Effects of radiation on aerosol behavior

The influence of radioactivity on the behavior of aerosol particles is a subject of potential importance to scientists attempting to predict aerosol concentration levels in containments following postulated nuclear reactor accidents. The purpose of this report is twofold: (1) to postulate, in a general manner, possible physical mechanisms resulting from a particle's radioactivity which may influence its transport, deposition, agglomeration and possible resuspension in accident situations, and (2) to present order of magnitude calculations which demonstrate the importance of each mechanism in aerosol behavior predictions. The influencing mechanisms have been divided into three categories: internal heat generation, momentum exchange effects, and electrical charging effects. Aside from one possible mechanism due to electrical charging effects, each of the physical schemes presented as exerting possible influences on the behavior of aerosol particles in postulated accident situations have been found to be negligible. It is felt that localized ''hot spots'' within nonconductive dust layers or agglomerates may, in fact, lead to particle ejections. The scheme requires verification that, indeed, localized ''hot spots'' do exist in the dust layer and that the particles in the ''hot spots'' retain their charge for a sufficient length of time for the coulombic forces to overcome the London-Van der Waals adhesion forces