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Characterization Of Plutonium Particles Originating From The Bomarc Accident -1960, Richard Charles Gostic
Characterization Of Plutonium Particles Originating From The Bomarc Accident -1960, Richard Charles Gostic
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Within the U.S. arsenal, 32 accidents with nuclear weapons were reported between 1950 and 1980. One of these accidents occurred at McGuire AFB in 1960. A BOMARC missile armed with a nuclear warhead caught on fire and as a result the warhead was destroyed. Sub-millimeter particles consisting of weapons grade plutonium (WGPu) produced by this accident were distributed around the site and remained in the environment for 47 years. Soil cores known to contain WGPu particles produced by this accident were obtained. The particles were localized and removed from the soil with the aid of high resolution computed tomography. The …