Re: Chernobyl

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 15:48 25.09.1996 -0500, you wrote:
..................................................
>
>Does anyone have any idea what type of neutron detectors they're using? It
>seems perfectly plausible to me that rainwater would moderate whatever
>spectrum there is, and the detectors might be more sensitive in the lower
>energy range, thereby causing an "increase" in the response. If the two
>detectors that showed the increase were located in an area where rainwater
>could accumulate, and the other detectors weren't, the pieces fall together.
>
>So, I don't think "detector malfunction" is necessarily the conclusion that
>should be drawn. It could just be the same over-response problem many of our
>own neutron detectors have when they are calibrated in a high energy neutron
>spectrum and used in a lower energy environment.
>
>Neither do I think neutrons "speed up" going through rainwater. I'd hate to
>concede that the print media got the story right for once ;-)
>
>Kim McMahan, CHP
>Office of Radiation Protection
>External Dosimetry Group
>Oak Ridge National Laboratory
>e-mail: mcmahankl@ornl.gov
>

Kim,

Sorry I have no idea about the neutron detectors used in Chernobyl, but your
explanation sounds interesting. The argument in the media was rather that
rainwater started an uncontrollable chain reaction - it was explicitely
mentioned that the crew was not able to control the "reactor". 

I am still convinced that the media did not get the story right......

Franz
Schoenhofer
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