Earth’s Cryosphere, 2017, Vol. XXI, No. 4, p. 24-27

FEATURES OF SINKING OF RADIOISOTOPE DEVICES IN ICE STRATUM

R.V. Arutyunyan, A.M. Shvedov

Nuclear Safety Institute, RAS, 52, B. Tulskaya str., Moscow, 115191, Russia; arut@ibrae.ac.ru, sham@ibrae.ac.ru

Sinking of radioisotope devices in ice due to different thermal mechanisms of energy transfer is analyzed in this work. Features of heat transfer from the device to the surrounding ice by thermal conduction and direct heating by gamma radiation are considered by the example of sinking devices with radionuclides 90Sr, 137Cs and 60Co. For the device model in the shape of a sphere containing nuclides listed above, the sinking parameters including the threshold heat power required for melting of ice and the descent velocity depending on heat power and the size of the sphere have been assessed.

Ice research, self-sinking, radioisotopes, ice melting, heat transfer mechanisms, thermal conduction, direct heating due to gamma radiation

DOI: 10.21782/EC2541-9994-2017-4(24-27)