First quantitative measure of radiation leaked from Fukushima reactor
Monday, August 15, 2011 - 16:30
in Physics & Chemistry
From distance of 5,800 miles, researchers calculated how much radiation leaked from damaged fuel at the Fukushima nuclear reactor after an earthquake and tsunami disabled normal cooling systems. Nuclear reactions in the seawater used to douse overheating fuel created a pulse of radioactive sulfur dioxide gas and sulfate particles that revealed the magnitude of the leak. This labeled sulfur will also help researchers to trace sulfur in the atmosphere, an important factor for understanding climate change.