Electrically Enhanced Deposition of a Confined Aerosol in the Presence of Ionizing Radiation

The effect of an electric field on the deposition of a confined aerosol in the presence of ionizing radiation is determined experimentally. A method to determine depositional rate coefficients from measurements of steady-state relative aerosol concentrations in a continuously reinforced chamber is used to obtain experimental data for monodisperse aerosols. Results were obtained for 0.1- and 0.5-µm-diam polystyrene aerosols in a 6000-cm³ container in which the average air absorbed dose rate is 0.22 Gy/h (22 rad/h). Data are obtained in the absence and in the presence of an externally applied electric field of 10⁵ V/m. Significant reductions in aerosol concentration were observed in the chamber upon application of the electric field. In the absence of ionizing radiation, the depositional rate coefficient increases by a factor of 5 to 10. In the presence of ionizing radiation it increases by more than two orders of magnitude. Based on these results, it is concluded that electrical deposition may have potential use as the basis for a technique to reduce concentrations of nuclear aerosols.