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Improving Fallout Characterization By Using Multivariate Techniques To Determine Composition, Christopher R. Pitkins
Improving Fallout Characterization By Using Multivariate Techniques To Determine Composition, Christopher R. Pitkins
Theses and Dissertations
Multivariate statistical techniques have been applied in order to un-mix nuclear fallout debris chemical data. This information is critical to characterization of fallout particle formation following a nuclear detonation. Understanding the correlation between environmental precursors and actinide concentrations in post-detonation nuclear fallout material aids in understanding the physical and chemical processes that alter nuclear device signatures in the fireball. This research examines 123 nuclear fallout samples from a historical nuclear test. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) are used to collect chemical compositions of the fallout samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied in order to examine …