Integrated neutron and surface-based characterization of stress/strain fields and microstructural evolution during fatigue crack growth in SUS304 stainless steel

Su, Y. H.; 篠原 武尚; Parker, J. D.*; 及川 健一; 甲斐 哲也; Gong, W.; 伊東 達矢; Harjo, S.; 相澤 一也; 鬼柳 善明*; et al.

Materials Science & Engineering A, 951, p.149607_1 - 149607_16, 2026/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2025.149607

Local variations in residual stress/strain and microstructure during fatigue crack growth in compact tension specimens of SUS304 austenitic stainless steel were investigated using complementary methods: pulsed neutron Bragg-edge imaging (NBEI), neutron diffraction (ND), digital image correlation (DIC) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Surface strain fields were evaluated using DIC and EBSD. NBEI provided two-dimensional averaged microstructure information, whereas ND yielded detailed three-dimensional distributions of residual lattice (elastic) strain and stress. This study particularly focused on how NBEI is helpful in understanding overall damage characteristics in the vicinity of a crack tip two-dimensionally. Distribution of microstructural parameters associated with crack growth, such as lattice constant, crystallite size, and texture, across the entire specimen was considered using Bragg-edge spectral analysis. The plastic zone in front of the crack tip, characterized by reduced crystallite size, was observed during crack propagation. After final fracture, two distinct zones with reduced crystallite size were identified: one caused by localized plastic deformation near the crack tip, and the other by bending at the back end of the specimen. This paper introduces the four experimental techniques and describes their respective features. Each method has its own advantages and limitations; However, by integrating their results, a more comprehensive understanding of the overall stress/strain field can be achieved.

Development of neutron self-indication thermometry at J-PARC

瀬川 麻里子; 藤 暢輔; 前田 亮; 甲斐 哲也

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(3), p.268 - 277, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2024.2424519

Degerming temperatures with small uncertainties is important for neutron thermometry, required for both fundamental science and industrial applications. Conventionally, neutrons transmitted through a sample in shielded materials are detected. The sample temperature is then derived by analyzing the energy dependence of the transmission neutrons at resonances influenced by the Doppler-broadening effect. However, reducing the temperature-determination uncertainty is extremely hard with the conventional method, because it is determined only by the small changes at the resonances, i.e. temperature-sensitive components, compared to the primary neutrons. Therefore, we propose a new thermometry method named neutron self-indication thermometry (NSIT), which combines the Doppler-broadening effect with a self-indication technique that irradiates the sample and an indicator containing the same nuclide as the sample. The NSIT can enhance temperature sensitivity by measuring prompt gamma-rays to indirectly obtain the temperature-sensitive components at resonances by employing the same resonance twice. This study compared the temperature sensitivity and uncertainty of the conventional and NSIT methods by varying the sample temperatures from 23.0C to 492.6C. The results demonstrated that the NSIT was approximately 1.6 times more sensitive and had lower uncertainty in determining temperature. These findings highlight the potential of the NSIT as an effective alternative to remote thermometry.

Tracer diffusion coefficient measurements on NASICON-type Lithium-ion conductor LAGP using neutron radiography between 25C and 500C

高木 穂乃香*; 薮塚 武史*; 林田 洋寿*; Song, F.; 甲斐 哲也; 篠原 武尚; 栗田 圭輔; 飯倉 寛; 山本 典央*; 中島 稔*; et al.

Solid State Ionics, 417, p.116716_1 - 116716_7, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssi.2024.116716

Tracer diffusion coefficients of lithium-ions in the sintered samples of LiAlGe(PO) (LAGP) have been measured through the neutron radiography (NR) technique in the wide temperature range from 25C to 500C. The diffusion data above and below 300C were collected using pulsed and reactor-generated neutrons, respectively, which coincide with each other at 300C exhibiting a single curve in the Arrhenius plot. The room-temperature diffusion coefficient and the activation energy below 300C are obtained as 1.4710 cm s and 0.37 eV, respectively. The activation energy of the conductivity diffusion coefficient almost agrees with the tracer one, and the deduced Haven ratio of 0.40 is consistent with the concerted migration model of the lithium-ions.

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy of FeCr and FeCrAl oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys

鵜飼 重治; 平出 哲也; 大久保 成彰

Materials Characterization, 211, p.113813_1 - 113813_9, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2024.113813

Ti添加FeCr ODS合金とAl添加FeCrAl ODS合金を対象として、酸化物粒子とフェライト母相の界面ナノ構造を調べることを目的に陽電子寿命測定を行った。測定データは2トラップから成る3成分に精度良く分解できることが示された。フェライト母相での陽電子寿命は理論値である107ピコ秒に近い値になった。陽電子消滅同時計数ドップラー広がり法と高分解能電顕観察を併用することにより、陽電子をトラップしている2種類の欠陥集合体の構造を詳細に調べた。その結果、短寿命(179-194ピコ秒)に対応する欠陥集合体は蔵元らの理論解析に基づき、フェライト母相と酸化物粒子の界面に形成されたミスフィット転位に沿って集積した単空孔や複空孔にトラップされた陽電子の寿命に対応している。また、長寿命(301-323ピコ秒)は界面に生成したアルゴンガスバブルに対応しいていることを示した。陽電子消滅測定で得られたアルゴンガスバブルの数密度は高分解能電顕で観察された酸化物粒子の数密度と同オーダーで両者は整合していることを確認した。

Update of Bragg edge analysis software "GUI-RITS"

及川 健一; 佐藤 博隆*; 渡辺 賢一*; Su, Y. H.; 篠原 武尚; 甲斐 哲也; 鬼柳 善明*; 長谷美 宏幸

Journal of Physics; Conference Series, 2605, p.012013_1 - 012013_6, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2605/1/012013

Spectral data of Bragg-edge imaging, which is one of the energy-resolved neutron imaging methods, can be analyzed by single-edge analysis and full-pattern analysis with the Bragg-edge analysis code RITS developed by Sato et al. This program has a function to generate neutron transmission data considering wavelength-dependent pulse-shape function, atomic number density, crystalline structure, etc., and to extract these parameters from the measured data by the nonlinear least-squares fitting. Last year, we worked on updating the operating environment of the platform Scientific Linux 6 and the language Python 2, which have been discontinued, to Windows 10 and Python 3, and added some functions to improve usability. GUI-RITS for the windows platform has been released to users. In this presentation, we will show concrete examples of the results of the analysis of the same data by the old and new programs, and compare the efficiency of data analysis.

Residual stress relaxation by bending fatigue in induction-hardened gear studied by neutron Bragg edge transmission imaging and X-ray diffraction

Su, Y. H.; 及川 健一; 篠原 武尚; 甲斐 哲也; 堀野 孝*; 井戸原 修*; 三阪 佳孝*; 友田 陽*

International Journal of Fatigue, 174, p.107729_1 - 107729_12, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2023.107729

A novel procedure, double induction quenching (DIQ), effective for improving the fatigue strength of gear products, has been used for producing gears with steep gradients of compressive residual stress generated in the tooth surface. We performed a Bragg edge imaging experiment at a pulsed neutron source to determine the spatial distribution of the {110} lattice spacing (d) and the broadening of the {110} Bragg edge (w) on the DIQ gear product after tooth-bending fatigue tests to which different loading cycles were applied. No significant difference occurred in the d and the wat Hofer 's critical section of the teeth with different loading conditions within the accuracy of data analysis. However, we detected a decrease in the w and changes in the residual lattice strain distribution in the axial direction along the tooth root directions at the opposite side of Hofer 's critical section for both teeth after 310 and 810 cycles, relieving the compressive residual stresses during the fatigue process. The residual stress close to the gear tooth surface determined by X-ray diffraction using sequential polishing showed a slight relaxation and redistribution from the tensile side in the hoop direction, complementary to the neutron Bragg edge imaging.

Positron annihilation study of tungsten exposed to low-energy deuterium plasma

平出 哲也; 古田 光*; 鳥養 佑二*; 藤村 由希; 満汐 孝治*

JJAP Conference Proceedings (Internet), 9, p.011106_1 - 011106_7, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.56646/jjapcp.9.0_011106

低エネルギー重水素プラズマに暴露した多結晶タングステン(ITERグレード)試料を、Naを陽電子源として用い、陽電子消滅寿命測定を実施した。重水素プラズマのエネルギーは低いため、その効果は表面付近のみに現れると予測された。しかしながら、プラズマに暴露した試料の陽電子消滅平均寿命は暴露処理していない試料よりも長くなった。さらに、試料が2mm程度の厚みであるにもかかわらず、プラズマを暴露した面ではない反対側の面の測定を実施しても、表面とほぼ同じ結果が得られた。タングステン中に水素や重水素が存在することで欠陥が導入されるという報告は今までにないが、この結果は試料内部において重水素の影響で欠陥が導入された可能性を示している。

Observation of topological Hall torque exerted on a domain wall in the ferromagnetic oxide SrRuO

山ノ内 路彦*; 荒木 康史; 酒井 貴樹*; 植村 哲也*; 太田 裕道*; 家田 淳一

Science Advances (Internet), 8(15), p.eabl6192_1 - eabl6192_6, 2022/04

AA2021-0538.pdf:0.53MB

https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl6192

強磁性ワイル金属SrRuOにおける、電流によって磁壁に作用する大きな有効磁場を報告する。電流密度に対するの比率は、非単調な温度依存性を示し、従来のスピン移行トルクおよびスピン軌道トルクの比率を上回っていることが示される。この増強効果は、磁壁に電場が印加されたときに、ワイル点の周りに出現するワイル電子によって磁壁に作用するトポロジカルホールトルク(THT)によってよく説明される。電流密度に対するTHTから生じるの比率は、金属系で報告されているスピン移行トルクおよびスピン軌道トルクから生じるものよりも1桁以上高く、THTが スピントロニクスデバイスにおける磁化の操作においてエネルギー効率の良い方法を提供する可能性があることを示している。

Investigation of radioactive samples for neutron capture reaction measurements using energy-resolved neutron imaging

瀬川 麻里子; 藤 暢輔; 甲斐 哲也; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 167, p.108828_1 - 108828_5, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108828

To obtain accurate analytical results via neutron-capture reactions, the effects of sample shapes must be considered. However, the estimations of the effects were difficult to verify in some cases such as sealed samples and valuable objects. In this study, the shape effects for sealed radioactive samples were estimated experimentally. The significant localization of the I sample was confirmed only by an energy-resolved neutron imaging. It is revealed that the shape effect was necessary to be corrected at the neutron resonance peaks. Consequently, we conclude that the energy-resolved neutron imaging will be quite effective to improve the analytical accuracy.

Observation of Eu adsorption band in the CMPO/SiO-P column by neutron resonance absorption imaging

宮崎 康典; 渡部 創; 中村 雅弘; 柴田 淳広; 野村 和則; 甲斐 哲也; Parker, J. D.*

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011073_1 - 011073_7, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.33.011073

中性子共鳴吸収イメージングを、抽出クロマトグラフィに使用するマイナーアクチノイド回収用CMPO/SiO-Pカラムで形成したEu吸着バンドの観測に適用した。軽水や重水で調製した湿潤カラムと乾燥吸着材を充填した乾燥カラムを比較し、中性子透過を評価した。中性子透過スペクトルから、乾燥カラムは45%、軽水調製カラムは20%、重水調製カラムは40%の中性子透過を確認した。得られた結果から、CMPO/SiO-Pカラムに形成したEu吸着バンドを観測するには、重水の使用によって、より鮮明になることを明らかにした。今後、カラム操作による吸着バンドのカラム内移行挙動を明らかにする。