TY - JOUR

T1 - Searching for the “smoking gun” of the miscarried 2019 Nenoksa nuclear cruise missile test

T2 - a null result

AU - Spykman, Imke

AU - Blenke, Tobias

AU - Büchner, Sebastian

AU - Degering, Detlev

AU - Eleftheriadis, Konstantinos

AU - Fischer, Helmut W.

AU - Lasche, George

AU - Masson, Olivier

AU - Mietelski, Jerzy W.

AU - Ransby, Daniela

AU - Renz, Franz

AU - Souti, Maria Evangelia

AU - Zok, Dorian

AU - Steinhauser, Georg

PY - 2021/2/26

Y1 - 2021/2/26

N2 - On August 8, 2019, an explosion of a military missile occurred at the Nenoksa (also transcribed as Nyonoksa) Missile Test Center (Russian Federation). Russian authorities confirmed a release of radioactive material in the course of this incident, which fueled rumors that it could have involved a nuclear-propelled missile of the Burevestnik/Skyfall type. In this study, our radioanalytical efforts are summarized searching for the “smoking gun” of the incident. These included the gamma-measurements of air filters from two vessels that were in some proximity to the event as well as one Greek high-volume air filter. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that radioactive 42Ar may have been used to operate a radiothermal generator. If the incident had released 42Ar, it may have become detectable by measuring characteristic gamma radiation emitted from a tank containing liquefied atmospheric argon. No traces whatsoever were found that could provide clues about the release. It is possible that the presumably small amounts of radionuclides released from either a small nuclear reactor or a powerful radionuclide source dispersed quickly over Russian territory to non-detectable levels before reaching any of our assayed samples.

AB - On August 8, 2019, an explosion of a military missile occurred at the Nenoksa (also transcribed as Nyonoksa) Missile Test Center (Russian Federation). Russian authorities confirmed a release of radioactive material in the course of this incident, which fueled rumors that it could have involved a nuclear-propelled missile of the Burevestnik/Skyfall type. In this study, our radioanalytical efforts are summarized searching for the “smoking gun” of the incident. These included the gamma-measurements of air filters from two vessels that were in some proximity to the event as well as one Greek high-volume air filter. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that radioactive 42Ar may have been used to operate a radiothermal generator. If the incident had released 42Ar, it may have become detectable by measuring characteristic gamma radiation emitted from a tank containing liquefied atmospheric argon. No traces whatsoever were found that could provide clues about the release. It is possible that the presumably small amounts of radionuclides released from either a small nuclear reactor or a powerful radionuclide source dispersed quickly over Russian territory to non-detectable levels before reaching any of our assayed samples.

KW - environmental monitoring

KW - environmental radioactivity

KW - fission products

KW - nuclear propelled missile

KW - peace-related research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100132859&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/zaac.202000291

DO - 10.1002/zaac.202000291

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85100132859

VL - 647

SP - 350

EP - 358

JO - Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie

JF - Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie

SN - 0044-2313

IS - 4

ER -