking output (from software like CellProfiler) in a way that allows convenient assessment of track quality, especially for researchers tuning tracking parameters for high-content time-lapse experiments. This makes quality assessment and algorithm adjustment a substantial challenge, particularly when dealing with hundreds of time-lapse movies collected in a high-throughput manner. We present CellProfiler Tracer, a free and open-source tool that complements the object tracking functionality of the CellProfiler biological image analysis package. Tracer allows multi-parametric morphological data to be visualized on object tracks, providing visualizations that have already been validated within the scientific community for time-lapse experiments, and combining them with simple graph-based measures for highlighting possible tracking artifacts. CellProfiler Tracer is a useful, free tool for inspection and quality control of object tracking data, available from http://www.cellprofiler.org/tracer/.

Land-Atmosphere Feedback Experiment (LAFE) Science Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wulfmeyer, Volker [University of Hohenheim; Turner, David [NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory

2016-07-01

The Land-Atmosphere Feedback Experiment (LAFE; pronounced “la-fey”) deploys several state-of-the-art scanning lidar and remote sensing systems to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. These instruments will augment the ARM instrument suite in order to collect a data set for studying feedback processes between the land surface and the atmosphere. The novel synergy of remote-sensing systems will be applied for simultaneous measurements of land-surface fluxes and horizontal and vertical transport processes in the atmospheric convective boundary layer (CBL). The impact of spatial inhomogeneities of the soil-vegetation continuum on land-surface-atmosphere (LSA) feedback will be studied using the scanning capability of the instrumentation. The time period of the observations is August 2017, because large differences in surface fluxes between different fields and bare soil can be observed, e.g., pastures versus fields where the wheat has already been harvested. The remote sensing system synergy will consist of three components: 1) The SGP water vapor and temperature Raman lidar (SRL), the SGP Doppler lidar (SDL), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL) (NDIAL) mainly in vertical staring modes to measure mean profiles and gradients of moisture, temperature, and horizontal wind. They will also measure profiles of higher-order turbulent moments in the water vapor and wind fields and profiles of the latent heat flux. 2) A novel scanning lidar system synergy consisting of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) High-Resolution Doppler lidar (HRDL), the University of Hohenheim (UHOH) water-vapor differential absorption lidar (UDIAL), and the UHOH temperature Raman lidar (URL). These systems will perform coordinated range-height indicator (RHI) scans from just above the canopy level to the

Suitability of tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klotz, D.

1999-01-01

Hydrological tracer techniques are a means of making statements on the direction and speed of underground water. One of the simpler tasks is to find out whether there is hydrological communication between two given points. This requires a determination of the direction of flow, which places less exacting demands on the properties of the tracer than does the task of determining the flow velocity of underground water. Tracer methods can serve to infer from flow velocity the distance (flow) velocity, which is defined as the ratio between the distance between two points located in flow direction and the actual time it takes water to flow from one to the other [de

Atmospheric sciences annual progress report, 1974

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tucker, W.D.

1975-11-01

Activities in atmospheric sciences in the Department of Applied Science at Brookhaven National Laboratory carried out during 1974 are described. Included are contributions from the Meteorology, Atmospheric Diagnostics, Atmospheric Chemistry Research, and Atmospheric Instrumentation Groups. Programs in Meteorology reported on include diffusion from an off-shore source, plume dynamics studies, modeling of coastal effects on wind and temperature fields and pollutant distributions, effects of indoor shelter on inhalation of airborne radionuclides, chemical-dynamical interactions, techniques for determining acid-rain impact upon the ecology of the eastern U.S., and climatology. Work under Atmospheric Chemistry Research was concentrated on atmospheric aerosol studies, including formation by free radical and neutral association reactions, identification of reactive systems leading to aerosol formation, growth of sodium aerosols under atmospheric conditions and clustering reactions. Atmospheric Diagnostics presents work on field sampling and analytical technology for atmospheric pollutants, airborne sampling systems, atmospheric sulfate particulates methodology, and on a pyroturbidometric method for particulate sulfate discrimination and determination. Methodology for the use of sulfur hexafluoride in field tracer studies is discussed under Atmospheric Instrumentation. A list of publications is included

Environment tracers application to groundwater circulation assessment in an alluvial aquifer in Central Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Sappa, Giuseppe; Barbieri, Maurizio; Vitale, Stefania

2017-04-01

Groundwater vulnerability assessment is an important tool in order to plan any groundwater protection strategy. The aim of this study is to experiment a specific approach to give a conceptual model about groundwater circulation characterization. This approach has been applied to a suspected contaminated site in a large alluvial plan, made of sediments coming from weathered volcanic rocks, laying on marine sediments, where more than thirty years ago had been built a very important urban waste solid landfill. In referring to this case history it has been pointed out the importance of natural chemical interaction between ground water and rock mass, especially when pyroclastic origin sediments are involved. The landfill had been isolated from the surrounding environment, especially to protect aquifers, by a waterproof diaphragm This land is characterised by intensive agricultural and industrial activities (oil refineries, medical waste incinerators, concrete production, tar factory). The study will highlight the importance of environmental tracers which provide information about the flow and mixing processes of water coming from different sources. They are also useful to point out directions of groundwater flow and to determine origin Environmental tracers are natural chemical and isotopic substances that can be measured in groundwater and used to understand hydrologic properties of aquifers. They may be input into the hydrological system from the atmosphere at recharge and/or are added/lost/exchanged inherently as waters flow over and through materials. Variations in their chemical abundances and isotopic compositions can be used as tracers to determine sources (provenance), pathways (of reaction or interaction) and also timescales (dating) of environmental processes. In combination with these, the basic idea is to use. In this case enviromental tracers have been integrated by temperature and electric conductivity logs, to better investigate different levels of faster

Count rate balance method of measuring sediment transport of sand beds by radioactive tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauzay, G.

1968-01-01

Radioactive tracers are applied to the direct measurement of the sediment transport rate of sand beds. The theoretical measurement formula is derived: the variation of the count rate balance is inverse of that of the transport thickness. Simultaneously the representativeness of the tracer is critically studied. The minimum quantity of tracer which has to be injected in order to obtain a correct statistical definition of count rate given by a low number of grains 'seen' by the detector is then studied. A field experiment was made and has let to study the technological conditions for applying this method: only the treatment of results is new, the experiment itself is carried out with conventional techniques applied with great care. (author) [fr

Measurement of distribution coefficients using a radial injection dual-tracer test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickens, J.F.; Jackson, R.E.; Inch, K.J.; Merritt, W.F.

1981-01-01

The dispersive and adsorptive properties of a sandy aquifer were evaluated by using a radial injection dual-tracer test with 131 I as the nonreactive tracer and 85 Sr as the reactive tracer. The tracer migration was monitored by using multilevel point-sampling devices located at various radial distances and depths. Nonequilibrium physical and chemical adsorption effects for 85 Sr were treated as a spreading or dispersion mechanism in the breakthrough curve analysis. The resulting effective dispersivity values for 85 Sr were typically a factor of 2 to 5 larger than those obtained for 131 I. The distribution coefficient (K/sub d//sup Sr/) values obtained from analysis of the breakthrough curves at three depths and two radial distances ranged from 2.6 to 4.5 ml/g. These compare favorably with values obtained by separation of fluids from solids in sediment cores, by batch experiments on core sediments and by analysis of a 25-year-old radioactive waste plume in another part of the same aquifer. Correlations of adsorbed 85 Sr radioactivity with grain size fractions demonstrated preferential adsorption to the coarsest fraction and to the finest fraction. The relative amounts of electrostatically and specifically adsorbed 85 Sr on the aquifer sediments were determined with desorption experiments on core sediments using selective chemical extractants. The withdrawal phase breakthrough curves for the well, obtained immediately following the injection phase, showed essentially full tracer recoveries for both 131 I and 85 Sr. Relatively slow desorption of 85 Sr provided further indication of the nonequilibrium nature of the adsorption-desorption phenomena

First technical report about tracer applications to processes assessment in a portable water potabilizing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez Antola, R.; Giosa Porley, P.

1996-03-01

Radioactive and fluorescent tracers were applied to measure the distribution of residence times in each of the four subsystems of a portable water purifying plant: the mechanical flocculation unit, the hydraulic flocculation unit, the sedimentation unit, and the sand filter. This report begins by a revision of the physicochemical processes produced in each of the above mentioned subsystems, connected in series. Then a mathematical model of residence time distribution for each unit is constructed, with free parameters that can be estimated from the experimental results obtained with tracers. Tracer methodology for this kind of field experiment is reviewed. Their possible short comes are briefly discussed for each of the intended tracers. The tracer experiments done with rhodamine and uranine are described. The experimental results are reported and the residence time distributions obtained with different tracers were carefully compared. In order to make the field experiments, five different values of global water flow were sustained, pumping in steady state: two under the nominal (design) value, two above the design flow and one equal to the nominal water flow. The model parameters were determined using a software package, D TR , made in France and supplied by the IAEA in the framework of the project. It was discovered that the diffuser in the sedimentation unit was not working as intended, and some guidelines for its re-design could be given to the process engineers. Also, process engineers received information about some amount of by-pass flow and death zones, as well as their variations with plant's global water flow

The use of radioactive and other tracers in oil and gas measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edmonds, E.A.

1985-01-01

A description and critical discussion of the use of tracer techniques of flowrate measurement in the oil and gas industries. Radioactive tracers are discussed in particular, with emphasis on the practical aspects of their use. Radiotracers suitable for use in industrial environments are described and discussed. The advantages of radiotracers over conventional chemical tracers are reviewed and the logistical problems associated with the use of radioactive materials are considered. The results of measurements conducted using radiotracers on operating plant and on calibration facilities are presented with a discussion of the accuracy of measurement of flowrate which is achievable: potentially, in ideal circumstances, and in practical situations. The modification of tracer techniques of flow measurement to enable residence time distributions to be evaluated and leaks to be located and quantified on operating process plant is illustrated and discussed. The use of specially synthesized radiochemicals for tracing complex petrochemical processes involving chemical reactions and multiproduct streams is described. The use of novel non-radioactive tracers and specialized detection systems is also described, again with practical illustrations of experience in the field. The benefits offered by the use of these tracers and the limitations encountered are discussed. (author)

Packet Tracer network simulator

CERN Document Server

Jesin, A

2014-01-01

A practical, fast-paced guide that gives you all the information you need to successfully create networks and simulate them using Packet Tracer.Packet Tracer Network Simulator is aimed at students, instructors, and network administrators who wish to use this simulator to learn how to perform networking instead of investing in expensive, specialized hardware. This book assumes that you have a good amount of Cisco networking knowledge, and it will focus more on Packet Tracer rather than networking.

Tracing wastewater effluents in surface and groundwaters: a couple approach with organic/inorganic tracers and isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle; Baran, Nicole; Soulier, Coralie

2017-04-01

In the context of land use change, the origins of contamination of water resources are often multiple, including for a single chemical element or molecule. For instance, excess of nitrates in both surface and groundwater can originate from agricultural practices and wastewater effluents. The discrimination of the origins and vectors of contamination in the environment is both an environmental and societal issue in order to define an integrated water resources management at the catchment or water body scale by implementing appropriate measures to effectively struggle against pollution. The objective of this study is to define a methodology for the identification of a "domestic wastewater" contamination within surface waters and groundwater. An ideal tracer should be conservative, persistent in the different water compartments, present in quantity above the detection limit and originate from a single type of pollution source. There is, however, no ideal tracer in the strict sense. Indeed, even chloride which is present in quantity in wastewater, and which behaves conservatively in the environment, is not an univocal tracer of wastewater, as it may come from atmospheric inputs, from the dissolution of evaporitic rocks, from the salting of roads or from fertilizers. To overcome this limitation, in this study, we propose a multi-tracer approach (chemical and isotopic) to identify and validate the relevance of foreseen tracers. Among the relevant tracers of wastewater, the following may be used for their intrinsic or combined discriminant power: 1) organic effluent tracers: nitrogen contents and isotopic ratios of nitrogen and oxygen of nitrates; 2) tracer of detergents: boron contents and boron isotopes; 3) pharmaceuticals tracers: e.g. carbamazepine, ibuprofen, paracetamol, gadolinium anomaly; 4) life-style tracers: e.g. caffeine. The originality of the study relies on small capacities wastewater treatment plants without tertiary treatment process. Results on a

Tracer techniques for urine volume determination and urine collection and sampling back-up system

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, R. V.

1971-01-01

The feasibility, functionality, and overall accuracy of the use of lithium were investigated as a chemical tracer in urine for providing a means of indirect determination of total urine volume by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry method. Experiments were conducted to investigate the parameters of instrumentation, tracer concentration, mixing times, and methods for incorporating the tracer material in the urine collection bag, and to refine and optimize the urine tracer technique to comply with the Skylab scheme and operational parameters of + or - 2% of volume error and + or - 1% accuracy of amount of tracer added to each container. In addition, a back-up method for urine collection and sampling system was developed and evaluated. This back-up method incorporates the tracer technique for volume determination in event of failure of the primary urine collection and preservation system. One chemical preservative was selected and evaluated as a contingency chemical preservative for the storage of urine in event of failure of the urine cooling system.

Determination of the dispersion coefficient, in rivers through radioactive and fluorescent tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida Rosso, T.C. de.

1986-03-01

The purpose of this work was to determine experimentally the dispersion coefficient in natural streams through the aplication of radioactive and fluorescent tracers. The technique used to obtain the experimental data was the simmultaneous injection of the radioactive tracer Bromim - 82 and the fluorescent ones, Amidorodamine G. extra and Uranine. A comparison among these different tracers is shown as well as the performance of Uranine in a poluented stream in the presence of suspended sediments. The site chosen for the experiments was the Piabanha River, between Pedro do Rio and Areal, located at Rio de Janeiro state, in a nearly 20 Km strech. (Author) [pt

Analysis of Atmospheric Nitrate Deposition in Lake Tahoe Using Multiple Oxygen Isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, J. R.; Michalski, G. M.; Hernandez, L. P.; Thiemens, M. H.; Taylor, K.; Kendall, C.; Wankel, S. D.

2002-12-01

Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is world renown for its depth and water clarity bringing 2.2 million visitors per year resulting in annual revenue of \\1.6 billion from tourism. In past decades the lake has suffered from decreased water clarity (from 32 m plate depth to less than 20), which is believed to be largely the result of algae growth initiated by increased nutrient loading. Lake nutrients have also seen a shift from a nitrogen limited to a phosphorous limited system indicating a large increase in the flux of fixed nitrogen. Several sources of fixed nitrogen of have been suggested including surface runoff, septic tank seepage from ground water and deposition from the atmosphere. Bio-available nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO_{3}$-) is a main component of this system. Recent studies have estimated that approximately 50% of the nitrogen input into the lake is of atmospheric origin (Allison et al. 2000). However, the impact and magnitude of atmospheric deposition is still one of the least understood aspects of the relationship between air and water quality in the Basin (TRPA Threshold Assessment 2002). The utility of stable isotopes as tracers of nitrate reservoirs has been shown in several studies (Bohlke et al. 1997, Kendall and McDonnell 1998, Durka et al. 1994). Stable nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes have been implemented in a dual isotope approach to characterize the various nitrate sources to an ecosystem. While δ18O distinguishes between atmospheric and soil sources of nitrate, processes such as denitrification can enrich the residual nitrate in δ18O leaving a misleading atmospheric signature. The benefit of δ15N as a tracer for NO3- sources is the ability to differentiate natural soil, fertilizer, and animal or septic waste, which contain equivalent δ18O values. The recent implementation of multiple oxygen isotopes to measure Δ17O in nitrate has proven to be a more sensitive tracer of atmospheric deposition. The

Use of artificial tracers in hydrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-05-01

The IAEA has convened an Advisory Group Meeting with the following objectives: To define the role of artificial radioactive tracers for water tracing in comparison with other non-radioactive tracers. To evaluate the real needs of artificial radioactive tracers in hydrology. To identify the fields for which artificial radioactive tracers are useful as well as those in which they can be substituted by other tracers. To discuss the strategy to be adopted to overcome the difficulties derived from the restrictions on the use of radioactive tracers in hydrology. The meeting was held at IAEA Headquarters from 19 to 22 March 1990, and was attended by 30 participants from 15 Member States. The conclusions and recommendations are that the use of artificial radioactive tracers should be restricted to cases where other tracers cannot be used or do not provide the same quality of information. Tritium, iodine-131, bromine-82, chromium-51 in the form of Cr-EDTA, technetium-99m obtained from 99 Mo-generators and gold-198 as an adsorbable tracer are, practically, the only radionuclides used for water tracing. The use of other radionuclides for this purpose does not appear to be necessary, possible and/or convenient. Refs, figs and tabs

Bottom sediment transport study at Haiphong port using radioactive scandium as tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham Ngoc Chuong; Phan Son Hai; Pham Duy Hien

1993-01-01

A radioisotope tracer experiment was performed for investigating the bedload movement at the site near the access channel to Haiphong port, North Vietnam. The scandium glass and a number of mechanical devices were manufactured locally for the experiment. Simple and safe procedures were adopted for the production, transportation and injection of radioactive tracer materials. Five tracking experiments were carried out covering the period of 84 days in winter 1992-1993. The experimental results provide a firm basis for elaborating appropriate measures against the siltation problem at Haiphong port, especially for the design of a new access channel with a better orientation with respect to the directions of the water flow and bedload transport, as proposed recently by the Port Authority. (Author). 2 refs, 4 figs

Measuring gravel transport and dispersion in a mountain river using passive radio tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, D. N.; Tucker, G. E.

2012-01-01

Random walk models of fluvial sediment transport recognize that grains move intermittently, with short duration steps separated by rests that are comparatively long. These models are built upon the probability distributions of the step length and the resting time. Motivated by these models, tracer experiments have attempted to measure directly the steps and rests of sediment grains in natural streams. This paper describes results from a large tracer experiment designed to test stochastic transport models. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to label 893 coarse gravel clasts and placed them in Halfmoon Creek, a small alpine stream near Leadville, Colorado, USA. The PIT tags allow us to locate and identify tracers without picking them up or digging them out of the streambed. They also enable us to find a very high percentage of our rocks, 98% after three years and 96% after the fourth year. We use the annual tracer displacement to test two stochastic transport models, the Einstein–Hubbell–Sayre (EHS) model and the Yang–Sayre gamma-exponential model (GEM). We find that the GEM is a better fit to the observations, particularly for slower moving tracers and suggest that the strength of the GEM is that the gamma distribution of step lengths approximates a compound Poisson distribution. Published in 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Measurement of Kr-85 and Xe-133 as undisturbed tracers for the representing of atmospheric transport after disposal of radioactivity from nuclear facilities; Messungen von Kr-85 und Xe-133 als ungestoerte Tracer zur Darstellung atmosphaerischer Transportvorgaenge nach Freisetzung von Radioaktivitaet aus kerntechnischen Anlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frank, G.; Steinkopff, T. [Deutscher Wetterdienst (Germany); Salvamoser, J. [Institut fuer Angewandte Isotopen-, Gas- und Umweltuntersuchungen (IGU), Woerthsee (Germany)

2016-07-01

The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD, German Meteorological Service) operates since 1996 a sampling and measurement device for the radioactive rare gases Kr-85 and Xe-133 in Offenbach. These measurements are embedded in the German Measurement and Information System for Monitoring Environmental Radioactivity (Integriertes Mess- und Informationssystem zur Ueberwachung der Radioaktivitaet in der Umwelt, IMIS) [1]. In addition to these measurements the DWD is sampling rare gases in Potsdam and since 2014 in Trier in cooperation with the Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz (Federal Office for Radiation Protection, BfS). In the frame of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW)-program of the WMO the DWD operated a sampling station at the Zugspitze (Schneefernerhaus) from 1999 to 2005. This location at the Zugspitze is well suited for the observation of long distance transport of Kr-85 in the higher atmosphere. The DWD in Offenbach operates a complex analytical system for the measurement of Kr-85 and Xe-133 since 1998. This system consists of sampling with first enrichment, second enrichment, gas chromatographic separation and preparation of Krypton and Xenon and measurement of Kr-85 and Xe-133. Using the example Fukushima, it is shown, that the radioactive rare gases Kr-85 and Xe-133 are well undisturbed tracers for atmospheric transport in case of a nuclear accident or routine nuclear reprocessing plants. Measurements of Xe-133, I-131, Cs-137 and Kr-85 are correlated with source and atmospheric transport to the sampling sites at Offenbach and Potsdam.

In-EDTA as activable tracer in hydrogeological investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanescu, S.P.; Gaspar, E.; Spiridon, S.; Farcasiu, O.M.; Catilina, R.

1982-12-01

Two experiments are presented, on the possibilities of the use of indium in the form of the In-EDTA complex, as an activable tracer for hydrogeological studies. The determination of indium concentrations in the sampled water has been carried out by using the coprecipitation of indium with bismuth hydroxide, the neutron activation at the VVR-S reactor of the Institute for Nuclear Physics and Engineering - Bucharest and the measurement on the 417.0 keV line of sup(116m)In with the Ge(Li) spectrometric device. The advantages of the utilization of In-EDTA as a tracer for marking large volumes of water and of some long transit waters (of the order of months) have resulted. (authors)

Tracer Equivalent Latitude: A Diagnostic Tool for Isentropic Transport Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Douglas R.; Nakamura, Noboru

2003-01-01

Area equivalent latitude based on potential vorticity (PV) is a widely used diagnostic for isentropic transport in the stratosphere and upper troposphere. Here, an alternate method for calculating equivalent latitude is explored, namely, a numerical synthesis of a PV-like tracer from a long-term integration of the advection-diffusion equation on isentropic surfaces. It is found that the tracer equivalent latitude (TrEL) behaves much like the traditional PV equivalent latitude (PVEL) despite the simplified governing physics; this is evidenced by examining the kinematics of the Arctic lower stratospheric vortex. Yet in some cases TrEL performs markedly better as a coordinate for long-lived trace species such as ozone. These instances include analysis of lower stratospheric ozone during the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) campaign and three-dimensional reconstruction of total column ozone during November-December 1999 from fitted ozone-equivalent latitude relationship. It is argued that the improvement is due to the tracer being free from the diagnostic errors and certain diabatic processes that affect PV. The sensitivity of TrEL to spatial and temporal resolution, advection scheme, and driving winds is also examined.

Simulation and interpretation of inter-well tracer tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dugstad Øyvind

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In inter-well tracer tests (IWTT, chemical compounds or radioactive isotopes are used to label injection water and gas to establish well connections and fluid patterns in petroleum reservoirs. Tracer simulation is an invaluable tool to ease the interpretation of IWTT results and is also required for assisted history matching application of tracer data. In this paper we present a new simulation technique to analyse and interpret tracer results. Laboratory results are used to establish and test formulations of the tracer conservation equations, and the technique is used to provide simulated tracer responses that are compared with observed tracer data from an extensive tracer program. The implemented tracer simulation methodology use a fast post-processing of previously simulated reservoir simulation runs. This provides a fast, flexible and powerful method for analysing gas tracer behaviour in reservoirs. We show that simulation time for tracers can be reduced by factor 100 compared to solving the tracer flow equations simultaneously with the reservoir fluid flow equations. The post-processing technique, combined with a flexible built-in local tracer-grid refinement is exploited to reduce numerical smearing, particularly severe for narrow tracer pulses.

Two dimensional model study of atmospheric transport using carbon-14 and strontium-90 as inert tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinnison, D.E.; Wuebbles, D.J.; Johnston, H.S.

1992-02-01

This study tests the transport processes in the LLNL two-dimensional chemical-radiative-transport model using recently reanalyzed carbon-14 and strontium-90 data. These radioactive tracers were produced bythe atmospheric nuclear bomb tests of 1952--58 and 1961--62, and they were measured at a few latitudes up to 35 kilometers over the period 1955--1970. Selected horizontal and vertical eddy diffusion coefficients were varied in the model to test their sensitivity to short and long term transpose of carbon-14. A sharp transition of K zz and K yy through the tropopause, as opposed to a slow transition between the same limiting values, shows a distinct improvement in the calculated carbon-14 distributions, a distinct improvement in the calculated seasonal and latitudinal distribution of ozone columns (relative to TOMS observations), and a very large difference in the calculated ozone reduction by a possible fleet of High Speed Civil Transports. Calculated northern hemisphere carbon-14 is more sensitive to variation of K yy than are global ozone columns. Strontium-90 was used to test the LLNL tropopause height at four different latitudes. Starting with the 1960 background distribution of carbon-14, we calculate the input of carbon-14 as the sum of each nuclear test of the 1961--62 series, using two bomb-cloud rise models. With the Seitz bomb-rise formulation in the LLNL model, we find good agreement between calculated and observedcarbon-14 (with noticeable exceptions at the north polar tropopause and the short-term mid-latitude mid-stratosphere) between 1963 and 1970

Experiences of simulated tracer dispersal studies using effluent discharges at Tarapur aquatic environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudheendran, V.; Baburajan, A.; Sawane, Pratibha; Rao, D.D.; Hegde, A.G.

2007-01-01

The nuclear complex in Tarapur, Maharashtra is a multi facility nuclear site comprising of power reactors and research facilities. Each facility has independent liquid effluent discharge line to Arabian Sea. Experimental studies were conducted to evaluate dilution factors in the aquatic environment using liquid effluent releases as tracer from one of the facilities. 3 H and 137 Cs radioisotopes present in the routine releases were used as simulated tracer nuclides. The dilution factors(D.F) observed for tritium were in the range of 20-20000 in a distance range of 10 m to 1500 m respectively and for 137 Cs the D.F. were in the range of 50 to 900 over a distance range of 10-200 m. The paper describes the analytical methodology and sampling scenarios and the results of dilution factors obtained for Tarapur aquatic environment. (author)

Holdup time measurement by radioactive tracers in pulp production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roetzer, H.; Donhoffer, D.

1988-12-01

A batch of pulp was to be labelled before passing two bleaching towers of a pulp plant. Activated glass fibres were used as a tracer, which contained 24-Na with a half-life of 15 hours. It was shown in laboratory tests, that the glass fibres were suitable for transport studies of wood pulp. For use in the tests the fibres were activated and suspended in water. Due to the small diameter of the fibres (2-5 micrometers) this suspension shows physical properties very similar to the pulp. For detection six scintillation probes were mounted at different positions outside the bleaching tower. Radiation protection during the test was very easy due to the low total activity of the tracer material. Residence time distributions for both towers were measured. The successful tracer experiments show, that the method of labelling is suited for investigations of material transport in the pulp and paper industry. 3 figs., 11 refs., 2 tabs. (Author)

On interpreting studies of tracer transport by deep cumulus convection and its effects on atmospheric chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. G. Lawrence

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Global chemistry-transport models (CTMs and chemistry-GCMs (CGCMs generally simulate vertical tracer transport by deep convection separately from the advective transport by the mean winds, even though a component of the mean transport, for instance in the Hadley and Walker cells, occurs in deep convective updrafts. This split treatment of vertical transport has various implications for CTM simulations. In particular, it has led to a misinterpretation of several sensitivity simulations in previous studies in which the parameterized convective transport of one or more tracers is neglected. We describe this issue in terms of simulated fluxes and fractions of these fluxes representing various physical and non-physical processes. We then show that there is a significant overlap between the convective and large-scale mean advective vertical air mass fluxes in the CTM MATCH, and discuss the implications which this has for interpreting previous and future sensitivity simulations, as well as briefly noting other related implications such as numerical diffusion.

Atmospheric-like rotating annulus experiment: gravity wave emission from baroclinic jets

Science.gov (United States)

Rodda, Costanza; Borcia, Ion; Harlander, Uwe

2017-04-01

Large-scale balanced flows can spontaneously radiate meso-scale inertia-gravity waves (IGWs) and are thus in fact unbalanced. While flow-dependent parameterizations for the radiation of IGWs from orographic and convective sources do exist, the situation is less developed for spontaneously emitted IGWs. Observations identify increased IGW activity in the vicinity of jet exit regions. A direct interpretation of those based on geostrophic adjustment might be tempting. However, directly applying this concept to the parameterization of spontaneous imbalance is difficult since the dynamics itself is continuously re-establishing an unbalanced flow which then sheds imbalances by GW radiation. Examining spontaneous IGW emission in the atmosphere and validating parameterization schemes confronts the scientist with particular challenges. Due to its extreme complexity, GW emission will always be embedded in the interaction of a multitude of interdependent processes, many of which are hardly detectable from analysis or campaign data. The benefits of repeated and more detailed measurements, while representing the only source of information about the real atmosphere, are limited by the non-repeatability of an atmospheric situation. The same event never occurs twice. This argues for complementary laboratory experiments, which can provide a more focused dialogue between experiment and theory. Indeed, life cycles are also examined in rotating- annulus laboratory experiments. Thus, these experiments might form a useful empirical benchmark for theoretical and modelling work that is also independent of any sort of subgrid model. In addition, the more direct correspondence between experimental and model data and the data reproducibility makes lab experiments a powerful testbed for parameterizations. Joint laboratory experiment and numerical simulation have been conducted. The comparison between the data obtained from the experiment and the numerical simulations shows a very good

Xanthine tracers and their preparation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groman, E.V.; Cabelli, M.D.

1980-01-01

Compounds useful as tracers in the radioimmunoassay of xanthine derivatives such as theophylline and pharmacologically related drugs are described. They are substituted xanthines in which at least one substituted radical contains radioiodine. The tracers are made by linking radioiodinatable or preradioiodinated radicals to the xanthine derivative which is to be assayed. The tracers may be employed in known radioimmunoassay techniques. (author)

Food resources of stream macroinvertebrates determined by natural-abundance stable C and N isotopes and a 15N tracer addition

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick J. Mulholland; Jennifer L. Tank; Diane M. Sanzone; Wilfrid M. Wollheim; Bruce J. Peterson; Jackson R. Webster; Judy L. Meyer

2000-01-01

Trophic relationships were examined using natural-abundance 13C and 15N analyses and a 15N-tracer addition experiment in Walker Branch, a 1st-order forested stream in eastern Tennessee. In the 15N-tracer addition experiment, we added 15NH4...

Atmospheric Entry Experiments at IRS

Science.gov (United States)

Auweter-Kurtz, M.; Endlich, P.; Herdrich, G.; Kurtz, H.; Laux, T.; Löhle, S.; Nazina, N.; Pidan, S.

2002-01-01

Entering the atmosphere of celestial bodies, spacecrafts encounter gases at velocities of several km/s, thereby being subjected to great heat loads. The thermal protection systems and the environment (plasma) have to be investigated by means of computational and ground facility based simulations. For more than a decade, plasma wind tunnels at IRS have been used for the investigation of TPS materials. Nevertheless, ground tests and computer simulations cannot re- place space flights completely. Particularly, entry mission phases encounter challenging problems, such as hypersonic aerothermodynamics. Concerning the TPS, radiation-cooled materials used for reuseable spacecrafts and ablator tech- nologies are of importance. Besides the mentioned technologies, there is the goal to manage guidance navigation, con- trol, landing technology and inflatable technologies such as ballutes that aim to keep vehicles in the atmosphere without landing. The requirement to save mass and energy for planned interplanetary missions such as Mars Society Balloon Mission, Mars Sample Return Mission, Mars Express or Venus Sample Return mission led to the need for manoeuvres like aerocapture, aero-breaking and hyperbolic entries. All three are characterized by very high kinetic vehicle energies to be dissipated by the manoeuvre. In this field flight data are rare. The importance of these manoeuvres and the need to increase the knowledge of required TPS designs and behavior during such mission phases point out the need of flight experiments. As result of the experience within the plasma diagnostic tool development and the plasma wind tunnel data base, flight experiments like the PYrometric RE-entry EXperiment PYREX were developed, fully qualified and successfully flown. Flight experiments such as the entry spectrometer RESPECT and PYREX on HOPE-X are in the conceptual phase. To increase knowledge in the scope of atmospheric manoeuvres and entries, data bases have to be created combining both

Water Vapor Tracers as Diagnostics of the Regional Hydrologic Cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Numerous studies suggest that local feedback of surface evaporation on precipitation, or recycling, is a significant source of water for precipitation. Quantitative results on the exact amount of recycling have been difficult to obtain in view of the inherent limitations of diagnostic recycling calculations. The current study describes a calculation of the amount of local and remote geographic sources of surface evaporation for precipitation, based on the implementation of three-dimensional constituent tracers of regional water vapor sources (termed water vapor tracers, WVT) in a general circulation model. The major limitation on the accuracy of the recycling estimates is the veracity of the numerically simulated hydrological cycle, though we note that this approach can also be implemented within the context of a data assimilation system. In the WVT approach, each tracer is associated with an evaporative source region for a prognostic three-dimensional variable that represents a partial amount of the total atmospheric water vapor. The physical processes that act on a WVT are determined in proportion to those that act on the model's prognostic water vapor. In this way, the local and remote sources of water for precipitation can be predicted within the model simulation, and can be validated against the model's prognostic water vapor. As a demonstration of the method, the regional hydrologic cycles for North America and India are evaluated for six summers (June, July and August) of model simulation. More than 50% of the precipitation in the Midwestern United States came from continental regional sources, and the local source was the largest of the regional tracers (14%). The Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic regions contributed 18% of the water for Midwestern precipitation, but further analysis suggests that the greater region of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean may also contribute significantly. In most North American continental regions, the local source of precipitation is

Molecular line parameters for the atmospheric trace molecule spectroscopy experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, L. R.; Farmer, C. B.; Toth, R. A.; Rinsland, Curtis P.

1987-01-01

During its first mission in 1985 onboard Spacelab 3, the ATMOS (atmospheric trace molecule spectroscopy) instrument, a high speed Fourier transform spectrometer, produced a large number of high resolution infrared solar absorption spectra recorded in the occultation mode. The analysis and interpretation of these data in terms of composition, chemistry, and dynamics of the earth's upper atmosphere required good knowledge of the molecular line parameters for those species giving rise to the absorptions in the atmospheric spectra. This paper describes the spectroscopic line parameter database compiled for the ATMOS experiment and referenced in other papers describing ATMOS results. With over 400,000 entries, the linelist catalogs parameters of 46 minor and trace species in the 1-10,000/cm region.

Process Analysis in Chemical Plant by Means of Radioactive Tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirayama, T.; Hamada, K.; Osada, K. [Showa Denko K.K., Tokyo (Japan)

1967-06-15

Following the movement of solids and fluids is important in chemical processes to determine mixing efficiency and residence time. Since it is necessary to follow many complex substances such as raw materials, intermediates and reactants in plant investigations, it is often necessary to ascertain whether the behaviour of the radioisotope tracer and the substance to be traced are identical. The most difficult problem is to determine the best method of labelling, a factor which is a substantial key to the success of an experiment. Usually, there are three labelling techniques: radioisotope labelling, pre-.activation of the material and post-activation of the material. This paper deals with practical examples of the double-tracer technique, a combination of conventional radioisotope labelling and post-activation methods by means of activation analysis. In process analysis by means of tracers, a practical measurement method should also be devised and developed for each experiment. Phosphorus-32 and gold (non-radioactive) were used to measure retention time in a carbon-black plant. The radioisotope was pumped into a feed-stock pipe positioned before the reactor and samples were taken from each process of the plant, including the bag filter, mixer and product tank. After sampling from each step of the process, {sup 32}P in a semi-infinite powder sample was measured in situ by beta counting, and the gold was measured by gamma counting after activating the sample in a reactor. The experiment showed that both tracers had the same residence time, which was shorter than expected. Useful data were also obtained from the dispersion pattern of the material flow for future operation controls, including the time required to change from one grade of product to another. Practical tracer techniques to measure mixing characteristics in high-speed gas flows using {sup 85}Kr have been developed. A study of the measurement method was conducted by calculating the differential values of

Influence of vehicular emissions on atmospheric CH4 and NMHC mixing ratios and its correlation with CO and other VOCs tracers in Mexico City

Science.gov (United States)

Solano-Murillo, M.; Torres-Jardón, R.; Ruiz-Suárez, L. G.; Barrera-Huertas, H.; Hernandez-Solis, J. M.

2016-12-01

The Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) is one of the world's largest and most polluted urban areas. A recent GHC emission inventory for MCMA suggests that vehicular emissions contribute with around 37% of CH4, followed by landfills and dump garbage areas (30%) and construction and manufacturing (27%). Contrary to other urban areas, natural gas is not the main fuel used in MCMA, neither for domestic and industrial heating, nor for transportation. Therefore, there is a great uncertainty about who is the main contributor of CH4 emissions. An intensive monitoring campaign of methane (CH4), Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) and carbon monoxide (CO) was performed between February and March 2015 in southwest MCMA. Methane concentrations showed sometimes a diurnal pattern similar to those of CO and to NMHC but most of the time this similarity was lost (CH4 vs CO, R2 = 0.27; CH4 vs NMHC, R2 = 0.28). However, NMHC correlated well with CO (R2 = 0.75). The intercepts of the CH4-CO correlation resulted in [CH4] 1.8 ppm and that of the CO-NMHC correlation in [CO] 0.080 ppb. The lack of agreement between CH4 and CO indicates these species do not come from the same sources. The results suggest that vehicular emissions are not significant contributors to atmospheric CH4 and that the background methane concentration has not change significantly in 25 years. An attempt to correlate some tracers COVs tracers of vehicular and biomass burning with CH4, NMHC and CH4 is done.

Lunar atmospheric composition experiment. Final report, 1 Jun. 1971 - 30 Sep. 1975

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, J.H.

1975-01-01

Apollo 17 carried a miniature mass spectrometer, called the Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment (LACE), to the moon as part of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) to study the composition and variations in the lunar atmosphere. The instrument was successfully deployed in the Taurus-Littrow Valley with its entrance aperture oriented upward to intercept and measure the downward flux of gases at the lunar surface. During the ten lunations that the LACE operated, it produced a large base of data on the lunar atmosphere, mainly collected at night time. It was found that thermal escape is the most rapid loss mechanism for hydrogen and helium. For heavier gases, photoionization followed by acceleration through the solar wind electric field accounted for most of the loss. The dominant gases on the moon were argon and helium, and models formed for their distribution are described in detail. It is concluded that most of the helium in the lunar atmosphere is of solar wind origin, and that there also exist very small amounts of methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide

Single-well tracer methods for hydrogeologic evaluation of target aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, S.H.

1994-11-01

Designing an efficient well field for an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) project requires measuring local groundwater flow parameters as well as estimating horizontal and vertical inhomogeneity. Effective porosity determines the volume of aquifer needed to store a given volume of heated or chilled water. Ground-water flow velocity governs the migration of the thermal plume, and dispersion and heat exchange along the flow path reduces the thermal intensity of the recovered plume. Stratigraphic variations in the aquifer will affect plume dispersion, may bias the apparent rate of migration of the plume, and can prevent efficient hydraulic communication between wells. Single-well tracer methods using a conservative flow tracer such as bromide, along with pumping tests and water-level measurements, provide a rapid and cost-effective means for estimating flow parameters. A drift-and-pumpback tracer test yields effective porosity and flow velocity. Point-dilution tracer testing, using new instrumentation for downhole tracer measurement and a new method for calibrating the point-dilution test itself, yields depth-discrete hydraulic conductivity as it is affected by stratigraphy, and can be used to estimate well transmissivity. Experience in conducting both drift-and-pumpback and point-dilution tests at three different test sites has yielded important information that highlights both the power and the limitations of the single-well tracer methods. These sites are the University of Alabama Student Recreation Center (UASRC) ATES well field and the VA Medical Center (VA) ATES well field, both located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the Hanford bioremediation test site north of Richland, Washington

Emission quantification using the tracer gas dispersion method: The influence of instrument, tracer gas species and source simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Delre, Antonio; Mønster, Jacob; Samuelsson, Jerker

2018-01-01

The tracer gas dispersion method (TDM) is a remote sensing method used for quantifying fugitive emissions by relying on the controlled release of a tracer gas at the source, combined with concentration measurements of the tracer and target gas plumes. The TDM was tested at a wastewater treatment...... plant for plant-integrated methane emission quantification, using four analytical instruments simultaneously and four different tracer gases. Measurements performed using a combination of an analytical instrument and a tracer gas, with a high ratio between the tracer gas release rate and instrument...... precision (a high release-precision ratio), resulted in well-defined plumes with a high signal-to-noise ratio and a high methane-to-tracer gas correlation factor. Measured methane emission rates differed by up to 18% from the mean value when measurements were performed using seven different instrument...

Measurements of industrial fugitive emissions by the FTIR Tracer Method (FTM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mellqvist, J.; Arlander, B.; Galle, B.; Bergqvist, B.

1996-01-01

A new method called the FTIR Tracer Method (FTM), has been developed for measuring and quantifying fugitive (diffuse) emissions of hydrocarbons. The method has been evaluated in field experiments which were conducted in the vicinity of several petrochemical plants and an oil refinery during 1993-1995. The technique is based on concentration measurements with infrared remote sensing by Long Path Fourier Transform InfraRed (LPFTIR), combined with tracer releases. The field experiments show the FTM to be very useful for mass flux measurements of both alkanes and alkenes and that the measurements are consistent with the conventional SF 6 method. However, the technique needs to be further validated and a more thorough understanding of the measurement uncertainties have to be achieved

Modern and ancient geochemical constraints on Proterozoic atmosphere-ocean redox evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Hardisty, D. S.; Horner, T. J.; Wankel, S. D.; Lu, Z.; Lyons, T.; Nielsen, S.

2017-12-01

A detailed understanding of the spatiotemporal oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere-ocean system through the Precambrian has important implications for the environments capable of sustaining early eukaryotic life and the evolving oxidant budget of subducted sediments. Proxy records suggest an anoxic Fe-rich deep ocean through much of the Precambrian and atmospheric and surface-ocean oxygenation that started in earnest at the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event (GOE). The marine photic zone represented the initial site of oxygen production and accumulation via cyanobacteria, yet our understanding of surface-ocean oxygen contents and the extent and timing of oxygen propagation and exchange between the atmosphere and deeper ocean are limited. Here, we present an updated perspective of the constraints on atmospheric, surface-ocean, and deep-ocean oxygen contents starting at the GOE. Our research uses the iodine content of Proterozoic carbonates as a tracer of dissolved iodate in the shallow ocean, a redox-sensitive species quantitatively reduced in modern oxygen minimum zones. We supplement our understanding of the ancient record with novel experiments examining the rates of iodate production from oxygenated marine environments based on seawater incubations. Combining new data from iodine with published shallow marine (Ce anomaly, N isotopes) and atmospheric redox proxies, we provide an integrated view of the vertical redox structure of the atmosphere and ocean across the Proterozoic.

Space, place and atmosphere. Emotion and peripherical perception in architectural experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juhani Pallasmaa

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Architectural experiences are essentially multi-sensory and simultaneous, and a complex entity is usually grasped as an atmosphere, ambience or feeling. In fact, the judgement concerning the character of a space or place calls for categories of sensing that extend beyond the five Aristotelian senses, such as the embodied existential sense, and, as a result, the entity is perceived in a diffuse, peripheral and unconscious manner. Paradoxically, we grasp an atmosphere before we have consciously identified its constituent factors and ingredients. «We perceive atmospheres through our emotional sensibility – a form of perception that works incredibly quickly, and which we humans evidently need to help us survive», Peter Zumthor suggests. We are mentally and emotionally affected by works of art before we understand them, or we may not understand them intellectually at all. Sensitive artists and architects intuit experiential and emotive qualities of spaces, places and images. This capacity calls for a specific kind of imagination, an emphatic imagination. Atmospheres are percieved peripherally through diffuse vision interacting with other sense modalities, and they are experienced emotionally rather than intellectually. The studies on the differentiation of the two brain hemispheres suggest that atmospheres are perceived through the right hemisphere. Somewhat surprisingly, atmospheres are more conscious objectives in literature, cinema, theater, painting and music than in architecture, which has been traditionally approached formally and perceived primarily through focused vision. Yet, when we see a thing in focus, we are outsiders to it, whereas the experience of being in a space calls for peripheral and unfocused perception. One of the reasons for the experiential poverty of contemporary settings could be in the poverty of their peripheral stimuli.

Isotopic marking and tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morel, F.

1997-01-01

The use of radioactive isotopes as tracers in biology has been developed thanks to the economic generation of the required isotopes in accelerators and nuclear reactors, and to the multiple applications of tracers in the life domain; the most usual isotopes employed in biology are carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus and sulfur isotopes, because these elements are present in most of organic molecules. Most of the life science knowledge appears to be dependent to the extensive use of nuclear tools and radioactive tracers; the example of the utilization of radioactive phosphorus marked ATP to study the multiple reactions with proteins, nucleic acids, etc., is given

Interwell tracer analyses of a hydraulically fractured granitic geothermal reservoir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tester, J.W.; Potter, R.M.; Bivins, R.L.

1979-01-01

Field experiments using fluorescent dye and radioactive tracers (Br 82 and I 131 ) have been employed to characterize a hot, low-matrix permeability, hydraulically-fractured granitic reservoir at depths of 2440 to 2960 m (8000 to 9700 ft). Tracer profiles and residence time distributions have been used to delineate changes in the fracture system, particularly in diagnosing pathological flow patterns and in identifying new injection and production zones. The effectiveness of one- and two-dimensional theoretical dispersion models utilizing single and multiple porous, fractured zones with velocity and formation dependent effects are discussed with respect to actual field data

2007 California Aerosol Study: Evaluation of δ15N as a Tracer Of NOx Sources and Chemsitry

Science.gov (United States)

Katzman, T. L.

2017-12-01

Although stable isotopes of N are commonly used as a source tracer, how this tracer is applied is a point of contention. The "source" hypothesis argues that the δ15N value of NO3- reflects the δ15N value of NOx source inputs into the environment, and any observed variation is solely the result of differences in source contributions. Conversely, the "chemistry" hypothesis argues that N isotopes are influenced by chemical reactions, atmospheric or biologic processing, and post-depositional effects. Previous studies often apply the source hypothesis, writing off the chemistry hypothesis as "minor," but others have noted the impact chemistry should has on δ15N values. Given the known complications, this work seeks to assess the use of stable isotopes as tracers, specifically, the assumption that the δ15N value is a tracer of source alone without significant influence from chemical reactions. If the "source" hypothesis is correct, source emission data, known source δ15N values, and isotope mass balance should be able to approximate measured δ15NNO3 values and determine the δ15N value associated with wildfire derived NOx, which is currently unknown. Significant deviations from observed values would support the significance of equilibrium and kinetic isotope effects associated with chemical reactions and processing in the atmosphere. Aerosols collected in during 2007, emission data, and isotopic analysis were utilized to determine the utility of δ15N as tracer of NOx sources. San Diego, California is a coastal urban area influenced by sea salt aerosols, anthropogenic combustion emissions, and seasonal wildfires. Wildfires also have a significant influence on local atmospheric chemistry and 2007 was notable for being one of the worst fire seasons in the San Diego region on record. Isotopic analysis of collected NO3- has suggested that source δ15N values are likely not conserved as NOx is oxidized into NO3-. Given known source contributions and known δ15N values

Convergence monitoring of Markov chains generated for inverse tracking of unknown model parameters in atmospheric dispersion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joo Yeon; Ryu, Hyung Joon; Jung, Gyu Hwan; Lee, Jai Ki

2011-01-01

The dependency within the sequential realizations in the generated Markov chains and their reliabilities are monitored by introducing the autocorrelation and the potential scale reduction factor (PSRF) by model parameters in the atmospheric dispersion. These two diagnostics have been applied for the posterior quantities of the release point and the release rate inferred through the inverse tracking of unknown model parameters for the Yonggwang atmospheric tracer experiment in Korea. The autocorrelations of model parameters are decreasing to low values approaching to zero with increase of lag, resulted in decrease of the dependencies within the two sequential realizations. Their PSRFs are reduced to within 1.2 and the adequate simulation number recognized from these results. From these two convergence diagnostics, the validation of Markov chains generated have been ensured and PSRF then is especially suggested as the efficient tool for convergence monitoring for the source reconstruction in atmospheric dispersion. (author)

Comparison of the local-scale atmospheric dispersion model Cedrat with 85KR measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rennesson, M.; Devin, P.; Maro, D.; Fitamant, M.L.; Bouland, P.

2004-01-01

An accurate model of atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides over the complex terrain of the La Hague reprocessing plant (North Cotentin, France) has been developed by COGEMA, in partnership with Paris VI University. This model, called CEDRAT 1.0.1 (operational since October 2002), takes into account areas typically outside the validity limits of Gaussian models: relief and building influence, short-distance (beyond 500 m from the release point) and stable atmospheric conditions. The modelling tool is based on an original method: a 2D-meshed model for flow resolution at permanent rate in the prevailing wind direction, and a 3D description of the dispersion phenomena, taking into account wet and dry deposits, at permanent or transitory rate. This leads to an effective compromise between rapidity (45 min on a 6000 nodes grid, with a standard PC), robustness and accuracy, coupled with a user-friendly interface. Primarily the validation process consisted of a comparison with the 3D complex dispersion reference model MERCURE, developed by EDF. Then, MERCURE and CEDRAT results were compared on real release scenario basis, for which actual meteorological conditions and tracer data collected at monitoring stations around the site were known. To enlarge this validation process, a second level of comparison was made in collaboration with a IRSN Cherbourg team, through different field experiments, which provided both ground and elevated level measurements (collected with a captive balloon), for different stability classes of the atmosphere. The plume tracer is krypton 85, an inert gas released from a height of 100 m. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present the original method to describe short distance dispersion over complex terrain and its validation enrichment for stability conditions and areas not yet observed, through wind and cross-wind Atmospheric Transfer Coefficients comparisons, at both ground and elevated levels. (author)

Dispersion and transport of atmospheric pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cieslik, S.

1991-01-01

This paper presents the physical mechanisms that govern the dispersion and transport of air pollutant; the influence of the state of the 'carrying fluid', i.e. the role of meteorology; and finally, outlines the different techniques of assessing the process. Aspects of physical mechanisms and meteorology covered include: fate of an air pollutant; turbulence and dispersion; transport; wind speed and direction; atmospheric stability; and the role of atmospheric water. Assessment techniques covered are: concentrations measurements; modelling meteorological observations; and tracer releases. It is concluded that the only way to reduce air pollution is to pollute less. 10 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

Quantifying Reaeration Rates in Alpine Streams Using Deliberate Gas Tracer Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Benson

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Gas exchange across the air-water interface is a critical process that maintains adequate dissolved oxygen (DO in the water column to support life. Oxygen reaeration rates can be accurately measured using deliberate gas tracers, like sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 or xenon (Xe. Two continuous release experiments were conducted in different creeks in the Sierra Nevada of California: Sagehen Creek in September, 2009, using SF6 and Martis Creek in August, 2012, using both SF6 and Xe. Measuring gas loss along the creek, which was approximated with the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation, allows for the estimation of the SF6 or Xe reaeration coefficient (KSF6, KXe, which is converted to DO reaeration (KDO or K2 using Schmidt numbers. Mean KSF6 for upper and lower Sagehen and Martis Creeks were, respectively, 34 day−1, 37 day−1 and 33 day−1, with corresponding KDOs of 61 day−1, 66 day−1 and 47 day−1. In Martis Creek, KXe was slightly higher (21% than KSF6, but the calculated KDO from SF6 agreed with the calculated KDO from Xe within about 15%; this difference may be due to bubble-enhanced gas transfer. Established empirical equations of KDO using stream characteristics did a poor job predicting KDO for both creeks.

A multicomponent tracer field experiment to measure the flow volume, surface area, and rectilinear spacing of fractures away from the wellbore

Science.gov (United States)

Cathles, L. M.; Sanford, W. E.; Hawkins, A.; Li, Y. V.

2017-12-01

The nature of flow in fractured porous media is important to almost all subsurface processes including oil and gas recovery, contaminant transport and remediation, CO2 sequestration, and geothermal heat extraction. One would like to know, under flowing conditions, the flow volume, surface area, effective aperture, and rectilinear spacing of fractures in a representative volume of rock away from the well bore, but no methods currently allow acquisition of this data. It could, however, be collected by deploying inert tracers with a wide range of aqueous diffusion constants (e.g., rapidly diffusing heat to non-diffusing nanoparticle) in the following fashion: The flow volume is defined by the heated volume measured by resistivity surveys. The fracture volume within this flow volume is indicate by the nanoparticle transit time. The average fracture spacing is indicated by the evolving thermal profile in the monitor and the production wells (measured by fiber optic cable), and by the retention of absorbing tracers. The average fracture aperture is determined by permeability measurements and the average fracture separation. We have proposed a field test to redundantly measure these fracture parameters in the fractured Dakota Sandstone where it approaches the surface in Ft Collins, Colorado. Five 30 m deep wells (an injection, production, and 3 monitor wells) cased to 20 m are proposed. The experiments will involve at least 9 different tracers. The planned field test and its potential significance will be described.

Development and evaluation of a tracer-injection hydrothermal technique for studies of waste package interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, T.E.; Coles, D.G.; Britton, R.C.; Burnell, J.R.

1986-11-01

A tracer-injection system has been developed for use in characterizing reactions of waste package materials under hydrothermal conditions. High-pressure liquid chromatographic instrumentation has been coupled with Dickson-type rocking autoclaves to allow injection of selected components into the hydrothermal fluid while maintaining run temperature and pressure. Hydrothermal experiments conducted using this system included the interactions of depleted uranium oxide and Zircaloy-4 metal alloy discs with trace levels of 99 Tc and non-radioactive Cs and I in a simulated groundwater matrix. After waste-package components and simulated waste forms were pre-conditioned in the autoclave systems (usually 4 to 6 weeks), known quantities of tracer-doped fluids were injected into the autoclaves' gold reaction bag at run conditions. Time-sequenced sampling of the hydrothermal fluid providing kinetic data on the reactions of tracers with waste package materials. The injection system facilitates the design of experiments that will better define ''steady-state'' fluid compositions in hydrothermal reactions. The injection system will also allow for the formation of tracer-bearing solid phases in detectable quantities

Studies of Tracer Dispersion and Fluid Flow in Porous Media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rage, T.

1996-12-31

This doctoral thesis explores the connection between the topology of a porous medium and its macroscopic transport properties and is based on computerized simulation. In porous media, both diffusion and convection contribute to the dispersion of a tracer and their combined effect is emphasized. The governing equations are solved numerically, using finite differences and Monte Carlo technique. The influence of finite Reynolds number on the outcome of echo-experiments is discussed. Comparing experiments and simulations it is found that nonlinear inertial forces lead to a visible deformation of a returned tracer at surprisingly small Reynolds numbers. In a study of tracer dispersion and fluid flow in periodic arrays of discs it is demonstrated that the mechanisms of mechanical dispersion in periodic media and in natural (non-periodic) porous media are essentially different. Measurements of the percolation probability distribution of a sandstone sample is presented. Local porosity theory predicts that this simple geometric function of a porous medium is of dominant importance for its macroscopic transport properties. It is demonstrated that many aspects of transport through fractures can be studied by using simple but realistic models and readily available computer resources. An example may be the transport of hydrocarbon fluids from the source rock to a reservoir. 165 refs., 44 figs., 1 table

New SPECT tracers: Example of tracers of proteoglycans and melanin; Nouveaux traceurs TEMP: exemple des traceurs des proteoglycanes et de la melanine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cachin, F.; Mestas, D.; Kelly, A.; Merlin, C.; Veyre, A.; Maublant, J. [CRLCC Jean-Perrin, Service de Medecine Nucleaire, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); Cachin, F.; Chezal, J.M.; Miot-Noirault, E.; Moins, N.; Auzeloux, P.; Vidal, A.; Bonnet-Duquennoy, M.; Boisgard, S.; D' Incan, M.; Madelmont, J.C.; Maublant, J. [Universite d' Auvergne, EA 4231, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); Boisgard, S. [CHRU Gabriel-Montpied, Service d' Orthopedie, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); D' Incan, M. [CHRU Gabriel-Montpied, Service de Dermatologie, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France); Redini, F. [Inserm, U957-EA3822, Faculte de Medecine, 44 - Nantes (France); Filaire, M. [Universite d' Auvergne, Lab. d' Anatomie, 63 - Clermont-Ferrand (France)

2009-02-15

The majority of research program on new radiopharmaceuticals turn to tracers used for positron emission tomography (PET). Only a few teams work on new non fluorine labeled tracers. However, the coming of SPECT/CT gamma cameras, the arrival of semi-conductors gamma cameras should boost the development of non-PET tracers. We exhibit in this article the experience acquired by our laboratory in the conception and design of two new non fluorine labelled compounds. The {sup 99m}Tc-N.T.P. 15-5 (N.T.P. 15-5 for N-[tri-ethyl-ammonium]-3-propyl-[15]ane-N5) which binds to proteoglycans could be used for the diagnosis and staging of osteoarthritis and chondrosarcoma. The iodo benzamides, specific to the melanin, are nowadays compared to {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose in a phase III clinical trial for the diagnosis and detection of melanoma metastasis. Our last development focus on N-[2-(diethyl-amino)ethyl]-4 and 2-iodo benzamides respectively B.Z.A. and B.Z.A.2 hetero-aromatic analogues usable for melanoma treatment. (authors)

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Madden-Julian Oscillation Investigation Experiment Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Long, Chuck [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.

2016-07-01

Every 30–90 days during the Northern Hemisphere winter, the equatorial tropical atmosphere experiences pulses of extraordinarily strong deep convection and rainfall. This phenomenon is referred to as the Madden–Julian Oscillation, or MJO, named after the scientists who identified this cycle. The MJO significantly affects weather and rainfall patterns around the world (Zhang 2013). To improve predictions of the MJO—especially about how it forms and evolves throughout its lifecycle—an international group of scientists collected an unprecedented set of observations from the Indian Ocean and western Pacific region from October 2011 through March 2012 through several coordinated efforts. The coordinated field campaigns captured six distinct MJO cycles in the Indian Ocean. The rich set of observations capturing several MJO events from these efforts will be used for many years to study the physics of the MJO. Here we highlight early research results using data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Madden-Julian Oscillation Investigation Experiment (AMIE), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility.

Transport of Mars atmospheric water into high northern latitudes during a polar warming

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, J. R.; Hollingsworth, J. L.

1988-01-01

Several numerical experiments were conducted with a simplified tracer transport model in order to attempt to examine the poleward transport of Mars atmospheric water during a polar warming like that which occurred during the winter solstice dust storm of 1977. The flow for the transport experiments was taken from numerical simulations with a nonlinear beta-plane dynamical model. Previous studies with this model have demonstrated that a polar warming having essential characteristics like those observed during the 1977 dust storm can be produced by a planetary wave mechanism analogous to that responsible for terrestrial sudden stratospheric warmings. Several numerical experiments intended to simulate water transport in the absence of any condensation were carried out. These experiments indicate that the flow during a polar warming can transport very substantial amounts of water to high northern latitudes, given that the water does not condense and fall out before reaching the polar region.

Bromide as a tracer for studying water movement and nitrate displacement in soils: comparison with stable isotope tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russow, R.; Knappe, S.

1999-01-01

Tracers are an ideal means of studying water movement and associated nitrate displacement. Often bromide is preferred as a tracer because it is considered a representative tracer for water and because, being a conservative tracer (i.e. not involved in chemical and biological soil processes), it can be used for studying anion transport in soils. Moreover, it is less expensive and easier to measure than the stable isotopes deuterium and 15 N. Its great advantage over radioactive tracers (e.g. tritium), which outweighs their extreme sensitivity and ease of measurement and which it has in common with stable isotopes, is that it does not require radiation protection measures. However, there are also constraints on the use of bromide as a tracer in soil/water/plant systems. Our own studies on different soils using D 2 O, bromide and [ 15 N]-nitrate in lysimeters suggest that the above assumptions on bromide tracers need not always be valid under conditions as they prevail in biologically active soils. As the present paper shows, these studies permit a good assessment of the possibilities and limits to these tracers [de

Measurement of open streams by using tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, German F.; Tarquino, W.; Curcuy, H.; Orozco, C.

1999-01-01

This paper presents an intercomparison study to be carried out between flux measurements by using tracers and moulinet. This intercomparison is scheduled to be performed at the measurement station belonging to the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI). Two techniques of tracer dilution are outstanded: total evaluation with tracer punctual injection and punctual evaluation with tracer continuous injection. Total evaluation with tracer punctual injection has been used since this technique is considered to be more suitable for hydrology purposes

Innovative use of a microbial tracer for measuring groundwater through a fractured matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong-Gunderson, J.M.

1995-01-01

Site characterization for ground water remediation activities is limited by the one's ability to visualize the complexity of the subsurface environment. Currently, a variety of dyes, colloids, gases, etc., are used to monitor and estimate ground water flow and contaminant transport. The author has recently identified a new, innovative colloidal tracer that is a non-hazardous bacterium that is detectable at very low concentrations (ng/kg), and can provide real-time analysis (3--5 min) for measuring colloid transport. The tracer is the ice nucleating active (INA) bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. The assay conditions require measuring the freezing point of the sample (e.g., ground water and soil slurries). Typically, 10--100 microL drops of water will not freeze until -15 to -20 C. However, if the tracer is present the water will freeze at -3 to -7 C. This increase in the freezing point can only be due to the presence of the tracer and this phenomenon is well documented in the plant pathology and low-temperature biology literature but has only now been applied to site characterization and remediation activities. Laboratory experiments have identified the stability of the tracer in the presence of a variety of ground water contaminants (> 100 ppm) and it is stable over a pH range of 2.3--10.0. The tracer has been demonstrated in conjunction with other commonly used tracers at a variety of field sites: (1) a drilling tracer to identify potential cross contamination, and as a colloid/bacterial tracer in (2) a hydrofracturing demonstration, (3) a horizontal recirculation well system, (4) a fractured karst matrix, and (5) a radioactive contaminated site. The data from these demonstrations have provided additional information about site characteristics including faster ground water flow rates than previously identified and due to its low sensitivities better distribution into a clay matrix than estimated by the bromide tracer

Transient Atmospheric Circulation Changes in a Grand ensemble of Idealized CO2 Increase Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Karpechko, A.; Manzini, E.; Kornblueh, L.

2017-12-01

The yearly evolution with increasing forcing of the large-scale atmospheric circulation is examined in a 68-member ensemble of 1pctCO2 scenario experiments performed with the MPI-ESM model. Each member of the experiment ensemble is integrated for 155 years, from initial conditions taken from a 2000-yr long pre-industrial control climate experiment. The 1pctCO2 scenario experiments are conducted following the protocol of including as external forcing only a CO2 concentration increase at 1%/year, till quadrupling of CO2 concentrations. MPI-ESM is the Max-Planck-Institute Earth System Model (including coupling between the atmosphere, ocean and seaice). By averaging over the 68 members (ensemble mean), atmospheric variability is greatly reduced. Thus, it is possible to investigate the sensitivity to the climate state of the atmospheric response to CO2 doubling. Indicators of global change show the expected monotonic evolution with increasing CO2 and a weak dependence of the thermodynamical response to CO2 doubling on the climate state. The surface climate response of the atmospheric circulation, diagnosed for instance by the pressure at sea level, and the eddy-driven jet response show instead a marked dependence to the climate state, for the Northern winter season. We find that as the CO2 concentration increases above doubling, Northern winter trends in some indicators of atmospheric circulation changes decrease or even reverse, posing the question on what are the causes of this nonlinear behavior. The investigation of the role of stationary waves, the meridional overturning circulation, the decrease in Arctic sea ice and the stratospheric vortex points to the latter as a plausible cause of such nonlinear response.

Multi-Scale Thermal Heat Tracer Tests for Characterizing Transport Processes and Flow Channelling in Fractured Media: Theory and Field Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

de La Bernardie, J.; Klepikova, M.; Bour, O.; Le Borgne, T.; Dentz, M.; Guihéneuf, N.; Gerard, M. F.; Lavenant, N.

2017-12-01

The characterization of flow and transport in fractured media is particularly challenging because hydraulic conductivity and transport properties are often strongly dependent on the geometric structure of the fracture surfaces. Here we show how thermal tracer tests may be an excellent complement to conservative solute tracer tests to infer fracture geometry and flow channeling. We performed a series of thermal tracer tests at different scales in a crystalline rock aquifer at the experimental site of Ploemeur (H+ observatory network). The first type of thermal tracer tests are push-pull tracer tests at different scales. The temporal and spatial scaling of heat recovery, measured from thermal breakthrough curves, shows a clear signature of flow channeling. In particular, the late time tailing of heat recovery under channeled flow is shown to diverge from the T(t) α t-1,5 behavior expected for the classical parallel plate model and follow the scaling T(t) α 1/t(logt)2 for a simple channel modeled as a tube. Flow channeling is also manifested on the spatial scaling of heat recovery as flow channeling affects the decay of the thermal breakthrough peak amplitude and the increase of the peak time with scale. The second type of thermal tracer tests are flow-through tracer tests where a pulse of hot water was injected in a fracture isolated by a double straddle packer while pumping at the same flow rate in another fracture at a distance of about 10 meters to create a dipole flow field. Comparison with a solute tracer test performed under the same conditions also present a clear signature of flow channeling. We derive analytical expressions for the retardation and decay of the thermal breakthrough peak amplitude for different fracture geometries and show that the observed differences between thermal and solute breakthrough can be explained only by channelized flow. These results suggest that heat transport is much more sensitive to fracture heterogeneity and flow

Tracer attenuation in groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Cvetkovic, Vladimir

2011-12-01

The self-purifying capacity of aquifers strongly depends on the attenuation of waterborne contaminants, i.e., irreversible loss of contaminant mass on a given scale as a result of coupled transport and transformation processes. A general formulation of tracer attenuation in groundwater is presented. Basic sensitivities of attenuation to macrodispersion and retention are illustrated for a few typical retention mechanisms. Tracer recovery is suggested as an experimental proxy for attenuation. Unique experimental data of tracer recovery in crystalline rock compare favorably with the theoretical model that is based on diffusion-controlled retention. Non-Fickian hydrodynamic transport has potentially a large impact on field-scale attenuation of dissolved contaminants.

In-situ fracture mapping using geotomography and brine tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deadrick, F.J.; Ramirez, A.L.; Lytle, R.J.

1981-01-01

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is currently assessing the capabilities of high resolution geophysical methods to characterize geologic sites for the disposal of high level nuclear waste. A successful experiment has recently been performed in which salt water tracers and high frequency electromagnetic waves were utilized to map rock mass fracture zones in-situ. Multiple cross-borehole EM transmissions were used to generate a tomographic image of the fractured rock region between two boreholes. The tomographs obtained correlate well with conventional wireline geophysical logs which can be used to infer the location of fractured zones in the rock mass. This indirect data suggests that the geotomography and brine tracer technique may have merit in mapping fractured zones between boreholes

Sensitivity analysis of tracer transport in variably saturated soils at USDA-ARS OPE3 field site

Science.gov (United States)

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of uncertainties in hydrologic and geochemical parameters on the results of simulations of the tracer transport in variably saturated soils at the USDA-ARS OPE3 field site. A tracer experiment with a pulse of KCL solution applied to an irrigatio...

Tracer kinetics: Modelling of tracer behaviour in nonlinear and nonsteady state systems exemplified by the evaluation of protein turnover in plant organs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, E.

1991-01-01

If nonlinear biological processes are investigated by means of tracer experiments they can be modelled with linear kinetic equations (compartment equations) as long as the total system is in a stationary state. But if nonstationary behaviour is included considerations on the kinetics of the individual processes are necessary. Within the range of biological and agricultural investigations especially first order reactions (constant fraction processes), zero order reactions (constant amount process) and saturation reactions (Michaelis-Menten-kinetics) are to be taken into account. A rigorous treatment of data based on system theory can be preceeded by graphic-algebraic procedure which may be more or less uncertain in its results but which can easily be handled. An example is given of methodological considerations concerning the combination of evaluation procedures and the discrimination between different reaction mechanisms. It treats protein turnover in 2 different parts of growing wheat plants investigated by means of an 15 N-tracer experiment. Whereas in a stationary system (upper stalk section) linear tracer equations were sufficient irrespective of the true reaction mechanism, for protein synthesis in the upper leaf as a nonstationary system it was necessary to decide between the hypotheses of a zero order and a first order reaction. In accordance with statements in the literature the unambiguous result was a combination of protein synthesis as a zero order process and of protein degradation as a first order process. (orig.) [de

Modeling the effects of atmospheric emissions on groundwater composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, T.J.

1994-01-01

A composite model of atmospheric, unsaturated and groundwater transport is developed to evaluate the processes determining the distribution of atmospherically derived contaminants in groundwater systems and to test the sensitivity of simulated contaminant concentrations to input parameters and model linkages. One application is to screen specific atmospheric emissions for their potential in determining groundwater age. Temporal changes in atmospheric emissions could provide a recognizable pattern in the groundwater system. The model also provides a way for quantifying the significance of uncertainties in the tracer source term and transport parameters on the contaminant distribution in the groundwater system, an essential step in using the distribution of contaminants from local, point source atmospheric emissions to examine conceptual models of groundwater flow and transport

Dynamics and Chemistry in Jovian Atmospheres: 2D Hydrodynamical Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Bordwell, B. R.; Brown, B. P.; Oishi, J.

2016-12-01

A key component of our understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems is chemical composition. Problematically, however, in the atmospheres of cooler gas giants, dynamics on the same timescale as chemical reactions pull molecular abundances out of thermochemical equilibrium. These disequilibrium abundances are treated using what is known as the "quench" approximation, based upon the mixing length theory of convection. The validity of this approximation is questionable, though, as the atmospheres of gas giants encompass two distinct dynamic regimes: convective and radiative. To resolve this issue, we conduct 2D hydrodynamical simulations using the state-of-the-art pseudospectral simulation framework Dedalus. In these simulations, we solve the fully compressible equations of fluid motion in a local slab geometry that mimics the structure of a planetary atmosphere (convective zone underlying a radiative zone). Through the inclusion of passive tracers, we explore the transport properties of both regimes, and assess the validity of the classical eddy diffusion parameterization. With the addition of active tracers, we examine the interactions between dynamical and chemical processes, and generate prescriptions for the observational community. By providing insight into mixing and feedback mechanisms in Jovian atmospheres, this research lays a solid foundation for future global simulations and the construction of physically-sound models for current and future observations.

Study of the atmospheric neutrino oscillations in the Frejus experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perdereau, O.

1989-05-01

The behavior of atmospheric neutrinos is investigated. It is a zero mass, zero charge and weak interacting particle. The aim of the investigation is to search for non standard phenomena, such as neutrino oscillations. The neutrino theoretical properties are discussed and the physical parameters experimental limits are recalled. The analysis of the approximately 200 events from atmospheric neutrinos observed in Frejus detector is carried out. The results and simulation of neutrino interactions are presented. The data analysis induces to the exclusion of neutrino oscillation hypothesis from some models. Three cases of oscillations involving two neutrino flavors are analyzed. The effect of a third flavor is also taken into account. The present data and those from IMB and Kamiokande experiments are compared. Topics involving investigations on the superposition of a signal and the atmospheric neutrinos are included [fr

Long residence times - bad tracer tests?

Science.gov (United States)

Ghergut, Julia; Behrens, Horst; Sauter, Martin

2015-04-01

Tracer tests conducted at geothermal well doublets or triplets in the Upper Rhine Rift Valley [1] all face, with very few exceptions so far, one common issue: lack of conclusive tracer test results, or tracer signals still undetectable for longer than one or two years after tracer injection. While the reasons for this surely differ from site to site (Riehen, Landau, Insheim, Bruchsal, ...), its effects on how the usefulness of tracer tests is perceived by the non-tracer community are pretty much the same. The 'poor-signal' frustration keeps nourishing two major 'alternative' endeavours : (I) design and execute tracer tests in single-well injection-withdrawal (push-pull), 'instead of' inter-well flow-path tracing configurations; (II) use 'novel' tracer substances instead of the 'old' ones which have 'obviously failed'. Frustration experienced with most inter-well tracer tests in the Upper Rhine Rift Valley has also made them be regarded as 'maybe useful for EGS' ('enhanced', or 'engineered' geothermal systems, whose fluid RTD typically include a major share of values below one year), but 'no longer worthwhile a follow-up sampling' in natural, large-scale hydrothermal reservoirs. We illustrate some of these arguments with the ongoing Bruchsal case [2]. The inter-well tracer test conducted at Bruchsal was (and still is!) aimed at assessing inter-well connectivity, fluid residence times, and characterizing the reservoir structure [3]. Fluid samples taken at the geothermal production well after reaching a fluid turnover of about 700,000 m3 showed tracer concentrations in the range of 10-8 Minj per m3, in the liquid phase of each sample (Minj being the total quantity of tracer injected as a short pulse at the geothermal re-injection well). Tracer signals might actually be higher, owing to tracer amounts co-precipitated and/or adsorbed onto the solid phase whose accumulation in the samples was unavoidable (due to pressure relief and degassing during the very sampling

Dynamics of radioactive lead isotopes in the global environmental atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koike, Yuya; Kosako, Toshiso

2006-01-01

Fundamental information of radioactive lead isotopes, which used as the atmospheric tracer in the global environmental atmosphere, is reviewed. Emanation and exhalation of Rn and Tn, parent nuclide, is stated. Some reports on measurement and application of short-lived lead isotopes are reported. Transfer of radioactive lead isotopes in the atmosphere, vertical profiles of radon, thoron, and short-lived lead isotopes for different turbulent mixing conditions, deposition to aerosol, basic processes of Rn decay product behavior in air defining 'unattached' and 'aerosol-attached' activities, seasonal variation of atmospheric 210 Pb concentration at Beijing and Chengdu, seasonal variation of atmospheric 212 Pb concentration at several observation sites in Japan Islands, and variation in the atmospheric concentration of 212 Pb along with SO 2 are shown. (S.Y.)

Evaluation of ARAC's participation in a long-range transport experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pace, J.C.; Pobanz, B.M.; Foster, C.S.; Baskett, R.L.; Vogt, P.J.; Schalk, W.W. III.

1995-08-01

The 1994 European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) involved two releases of inert tracer gas in western France, allowing subsequent detection at many locations across Europe. Twenty four operational and research facilities from 20 countries made predictions of the motion of the released plume and the resulting concentrations detected at the sampler locations. This paper describes participation by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) in ETEX. In its role as a real-time emergency response center, ARAC operates a suite of numerical models which simulate the advection and diffusion of airborne releases, and which calculate the estimated downwind concentration of the released material. The models and procedures used by ARAC to participate in ETEX were essentially the same as those which would be used to respond to a release at any previously unspecified location

Wairakei tracer tests 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCabe, W.J.; Barry, B.J.

1984-05-01

Tracer tests, with and without, hot water reinjection into WK213 showed returns of tracer iodine-131; in wells in both the Waiora Valley and the eastern end of the field. The effect of reinjection at a rate of 200 cu. m/h was to reduce the arrived time from 15 to 7 days. Increasing the rate of reinjection into WK62 from 30 cu. m/h to 200 cu. m/h seemed to increase the initial velocity of the tracer wave and the distance it moved. However, returns were recorded only in the adjacent wells WK61 and WK63 with a very small, and three days delayed, response in WK43

A novel fluorescent retrograde neural tracer: cholera toxin B conjugated carbon dots

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Nan; Hao, Zeyu; Zhao, Xiaohuan; Maharjan, Suraj; Zhu, Shoujun; Song, Yubin; Yang, Bai; Lu, Laijin

2015-09-01

The retrograde neuroanatomical tracing method is a key technique to study the complex interconnections of the nervous system. Traditional tracers have several drawbacks, including time-consuming immunohistochemical or immunofluorescent staining procedures, rapid fluorescence quenching and low fluorescence intensity. Carbon dots (CDs) have been widely used as a fluorescent bio-probe due to their ultrasmall size, excellent optical properties, chemical stability, biocompatibility and low toxicity. Herein, we develop a novel fluorescent neural tracer: cholera toxin B-carbon dot conjugates (CTB-CDs). It can be taken up and retrogradely transported by neurons in the peripheral nervous system of rats. Our results show that CTB-CDs possess high photoluminescence intensity, good optical stability, a long shelf-life and non-toxicity. Tracing with CTB-CDs is a direct and more economical way of performing retrograde labelling experiments. Therefore, CTB-CDs are reliable fluorescent retrograde tracers.The retrograde neuroanatomical tracing method is a key technique to study the complex interconnections of the nervous system. Traditional tracers have several drawbacks, including time-consuming immunohistochemical or immunofluorescent staining procedures, rapid fluorescence quenching and low fluorescence intensity. Carbon dots (CDs) have been widely used as a fluorescent bio-probe due to their ultrasmall size, excellent optical properties, chemical stability, biocompatibility and low toxicity. Herein, we develop a novel fluorescent neural tracer: cholera toxin B-carbon dot conjugates (CTB-CDs). It can be taken up and retrogradely transported by neurons in the peripheral nervous system of rats. Our results show that CTB-CDs possess high photoluminescence intensity, good optical stability, a long shelf-life and non-toxicity. Tracing with CTB-CDs is a direct and more economical way of performing retrograde labelling experiments. Therefore, CTB-CDs are reliable fluorescent retrograde

Elements and inorganic ions as source tracers in recent Greenland snow

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Alexandra M.; Shafer, Martin M.; Dibb, Jack E.; Polashenski, Chris M.; Schauer, James J.

2017-09-01

Atmospheric transport of aerosols leads to deposition of impurities in snow, even in areas of the Arctic as remote as Greenland. Major ions (e.g. Na+, Ca2+, NH4+, K+, SO42-) are frequently used as tracers for common aerosol sources (e.g. sea spray, dust, biomass burning, anthropogenic emissions). Trace element data can supplement tracer ion data by providing additional information about sources. Although many studies have considered either trace elements or major ions, few have reported both. This study determined total and water-soluble concentrations of 31 elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Dy, Eu, Fe, Gd, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Nb, Nd, Pb, Pr, S, Sb, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, U, Y, Zn) in shallow snow pits at 22 sampling sites in Greenland, along a transect from Summit Station to sites in the northwest. Black carbon (BC) and inorganic ions were measured in colocated samples. Sodium, which is typically used as a tracer of sea spray, did not appear to have any non-marine sources. The rare earth elements, alkaline earth elements (Mg, Ca, Sr), and other crustal elements (Fe, Si, Ti, V) were not enriched above crustal abundances relative to Al, indicating that these elements are primarily dust sourced. Calculated ratios of non-sea salt Ca (nssCa) to estimated dust mass affirm the use of nssCa as a dust tracer, but suggest up to 50% uncertainty in that estimate in the absence of other crustal element data. Crustal enrichment factors indicated that As, Cd, Pb, non-sea-salt S, Sb, Sn, and Zn were enriched in these samples, likely by anthropogenic sources. Principal component analysis indicated more than one crustal factor, and a variety of factors related to anthropogenically enriched elements. Analysis of trace elements alongside major tracer ions does not change interpretation of ion-based source attribution for sources that are well-characterized by ions, but is valuable for assessing uncertainty in source attribution and identifying sources not represented by major ions.

Statistically Based Morphodynamic Modeling of Tracer Slowdown

Science.gov (United States)

Borhani, S.; Ghasemi, A.; Hill, K. M.; Viparelli, E.

2017-12-01

Tracer particles are used to study bedload transport in gravel-bed rivers. One of the advantages associated with using of tracer particles is that they allow for direct measures of the entrainment rates and their size distributions. The main issue in large scale studies with tracer particles is the difference between tracer stone short term and long term behavior. This difference is due to the fact that particles undergo vertical mixing or move to less active locations such as bars or even floodplains. For these reasons the average virtual velocity of tracer particle decreases in time, i.e. the tracer slowdown. In summary, tracer slowdown can have a significant impact on the estimation of bedload transport rate or long term dispersal of contaminated sediment. The vast majority of the morphodynamic models that account for the non-uniformity of the bed material (tracer and not tracer, in this case) are based on a discrete description of the alluvial deposit. The deposit is divided in two different regions; the active layer and the substrate. The active layer is a thin layer in the topmost part of the deposit whose particles can interact with the bed material transport. The substrate is the part of the deposit below the active layer. Due to the discrete representation of the alluvial deposit, active layer models are not able to reproduce tracer slowdown. In this study we try to model the slowdown of tracer particles with the continuous Parker-Paola-Leclair morphodynamic framework. This continuous, i.e. not layer-based, framework is based on a stochastic description of the temporal variation of bed surface elevation, and of the elevation specific particle entrainment and deposition. Particle entrainment rates are computed as a function of the flow and sediment characteristics, while particle deposition is estimated with a step length formulation. Here we present one of the first implementation of the continuum framework at laboratory scale, its validation against

Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1987 to the DOE Office of Energy Research: Part 3, Atmospheric sciences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elderkin, C.E.

1988-08-01

Currently, the broad goals of atmospheric research at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) are to describe and predict the nature and fate of atmospheric contaminants and to develop an understanding of the atmospheric processes contributing to their distribution on local, regional, and continental scales in the air, in clouds, and on the surface. For several years, studies of transport and diffusion have been extended to mesoscale areas of complex terrain. Atmospheric cleansing research has expanded to a regional scale, multilaboratory investigation of precipitation scavenging processes involving the transformation and wet deposition of chemicals composing ''acid rain.'' In addition, the redistribution and long-range transport of transformed contaminants passing through clouds is recognized as a necessary extension of our research to even larger scales in the future. A few long-range tracer experiments conducted in recent years and the special opportunity for measuring the transport and removal of radioactivity following the Chernobyl reactor accident of April 1986 offer important initial data bases for studying atmospheric processes at these super-regional scales.

Tracer research in process engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iller, E.

1992-01-01

The book is a review of modern applications of tracer techniques in chemical and process engineering studies. The next topics have been extensively presented: 1) media flow through apparatus; 2) the tracers in the study of media flow dynamics through apparatus; 3) mathematical interpretation of experimental data from impulse-response method; 4) the models of media flow through chemical reactors and apparatus; 5) radiotracers in mass transport study; 6) examples of practical applications of tracer methods in industrial objects. 84 refs, 96 figs, 31 tabs

Compilation and analyses of results from cross-hole tracer tests with conservative tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hjerne, Calle; Nordqvist, Rune; Harrstroem, Johan (Geosigma AB (Sweden))

2010-09-15

Radionuclide transport in hydrogeological formations is one of the key factors for the safety analysis of a future repository of nuclear waste. Tracer tests have therefore been an important field method within the SKB investigation programmes at several sites since the late 1970's. This report presents a compilation and analyses of results from cross-hole tracer tests with conservative tracers performed within various SKB investigations. The objectives of the study are to facilitate, improve and reduce uncertainties in predictive tracer modelling and to provide supporting information for SKB's safety assessment of a final repository of nuclear waste. More specifically, the focus of the report is the relationship between the tracer mean residence time and fracture hydraulic parameters, i.e. the relationship between mass balance aperture and fracture transmissivity, hydraulic diffusivity and apparent storativity. For 74 different combinations of pumping and injection section at six different test sites (Studsvik, Stripa, Finnsjoen, Aespoe, Forsmark, Laxemar), estimates of mass balance aperture from cross-hole tracer tests as well as transmissivity were extracted from reports or in the SKB database Sicada. For 28 of these combinations of pumping and injection section, estimates of hydraulic diffusivity and apparent storativity from hydraulic interference tests were also found. An empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and transmissivity was estimated, although some uncertainties for individual data exist. The empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and transmissivity presented in this study deviates considerably from other previously suggested relationships, such as the cubic law and transport aperture as suggested by /Dershowitz and Klise 2002/, /Dershowitz et al. 2002/ and /Dershowitz et al. 2003/, which also is discussed in this report. No clear and direct empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and hydraulic

Inversion of Atmospheric Tracer Measurements, Localization of Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Issartel, J.-P.; Cabrit, B.; Hourdin, F.; Idelkadi, A.

When abnormal concentrations of a pollutant are observed in the atmosphere, the question of its origin arises immediately. The radioactivity from Tchernobyl was de- tected in Sweden before the accident was announced. This situation emphasizes the psychological, political and medical stakes of a rapid identification of sources. In tech- nical terms, most industrial sources can be modeled as a fixed point at ground level with undetermined duration. The classical method of identification involves the cal- culation of a backtrajectory departing from the detector with an upstream integration of the wind field. We were first involved in such questions as we evaluated the ef- ficiency of the international monitoring network planned in the frame of the Com- prehensive Test Ban Treaty. We propose a new approach of backtracking based upon the use of retroplumes associated to available measurements. Firstly the retroplume is related to inverse transport processes, describing quantitatively how the air in a sam- ple originates from regions that are all the more extended and diffuse as we go back far in the past. Secondly it clarifies the sensibility of the measurement with respect to all potential sources. It is therefore calculated by adjoint equations including of course diffusive processes. Thirdly, the statistical interpretation, valid as far as sin- gle particles are concerned, should not be used to investigate the position and date of a macroscopic source. In that case, the retroplume rather induces a straightforward constraint between the intensity of the source and its position. When more than one measurements are available, including zero valued measurements, the source satisfies the same number of linear relations tightly related to the retroplumes. This system of linear relations can be handled through the simplex algorithm in order to make the above intensity-position correlation more restrictive. This method enables to manage in a quantitative manner the

A tracer test to determine a hydraulic connection between the Lauchert and Danube karst catchments (Swabian Alb, Germany)

Science.gov (United States)

Knöll, Paul; Scheytt, Traugott

2018-03-01

A dye tracer experiment was conducted between the rivers Lauchert and Danube near Sigmaringen (Swabian Alb, southern Germany). After a flood event in the River Lauchert, it was suspected that flood water infiltrated into the karst system and drained towards springs in the Danube Valley. A potential connection of the two rivers is provided by the margin of a tectonic graben crossing the valleys. The aim of the tracer experiment was to gain insight into the dominant groundwater flow direction as well as to study a possible preferential connection between the Lauchert surface catchment area and springs in the Danube Valley. After introducing sodium-fluorescein into the unsaturated zone, six springs in the Danube Valley and the River Lauchert itself were observed. Tracer breakthrough at three springs showed that these springs are fed by groundwater originating in the Lauchert surface catchment. Adjacent springs were not affected by the experiment, indicating a rather sharp divide between separate spring catchments. Analyses of tracer breakthrough curves suggest that springs with a tracer occurrence are fed by the same conduit system. It was possible to show that spring catchments in Sigmaringen reach significantly into the Lauchert surface catchment. As a consequence, a drinking-water supplier has changed its supply strategy. The results also help to explain significant differences between flood damage in the central and lower courses of the River Lauchert.

Experimental design for estimating parameters of rate-limited mass transfer: Analysis of stream tracer studies

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Brian J.; Harvey, Judson W.

1997-01-01

Tracer experiments are valuable tools for analyzing the transport characteristics of streams and their interactions with shallow groundwater. The focus of this work is the design of tracer studies in high-gradient stream systems subject to advection, dispersion, groundwater inflow, and exchange between the active channel and zones in surface or subsurface water where flow is stagnant or slow moving. We present a methodology for (1) evaluating and comparing alternative stream tracer experiment designs and (2) identifying those combinations of stream transport properties that pose limitations to parameter estimation and therefore a challenge to tracer test design. The methodology uses the concept of global parameter uncertainty analysis, which couples solute transport simulation with parameter uncertainty analysis in a Monte Carlo framework. Two general conclusions resulted from this work. First, the solute injection and sampling strategy has an important effect on the reliability of transport parameter estimates. We found that constant injection with sampling through concentration rise, plateau, and fall provided considerably more reliable parameter estimates than a pulse injection across the spectrum of transport scenarios likely encountered in high-gradient streams. Second, for a given tracer test design, the uncertainties in mass transfer and storage-zone parameter estimates are strongly dependent on the experimental Damkohler number, DaI, which is a dimensionless combination of the rates of exchange between the stream and storage zones, the stream-water velocity, and the stream reach length of the experiment. Parameter uncertainties are lowest at DaI values on the order of 1.0. When DaI values are much less than 1.0 (owing to high velocity, long exchange timescale, and/or short reach length), parameter uncertainties are high because only a small amount of tracer interacts with storage zones in the reach. For the opposite conditions (DaI ≫ 1.0), solute

Transient tracers in the ocean (TTO) program: the North Atlantic study, 1981: the Tropical Atlantic study, 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brewer, P.G.; Sarmiento, J.L.; Smethie, W.M. Jr.

1985-01-01

The two parts of this major geochemical and physical oceanographic expedition took place on the research vessel Knorr of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The expeditions were designed to observe the passage of man-made geochemical tracers into the interior of the ocean. A systematic survey revealed the penetration into the thermocline and deep ocean of the products of man's military/industrial activities, principally tritium and carbon-14 resulting from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. The passage of these tracers documents as nothing else can the manner and time scale of ocean mixing and provides a fundamental calibration for models of ocean circulation. Maps showing the cruise routes are presented. 1 figure, 1 table

Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy for conducting gas tracer tests and measuring water saturations in landfills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Yoojin; Han, Byunghyun; Mostafid, M. Erfan; Chiu, Pei; Yazdani, Ramin; Imhoff, Paul T.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy tested for measuring tracer gas in landfills. ► Measurement errors for tracer gases were 1–3% in landfill gas. ► Background signals from landfill gas result in elevated limits of detection. ► Technique is much less expensive and easier to use than GC. - Abstract: Gas tracer tests can be used to determine gas flow patterns within landfills, quantify volatile contaminant residence time, and measure water within refuse. While gas chromatography (GC) has been traditionally used to analyze gas tracers in refuse, photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) might allow real-time measurements with reduced personnel costs and greater mobility and ease of use. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PAS for conducting gas tracer tests in landfills. Two tracer gases, difluoromethane (DFM) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), were measured with a commercial PAS instrument. Relative measurement errors were invariant with tracer concentration but influenced by background gas: errors were 1–3% in landfill gas but 4–5% in air. Two partitioning gas tracer tests were conducted in an aerobic landfill, and limits of detection (LODs) were 3–4 times larger for DFM with PAS versus GC due to temporal changes in background signals. While higher LODs can be compensated by injecting larger tracer mass, changes in background signals increased the uncertainty in measured water saturations by up to 25% over comparable GC methods. PAS has distinct advantages over GC with respect to personnel costs and ease of use, although for field applications GC analyses of select samples are recommended to quantify instrument interferences.

Impacts of Siberian biomass burning on organic aerosols over the North Pacific Ocean and the Arctic: primary and secondary organic tracers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Xiang; Wang, Xinming; Xie, Zhouqing; Zhang, Zhou; Sun, Liguang

2013-04-02

During the 2003 Chinese Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE2003) from the Bohai Sea to the high Arctic (37°N-80°N), filter-based particle samples were collected and analyzed for tracers of primary and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) as well as water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Biomass burning (BB) tracer levoglucosan had comparatively much higher summertime average levels (476 ± 367 pg/m(3)) during our cruise due to the influence of intense forest fires then in Siberia. On the basis of 5-day back trajectories, samples with air masses passing through Siberia had organic tracers 1.3-4.4 times of those with air masses transporting only over the oceans, suggesting substantial contribution of continental emissions to organic aerosols in the marine atmosphere. SOA tracers from anthropogenic aromatics were negligible or not detected, while those from biogenic terpenenoids were ubiquitously observed with the sum of SOA tracers from isoprene (623 ± 414 pg/m(3)) 1 order of magnitude higher than that from monoterpenes (63 ± 49 pg/m(3)). 2-Methylglyceric acid as a product of isoprene oxidation under high-NOx conditions was dominant among SOA tracers, implying that these BSOA tracers were not formed over the oceans but mainly transported from the adjacent Siberia where a high-NOx environment could be induced by intense forest fires. The carbon fractions shared by biogenic SOA tracers and levoglucosan in WSOC in our ocean samples were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than those previously reported in continental samples, BB emissions or chamber simulation samples, largely due to the chemical evolution of organic tracers during transport. As a result of the much faster decline in levels of organic tracers than that of WSOC during transport, the trace-based approach, which could well reconstruct WSOC using biogenic SOA and BB tracers for continental samples, only explained ∼4% of measured WSOC during our expedition if the same tracer-WSOC or tracer-SOC relationships were

Relative Roles of Gap Junction Channels and Cytoplasm in Cell-to-Cell Diffusion of Fluorescent Tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Safranyos, Richard G. A.; Caveney, Stanley; Miller, James G.; Petersen, Nils O.

1987-04-01

Intercellular (tissue) diffusion of molecules requires cytoplasmic diffusion and diffusion through gap junctional (or cell-to-cell) channels. The rates of tissue and cytoplasmic diffusion of fluorescent tracers, expressed as an effective diffusion coefficient, De, and a cytoplasmic diffusion coefficient, Dcyt, have been measured among the developing epidermal cells of a larval beetle, Tenebrio molitor L., to determine the contribution of the junctional channels to intercellular diffusion. Tracer diffusion was measured by injecting fluorescent tracers into cells and quantitating the rate of subsequent spread into adjacent cells. Cytoplasmic diffusion was determined by fluorescence photobleaching. These experiments show that gap junctional channels constitute approximately 70-80% of the total cell-to-cell resistance to the diffusion of organic tracers at high concentrations in this tissue. At low concentrations, however, the binding of tracer to cytoplasm slows down the cytoplasmic diffusion, which may limit intercellular diffusion.

Active thermal tracer testing in a shallow aquifer of the Thur valley, Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

Schweingruber, Mischa; Somogyvári, Márk; Bayer, Peter

2015-04-01

Tracer tests are one of the standard methods for investigating groundwater processes. Among the range of different test variants, using heat as a tracer has gained substantial interest during the last decade. Temperature measurements have become essential ingredients for example for characterization of river-aquifer interactions and in the field of geothermics. Much less attention than on natural temperature signals has been devoted to induced synthetic temperature signals, even though it is well known that temperature is an easy to measure, invisible but sensitive system property. Design, application and inversion of such active thermal tracer tests represent one focus of our work. We build up on the experience from related field experiments, where heated water was injected and the propagation of the generated thermal anomaly was monitored. In this presentation, we show the results from first field-testing in an alluvial aquifer at the Widen site in the Thur valley in Switzerland. The thermal evolution of groundwater was monitored in summer 2014 during and after several days of heated water injection. By this test, we want to derive insights into the prevailing hydraulic heterogeneity of the shallow aquifer at the site. The results are used for calibration of a two dimensional hydrogeological numerical model. With the calibrated hydraulic conductivity field, the experiment is simulated and the transient evolution of the heat plume is visualized. Hydraulic heterogeneity is identified as one main factor for lateral spreading of the heat plume. The most important result of the experiment is that the significance of the ambient flow field is very high and even with high pumping rates to establish forced gradient conditions its effect cannot be overridden. During the test, precious technical experience was gained, which will be beneficial for subsequent heat tracer applications. For example, the challenge of maintaining a constant injection rate and temperature could

Estimation of Fracture Porosity in an Unsaturated Fractured Welded Tuff Using Gas Tracer Testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

B.M. Freifeild

2001-01-01

Kinematic fracture porosity is an important hydrologic transport parameter for predicting the potential of rapid contaminant migration through fractured rock. The transport velocity of a solute moving within a fracture network is inversely related to the fracture porosity. Since fracture porosity is often one or two orders of magnitude smaller than matrix porosity, and fracture permeability is often orders of magnitude greater than matrix permeability, solutes may travel significantly faster in the fracture network than in the surrounding matrix. This dissertation introduces a new methodology for conducting gas tracer tests using a field portable mass spectrometer along with analytical tools for estimating fracture porosity using the measured tracer concentration breakthrough curves. Field experiments were conducted at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, consisting of air-permeability transient testing and gas-tracer-transport tests. The experiments were conducted from boreholes drilled within an underground tunnel as part of an investigation of rock mass hydrological behavior. Air-permeability pressure transients, recorded during constant mass flux injections, have been analyzed using a numerical inversion procedure to identify fracture permeability and porosity. Dipole gas tracer tests have also been conducted from the same boreholes used for air-permeability testing. Mass breakthrough data has been analyzed using a random walk particle-tracking model, with a dispersivity that is a function of the advective velocity. The estimated fracture porosity using the tracer test and air-injection test data ranges from .001 to .015. These values are an order of magnitude greater than the values estimated by others using hydraulically estimated fracture apertures. The estimates of porosity made using air-permeability test data are shown to be highly sensitive to formation heterogeneity. Uncertainty analyses performed on the gas tracer test results show high confidence in the parameter

Estimation of Fracture Porosity in an Unsaturated Fractured Welded Tuff Using Gas Tracer Testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

B.M. Freifeild

2001-10-18

Kinematic fracture porosity is an important hydrologic transport parameter for predicting the potential of rapid contaminant migration through fractured rock. The transport velocity of a solute moving within a fracture network is inversely related to the fracture porosity. Since fracture porosity is often one or two orders of magnitude smaller than matrix porosity, and fracture permeability is often orders of magnitude greater than matrix permeability, solutes may travel significantly faster in the fracture network than in the surrounding matrix. This dissertation introduces a new methodology for conducting gas tracer tests using a field portable mass spectrometer along with analytical tools for estimating fracture porosity using the measured tracer concentration breakthrough curves. Field experiments were conducted at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, consisting of air-permeability transient testing and gas-tracer-transport tests. The experiments were conducted from boreholes drilled within an underground tunnel as part of an investigation of rock mass hydrological behavior. Air-permeability pressure transients, recorded during constant mass flux injections, have been analyzed using a numerical inversion procedure to identify fracture permeability and porosity. Dipole gas tracer tests have also been conducted from the same boreholes used for air-permeability testing. Mass breakthrough data has been analyzed using a random walk particle-tracking model, with a dispersivity that is a function of the advective velocity. The estimated fracture porosity using the tracer test and air-injection test data ranges from .001 to .015. These values are an order of magnitude greater than the values estimated by others using hydraulically estimated fracture apertures. The estimates of porosity made using air-permeability test data are shown to be highly sensitive to formation heterogeneity. Uncertainty analyses performed on the gas tracer test results show high confidence in the parameter

Estimation of fracture porosity in an unsaturated fractured welded tuff using gas tracer testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freifeld, Barry Mark [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2001-12-01

Kinematic fracture porosity is an important hydrologic transport parameter for predicting the potential of rapid contaminant migration through fractured rock. The transport velocity of a solute moving within a fracture network is inversely related to the fracture porosity. Since fracture porosity is often one or two orders of magnitude smaller than matrix porosity, and fracture permeability is often orders of magnitude greater than matrix permeability, solutes may travel significantly faster in the fracture network than in the surrounding matrix. This dissertation introduces a new methodology for conducting gas tracer tests using a field portable mass spectrometer along with analytical tools for estimating fracture porosity using the measured tracer concentration breakthrough curves. Field experiments were conducted at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, consisting of air-permeability transient testing and gas-tracer-transport tests. The experiments were conducted from boreholes drilled within an underground tunnel as part of an investigation of rock mass hydrological behavior. Air-permeability pressure transients, recorded during constant mass flux injections, have been analyzed using a numerical inversion procedure to identify fracture permeability and porosity. Dipole gas tracer tests have also been conducted from the same boreholes used for air-permeability testing. Mass breakthrough data has been analyzed using a random walk particle-tracking model, with a dispersivity that is a function of the advective velocity. The estimated fracture porosity using the tracer test and air-injection test data ranges from .001 to .015. These values are an order of magnitude greater than the values estimated by others using hydraulically estimated fracture apertures. The estimates of porosity made using air-permeability test data are shown to be highly sensitive to formation heterogeneity. Uncertainty analyses performed on the gas tracer test results show high confidence in the parameter

Evaluation of ARAC`s participation in a long-range transport experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pace, J.C.; Pobanz, B.M.; Foster, C.S.; Baskett, R.L.; Vogt, P.J.; Schalk, W.W. III

1995-08-01

The 1994 European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) involved two releases of inert tracer gas in western France, allowing subsequent detection at many locations across Europe. Twenty four operational and research facilities from 20 countries made predictions of the motion of the released plume and the resulting concentrations detected at the sampler locations. This paper describes participation by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) in ETEX. In its role as a real-time emergency response center, ARAC operates a suite of numerical models which simulate the advection and diffusion of airborne releases, and which calculate the estimated downwind concentration of the released material. The models and procedures used by ARAC to participate in ETEX were essentially the same as those which would be used to respond to a release at any previously unspecified location.

Quantitative determination of sediment movement at the landward spoil ground in the Yangtze Estuary with radioactive tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhangsu

1993-01-01

A radioactive tracer experiment was carried out at the landward spoil ground of the North Passage in the Yangtze Estuary in June of 1991. The scandium-46 was selected as the tracer, the total activity released is 17.95 x 10 10 Bq(4.85 Ci), the amount of the scandium-46 glass is 495 g. The purpose of the experiment is to determine the sediment movement direction, path, velocity and transport rate. The experiment provides the direct evidence for using the landward spoil ground in the future. The experiment results show the sediment movement was governed by the ebb tide current during the period of middle and neap tides when the radioactive tracer was injected both on the flood and ebb tides, and the sediment moved from the injection points to the middle of the North Passage near the navigation buoy No. 269. The direction of the sediment movement is 110 degree, the particle velocity is 758 m/d, and the sediment transport rate per unit width is 47.8 m 3 /md

In situ measurement of methane oxidation in groundwater by using natural-gradient tracer tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, R.L.; Howes, B.L.; Garabedian, S.P.

1991-01-01

Methane oxidation was measured in an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer (Cape Cod, Mass.) by using in situ natural-gradient tracer tests at both a pristine, oxygenated site and an anoxic, sewage-contaminated site. The tracer sites were equipped with multilevel sampling devices to create target grids of sampling points; the injectate was prepared with groundwater from the tracer site to maintain the same geochemical conditions. Methane oxidation was calculated from breakthrough curves of methane relative to halide and inert gas (hexafluoroethane) tracers and was confirmed by the appearance of 13 C-enriched carbon dioxide in experiments in which 13 C-enriched methane was used as the tracer. A V max for methane oxidation could be calculated when the methane concentration was sufficiently high to result in zero-order kinetics throughout the entire transport interval. Methane breakthrough curves could be simulated by modifying a one-dimensional advection-dispersion transport model to include a Michaelis-Menten-based consumption term for methane oxidation. The K m values for methane oxidation that gave the best match for the breakthrough curve peaks were 6.0 and 9.0 μM for the uncontaminated and contaminated sites, respectively. Natural-gradient tracer tests are a promising approach for assessing microbial processes and for testing in situ bioremediation potential in groundwater systems

Tracer techniques in microelectronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flachowsky, J.; Freyer, K.

1981-01-01

Tracer technique and neutron activation analysis are capable of measuring impurities in semiconductor material or on the semiconductor surface in a very low concentration range. The methods, combined with autoradiography, are also suitable to determine dopant distributions in silicon. However, both techniques suffer from certain inherent experimental difficulties and/or limitations which are discussed. Methods of tracer technique practicable in the semiconductor field are described. (author)

Tracer transport in fractured rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, C.F.; Tsang, Y.W.; Hale, F.V.

1988-07-01

Recent interest in the safety of toxic waste underground disposal and nuclear waste geologic repositories has motivated many studies of tracer transport in fractured media. Fractures occur in most geologic formations and introduce a high degree of heterogeneity. Within each fracture, the aperture is not constant in value but strongly varying. Thus for such media, tracer tends to flow through preferred flowpaths or channels within the fractures. Along each of these channels, the aperture is also strongly varying. A detailed analysis is carried out on a 2D single fracture with variable apertures and the flow through channels is demonstrated. The channels defined this way are not rigidly set pathways for tracer transport, but are the preferred flow paths in the sense of stream-tubes in the potential theory. It is shown that such variable-aperture channels can be characterized by an aperture probability distribution function, and not by the exact deterministic geometric locations. We also demonstrate that the 2D tracer transport in a fracture can be calculated by a model of a system of 1D channels characterized by this distribution function only. Due to the channeling character of tracer transport in fractured rock, random point measurements of tracer breakthrough curves may give results with a wide spread in value due to statistical fluctuations. The present paper suggests that such a wide spread can probably be greatly reduced by making line/areal (or multiple) measurements covering a few spatial correlation lengths. 13 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab

Diurnal variations of organic molecular tracers and stable carbon isotopic compositions in atmospheric aerosols over Mt. Tai in North China Plain: an influence of biomass burning

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, P. Q.; Kawamura, K.; Chen, J.; Li, J.; Sun, Y. L.; Liu, Y.; Tachibana, E.; Aggarwal, S. G.; Okuzawa, K.; Tanimoto, H.; Kanaya, Y.; Wang, Z. F.

2012-04-01

Organic tracer compounds of tropospheric aerosols, as well as organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of total carbon (TC) have been investigated for aerosol samples collected during early and late periods of Mount Tai eXperiment 2006 (MTX2006) field campaign in North China Plain. Total solvent extracts were investigated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. More than 130 organic compounds were detected in the aerosol samples. They were grouped into twelve organic compound classes, including biomass burning tracers, biogenic primary sugars, biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) tracers, and anthropogenic tracers such as phthalates, hopanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In early June when the field burning activities of wheat straws in North China Plain were very active, the total identified organics (2090 ± 1170 ng m-3) were double those in late June (926 ± 574 ng m-3). All the compound classes were more abundant in early June than in late June, except phthalate esters, which were higher in late June. Levoglucosan (88-1210 ng m-3, 403 ng m-3) was found as the most abundant single compound in early June, while diisobutyl phthalate was the predominant species in late June. During the biomass-burning period in early June, the diurnal trends of most of the primary and secondary organic aerosol tracers were characterized by the concentration peaks observed at mid-night or in early morning, while in late June most of the organic species peaked in late afternoon. This suggests that smoke plumes from biomass burning can uplift the aerosol particulate matter to a certain altitude and then transported to and encountered the summit of Mt. Tai during nighttime. On the basis of the tracer-based method for the estimation of biomass-burning OC, fungal-spore OC and biogenic secondary organic carbon (SOC), we estimate that an average of 24% (up to 64%) of the OC in the Mt. Tai

Natural radium and radon tracers to quantify water exchange and movement in reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Christopher G.; Baskaran, Mark

2011-01-01

Radon and radium isotopes are routinely used to quantify exchange rates between different hydrologic reservoirs. Since their recognition as oceanic tracers in the 1960s, both radon and radium have been used to examine processes such as air-sea exchange, deep oceanic mixing, benthic inputs, and many others. Recently, the application of radon-222 and the radium-quartet (223,224,226,228Ra) as coastal tracers has seen a revelation with the growing interest in coastal groundwater dynamics. The enrichment of these isotopes in benthic fluids including groundwater makes both radium and radon ideal tracers of coastal benthic processes (e.g. submarine groundwater discharge). In this chapter we review traditional and recent advances in the application of radon and radium isotopes to understand mixing and exchange between various hydrologic reservoirs, specifically: (1) atmosphere and ocean, (2) deep and shallow oceanic water masses, (3) coastal groundwater/benthic pore waters and surface ocean, and (4) aquifer-lakes. While the isotopes themselves and their distribution in the environment provide qualitative information about the exchange processes, it is mixing/exchange and transport models for these isotopes that provide specific quantitative information about these processes. Brief introductions of these models and mixing parameters are provided for both historical and more recent studies.

Experimental study of ventilation efficiency with a gaseous tracer (He and SF6)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roussel, Claude

1982-01-01

When it is desired to test the efficiency of a ventilation system in a nuclear installation in normal working conditions or in an accidental situation, it is possible to avoid having recourse to the direct use of contaminating, toxic or explosive substances, by carrying out a simulation by atmospheric tracing. The study of the scattering shows that the dispersion of substances in the atmosphere that is met in a nuclear plant is practically independent of the nature of the substance emitted, whether it be an aerosol, a gas of ''heavy'' molecular mass or low molecular mass. To show the scattering phenomena a tracer can be employed that is not dangerous in use, is easy to use and for which there is a simple and transportable instrumentation [fr

Multimodel analysis of anisotropic diffusive tracer-gas transport in a deep arid unsaturated zone

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Christopher T.; Walvoord, Michelle Ann; Andraski, Brian J.; Striegl, Robert G.; Stonestrom, David A.

2015-01-01

Gas transport in the unsaturated zone affects contaminant flux and remediation, interpretation of groundwater travel times from atmospheric tracers, and mass budgets of environmentally important gases. Although unsaturated zone transport of gases is commonly treated as dominated by diffusion, the characteristics of transport in deep layered sediments remain uncertain. In this study, we use a multimodel approach to analyze results of a gas-tracer (SF6) test to clarify characteristics of gas transport in deep unsaturated alluvium. Thirty-five separate models with distinct diffusivity structures were calibrated to the tracer-test data and were compared on the basis of Akaike Information Criteria estimates of posterior model probability. Models included analytical and numerical solutions. Analytical models provided estimates of bulk-scale apparent diffusivities at the scale of tens of meters. Numerical models provided information on local-scale diffusivities and feasible lithological features producing the observed tracer breakthrough curves. The combined approaches indicate significant anisotropy of bulk-scale diffusivity, likely associated with high-diffusivity layers. Both approaches indicated that diffusivities in some intervals were greater than expected from standard models relating porosity to diffusivity. High apparent diffusivities and anisotropic diffusivity structures were consistent with previous observations at the study site of rapid lateral transport and limited vertical spreading of gas-phase contaminants. Additional processes such as advective oscillations may be involved. These results indicate that gases in deep, layered unsaturated zone sediments can spread laterally more quickly, and produce higher peak concentrations, than predicted by homogeneous, isotropic diffusion models.

Micro-meteorological data from the Guardo dispersion experiment in complex terrain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, M.; Mikkelsen, T.

1992-11-01

The present report contains micrometeorological data from an atmospheric dispersion experiment in complex terrain. The experiment took place near the Guardo power plant, Palencia, Spain under various atmospheric conditions during the month of November 1990. It consisted of 14 tracer releases either from the power plant chimney or from the valley floor north of the town. Two kinds of observations are presented: (1) The 25 m meteorological mast at the Vivero site in the central part of the experimental area measured surface-layer profiles of wind velocity, wind direction, temperature and thermal stability together with turbulent wind and temperature fluctuations at the top level. (2) A radiosonde on a tethered balloon was launched at Camporredondo de Alba in the northern part of the area and measured boundary-layer profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. (au) (4 tabs., 227 ills., 7 refs.).

Comparison of thermal, salt and dye tracing to estimate shallow flow velocities: Novel triple-tracer approach

Science.gov (United States)

Abrantes, João R. C. B.; Moruzzi, Rodrigo B.; Silveira, Alexandre; de Lima, João L. M. P.

2018-02-01

The accurate measurement of shallow flow velocities is crucial to understand and model the dynamics of sediment and pollutant transport by overland flow. In this study, a novel triple-tracer approach was used to re-evaluate and compare the traditional and well established dye and salt tracer techniques with the more recent thermal tracer technique in estimating shallow flow velocities. For this purpose a triple tracer (i.e. dyed-salted-heated water) was used. Optical and infrared video cameras and an electrical conductivity sensor were used to detect the tracers in the flow. Leading edge and centroid velocities of the tracers were measured and the correction factors used to determine the actual mean flow velocities from tracer measured velocities were compared and investigated. Experiments were carried out for different flow discharges (32-1813 ml s-1) on smooth acrylic, sand, stones and synthetic grass bed surfaces with 0.8, 4.4 and 13.2% slopes. The results showed that thermal tracers can be used to estimate shallow flow velocities, since the three techniques yielded very similar results without significant differences between them. The main advantages of the thermal tracer were that the movement of the tracer along the measuring section was more easily visible than it was in the real image videos and that it was possible to measure space-averaged flow velocities instead of only one velocity value, with the salt tracer. The correction factors used to determine the actual mean velocity of overland flow varied directly with Reynolds and Froude numbers, flow velocity and slope and inversely with flow depth and bed roughness. In shallow flows, velocity estimation using tracers entails considerable uncertainty and caution must be taken with these measurements, especially in field studies where these variables vary appreciably in space and time.

Applicability of U.S. Army tracer test data to model validation needs of ERDA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shearer, D.L.; Minott, D.H.

1976-06-01

This report covers the first phase of an atmospheric dispersion model validation project sponsored by the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA). The project will employ dispersion data generated during an extensive series of field tracer experiments that were part of a meteorological research program which was conducted by the U. S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, from the late 1950's to the early 1970's. The tests were conducted at several locations in the U. S., South America, Germany, and Norway chosen to typify the effects of certain environmental factors on atmospheric dispersion. The purpose of the Phase I work of this project was to identify applicable portions of the Army data, obtain and review that data, and make recommendations for its uses for atmospheric dispersion model validations. This report presents key information in three formats. The first is a tabular listing of the Army dispersion test reports summarizing the test data contained in each report. This listing is presented in six separate tables with each tabular list representing a different topical area that is based on model validation requirements and the nature of the Army data base. The second format for presenting key information is a series of discussions of the Army test information assigned to each of the six topical areas. These discussions relate the extent and quality of the available data, as well as its prospective use for model validation. The third format is a series of synopses for each Army test report

Measurement of radioactive tracer microsphere blood from with NaI(Tl)- and Ge-well type detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, B.; Staemmler, G.; Schaper, W.; Frank, J.; Langsdorf, S.

1982-01-01

An intrinsic Ge-well type detector was applied for the detection of gamma rays from labeled tracer microspheres. The high energy resolution and the large peak-to-Compton ratio of this spectrometer ensures the application of all available differently labeled tracer microspheres in one experiment. The superior energy resolution of the Ge-detector was documented with the separated photopeak regions of 103-Ru and 85-Sr-labeled tracer microspheres, which result in a single photopeak when an NaI(Tl) detector is used. The Ge-well type detector was compared with an NaI(Tl) spectrometer by counting samples of cardiac muscle in either spectrometer systems. Regression analysis between both spectrometer systems demonstrate identical flow values in these samples for 5 differently labeled tracer microspheres which were administered in 5 dogs. The high sensitivity of the Ge-well-type detector together with a suitable technique for sampling of myocardial tissue accomplishes a high spatial resolution of myocardial perfusion for all available differently labeled tracer microspheres. (orig.)

Climate and atmosphere simulator for experiments on ecological systems in changing environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdier, Bruno; Jouanneau, Isabelle; Simonnet, Benoit; Rabin, Christian; Van Dooren, Tom J M; Delpierre, Nicolas; Clobert, Jean; Abbadie, Luc; Ferrière, Régis; Le Galliard, Jean-François

2014-01-01

Grand challenges in global change research and environmental science raise the need for replicated experiments on ecosystems subjected to controlled changes in multiple environmental factors. We designed and developed the Ecolab as a variable climate and atmosphere simulator for multifactor experimentation on natural or artificial ecosystems. The Ecolab integrates atmosphere conditioning technology optimized for accuracy and reliability. The centerpiece is a highly contained, 13-m(3) chamber to host communities of aquatic and terrestrial species and control climate (temperature, humidity, rainfall, irradiance) and atmosphere conditions (O2 and CO2 concentrations). Temperature in the atmosphere and in the water or soil column can be controlled independently of each other. All climatic and atmospheric variables can be programmed to follow dynamical trajectories and simulate gradual as well as step changes. We demonstrate the Ecolab's capacity to simulate a broad range of atmospheric and climatic conditions, their diurnal and seasonal variations, and to support the growth of a model terrestrial plant in two contrasting climate scenarios. The adaptability of the Ecolab design makes it possible to study interactions between variable climate-atmosphere factors and biotic disturbances. Developed as an open-access, multichamber platform, this equipment is available to the international scientific community for exploring interactions and feedbacks between ecological and climate systems.

Double tracer autoradiographic method for sequential evaluation of regional cerebral perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, H.; Tsuji, S.; Oba, H.; Kinuya, K.; Terada, H.; Sumiya, H.; Shiba, K.; Mori, H.; Hisada, K.; Maeda, T.

1989-01-01

A new double tracer autoradiographic method for the sequential evaluation of altered regional cerebral perfusion in the same animal is presented. This method is based on the sequential injection of two tracers, 99m Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime and N-isopropyl-( 125 I)p-iodoamphetamine. This method is validated in the assessment of brovincamine effects on regional cerebral perfusion in an experimental model of chronic brain ischemia in the rat. The drug enhanced perfusion recovery in low-flow areas, selectively in surrounding areas of infarction. The results suggest that this technique is of potential use in the study of neuropharmacological effects applied during the experiment

Instantaneous axial velocity of a radioactive tracer determined with radioactive particle tracking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fraguio, Maria Sol; Cassanello, Miryan C., E-mail: miryan@di.fcen.uba.a [Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Programa de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Fuentes Alternativas de Materias Primas y Energia (PINMATE); Cardona, Maria Angelica; Hojman, Daniel, E-mail: cardona@tandar.cnea.gov.a [CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Somacal, Hector [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (CNEA), Buenos Aires (Argentina). Centro Atomico Constituyentes. Dept. de Fisica

2009-07-01

Radioactive Particle Tracking (RPT) is a technique that has been successfully used to get features of the liquid and/or the solid motion in multiphase contactors. It is one of the rare techniques able to provide experimental data in dense and strongly turbulent multiphase media. Validation of the technique has always been based on comparing the estimated mean velocity to an imposed mean velocity although the extracted features are frequently related to the instantaneous velocities. The present work pursues the analysis, through calibration experiments, of the ability of RPT to get the actual tracer instantaneous velocities. With this purpose, the motion of a radioactive tracer attached to a moving rod driven by a pneumatic system is reconstructed from the combined response of an array of 10 NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors. Simultaneously, the tracer motion is registered through an encoder able to establish the axial tracer coordinate with high precision and high time resolution. The tracer is a gold particle, activated by neutron bombardment. The rod is moved at different velocities and it travels upwards and downwards close to the column centre. A mini-pilot scale bubble column is used as the test facility. The model liquid is tap water in batch mode and the gas is air, flowing at different gas velocities, spanning the homogeneous and the heterogeneous flow regimes. Time series of the entirety response of all the detectors, while the rod is moving at different imposed velocities within the two phase emulsion, are measured with a sampling period of 0.03 s during about 2 minutes. The instantaneous tracer positions and velocities reconstructed from RPT and the one obtained from the encoder response are compared under different operating conditions and for different tracer velocities. (author)

Seasonal and spatial variation of organic tracers for biomass burning in PM1 aerosols from highly insolated urban areas.

Science.gov (United States)

van Drooge, B L; Fontal, M; Bravo, N; Fernández, P; Fernández, M A; Muñoz-Arnanz, J; Jiménez, B; Grimalt, J O

2014-10-01

PM1 aerosol characterization on organic tracers for biomass burning (levoglucosan and its isomers and dehydroabietic acid) was conducted within the AERTRANS project. PM1 filters (N = 90) were sampled from 2010 to 2012 in busy streets in the urban centre of Madrid and Barcelona (Spain) at ground-level and at roof sites. In both urban areas, biomass burning was not expected to be an important local emission source, but regional emissions from wildfires, residential heating or biomass removal may influence the air quality in the cities. Although both areas are under influence of high solar radiation, Madrid is situated in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, while Barcelona is located at the Mediterranean Coast and under influence of marine atmospheres. Two extraction methods were applied, i.e. Soxhlet and ASE, which showed equivalent results after GC-MS analyses. The ambient air concentrations of the organic tracers for biomass burning increased by an order of magnitude at both sites during winter compared to summer. An exception was observed during a PM event in summer 2012, when the atmosphere in Barcelona was directly affected by regional wildfire smoke and levels were four times higher as those observed in winter. Overall, there was little variation between the street and roof sites in both cities, suggesting that regional biomass burning sources influence the urban areas after atmospheric transport. Despite the different atmospheric characteristics in terms of air relative humidity, Madrid and Barcelona exhibit very similar composition and concentrations of biomass burning organic tracers. Nevertheless, levoglucosan and its isomers seem to be more suitable for source apportionment purposes than dehydroabietic acid. In both urban areas, biomass burning contributions to PM were generally low (2 %) in summer, except on the day when wildfire smoke arrive to the urban area. In the colder periods the contribution increase to around 30 %, indicating that regional

Investigations into the long-distance atmospheric transport in Central Europe using Rn-222

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volpp, H.J.

1984-01-01

An measuring network was used to determine the atmospheric Rn-222 content in Central Europe (Northern and Southern Germany, Poland). Rn-222 is to serve as tracer for the long-distance atmospheric transport in central Europe. For several areas, an average Rn-222 flux density was found. The radon source 'continent' and the soil as radon source have been taken into account. (DG) [de

Using the tracer-dilution discharge method to develop streamflow records for ice-affected streams in Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Capesius, Joseph P.; Sullivan, Joseph R.; O'Neill, Gregory B.; Williams, Cory A.

2005-01-01

Accurate ice-affected streamflow records are difficult to obtain for several reasons, which makes the management of instream-flow water rights in the wintertime a challenging endeavor. This report documents a method to improve ice-affected streamflow records for two gaging stations in Colorado. In January and February 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, conducted an experiment using a sodium chloride tracer to measure streamflow under ice cover by the tracer-dilution discharge method. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of obtaining accurate ice-affected streamflow records by using a sodium chloride tracer that was injected into the stream. The tracer was injected at two gaging stations once per day for approximately 20 minutes for 25 days. Multiple-parameter water-quality sensors at the two gaging stations monitored background and peak chloride concentrations. These data were used to determine discharge at each site. A comparison of the current-meter streamflow record to the tracer-dilution streamflow record shows different levels of accuracy and precision of the tracer-dilution streamflow record at the two sites. At the lower elevation and warmer site, Brandon Ditch near Whitewater, the tracer-dilution method overestimated flow by an average of 14 percent, but this average is strongly biased by outliers. At the higher elevation and colder site, Keystone Gulch near Dillon, the tracer-dilution method experienced problems with the tracer solution partially freezing in the injection line. The partial freezing of the tracer contributed to the tracer-dilution method underestimating flow by 52 percent at Keystone Gulch. In addition, a tracer-pump-reliability test was conducted to test how accurately the tracer pumps can discharge the tracer solution in conditions similar to those used at the gaging stations. Although the pumps were reliable and consistent throughout the 25-day study period

Evaluation of short-term tracer fluctuations in groundwater and soil air in a two year study

Science.gov (United States)

Jenner, Florian; Mayer, Simon; Aeschbach, Werner; Weissbach, Therese

2016-04-01

The application of gas tracers like noble gases (NGs), SF6 or CFCs in groundwater studies such as paleo temperature determination requires a detailed understanding of the dynamics of reactive and inert gases in the soil air with which the infiltrating water equilibrates. Due to microbial gas consumption and production, NG partial pressures in soil air can deviate from atmospheric air, an effect that could bias noble gas temperatures estimates if not taken into account. So far, such an impact on NG contents in groundwater has not been directly demonstrated. We provide the first long-term study of the above mentioned gas tracers and physical parameters in both the saturated and unsaturated soil zone, sampled continuously for more than two years near Mannheim (Germany). NG partial pressures in soil air correlate with soil moisture and the sum value of O2+CO2, with a maximal significant enhancement of 3-6% with respect to atmospheric air during summer time. Observed seasonal fluctuations result in a mass dependent fractionation of NGs in soil air. Concentrations of SF6 and CFCs in soil air are determined by corresponding fluctuations in local atmospheric air, caused by industrial emissions. Arising concentration peaks are damped with increasing soil depth. Shallow groundwater shows short-term NG fluctuations which are smoothed within a few meters below the water table. A correlation between NG contents of soil air and of groundwater is observable during strong recharge events. However, there is no evidence for a permanent influence of seasonal variations of soil air composition on shallow groundwater. Fluctuating NG contents in shallow groundwater are rather determined by variations of soil temperature and water table level. Our data gives evidence for a further temperature driven equilibration of groundwater with entrapped air bubbles within the topmost saturated zone, which permanently occurs even some years after recharge. Local subsurface temperature fluctuations

Doublet Tracer Testing in Klamath Falls, Oregon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gudmundsson, J S; Johnson, S E; Horne, R N; Jackson, P B [Pet. Eng. Dept., Stanford University; Culver, G G [Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR

0000-12-30

A tracer test was carried out in a geothermal doublet system to study the injection behavior of a developed reservoir known to be fractured. The doublet produces about 320 gpm of 160 degrees Fahrenheit water that is used for space heating and then injected; the wells are spaced 250 ft apart. Tracer breakthrough was observed in 2 hours and 45 minutes in the production well, indicating fracture flow. However, the tracer concentrations were low and indicated porous media flow; the tracers mixed with a reservoir volume much larger than a fracture.

Tracer a application in marine outfall studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genders, S.

1979-01-01

The applicability of radioactive and fluorescent tracers for field studies to predict or investigate waste water transport and dispersion from marine outfalls is evaluated. The application of either instantaneous or continuous tracer release, 'in situ' detection of tracers and data processing are considered. The necessity of a combined use of tracer techniques and conventional hydrographic methods for a statistical prediction of transport and dillution of waste water are pointed out. A procedure to determine an outlet distance from the coast, which satisfy bathing water criteria is outlined. (M.A.) [pt

Doublet Tracer Testing in Klamath Falls, Oregon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gudmundsson, J.S.; Johnson, S.E.; Horne, R.N.; Jackson, P. B. [Pet. Eng. Dept., Stanford University; Culver, G.G. [Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR

0001-01-01

A tracer test was carried out in a geothermal doublet system to study the injection behavior of a developed reservoir known to be fractured. The doublet produces about 320 gpm of 160 degrees Fahrenheit water that is used for space heating and then injected; the wells are spaced 250 ft apart. Tracer breakthrough was observed in 2 hours and 45 minutes in the production well, indicating fracture flow. However, the tracer concentrations were low and indicated porous media flow; the tracers mixed with a reservoir volume much larger than a fracture.

Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment in Spain (SABLES 98) : a report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cuxart, J.; Yague, C.; Morales, G.; Terradelles, E.; Orbe, J.; Calvo, J.; Vilu-Guerau, de J.; Soler, M.R.; Infante, C.; Buenestado, P.; Espinalt, A.; Jorgensem, H.E.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment in Spain (SABLES 98), which took place over the northern Spanish plateau comprising relatively flat grassland, in September 1998. The main objectives of the campaign were to study the properties of the mid-latitude stable boundary

Contributions to hydrological tracer methods and their application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-04-01

The activities of the Institut fuer Radiohydrometrie of the GSF are mainly devoted to the field of environmental research studying the quality, use and protection from pollution of drinking water which has become scarce in many parts of the world. The knowledge and experience of a variety of scientific disciplines are combined to the common task of developing new tracer methods and selecting suitable hydrogeological methods to allow quantitative studies of the hydrological cycle, from rainfall to surface or sub-surface run-off. The tracers used in these studies are for the most part stable, natural radioisotopes occurring in the hydrological cycle, as well as fluorescent dyes or radionuclides for water labelling. The contributions collected in this volume are grouped according to the above outline of tasks and present a survey of current methods and measurements, illustrating their efficiency in solving hydrological problems. (orig./RW) [de

Bromide as a tracer for studying water movement and nitrate displacement in soils: comparison with stable isotope tracers; Bromid als Tracer zur Untersuchung der Wasserbewegung und der Nitratverlagerung in Boeden: Vergleich mit stabilisotopen Tracern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russow, R.; Knappe, S. [UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Bad Lauchstaedt (Germany). Sektion Bodenforschung

1999-02-01

Tracers are an ideal means of studying water movement and associated nitrate displacement. Often bromide is preferred as a tracer because it is considered a representative tracer for water and because, being a conservative tracer (i.e. not involved in chemical and biological soil processes), it can be used for studying anion transport in soils. Moreover, it is less expensive and easier to measure than the stable isotopes deuterium and {sup 15}N. Its great advantage over radioactive tracers (e.g. tritium), which outweighs their extreme sensitivity and ease of measurement and which it has in common with stable isotopes, is that it does not require radiation protection measures. However, there are also constraints on the use of bromide as a tracer in soil/water/plant systems. Our own studies on different soils using D{sub 2}O, bromide and [{sup 15}N]-nitrate in lysimeters suggest that the above assumptions on bromide tracers need not always be valid under conditions as they prevail in biologically active soils. As the present paper shows, these studies permit a good assessment of the possibilities and limits to these tracers. [Deutsch] Fuer die Untersuchung der Wasserbewegung sowie der daran gekoppelten Nitrat-Verlagerung ist der Einsatz von Tracern das Mittel der Wahl. Dabei wird Bromid als Tracer haeufig bevorzugt, da es allgemein als ein repraesentativer Tracer fuer Wasser und als konservativer Tracer (nicht involviert in chemische und biologische Bodenprozesse) zur Untersuchung des Anionentransportes in Boeden angesehen wird und es gegenueber den stabilen Isotopen Deuterium und {sup 15}N billiger und einfacher zu bestimmen ist. Gegenueber den radioaktiven Tracern (z.B. Tritium), die zwar sehr empfindlich und einfach messbar sind, besteht der grosse Vorteil, dass, wie bei den stabilen Isotopen, keine Strahlenschutzmassnahmen ergriffen werden muessen. Es gibt jedoch auch einschraenkende Hinweise fuer die Verwendung von Bromid als Tracer im System Boden

Appraisal of transport and deformation in shale reservoirs using natural noble gas tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heath, Jason E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kuhlman, Kristopher L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Robinson, David G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bauer, Stephen J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gardner, William Payton [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Univ. of Montana, Missoula, MT (United States)

2015-09-01

This report presents efforts to develop the use of in situ naturally-occurring noble gas tracers to evaluate transport mechanisms and deformation in shale hydrocarbon reservoirs. Noble gases are promising as shale reservoir diagnostic tools due to their sensitivity of transport to: shale pore structure; phase partitioning between groundwater, liquid, and gaseous hydrocarbons; and deformation from hydraulic fracturing. Approximately 1.5-year time-series of wellhead fluid samples were collected from two hydraulically-fractured wells. The noble gas compositions and isotopes suggest a strong signature of atmospheric contribution to the noble gases that mix with deep, old reservoir fluids. Complex mixing and transport of fracturing fluid and reservoir fluids occurs during production. Real-time laboratory measurements were performed on triaxially-deforming shale samples to link deformation behavior, transport, and gas tracer signatures. Finally, we present improved methods for production forecasts that borrow statistical strength from production data of nearby wells to reduce uncertainty in the forecasts.

Extended application of radon as a natural tracer in oil reservoirs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moreira R.M.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In the 80's it was a common practice in the study of contamination by NAPL to incorporate a tracer to the medium to be studied. At that time the first applications focused on the use of 222Rn, a naturally occurring radioactive isotope as a natural tracer, appropriate for thermodynamics studies, geology and transport properties in thermal reservoirs. In 1993 the deficit of radon was used to spot and quantify the contamination by DNAPL under the surface. For the first time these studies showed that radon could be used as a partitioning tracer. A methodology that provides alternatives to quantify the oil volume stored in the porous space of oil reservoirs is under development at CDTN. The methodology here applied, widens up and adapts the knowledge acquired from the use of radon as a tracer to the studies aimed at assessing SOR. It is a postulation of this work that once the radon partition coefficient between oil and water is known, SOR will be determined considering the increased amount of radon in the water phase as compared to the amount initially existent as the reservoir is flooded with water. This paper will present a description of the apparatus used and some preliminary results of the experiments.

An uncertainty inclusive un-mixing model to identify tracer non-conservativeness

Science.gov (United States)

Sherriff, Sophie; Rowan, John; Franks, Stewart; Fenton, Owen; Jordan, Phil; hUallacháin, Daire Ó.

2015-04-01

Sediment fingerprinting is being increasingly recognised as an essential tool for catchment soil and water management. Selected physico-chemical properties (tracers) of soils and river sediments are used in a statistically-based 'un-mixing' model to apportion sediment delivered to the catchment outlet (target) to its upstream sediment sources. Development of uncertainty-inclusive approaches, taking into account uncertainties in the sampling, measurement and statistical un-mixing, are improving the robustness of results. However, methodological challenges remain including issues of particle size and organic matter selectivity and non-conservative behaviour of tracers - relating to biogeochemical transformations along the transport pathway. This study builds on our earlier uncertainty-inclusive approach (FR2000) to detect and assess the impact of tracer non-conservativeness using synthetic data before applying these lessons to new field data from Ireland. Un-mixing was conducted on 'pristine' and 'corrupted' synthetic datasets containing three to fifty tracers (in the corrupted dataset one target tracer value was manually corrupted to replicate non-conservative behaviour). Additionally, a smaller corrupted dataset was un-mixed using a permutation version of the algorithm. Field data was collected in an 11 km2 river catchment in Ireland. Source samples were collected from topsoils, subsoils, channel banks, open field drains, damaged road verges and farm tracks. Target samples were collected using time integrated suspended sediment samplers at the catchment outlet at 6-12 week intervals from July 2012 to June 2013. Samples were dried (affected whereas uncertainty was only marginally impacted by the corrupted tracer. Improvement of uncertainty resulted from increasing the number of tracers in both the perfect and corrupted datasets. FR2000 was capable of detecting non-conservative tracer behaviour within the range of mean source values, therefore, it provided a more

Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) for Planetary Atmospheric Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Bocanegra Bahamon, Tatiana; Cimo, Giuseppe; Duev, Dmitry; Gurvits, Leonid; Molera Calves, Guifre; Pogrebenko, Sergei

2015-04-01

The Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) is a technique that allows the determination of the radial velocity and lateral coordinates of planetary spacecraft with very high accuracy (Duev, 2012). The setup of the experiment consists of several ground stations from the European VLBI Network (EVN) located around the globe, which simultaneously perform Doppler tracking of a spacecraft carrier radio signal, and are subsequently processed in a VLBI-style in phase referencing mode. Because of the accurate examination of the changes in phase and amplitude of the radio signal propagating from the spacecraft to the multiple stations on Earth, the PRIDE technique can be used for several fields of planetary research, among which planetary atmospheric studies, gravimetry and ultra-precise celestial mechanics of planetary systems. In the study at hand the application of this technique for planetary atmospheric investigations is demonstrated. As a test case, radio occultation experiments were conducted with PRIDE having as target ESA's Venus Express, during different observing sessions with multiple ground stations in April 2012 and March 2014. Once each of the stations conducts the observation, the raw data is delivered to the correlation center at the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) located in the Netherlands. The signals are processed with a high spectral resolution and phase detection software package from which Doppler observables of each station are derived. Subsequently the Doppler corrected signals are correlated to derive the VLBI observables. These two sets of observables are used for precise orbit determination. The reconstructed orbit along with the Doppler observables are used as input for the radio occultation processing software, which consists of mainly two modules, the geometrical optics module and the ray tracing inversion module, from which vertical density profiles, and subsequently, temperature and pressure profiles of Venus

Transuranic and tracer simulant resuspension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sehmel, G.A.

1977-07-01

Plutonium resuspension results are summarized for experiments conducted at Rocky Flats, onsite on the Hanford reservation, and for winds blowing from offsite onto the Hanford reservation near the Prosser barricade boundary. In each case, plutonium resuspension was shown by increased airborne plutonium concentrations as a function of either wind speed or as compared to fallout levels. All measured airborne concentrations were below maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). Both plutonium and cesium concentrations on airborne soil were normalized by the quantity of airborne soil sampled. Airborne radionuclide concentrations in μCi/g were related to published values for radionuclide concentrations on surface soils. For this ratio of radionuclide concentration per gram on airborne soil divided by that for ground surface soil, there are eight orders of magnitude uncertainty from 10 -4 to 10 4 . Horizontal plutonium fluxes on airborne nonrespirable soils at all three sites were bracketed within the same three to four orders of magnitude from 10 -7 to 10 -3 μCi/(m 2 day) for plutonium-239 and 10 -8 to 10 -5 μCi/(m 2 day) for plutonium-238. These are the entire experimental base for nonrespirable airborne plutonium transport. Airborne respirable plutonium-239 concentrations increased with wind speed for a southeast wind direction coming from offsite near the Hanford reservation Prosser barricade. Airborne plutonium fluxes on nonrespirable particles had isotopic ratios, 240 Pu/ 239+240 Pu, similar to weapons grade plutonium rather than fallout plutonium. Resuspension rates were summarized for controlled inert particle tracer simulant experiments. Wind resuspension rates for tracers increased with wind speed to about the fifth power

Evaluation of TRUE-1 tests with sorbing tracers using CHAN3D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, L.

2001-01-01

Three tracer tests (STT1a, STT1b and STT2) with sorbing species performed as a part of the TRUE-1 experiments are studied. The tests were carried out in a radially converging flow geometry with a travel distance of about 5 m The injected sorbing tracers were: Na + , Sr 2+ , Ca 2+ , Ba 2+ , Cs + , Co 2+ , Rb + . The sorption properties of the tracer cover a wide interval. The tracer tests were modelled using the Channel Network Model, which assumes that fluid flow and solute transport take place through a network of channels. It includes solute transport by advection, diffusion into the rock matrix, and sorption within the matrix and onto the channel surface. Sorption and diffusion data were obtained from laboratory measurements carried out over generic Aespoe material. Some measurements were made using material from the Feature A. Large differences are found between the experimental and the predicted breakthrough curves. The predicted times are much shorter than the experimental ones. An attempt is made to explain these differences using various possible retardation mechanisms. Finally, it is concluded that several mechanisms must act simultaneously in order to explain the large differences

Tracers vs. trajectories in a coastal region

Science.gov (United States)

Engqvist, A.; Döös, K.

2008-12-01

Two different methods of estimating the water exchange through a Baltic coastal region have been used, consisting of particle trajectories and passive tracers. Water is traced from and to a small discharge region near the coast. The discharge material in this region is treated as zero dimensional particles or tracers with neutral buoyancy. The real discharge material could be a leakage of radio-nuclides through the sea floor from an underground repository of nuclear waste. Water exchange rates between the discharge region and the model domain are estimated using both forward and backward trajectories as well as passive tracers. The Lagrangian trajectories can account for the time evolution of the water exchange while the tracers give one average age per model grid box. Water exchange times such as residence time, age and transient times have been calculated with trajectories but only the average age (AvA) for tracers. The trajectory calculations provide a more detailed time evolution than the tracers. On the other hand the tracers are integrated "on-line" simultaneously in the sea circulation model with the same time step while the Lagrangian trajectories are integrated "off-line" from the stored model velocities with its inherent temporal resolution, presently one hour. The sub-grid turbulence is parameterised as a Laplacian diffusion for the passive tracers and with an extra stochastic velocity for trajectories. The importance of the parameterised sub-grid turbulence for the trajectories is estimated to give an extra diffusion of the same order as the Laplacian diffusion by comparing the Lagrangian dispersions with and without parameterisation. The results of the different methods are similar but depend on the chosen diffusivity coefficient with a slightly higher correlation between trajectories and tracers when integrated with a lower diffusivity coefficient.

A new top boundary condition for modeling surface diffusive exchange of a generic volatile tracer: theoretical analysis and application to soil evaporation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Y. Tang

2013-02-01

Full Text Available We describe a new top boundary condition (TBC for representing the air–soil diffusive exchange of a generic volatile tracer. This new TBC (1 accounts for the multi-phase flow of a generic tracer; (2 accounts for effects of soil temperature, pH, solubility, sorption, and desorption processes; (3 enables a smooth transition between wet and dry soil conditions; (4 is compatible with the conductance formulation for modeling air–water volatile tracer exchange; and (5 is applicable to site, regional, and global land models.

Based on the new TBC, we developed new formulations for bare-soil resistance and corresponding soil evaporation efficiency. The new soil resistance is predicted as the reciprocal of the harmonic sum of two resistances: (1 gaseous and aqueous molecular diffusion and (2 liquid mass flow resulting from the hydraulic pressure gradient between the soil surface and center of the topsoil control volume. We compared the predicted soil evaporation efficiency with those from several field and laboratory soil evaporation measurements and found good agreement with the typically observed two-stage soil evaporation curves. Comparison with the soil evaporation efficiency equation of Lee and Pielke (1992; hereafter LP92 indicates that their equation can overestimate soil evaporation when the atmospheric resistance is low and underestimate soil evaporation when the soil is dry. Using a synthetic inversion experiment, we demonstrated that using inverted soil resistance data from field measurements to derive empirical soil resistance formulations resulted in large uncertainty because (1 the inverted soil resistance data are always severely impacted by measurement error and (2 the derived empirical equation is very sensitive to the number of data points and the assumed functional form of the resistance.

We expect the application of our new TBC in land models will provide a consistent representation for the diffusive tracer

Recommendations for the determination of migration parameters by field experiments (tracer tests)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, C.

1989-01-01

The hydrogeologic review and assessment of candidate sites for nuclear power plants includes expertises on the potential subsurface migration of radionuclides in the event of accident conditions. To this end, knowledge of representative migration parameters is required. Detailed recommendations are given for determining such parameters by tracer field tests, for using standardized terminology in their practical conduct as well as for interpreting the data obtained. Also, mention has been made of recent work reported by other authors on this topic. 31 refs. (author)

Direct Observation of Heavy-Tailed Storage Times of Bed Load Tracer Particles Causing Anomalous Superdiffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, D. Nathan

2017-12-01

A consensus has formed that the step length distribution of fluvial bed load is thin tailed and that the observed anomalous superdiffusion of bed load tracer particles must arise from heavy-tailed resting times. However, heavy-tailed resting times have never been directly observed in the field over multiple floods. Using 9 years of data from a large bed load tracer experiment, I show that the spatial variance of the tracer plume scales faster than linearly with integrated excess stream power, indicating anomalous superdiffusion. The superdiffusion is caused by a heavy-tailed distribution of observed storage times that is fit with a truncated Pareto distribution with a tail parameter that is predicted by anomalous diffusion theory. The heavy-tailed distribution of storage times causes the tracer virtual velocity to slow over time, indicated by a sublinear increase in the mean displacement that is predicted by the storage time distribution tail parameter.

Diurnal variations of organic molecular tracers and stable carbon isotopic composition in atmospheric aerosols over Mt. Tai in the North China Plain: an influence of biomass burning

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, P. Q.; Kawamura, K.; Chen, J.; Li, J.; Sun, Y. L.; Liu, Y.; Tachibana, E.; Aggarwal, S. G.; Okuzawa, K.; Tanimoto, H.; Kanaya, Y.; Wang, Z. F.

2012-09-01

Organic tracer compounds, as well as organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of total carbon (TC) have been investigated in aerosol samples collected during early and late periods of the Mount Tai eXperiment 2006 (MTX2006) field campaign in the North China Plain. Total solvent-extractable fractions were investigated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. More than 130 organic compounds were detected in the aerosol samples. They were grouped into twelve organic compound classes, including biomass burning tracers, biogenic primary sugars, biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) tracers, and anthropogenic tracers such as phthalates, hopanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In early June when the field burning activities of wheat straws in the North China Plain were very active, the total identified organics (2090 ± 1170 ng m-3) were double those in late June (926 ± 574 ng m-3). All the compound classes were more abundant in early June than in late June, except phthalate esters, which were higher in late June. Levoglucosan (88-1210 ng m-3, mean 403 ng m-3) was found as the most abundant single compound in early June, while diisobutyl phthalate was the predominant species in late June. During the biomass-burning period in early June, the diurnal trends of most of the primary and secondary organic aerosol tracers were characterized by the concentration peaks observed at mid-night or in early morning, while in late June most of the organic species peaked in late afternoon. This suggests that smoke plumes from biomass burning can uplift the aerosol particulate matter to a certain altitude, which could be further transported to and encountered the summit of Mt. Tai during nighttime. On the basis of the tracer-based method for the estimation of biomass-burning OC, fungal-spore OC and biogenic secondary organic carbon (SOC), we estimate that an average of 24% (up to 64%) of the

Multiple tracing experiments in unsaturated fractured clayey till

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Annette Pia; Jensen, Karsten Høgh; Nilsson, B.

2004-01-01

control of the water balance in the block. Experiments at three different steady-state flow rates were performed. Multiple tracers with different diffusion coefficients were applied in each experiment to evaluate the influence of diffusive exchange between fractures and the matrix. The tracers included...... a fast peak was followed by a long tailing period. At flow rates, two of the applied tracers revealed a double peak breakthrough curve, whereas the tracer with the lowest molecular diffusion coefficient showed only one peak. The separation of the tracers was hypothesized to be influenced by extensive...... two halogen anions ( Cl- and Br-), two fluorobenzoic acids (FBA) ( 2,3-DFBA and 2,6-DFBA), two fluorescent dyes (uranine and sulforhodamine B), and one colloidal tracer (0.5-mum mlatex particles). At high flow rates, the obtained tracer breakthrough showed a traditional asymmetrical behavior where...

Atmospheric natural disasters in Serbia: Management experience and economic effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolić Jugoslav

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Natural disasters occur as a result of an action of natural forces and represent limitations in spatial planning and efficient spatial development, with different consequences in terms of scope on humans, living things and tangible property. Consequences can be ecological, economic, in terms of health, demographic, social, psychological, etc. Weather modification management involves policies, methods, techniques and technologies that affect atmospheric features in order to make atmospheric water useful for humans, while eliminating its negative effects. Highly significant risk of natural disasters in Serbia is related to hailstorm disasters and droughts as atmospheric elementary disasters. The goal of this paper is to present certain methodologies and experience in Serbia in the weather modification management, mainly in the hailstorm processes. This paper provides analysis and critical review of the methodology of an action, with the analysis of the economic benefits. Cost-benefit analysis of a hail suppression project in Serbia was performed. The results point to the economic justification of some aspects of artificial influence on weather disasters.

Toward a Mechanistic Understanding of Deuterium Excess as a Tracer for Evapotranspiration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lai, Chun-Ta [Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA (United States)

2013-07-15

An understanding of atmospheric water vapour and its isotopic composition is useful for modelling effects of terrestrial evapotranspiration on regional hydrologic cycles. Previous studies showed diurnal and vertical patterns of water vapour isotope ratios ({delta}{sup 2}H{sub v} and {delta}{sup 18}O{sub v}) consistently observed in an old growth coniferous forest. Using a box model and a mass balance approach to simulate 'isoflux of d-excess', the effect of evapotranspiration on the d-excess in atmospheric water vapour is quantitatively demonstrated. The results suggest that d-excess can be mechanistically utilized to identify processes that contribute to the diurnal variation in atmospheric moisture. These new findings have implications for larger-scale predictions of precipitation across the terrestrial landscape. In this paper, I report the initial results of the {delta}{sup 2}H{sub v} and {delta}{sup 18}O{sub v} measurements using a cavity enhanced spectroscopy instrument. These recent data are consistent with the pattern observed by the conventional sampling method, providing new opportunities for studying d-excess as a tracer for evapotranspiration. (author)

Using Tracer Technology to Characterize Contaminated Pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maresca, Joseph, W., Jr., Ph.D.; Bratton, Wesley, L., Ph.D., P.E.; Dickerson, Wilhelmina; Hales, Rochelle

2005-12-30

The Pipeline Characterization Using Tracers (PCUT) technique uses conservative and partitioning, reactive or other interactive tracers to remotely determine the amount of contaminant within a run of piping or ductwork. The PCUT system was motivated by a method that has been successfully used to characterize subsurface soil contaminants and is similar in operation to that of a gas chromatography column. By injecting a ?slug? of both conservative and partitioning tracers at one end (or section) of the piping and measuring the time history of the concentration of the tracers at the other end (or another section) of the pipe, the presence, location, and amount of contaminant within the pipe or duct can be determined. The tracers are transported along the pipe or duct by a gas flow field, typically air or nitrogen, which has a velocity that is slow enough so that the partitioning tracer has time to interact with the contaminant before the tracer slug completely passes over the contaminate region. PCUT not only identifies the presence of contamination, it also can locate the contamination along the pipeline and quantify the amount of residual. PCUT can be used in support of deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of piping and ducts that may have been contaminated with hazardous chemicals such as chlorinated solvents, petroleum products, radioactive materials, or heavy metals, such as mercury.

A Preliminary Study on the Measurement of Sediment Concentration in Hill-Slope Runoff with an Electrolyte Tracer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaonan Shi Fan Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Sediment concentration in hill-slope runoff is an important index for soil erosion. Developing a reliable and portable measuring system of sediment concentration is a core issue for soil and water conservation study, especially for the Tibetan Plateau under unfavorable climate and terrain conditions for field investigation. Challenges include uneven distribution of sediment across a runoff section as well as difficulty in detecting a wide range of particle sizes. An electrolyte tracer, with the advantage of uniform distribution and its widely used electric-conductivity sensor, can avoid the problems of direct measurement of sediment. A new measurement method of sediment concentration in runoff with an electrolyte tracer is proposed based on a premise that sediment concentration is closely correlated with hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient of solute in runoff. In this study, an experiment system of hill-slope runoff with an electrolyte tracer and sediments is first designed. Second, two model parameters in the advective-dispersive equation of solute transport, flow velocity and diffusion coefficient, are inversely estimated by calibrating the observed concentrations of an electrolyte tracer. And third, the relationship between sediment concentrations and hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients are defined through specified regression. As a result, a measurement system of sediment concentration in hill-slope runoff with an electrolyte tracer is primarily established by integrating the relationship of variables, experiment system, and model theory.

18F-labelled annexin V: a PET tracer for apoptosis imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Yoshihiro; Tatsumi, Mitsuyoshi; Ichise, Rikiya; Nishimura, Shintaro; Takamatsu, Hiroyuki; Noda, Akihiro; Taki, Junichi; Tait, Jonathan F.

2004-01-01

Annexin V can be used to detect apoptotic cells in vitro and in vivo, based on its ability to identify extracellular phosphatidylserine, which arises during apoptosis. In the present study, we examined the synthesis of fluorine-18 labelled annexin V as a positron emission tomography tracer for apoptosis imaging. The distribution of [ 18 F]annexin V and technetium-99m labelled annexin V, a well-characterised SPET tracer for apoptosis imaging, was compared. [ 18 F]annexin V was synthesised using N-succinimidyl 4-[ 18 F]fluorobenzoate as an 18 F labelling reagent. Synthesised and purified [ 18 F]annexin V was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. In an ex vivo imaging experiment, [ 18 F]annexin V was intravenously injected into rats 24 h after the induction of myocardial ischaemia, and accumulation in the left ventricle was examined. [ 18 F]annexin V accumulated in the infarct area of the left ventricle, where apoptotic cells were observed. In separate experiments, [ 18 F]annexin V or [ 99m Tc]annexin V was intravenously injected into ischaemic or normal animals, and the distribution of the tracers was compared. In ischaemic animals, accumulation of [ 18 F]annexin V and [ 99m Tc]annexin V in the infarct area was about threefold higher than in the non-infarct area. Furthermore, the ratio of accumulation in the normal heart to the blood radioactivity was not significantly different between the tracers. In normal animals, however, the uptake of [ 18 F]annexin V in the liver, spleen and kidney was much lower than that of [ 99m Tc]annexin V. The low uptake of [ 18 F]annexin V in these organs might represent an advantage over [ 99m Tc]annexin V. (orig.)

Evaluating 10B-enriched Boric Acid, Bromide, and Heat as Tracers of Recycled Groundwater Flow near MAR Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, T.; Clark, J. F.

2012-12-01

Coupled with the unpredictability of a changing climate, the projected growth in human population over the next century requires new and innovative ways to augment already-depleted water supplies. An increasingly popular and promising development is managed aquifer recharge (MAR), a cost-effective method of intentionally storing potable water in groundwater aquifers at engineered sites worldwide. Reclaimed (or recycled) water, defined as cleaned and treated wastewater, will account for a larger portion of MAR water in future years. A crucial component for managing groundwater recharged with reclaimed water is its subsurface travel time. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), with the most recent draft of regulations issued on November 21, 2011, requires the application of groundwater tracers to demonstrate subsurface residence time. Residence time increases the quality of reclaimed water via soil-aquifer treatment (SAT), which includes mechanisms such as sorption, biological degradation, and microbial inactivation to remove potential contaminants or pathogens. This study addresses the need for an appropriate tracer to determine groundwater residence times near MAR facilities. Standard shallow groundwater dating techniques, such as T/3He and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) methods, cannot be used because their uncertainties are typically ± 2 years, longer than the target CDPH retention time of ~6 months. These methods also cannot map preferential flow paths. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a nonreactive synthetic gas, is well-established as a deliberate tracer for determining subsurface travel time; however, SF6 is a very strong greenhouse gas and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is regulating its emission. Other tracers, such as noble gas isotopes, that have successfully determined subsurface retention times are impractical due to their high cost. A multi-tracer experiment at the San Gabriel Spreading Grounds test basin (Montebello Forebay, Los Angeles

Tracer concentration profiles measured in central London as part of the REPARTEE campaign

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Martin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available There have been relatively few tracer experiments carried out that have looked at vertical plume spread in urban areas. In this paper we present results from two tracer (cyclic perfluorocarbon experiments carried out in 2006 and 2007 in central London centred on the BT Tower as part of the REPARTEE (Regent's Park and Tower Environmental Experiment campaign. The height of the tower gives a unique opportunity to study vertical dispersion profiles and transport times in central London. Vertical gradients are contrasted with the relevant Pasquill stability classes. Estimation of lateral advection and vertical mixing times are made and compared with previous measurements. Data are then compared with a simple operational dispersion model and contrasted with data taken in central London as part of the DAPPLE campaign. This correlates dosage with non-dimensionalised distance from source. Such analyses illustrate the feasibility of the use of these empirical correlations over these prescribed distances in central London.

Ubiquity of bisphenol A in the atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Pingqing; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2010-10-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a suspected endocrine disruptor in the environment. However, little is known about its distribution and transport in the atmosphere. Here, the concentrations of BPA in the atmospheric aerosols from urban, rural, marine, and the polar regions were measured using solvent extraction/derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique. The concentrations of BPA (1-17,400 pg m(-3)) ranged over 4 orders of magnitude in the world with a declining trend from the continent (except for the Antarctica) to remote sites. A positive correlation was found between BPA and 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene, a tracer for plastic burning, in urban regions, indicating that the open burning of plastics in domestic waste should be a significant emission source of atmospheric BPA. Our results suggest that the ubiquity of BPA in the atmosphere may raise a requirement for the evaluation of health effects of BPA in order to control its emission sources, for example, from plastic burning. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.