Radioactivity of the atmospheric aerosols detected by CTBTO stations in Africa following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Radionuclides from the reactor accident Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were observed in the airborne aerosols at CTBT International Monitoring System (IMS) stations (MRP43, CMP13) in Africa. The maximum activity concentrations in the air measured in Mauritania were 186.44 10-6 Bq.m-3, 264.16 10-6 Bq.m-3 and 1269.94 10-6 Bq.m-3 for 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I respectively, and in Cameroon 16.42 10-6 Bq.m-3, 25.53 10-6 and 37.58 10-6 Bq.m-3 respectively for 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I. The activity ratio of 134Cs/137Cs is almost constant throughout the period of time relevant to this study due to their long half-lives of 30.2 years for 137Cs and 2.06 years for 134Cs. Whereas the 131I/137Cs activity ratio varies in time according to the radioactive decay with a half-live of 8.06 days for 131I and different removal rates of both radionuclides from the atmosphere during transport. The EMAC atmospheric chemistry-general circulation was used to simulate the emission and transport of the isotope 137Cs and map the deposition of the 137Cs deposition over Africa.

Datasets on extinction coefficients for free space optical link survey and optimization.

Based on visibilities data recorded from 2004 to 2013, the minimum, maximum and mean values of extinction coefficients were determined and analyzed in a monthly basis, a yearly basis and also for the whole period of observation. The extinction coefficients data are obtained for the 1330 and 1550 nm optical wavelengths and may be used inter alia for range and availability analyses of optical link for different weather conditions. The data are collected in the region of Dakar, but approach and model of investigation can be reproduced for other regions in Sahel, and in the World, for optical metrology and allied fields of study.

Rotationally inelastic dynamics of LiH (X(1)Σ(+), v = 0) in collisions with Ar: State-to-state inelastic rotational rate coefficients.

A theoretical study of rotational collision of LiH(X(1)Σ(+),v = 0, J) with Ar has been carried out. The ab initio potential energy surface (PES) describing the interaction between the Ar atom and the rotating LiH molecule has been calculated very accurately and already discussed in our previous work [Computational and Theoretical Chemistry 993 (2012) 20-25]. This PES is employed to evaluate the de-excitation cross sections. The ab initio PES for the LiH(X(1)Σ(+))-Ar((1)S) Van der waals system is calculated at the coupled-cluster [CCSD(T)] approximation for a LiH length fixed to an experimental value of 3.0139 bohrs. The basis set superposition error (BSSE) is corrected and the bond functions are placed at mid-distance between the center of mass of LiH and the Ar atom. The cross sections are then derived in the close coupling (CC) approach and rate coefficients are inferred by averaging these cross sections over a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of kinetic energies. The 11 first rotational levels of rate coefficients are evaluated for temperatures ranging from 10 to 300 K. We notice that the de-excitation rate coefficients appear large in the order 10(-10) cm(-3) s(-1) and show very low temperature dependence. The rate coefficients magnify significantly the propensity toward ∆ J = -1 transitions. These results confirm the same propensity already noted for the cross sections.