:
a" energy:
to GAMMA RAYB (OR RADIATIONB): Electromagnetic radiations of high en,
nuclear reqe.
- ergy originating in alomle nuctel and urcompanyiny muny
Ps sions, og: Aasion, radioactivity, and neutron capture. Physically, camme
e
oe rays ‘ardidentical with X-rays of high energy, the only essential differenc
ac being that the X-rays do not originate from atomic nucle, but are produced
:+ in other'ways, e.g. by slowing down (fast) electrons of high enerxy.
GROUNDZERU: The point on the surface of land or water vertically below: —
zor aboy¢the center of » burst of a nuclear (or atomic)weapons frequently
>
“£ gbbrevieted to GZ.
:
SHALY-LIFE! The time required for the activity of a kiven radiosctive species
+ to dearense to half ofite initisl value due to radioactive decay, The half-life .
_ Is a characteristle property of each radioactive species and je independent
'" OF its mount or condition. The «fective half-life of « given isctope is the
xt
a
nt Bs
ree ee
ee
an
*
ee
i
. =r"peflected pressure, in excess of the ambient atmospheric pressure, created
on
in the ajr by the blast wave from an explomon.
USION;‘The procese whereby the nuclei of light elements, especially those
eur the Isotopes of hydrogen, namely, deuterium and tritium, sombine tu form
of
"the nucleus of a heavier element with the release of substential amounts
1 aed,
ers
7
D: The un.
°*FREE AIR OVERPRESSURE (OR FREE FIELD OVERPRESSURE
-
Se
Abieiy%
Something Whe s0 df
“ by the actual splitting of the heavy-element nucle.
ion fragments result from roughly 40 different modes of fasion of
we
.
ie. uranium 236 or plutor iim 259... The fission frag. ..< ferent
iv faa clear species,
forming additional meute,-being radiouctive, immediately Legin to decay,
offission prod. -.
- (daughter) products, with the result that the complies mixture
of 36 elements.
ucts so formed containn about 200 different isotopes
transferred
- FOU) CHAIN: The sequence of events in which nutrients are
various
it from the soil to plants to animals to me. The collection of these
.
.
: stayes is referred to Kenerully as the biosphere.
¥
MICROCURJE; A une nillionth part ufo curie.
MILLIREM: A one-thousandth pert of a rem.
+ MILLIROENTGEN: A one-thousandth part of @ reentgen.
OVERPRESSURE: The transient presaure, usually expresses in pounds per
square inch, exceeding the ambient pressurg.
ifested 0 the shock (or
blast) wave from an explusion.
PICOCURIE: One millionth of a millionth e7 . cune
RAD: A unit of absorbed dose of radiation; at representa Che wisest of fou
ergs of nuclear (or ionizing) radiation por gram of the abaurting material or
thesus.
RBE (OR RELATIVE KIOLOGICAL EFPECTIVENESS): The catia of the
number of rade of wumme (or X-) radiationof a certain enecyy which will
produce a specified bivio“c.! effect to the number of rods uf wnuther radia:
tion required to produce the same effect is the RBEof thie latier radiation.
REM:A unit of biclogical done of radiation; the name ie derived trum the initial
‘letters of the term “roentgen equivalent man (or mammal.’ The number
of rams of radiation js equal t8 the numberof rade absurbed multiplied by the
RBE of the given radiation (for s specitied eftect).
:
REP: A unit of absorbed dose of radiation now being replaced Ly (he rad; the
name rep is derived from the Initial letters of the term “roentyen equivalent
physical.” Basically, the rep was intended to express the g..inunt of energy
absorbed per ‘vam of soft tissue us 9 result of exposure |) rventyen of
gamma (or X+) radiation.
RESIDENCE HALF-TIME: As applied to delayed fallout, it is the time re-
quired for the amount of wespon debris deposited in» particwiar part of the
atmosphere, €-Fy Hratosphere or troposphere, fo decrease to half of itu initial
a
value,
ROENTGEN: A unit of exposure doav of gamma (ur X-) radiation
Jt is de-
"the in whieh the quantity in the body will decrease to half as areault of both
fined precisely a2 the quantity of amma (or X-) radsetion such that the asaociated corpugcular emission per 0.001293 gram of air produces, in alr, lone
INDUCED ‘RADIOACTIVITY: Radioactivity produced in certain materials
STRATOSPHERE; A reistively steble layer of the atmosphere Letwasn the
- rials containing the elements sodium, manganese, silicun, or aluminum may
inereasing altitudes. In the stratosphere glouds of water ocser furm and
there is practically no cunvection.
= padlosstive desay and biological elimination.-
:
"as a resuli cf nuclear reactions, particularly the capture of neutrons, which
are accompanied by the formation of unstable (radioactive) nuciei. The
activity induced by neutrons from a nuclear (or atomic) explosion in matebe significant.
: INVERSE SQUARE LAW: The law which states that when radiation (ther* mal or nuclear) from a point source is emitted uniformly In ail directions,
the amount received per unit area at any given distance from the source,
aseuming no absorption, is inversely proportional to the square of that
distance.
- ISOTOPES: Forms of the same element having identical chemical proverties
but differing In their atomic masses (duc to diferent numbers of neutrons
in their respective nuclei) and in their nuciear properties, e.g.,radionctivity,
finsion, etc.
KILOTON ENERGY: The energy of a nuclear (or atomic) explosion which is
squivelent to that produced by the explusion of | kiloton (ie. 1,000 lons: of
MEGATON ENERGY: The energy of @ nuclear (or atumie) explosion which 1s
equivalent to } million tone (ur 1,000 kilolons) of TNT.
METABOLISM: The process in which the body breaks duwn fords into u able
materials that are teken into the celle and manufactured inte the living tis
sues of the body.
60
Carry ing one'elestrostetic unit quantity of electririty of elther azn,
bropopaune afd a height of about $0 miles In whieh the temperature changes
Very litsle {in'pelar and vemperste sones) or increanes (tn the tropiea) with
TNT EQUIVALENT: A measure of the energy released in the duiunation of &
nuclear(or atomic) weapon, or in the explosion of a given quintity of flasion
able material, expressed in terms of the weight of THT whicis scald release
the same amountof enevgy when exploded, The TN? equivatent ia uaually
tated in kilotens or megatons.
TRITIUM: A radioactive isotope of hydrogen, having @ Move ut il with; st te
produced in nuclear reuctors by the action of newtrona an ditiswn nuclei.
TROPOPAUSE: The imaginary boundary layer dividing the sti ulcsphere from
the lower part of the atinusphere, the troposphere. The troy. puuse normally
occurs at an altitude of pbout 26,000 to 46,000 feet in pole uiil temperate
Sones, end at 66,000 feet in the tropics.
TROPOSPHERE;The rexion of the atmosphere immediately ul ove the eorth’s
surface and up to the tropopause in which the teimnperature titifairly regu
larly with Increasing altitude, clouds form, convertion ia active. and aulsing
ts continuous and more or lese complete.
WEAPON DEBRIS: The highly radioactive material. consisthy: or paren prod
ucts, various products of neutron canture, and uranium sod oi tontaed thet
have escaped Gasion, remaining after the explosion
hi