62

THE SHORTER-TERM BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS OF A FALLOUT FIELD
80.

THEORETICAL CALCULATIONS OF THE GAMMA RADIATION SPECTRUM, BIC.

63

30

creme ORIGINAL SOURCE SPECTRUM

rr ORIGINAL SOURCE SPECTRUM

0

INFINITE PLANE 3IN ASR

L

'
,
,

Le
200

6

”
3

n
°
T

6
6

commen

PER CENT OF TOTAL OOSE

PER CENT OF TOTAL OOSE

comewm INFINITE PLANE, 3IN AIR

4

1
aco

1
600

L
600
1000.
ENERGY (KEV)

i

1500

600

4,

1

@00
1000
ENERGY [KEV

100

Figure 23.-—-Disiribution of inherent energies of gamma radiation from an actual mixed fission product sample and
histogramof degraded energies calculated for 3 feet in air above a uniformly distributed fission products field,

COMPARISON OF INITIAL AND FALLOUT
GAMMA SPECTRA
In conclusion it may be said that the theo-

retical calculations of initial and fallout gamma
spectra and dose appear reasonably well supported by known data. In this regard it then
becomes of interest to review and compare
representative spectra calculated for initial and
fallout gamma radiations.
Figure 24 shows again the fallout spectrum of
Figure 23, this time in conjunction with an
initial gamma spectrum at 1,500 yards from a
typical relatively low yield weapon, which was
presented earlier in Figure 11. Noting the
different expansions of the energy scales along
the abscissnas for the two cases presented here,
it is apparent that although the fallout spectrum might be said to be a “hard” one, the
initial gemma spectrum is still vastly more
energetic,

CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY
1. A theoretical method for describing the

propagation of gamma rays in various media

has been developed, and numerical solutions
have been carried out to the point where total
dose and 4x-volume spectral calculations can
be made. Further computer calculations could
make available spectral information as a function of angular distribution, and this might be
desired for shielding studies.
a. The method has been normalized to
weapons parameters for the case of initial

bomb gammaradiation, and resultant doseversus-distance predictions’ generally fit in
well with observed field data.
6. Although application to the fallout case
is more empirical, the compatibility of the

calculations with what data are available
and the general validation of the underlying
theory and application in the initial gamma

Eftow)

Fraure 24.—Comparison of differential gamma dose spectra for initial and fallout radiation (Figs. 11 and 2$).

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