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quae

fallout pattern, activity characteristics, particle size, and radiochemical content of each,

Study was also made of the rate of fallout

during the first 6-+ hr following each shot.

Mike-shot samples of 0.54 sq in ranged from 109 to 1023

disintegrations/min, equivalent to as high as 2,750 c/sq ft.

The fallout

from Mike Shot continued for at least 6 hr within 15 mi of ground zero, but

was heaviest during the first 30 min after detonation.
shot decay slope was -2.1 for the period from Hy +

The average Mike-

190 hr to Hy + 500 hr.

More than 90% of all the Mike-shot fallout studies consisted of particles
less than ly in diameter, but about 94% of the radioactive particles studied

were larger than 10.
Less than 1% of all the solid particles counted by
light-microscope methods were radioactive, indicating that little respiratory

hazard existed.

’

Activities of the King-shot samples were lower by a factor of

103 to 109.

These activities ranged up to 9.2 x 107+

¢/sq ft.

The

average King-shot decay slope was -0.65 for the period R + 150 hr to 150

hr to By + 450 hr.

A preliminary report of this work appeared as CRLIR-ll2.

CRLR - 218

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A SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE FOR REFILLING GEIGER-MUELLER TUBES.

Henry A. Garon, 11 June 1953.

UNCLASSIFIED
(U)

A relatively simple method has been devised for refilling

discarded Geiger-Mueller tubes and preparing them for re-use.

New tubes

have average lives of 107 counts and are relatively expensive as compared

with the refilled tubes which have life expectancies of between 1 x 108 and

5 x 108 counts.

The processes of mica-window replacement, tube evaucation and
refilling, and tube sealing and testing are described in detail.
The
mixture found to be optimum for tube wfilling is a 24 to 1 ratio of helium

gas to absolute ethyl alcohol vapor (total pressure within the tube:
25 em of Hg).

Refilled tubes with replaced mica windows were found to

operate satisfactorily at an altitude of 8,000 ft. Theoretically, such
tubes shculd perform satisfactorily up to 30,000 ft.

Select target paragraph3