April 3, 2025
Journal Article

Measurements of radioxenon activities during periods of gaseous release from an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor

Abstract

Activities of radioxenon isotopes are reported from an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) during periods of gaseous release. Xenon isotopes are relevant to the monitoring regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). These releases may impact detections from the International Monitoring System (IMS) through the influencing of the radioxenon background. Time series activity plots have been produced from both in-core monitoring and direct measurement at the point of release using a stack monitor system. Ratio plots using both data sets have been produced with results compared to a commonly-chosen nuclear explosion ‘discrimination line’. The reported results improve the understanding of radionuclide emissions from civil nuclear power plants. This work is being performed as part of the Xenon Environmental Nuclide Analysis at Hartlepool (XENAH) collaboration between the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE, UK), EDF Energy (UK), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL, US) and the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI).

Published: April 3, 2025

Citation

Petts A., T.W. Bowyer, J.I. Friese, M. Goodwin, and B.D. Milbrath. 2024. Measurements of radioxenon activities during periods of gaseous release from an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor. Physical Review Applied 22, no. 4:Art No. 44060. PNNL-SA-198076. doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.22.044060

Research topics