Statistical Characterization of Damage of Different Surface P-Wave Velocity Sets under Dynamic Load and Study on Overall Radon Detection Consistency

On the basis of reviewing the existing research status of cumulative damage of the rock mass and summarizing the existing engineering application fields of radon, this paper attempts to apply radon detection technology to the research field of rock damage mechanics so as to monitor the evolution process of cumulative damage of the rock mass. Based on the above research purposes, a test device for detecting cumulative damage of radioactive rocks by surface radon gas was designed, and the test results were obtained by integrating the system to implement the test scheme. Due to the limitation of the nonmetallic ultrasonic detector, a single blasting damage value of 25 detection points appears after a single blasting measurement, which is a surface longitudinal wave velocity characterization damage set, while the surface radon exhalation rate in the subsequent analysis process is an overall characterization value; that is, the existence of damage directly affects the whole body radon exhalation rate of the test block, and the data dimensions of the two are different. In order to solve this problem, we try to introduce three data evaluation methods, the average weighting method, grey prediction method, and K-means clustering algorithm, and compare the feasibility of these three methods. It is proved that there is a certain linear relationship between the radon exhalation rate and the cumulative damage, which further verifies the feasibility of using radon to detect cumulative damage. The results show that the cumulative damage of loaded radioactive rock test blocks can be reflected by surface radon detection technology, and finally, the correlation between the cumulative damage characteristics and the continuous change of the body radon exhalation rate is obtained. Based on the correlation, the body radon exhalation rate is introduced into the field of fractured rock mass damage characterization, which is mutually improved with common monitoring methods such as acoustic emission and microseismic monitoring, supplementing and enriching the means of rock mass damage evolution characterization, providing a theoretical basis for finely describing the whole process of fracture closure and initiation, and finally accurately ensuring the stability of surrounding rock under the action of deep underground engineering excavation disturbance.

Radon and CO2 tracer for radioxenon subsurface sampling in the On Site Inspection

<p>The detection of anomalous concentration of Xenon radiosotopes in the subsurface gases during an On Site Inspection (OSI) is a strong indicator of a suspicious underground nuclear explosion. This implies that the sampling methodology ensure the collection of a reliable representative subsurface gaseous sample, avoiding the mixing with atmospheric gases. Radioxenon sampling in shallow layers can provide reliable results for desert areas, but different local geological features could result in more complex migration of subsurface gases to the very near superficial layers affecting the representativeness of the sample.</p><p>Radon is currently use as tracer to reveal the effective sampling of gases form the deep surface, so its measurement is coupled with the collection of radioxenon subsurface gases. The detection of radon anomalous concentration in subsurface gases could indicate different causes: high Radon content in subsurface indicate high radon concentration underground caused by the accumulation in an underground and confined cavity; on the other side, low radon detection in subsurface indicate low radon concentration underground that can be indicative of the absence of an underground cavity or the presence of rocks in the cavity absorbing radon. This lead to the consideration that radon is not a univocal tracer for Xe surface sampling in the OSI. A portable isotopic analyzer (that measures d13C and CO2) could be used to localize the faults and fracturing that could lead to a seeping of the subsurface gases. Therefore, this technique could be proposed as an auxiliary equipment for a preliminary activity during an OSI and a monitoring tool during subsurface gas sampling.</p>

Review of high-sensitivity Radon studies

A challenge in many present cutting-edge particle physics experiments is the stringent requirements in terms of radioactive background. In peculiar, the prevention of Radon, a radioactive noble gas, which occurs from ambient air and it is also released by emanation from the omnipresent progenitor Radium. In this paper we review various high-sensitivity Radon detection techniques and approaches, applied in the experiments looking for rare nuclear processes happening at low energies. They allow to identify, quantitatively measure and finally suppress the numerous sources of Radon in the detectors’ components and plants.