J. Baré¹ , H. Gheddou¹ , M. Kalinowski¹

¹CTBTO Preparatory Commission, Vienna, Austria

Abstract:

The International Monitoring System (IMS) of the CTBTO comprises 80 radionuclide monitoring stations worldwide, of which 40 will be capable of measuring radioxenon. Radioxenon monitoring is a key component of the IMS as it provides forensic evidence of underground nuclear explosions. Radioxenon may however be emitted by civilian nuclear facilities, such as medical isotope production facilities, in routine operating conditions or accidental situations. A deep understanding of emissions originating from nuclear facilities is then of fundamental importance to discriminate signals potentially originating from a nuclear explosion, from the normal background. The CTBTO is currently developing a scientific project to analyse stack release data provided by nuclear facilities on a voluntary basis to characterize the radioxenon background. The current progress and the expected outcomes of the project will be presented.