Resources – Education and References
Quick Tutorial 1 – radiation and us and electronics
All nuclear devices are not equal. There are several types and each type is somewhat different in their effects. We will not discuss all of them. Devices that have nuclear yield meaning the is a chain reaction giving rise to a fast yield. These devices will give a prompt burst of radiation falling off in time. Such as that time history shown in Fig. 1. Any amount of fission material will have a curve something like that. Some features to note are that there is a time when the radiation rate is huge compared to even an hour later.
This means that the difference between dose rate and dose is really, really, important. As humans we are somewhat more sensitive to dose – with about 400 rem equal to the time half of the people exposed will die in thirty days. This is called LD50/30 or lethal dose 50/30.
To sense the radiation and radiation dose rates in in such conditions we need to mention the difference between a sensor and a meter. Most things that sense – like a gas gauge have a sensor (like the gas tank and float). That senses the height of the gas in the tank but it isn’t directly interpretable by us. To interpret it, usually electronics and some sort of a display are need to that we can interpret the sensors result. Together they make a meter.
If one has a sensor which is capable of a maximum count rate of say 10 kHz (read as 10,000 events per second) prior to saturation, then the sensor will not read properly above that dose rate.
If our electronics are sensitive to radiation, for instance single event upsets at the tune of 10 mrem (which is roughly what the average person gets in a week) then as individuals we should not trust our electronics to work properly above that total dose. One conclusion – Reboot your computer at least once a week. This is why many planes may have multiple computers. These computers process the identical math that controls the plane and if one starts to deviate in its results the deviating processor will be rebooted so as to maintain a good consensus on the processing. Therefore, the plane flies safely. However, if there is even a small nuclear burst most of our commercial electronics can be expected to fail or calculate improperly. Some may fail temporarily, and some may be destroyed. Unfortunately for us, we may still want them to work.
Most radiation sensors will not work properly through a burst to give either an unsaturated read or an accurate measurement of the biological damage and dose.
Tutorial 2 – Monitoring the dose to civilians during a radiological incident.
There is currently no provision to monitor exposure of the general population, or to individual family groups, from a nuclear accident or war. This was seen most recently at Fukushima. The US also has no reasonable program to protect its citizens and provide guidance in these circumstances.
In the unfortunate event of nuclear weapons (whether state initiated – think big red buttons) or terrorism, Fukishima, Chernobyl, and/or the 30-or so Broken Arrow accidents; thousands to millions of lives can be saved by those involved if they know what to do after an event occurs. An example of the effects is shown in the figure below. Our first product will help address this problem.
One thing to be noticed when looking into the literature around disasters, when there are images, then there almost always a map. So far those maps are always generated after the fact. If you are there though – you want that map now. In real time. That map will provide information about what to do – run, stay, provide help … In the case of radiation, when there are delayed effects, that may kill you and the threat is invisible and you will not see it coming if you don’t shield, then you really want to know what is going on. Our goal is to develop the sensors themselves and the network that will have the best chance of giving you, your family or your mission the best chance of survival and success.
At these times your phones may not work, the police and fire services are overwhelmed and you may get a lethal dose of radiation in 15 minutes or a year – what do you need to get good information to protect your family?
Even in instances, such as the Beirut explosion such a device is useful because the first question is – was it nuclear? This device could be trusted with an answer – most radiation sensors would fail in an intense radiation or EMP burst.
Selected Resources – Selected Education and References
Learn More (we don’t warrant the information on these others’ sites; however they may have useful information as you study the relevant topics)
Global Terrorism (The Complete Reference Guide), Harry Henderson, Checkmark Books, 2001. 0-8160-4958-0
R. Goodwin, Nuclear War- The Facts on Our Survival’, Rutledge Press, NY NY, 1981, ISBN 0-0817-6457.
Harry S. Truman, “1945 Year of Decisions’, Memoirs, Vol 1, Copyright 1955, Time, Inc., Doubleday & Co., Inc, NY NY, published by SIGNET Books
Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Attack’, http://www.empcommission.org/docs/A2473-EMP_Commission-7MB.pdf.
Electromagnetic Pulse Threats to America’s Electric Grid: Counterpoints to Electric Power Research Institute Positions, https://othjournal.com/2019/08/27/electromagnetic-pulse-threats-to-americas-electric-grid-counterpoints-to-electric-power-research-institute-positions/, and references therein.
“Electromagentic Pulse (EMP) Following Detonation of an IND’, Radiation Emergency Medical Management, 2019 https://www.remm.nlm.gov/EMP.htm, ‘, Quote: ‘Although experts have not achieved consensus on expected impacts, generally they believe that the most severe consequence of the pulse would not travel beyond about 2 miles (3.2 km) to 5 miles (8 km) from a ground level 10 KT IND detonation.’
‘Dirty Bombs and Basement Nukes: The Terrorist Nuclear Threat”, Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate. Mar. 6, 2002
Papers
T.F. Wrobel, J.L. Azarewicz ,”High Dose Rate Burnout in Silicon Epi. Trans.”, IEEE Nuc. Sci., NS-27, 1980.
Ohring, M., ‘Reliability and Failure of Electronic Materials and Devices’, Academic Press, 1998.
SCR Circuit Patent Application Number, 67/734,238, 9/20/2018
A.H. Johnston, IEEE Trans, on Nucl. Sci., Vol. NS-31, No.6, p.1427, 1984
Garwin R.L. 2010. Nuclear Terrorism: A Global Threat. Presentation at the Harvard-Tsinghua Workshop on Nuclear Policies, Beijing, China, March 16, 2010. Available online at http://bit.ly/bOPCma, The Bridge, https://www.nae.edu/File.aspx?id=20575, suggests 60,000 people would be dead from prompt effects and 1 million people could be evacuated. Original source 2006 RAND paper for DHS.
Einav, S., et al, Evacuation Priorities in mass casualty terror-related events, Ann Surg, 239(3), 304-310. Evans, et al, ‘Health Effects Model for Nuclear Power Plant Accident Consequence Analysis’, 1993.
Using RADFET for the real-time measurement of gamma radiation dose rate, M.S. Andjelković, G. S. Ristić and A. B Jakšić Jan. 2015 • © 2015 IOP Pub. Ltd Meas. Sci. and Tech., Vol. 26, No. 2
Knoll, G.F., Radiation Det. And Measurement, 3rd Ed., 1979
Networked Gamma Radiation Detection System for Tactical Deployment S. Mukhopadhyay, R. Maurer, R. Wolff, E. Smith, P. Guss, S. Mitchell, Nat. Sec. Tech., LLC, Remote Sensing Laboratory.
Websites
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/intro/nuke-effects-calc.htm,
https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_holocaust, last accessed 9/27/2020.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00794-y, last accessed 9/27/2020.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/nuclear-war-makes-comeback, last accessed 9/27/2020.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200807-the-nuclear-mistakes-that-could-have-ended-civilisation, last accessed 9/27/2020.
https://www.ready.gov/nuclear-explosion, last accessed 9/27/2020.
https://www.ucsusa.org/, last accessed 9/27/2020.
Chernobyl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse, last accessed 9/27/2020. last accessed 9/27/2020.
https://nuclearweaponsedproj.mit.edu/nuclear-weapon-effects-simulations-and-models/nuclear-weapons-blast-effects-calculator/radiation. last accessed 9/27/2020.
https://www.fourmilab.ch/bombcalc/,
https://www.futurity.org/cosmic-rays-seu-electronics-1361892-2/, accessed 6/23/2020, orig. reports removed. Also, A.M. Finn, ‘System Effects of Single Event Upsets’,AIAA, 1989 Conf. Mont. CA, Oct 3-5, 1989. Last accessed 8/2020.
Books
‘Nuclear War’, Peter Goodwin, Rutledge Press, NY NY, 1981, ISBN 0-83176457-0
‘The Nuclear Cage’, L.R. Kurtz, Prentice Hall, 1988, ISBN 0-13-625369-5
‘The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism”, C. D. Ferguson, and W.C. Potter, Pub. By Taylor & Frances 2005, ISBN 0-415-95243-3
‘Effects of Nuclear Weapons’, Samuel Glasstone, Ed., Prepared by Dept. of Defense, 1962
‘Effects of Nuclear Weapons’, Glasstone and Dolan, 3rd edition, 1977, ISBN-978-1-60322-016-3KnowledgePublications.com
Radiation Detection and Measurement, G.F. Knoll, Ed. 1, 1979, Wiley $ Sons, ISBN 0-471-49545-X
Radiation Detection and Interdiction at US Borders, Ed. By R.T. Kouzes, J.C. McDonald, D.M. Strachan, S.M. Bowyer, Oxford U. Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-19-975450-2
General Papers
Derzon, M, N. Price, A. Powledge, et al, Short Pulse Active Interrogation System for Finding Fissile Materials, SAND2019-7553C and presented at INMM Annual Meeting – July 2019.
Environment Insensitive Detection of Fissionable Material with A Short Pulse Neutron Source, Y. A. Podpaly, J. Hall, C. Goyon, P, et al, IAEA CN-269 Intl. Conf. on the Security of Radioactive Material, Vienna, Austria December 3, 2018 through December 7, 2018, LLNL-CONF-759814
Derzon, M. S., et al, ‘Proof-of-Principal Experiment for SNM Detection by Short Pulse Interrogation using Neutrons’. Journal of Radiation Effects, OUO, 2012
M. R. Hadizadeh, An Overview of the Application of Pulsed Neutron Activation in Flow Measurements, Received 13 Aug 2019, Accepted 12 Nov 2019, Published online: 18 Dec 2019
Kouzes, R.T. et al. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, A 584 (2008) 383–400.
Reilly, D. et al. (eds). “Passive Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials,” NUREG/cR-5550
LA-UR-90-732, 1991.
Slater, C. et al. ORNL Report, ORNL/TM-20001352, 2001.
Ruddy, F. et al. US Patent 7,151,915, 2006.
Slaughter, D. et al. US Patent 7,359,480, 2008.
Gribkov, V. et al. Monte Carlo simulations of powerful neutron interaction with matter for the goals of disclosure of hidden explosives and fissile materials and for treatment of cancer diseases versus their experimental verifications, Applications of Monte Carlo methods in biology, medicine and other fields of science, available at www.semanticsscholar.org.
Derzon, M., C. Hagen, B. Maestas, D. Derzon. “Proof-of-Principle Experiment Results for SNM Detection by Short Pulse Interrogation using Neutrons (SPINs),” Journal of Radiation Effects Research and Engineering (JRERE), 2011. Export Controlled.
Derzon, M., B. Maestas, P. Galambos, J. Martin, T. Parson, C. Hagen, T. Meehan, and L. Robbins. Proof-of-Principle for Short Pulse Interrogation by Neutrons (SPINS) for Detection of Special Nuclear Material 56, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, SAND2010-7130, Internal Report.
Sandia National Laboratories. Fissionable Material Detector and Identifier, Technical Advance 14072, Albuquerque, NM.
- Networked Gamma Radiation Detection System for Tactical Deployment S. Mukhopadhyay, R. Maurer, R. Wolff, E. Smith, P. Guss, S. Mitchell, Nat. Sec. Tech., LLC, Remote Sensing Laboratory.
- S. Glasstone and P. J. Dolan, “The Effects of Nuclear Weapons. Third edition,” Department of Defense, Washington, D.C. (USA); Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. (USA), TID-28061, Jan. 1977. doi: https://doi.org/10.2172/6852629.
- ttps://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Radiation-Dosimeters-Response-Recovery-MSR_0616-508_0.pdf
- https://insidedefense.com/insider/army-approves-first-assured-pnt-requirement, https://www.gpsworld.com/us-department-of-defense-pnt-strategy-gps-is-not-enough/, last accessed 2/4/2021, https://www.orolia.com/products/resilient-pnt-sources;
- B. Jalaian, T. Gregory, N. Suri, S. Russell, L. Sadler, and M. Lee, “Eval. LoRaWAN-based IoT devices for the tactical military environment,” in 2018 IEEE 4th World Forum on IOT (WF-IoT), Feb. 2018, pp. 124–128, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Radiation-Dosimeters-Response-Recovery-MSR_0616-508_0.pdf
- https://www.darpa.mil/program/micro-technology-for-positioning-navigation-and-timing
- https://blog.bliley.com/6-emerging-pnt-technologies-solutions-of-the-future
- https://www.northropgrumman.com/connecting-the-joint-force-as-one/
- https://www.spirent.com/solutions/pnt-chipset-handset
- M. Derzon, N. Price, A. Powledge, L. Gutierrez, et al, SAND2019-7553 , Presented at 2019 INMM Conference, July 2019 ‘Short Pulse Active Inter.Sys.for Finding Fissile Materials’.
- Derzon, M. S., et al, ‘Proof-of-Principal Exp for SNM Detection by Short Pulse Interr. using Neutrons’. Journal of Radiation Effects, J. Radiation Effects, OUO, 2012.
- https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1634283
- L. K. Wathen, P. S. Eder, G. Horwith, and R. L. Wallace, “Using biodosimetry to enhance the public health response to a nuclear incident,” Int J Radiat Biol, pp. 1–4, Sep. 2020,.
- Garwin, R.L. 2010. Nuclear Terrorism: A Global Threat. Presentation at the Harvard-Tsinghua Workshop on Nuclear Policies, Beijing, China, March 16, 2010. Available online at http://bit.ly/bOPCma, The Bridge, https://www.nae.edu/File.aspx?id=20575, suggests 60,000 people would be dead from prompt effects and 1 million people could be evacuated Original source 2006 RAND paper for DHS) from a 10 kT device in Long Beach Harbor. The difference between having good information versus none isn’t clear however’ the area exposed to near-lethal fallout levels of 300 rem would be about 30km2 , p22‘. It is hard to believe that having the Radiation Advisor would not pay for itself in one event in lives, health and dollars. In the large number of papers read on the topic, invariably there is a map of potential fallout, whether a nuclear weapon, accident or radiation dispersal device and then advice is given on how to reduce exposure. However, no reasonable tool is provided on how to know how to do that. This what we offer.
- Einav, S., et al, Evacuation Priorities in mass casualty terror-related events, Ann Surg, 239(3), 304-310.
- https://phys.org/news/2014-06-smartphone-detector-app-positive.html#:~:text=The%20app%2C%20Radioactivity%20Counter%2C%20is,to%20higher%20energy%20gamma%20pho
- Countering Terrorism Technical Support Office, 2010 CTTSO Review Book (pdf), www.cttso.gov › 2010_Review_Book_All_FINAL
- Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Attack’, http://www.empcommission.org/docs/A2473-EMP_Commission-7MB.pdf.
- Electromagnetic Pulse Threats to America’s Electric Grid: Counterpoints to Electric Power Research Institute Positions, https://othjournal.com/2019/08/27/electromagnetic-pulse-threats-to-americas-electric-grid-counterpoints-to-electric-power-research-institute-positions/, and references therein.
- “Electromagentic Pulse (EMP) Following Detonation of an IND’, Radiation Emergency Medical Management, 2019 https://www.remm.nlm.gov/EMP.htm, ‘, Quote: ‘Although experts have not achieved consensus on expected impacts, generally they believe that the most severe consequence of the pulse would not travel beyond about 2 miles (3.2 km) to 5 miles (8 km) from a ground level 10 KT IND detonation.’
- ‘Dirty Bombs and Basement Nukes: The Terrorist Nuclear Threat”, Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate. Mar. 6, 2002
- T.F. Wrobel, J.L. Azarewicz ,”High Dose Rate Burnout in Silicon Epi. Trans.”, IEEE Nuc. Sci., NS-27, 1980.
- Ohring, M., ‘Reliability and Failure of Electronic Materials and Devices’, Academic Press, 1998.
- https://www.varadis.com/products/, last accessed 2/4/2021.
- SCR Circuit Patent Application Number, 67/734,238, 9/20/2018
- A.H. Johnston, IEEE Trans, on Nucl. Sci., Vol. NS-31, No.6, p.1427, 1984
- https://www.futurity.org/cosmic-rays-seu-electronics-1361892-2/, accessed 6/23/2020, orig. reports removed. Also, A.M. Finn, ‘System Effects of Single Event Upsets’,AIAA, 1989 Conf. Mont. CA, Oct 3-5, 1989.
- Garwin R.L. 2010. Nuclear Terrorism: A Global Threat. Presentation at the Harvard-Tsinghua Workshop on Nuclear Policies, Beijing, China, March 16, 2010. Available online at http://bit.ly/bOPCma, The Bridge, https://www.nae.edu/File.aspx?id=20575, suggests 60,000 people would be dead from prompt effects and 1 million people could be evacuated. Original source 2006 RAND paper for DHS.
- Einav, S., et al, Evacuation Priorities in mass casualty terror-related events, Ann Surg, 239(3), 304-310. Evans, et al, ‘Health Effects Model for Nuclear Power Plant Accident Consequence Analysis’, 1993.
- Using RADFET for the real-time measurement of gamma radiation dose rate, M.S. Andjelković, G. S. Ristić and A. B Jakšić Jan. 2015 • © 2015 IOP Pub. Ltd Meas. Sci. and Tech., Vol. 26, No. 2
- https://www.varadis.com/nuclear-inst-and-methods-in-physics-research-b/, last accessed 6/15/2020.
- SCR Circuit Patent Application Number, 67/734,238, 9/20/2018
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- Dose and Dose After Nuclear Explosion. Modified version of Fig. 8.14 from Glasstone and Dolan, 1977.
