Atmospheric dispersion modelling applying advanced model approaches

Incidents and accidents occurring in nuclear facilities, transport accidents or malevolent actions associated with radioactive material may involve a release of airborne radionuclides. For these situations, a realistic assessment of the radiological consequences for the public is of great importance with respect to adequate emergency measures. Within this context, the determination of the spatial distribution of the resulting airborne concentration as well as of the deposition of radionuclides on the ground, vegetation and building surfaces are necessary prerequisites. For such calculations, advanced atmospheric dispersion models are increasingly used. Their characteristics and fields of application are presented.