Radiological Physics Division Semiannual Report July Through December 1961 PDF Download

ABS>Progress is reported in the following studies: the decay time of irradiated scintillation solutions; the performance of twin scintillation detectors for measuring neutrons in the presence of gamma radiation; the measurement of cosmic ray neutron background with a twin scintillation fast neutron spectrometer; the diffusion and absorption of gases in plastic-walled ionization chambers; calculations of the drift velocity and the energy distribution of electrons of helium, neon, argon, and nitrogen under the action of a uniform electric field; the development of equipment for tracer studies of atmospheric diffusion; the deposition and retention of isotopes of actinium, radon, radium, and thorium in bone; the effects of age on calcium metabolism in bone, ; the development of a mathematical theory of the retention of radioactive elements by bone; the development of a reproducible method for directly determining individual alpha activities in mixtures; the design of a flow-gas Geiger counter; a survey of the natural radioactivity of a number of municipal water supplies; measurements of activity in individuals by means of the human spectrometer; measurements of the cesium-l37 content of human subjects; measurements of the atmospheric content of cesium-137 as a function of time; a comparison of background radioactivity at the Laboratory and a site approximately 250 feet below grade level; development of a spectrometric method for measurements of radioactivity in soil; the effects of meteorological variables on the distribution of radon in the atmosphere; and studies of atmospheric diffusion. A list of publications during the period is included. (For preceding period see ANL-5919.) (C.H.).