Correlation analysis of the environmental influences on the radioactive argon releases from the plume of the reactor DIORIT

During a one-month period the influence of meteorological variables (e.g. wind speed, wind direction, vertical temperature gradient) on the gamma dose rate-emitted from the plume of the 25 MWth heavy water reactor DIORIT-was studied. Stochastic methods and multiple regression analysis were used. A simple model which consists of a linear superposition of the various effects on the dose rate was assumed. The time records of the dose rate, wind speed, wind direction and vertical temperature gradient show the typical characteristics of a nonergodic, non-stationary process. Therefore, a corresponding analysis technique had to be applied. Means values, standard deviations, covariance functions, partial and multiple correlation coefficients were calculated using the ensemble averaging technique.