Application of transition-edge sensors for micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy; a case study of uranium speciation in biotite obtained from a uranium mine

Yomogida, Takumi; Hashimoto, Tadashi; Okumura, Takuma*; Yamada, Shinya*; Tatsuno, Hideyuki*; Noda, Hirofumi*; Hayakawa, Ryota*; Okada, Shinji*; Takatori, Sayuri*; Isobe, Tadaaki*; et al.

Analyst, 149(10), p.2932 - 2941, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1039/D4AN00059E

In this study, we successfully applied a transition-edge sensor (TES) spectrometer as a detector for microbeam X-ray measurements from a synchrotron X-ray light source to determine uranium (U) distribution at the micro-scale and its chemical species in biotite obtained from the U mine. It is difficult to separate the fluorescent X-ray of the U L line at 13.615 keV from that of the Rb K line at 13.395 keV in the X-ray fluorescence spectrum with an energy resolution of approximately 220 eV of the conventional silicon drift detector (SDD). Meanwhile, the fluorescent X-rays of U L and Rb K were fully separated by TES with 50 eV energy resolution at the energy of around 13 keV. The successful peak separation by TES led to an accurate mapping analysis of trace U in micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and a decrease in the signal-to-background ratio in micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy.

High-sensitive XANES analysis at Ce L-edge for Ce in bauxites using transition-edge sensors; Implications for Ti-rich geological samples

Li, W.*; Yamada, Shinya*; Hashimoto, Tadashi; Okumura, Takuma*; Hayakawa, Ryota*; Nitta, Kiyofumi*; Sekizawa, Oki*; Suga, Hiroki*; Uruga, Tomoya*; Ichinohe, Yuto*; et al.

Analytica Chimica Acta, 1240, p.340755_1 - 340755_9, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2022.340755

no abstracts in English

Dynamical response of transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters to a pulsed charged-particle beam

Okumura, Takuma*; Azuma, Toshiyuki*; Bennet, D. A.*; Caradonna, P.*; Chiu, I.-H.*; Doriese, W. B.*; Durkin, M. S.*; Fowler, J. W.*; Gard, J. D.*; Hashimoto, Tadashi; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 31(5), p.2101704_1 - 2101704_4, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2021.3067793

A superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter is an ideal X-ray detector for experiments at accelerator facilities because of good energy resolution and high efficiency. To study the performance of the TES detector with a high-intensity pulsed charged-particle beam, we measured X-ray spectra with a pulsed muon beam at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) in Japan. We found substantial temporal shifts of the X-ray energy correlated with the arrival time of the pulsed muon beam, which was reasonably explained by pulse pileup due to the incidence of energetic particles from the initial pulsed beam.

Development of a laser chipping technique combined with water jet for retrieval of fuel debris at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Yamada, Tomonori; Takebe, Toshihiko*; Ishizuka, Ippei*; Daido, Hiroyuki*; Hanari, Toshihide; Shibata, Takuya; Omori, Shinya*; Kurosawa, Koichi*; Sasaki, Go*; Nakada, Masahiro*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(12), p.1171 - 1179, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1647890

We describe a new chipping technique combined with a water-jet technique as one of the candidate techniques for the retrieval of fuel debris and support structures as part of the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. We performed proof-of-principle experiments to demonstrate the removal capability of metal parts, where we focused on the observation of removal processes from a metallic sample using a 5.5-kW continuous wave fiber laser combined with continuous and pulsed water jets.

Ion beam analysis of quaternary Heusler alloy Co(MnFe)Si(111) epitaxially grown on Ge(111)

Kawakubo, Yuki*; Noguchi, Masaya*; Hirata, Tomoaki*; Narumi, Kazumasa; Sakai, Seiji; Yamada, Shinya*; Hamaya, Kohei*; Miyao, Masanobu*; Maeda, Yoshihito

Physica Status Solidi (C), 10(12), p.1828 - 1831, 2013/12

https://doi.org/10.1002/pssc.201300367

"Crystal lattice engineering", an approach to engineer protein crystal contacts by creating intermolecular symmetry; Crystallization and structure determination of a mutant human RNase 1 with a hydrophobic interface of leucines

Yamada, Hidenori*; Tamada, Taro; Kosaka, Megumi*; Miyata, Kohei*; Fujiki, Shinya*; Tano, Masaru*; Moriya, Masayuki*; Yamanishi, Mamoru*; Honjo, Eijiro; Tada, Horiko*; et al.

Protein Science, 16(7), p.1389 - 1397, 2007/07

https://doi.org/10.1110/ps.072851407

In an attempt to control protein incorporation in a crystal lattice, a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface (comprising four leucine residues) was introduced into a helical region (helix 2) of the human pancreatic ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) that was predicted to form a suitable crystallization interface. Although crystallization of wild type RNase 1 has not yet been reported, the RNase 1 mutant having four leucines (4L-RNase 1) was successfully crystallized under several different conditions. The crystal structures were subsequently determined by X-ray crystallography by molecular replacement using the structure of bovine RNase A. The overall structure of 4L-RNase 1 is quite similar to that of the bovine RNase A, and the introduced leucine residues formed the designed crystal interface. To further characterize the role of the introduced leucine residues in crystallization of RNase 1, the number of leucines was reduced to three or two (3L- and 2L-RNase 1, respectively). Both mutants crystallized and a similar hydrophobic interface as in 4L-RNase 1 was observed. A related approach to engineer crystal contacts at helix 3 of RNase 1 (N4L-RNase 1) was also evaluated. N4L-RNase 1 also successfully crystallized, and formed the expected hydrophobic packing interface. These results suggest that appropriate introduction of a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface can promote intra molecular symmetry for more efficient protein crystallization in crystal lattice engineering efforts.

Initial yields of DNA double-strand breaks and DNA fragmentation patterns depend on linear energy transfer in tobacco BY-2 protoplasts irradiated with helium, carbon and neon ions

Yokota, Yuichiro; Yamada, Shinya*; Hase, Yoshihiro; Shikazono, Naoya; Narumi, Issei; Tanaka, Atsushi; Inoue, Masayoshi*

Radiation Research, 167(1), p.94 - 101, 2007/01

https://doi.org/10.1667/RR0701.1

The ability of ion beams to kill or mutate plant cells is known to depend on the linear energy transfer (LET) of the ions, although the mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, tobacco BY-2 protoplasts as a model of single plant cells were irradiated with helium, carbon and neon ions having different LETs. Following irradiation, DNA fragments were separated into sizes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Information on DNA fragmentation was obtained by staining the gels with SYBR Green I. Initial DSB yields (Gbp Gy) were found to depend on LET, and the highest relative biological effectiveness (about 1.6) was obtained at 124 and 241 keV/m carbon ions. High-LET carbon and neon ions yielded short DNA fragments more efficiently than rays. These results partially explain the large biological effects caused by high-LET ions in plants.

Measurements of Sm(,n) reaction cross section with laser-Compton scattering rays

Hara, Kaoru; Kitatani, Fumito; Harada, Hideo; Akimune, Hidetoshi*; Utsunomiya, Hiroaki*; Kaihori, Takeshi*; Goko, Shinji*; Hohara, Shinya*; Makinaga, Ayano*; Yamagata, Tamio*; et al.

no journal, , 

no abstracts in English

Quantitative analysis of DNA double-strand breaks in tobacco cells irradiated by heavy ions

Yokota, Yuichiro; Yamada, Shinya*; Hase, Yoshihiro; Shikazono, Naoya; Narumi, Issei; Tanaka, Atsushi; Inoue, Masayoshi*

no journal, , 

The ability of ion beams to kill or mutate plant cells is known to depend on LET of the ions, although the mechanism of damage is poorly understood. In this study, tobacco BY-2 protoplasts, as a model of single plant cells, were irradiated by helium, carbon and neon ions with different LETs at ice temperature. Resulting DNA fragments were separated into sizes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Initial DSB yields and intervals between neighboring DSBs were evaluated from the DNA fragmentation patterns. Initial DSB yields (Gbp DNA Gy) were found to depend on LET, and the highest value was obtained at 124 and 241 keV/m carbon ions in the investigated range. High-LET carbon and neon ions induced DSBs at closer sites than rays did. These results partially explained the large biological effects caused by high-LET heavy ions in plants.

Development of core damage evaluation technology (level 2 PSA) for fast reactors, 5; Progress of R&D in FY2007

Nakai, Ryodai; Kurisaka, Kenichi; Sato, Ikken; Tobita, Yoshiharu; Kamiyama, Kenji; Yamano, Hidemasa; Miyahara, Shinya; Ohno, Shuji; Seino, Hiroshi; Ishikawa, Hiroyasu; et al.

no journal, , 

To develop a core damage evaluation technology (level-2 PSA) in sodium-cooled fast reactors, a new analysis method is developed for core-material relocation phase and internal containment vessel event. This study also develop technical basis necessary for the level-2 PSA.