A new full 3D model of cosmogenic tritium 3H production in the
atmosphere (CRAC:3H)
Abstract
A new model of cosmogenic tritium (H) production in the atmosphere is
presented. The model belongs to the CRAC (Cosmic-Ray Atmospheric
Cascade) family and is named as CRAC:3H. It is based on a full
Monte-Carlo simulation of the cosmic-ray induced atmospheric cascade
using the Geant4 toolkit. The CRAC:3H model is able, for the first time,
to compute tritium production at any location and time, for any given
energy spectrum of the primary incident cosmic ray particles, explicitly
treating, also for the first time, particles heavier than protons. This
model provides a useful tool for the use of H as a tracer of atmospheric
and hydrological circulation. A numerical recipe for practical use of
the model is appended.