Synchrotron radiation photoemission electron microscopy study on radioactive cesium-bearing microparticle collected in Fukushima

Yoshigoe, Akitaka ; Tsuda, Yasutaka   ; Kobata, Masaaki  ; Okane, Tetsuo  ; Satou, Yukihiko   ; Okochi, Takuo*

Synchrotron radiation photoemission electron microscopy (SR-PEEM) combining with hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) was utilized to obtain detailed structural and chemical insights into radioactive cesium-bearing microparticles (CsMPs) smaller than 10 m. HAXPES data revealed the presence of several elements such as C, O, Mg, Al, Si, Sr and Cs, while the chemical mapping images obtained by SR-PEEM clearly demonstrated that Cs atoms almost exclusively cover the particle surface. Owing to the surface-sensitive nature of SR-PEEM, the results notably indicate inhomogeneous distributions of elements, suggesting an eggshell-like structure with a Cs shell, with a thickness greater than the escape depth of the photoelectrons (a few nanometers). These novel findings strongly suggest that the aggregation of Cs atoms likely occurs at the microparticle surface and are expected to have applications in the remediation of nuclear power plant accidents.