Radioactive materials ionize air surrounding them and produce molecules such as ozone and nitrogen oxides. Concentrations of these species above background can serve as a marker for radioactive materials and provide a means for stand-off detection of nuclear materials. Ozone is one of the primary radiolytic products in air and has a lower background level than oxides of nitrogen, so it is a molecule of interest for this study. Actinides of interest include ²³⁹Pu and ²³⁵U, which are strong alpha emitters which have a high linear energy transfer in air. Ozone yield, saturation, and decay time are dependent on creation and destruction processes which change with charge density, ozone density, radiation dose rate, and type of radiation, motivating measurements of ozone yield and saturation level from alpha radiation with dose rates more typical of actinide sources. As a stand in for Pu and U, studies were performed on ozone yield in air from the alpha particle emitter ²¹⁰Po. The sample was enclosed in a 0.96 ± 0.01 L Teflon cylinder and both air flow and build-up measurements were performed, with air flow of ~1 L/min and build up times to 3966 min corresponding with 2640 Gy. Build up measurements showed an ozone concentration increase at short times (t ≤ 10 min) with a yield of G(O₃) = 7.7 ± 0.3 molecules/100 eV. Air flow measurements showed a radiation chemical yield for ozone of G(O₃) = 7.6 ± 0.2 molecules/100 eV. These yields are larger than in previous, very old alpha particle studies but consistent with low rate gamma and electron beam studies. To use ozone as a secondary marker of special nuclear materials the saturation level in still air is important. The extracted ozone saturation level in the cylinder is 1.35 ppm with a half life of 74 ± 3 min.

放射性物质使周围的空气电离，并产生诸如臭氧和氮氧化物的分子。这些物质在背景以上的浓度可以用作放射性物质的标志物，并提供对核材料进行隔离检测的手段。臭氧是空气中主要的辐射分解产物之一，其背景水平低于氮氧化物，因此它是这项研究的关注分子。感兴趣的系元素包括²³⁹ Pu和²³⁵U是强α发射体，在空气中具有很高的线性能量传递。臭氧的产量，饱和度和衰减时间取决于产生和破坏的过程，这些过程随电荷密度，臭氧密度，辐射剂量率和辐射类型而变化，从而激发了α辐射下臭氧产量和饱和度的测量，而剂量率更为典型。系元素来源。作为Pu和U的代表，对来自alpha粒子发射器²¹⁰ Po的空气中的臭氧产率进行了研究。将样品封入0.96±0.01 L的特氟龙圆筒中，并进行空气流量和积聚测量，空气流量为〜1 L / min，积聚时间为3966 min，相当于2640 Gy。堆积测量表明，在短时间内（t≤10分钟）臭氧浓度增加，产率为G（O ₃）= 7.7±0.3分子/ 100 eV。空气流量测量显示，臭氧的辐射化学产率为G（O ₃）= 7.6±0.2分子/ 100 eV。这些产量比以前非常古老的α粒子研究要大，但与低速伽马和电子束研究一致。为了将臭氧用作特殊核材料的次级标记，静止空气中的饱和度很重要。钢瓶中提取的臭氧饱和度为1.35 ppm，半衰期为74±3分钟。