Development of technologies for enhanced analysis accuracy of fuel debris; Summary results of the 2020 fiscal year (Subsidy program for the project of decommissioning and contaminated water management)

Ikeuchi, Hirotomo; Koyama, Shinichi; Osaka, Masahiko; Takano, Masahide; Nakamura, Satoshi; Onozawa, Atsushi; Sasaki, Shinji; Onishi, Takashi; Maeda, Koji; Kirishima, Akira*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2022-021, 224 Pages, 2022/10

JAEA-Technology-2022-021.pdf:12.32MB

A set of technology, including acid dissolving, has to be established for the analysis of content of elements/nuclides in the fuel debris samples. In this project, a blind test was performed for the purpose of clarifying the current level of analytical accuracy and establishing the alternative methods in case that the insoluble residue remains. Overall composition of the simulated fuel debris (homogenized powder having a specific composition) were quantitatively determined in the four analytical institutions in Japan by using their own dissolving and analytical techniques. The merit and drawback for each technique were then evaluated, based on which a tentative flow of the analyses of fuel debris was constructed.

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2021)

Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Kokubu, Yoko; Shimada, Koji; Shimada, Akiomi; Niwa, Masakazu; Watanabe, Takahiro; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Fujita, Natsuko; Ogita, Yasuhiro; et al.

JAEA-Review 2021-012, 48 Pages, 2021/08

JAEA-Review-2021-012.pdf:1.64MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2021. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2021 are described in detail based on the JAEA 3rd Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2015-2021). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques.

Thermally altered subsurface material of asteroid (162173) Ryugu

Kitazato, Kohei*; Milliken, R. E.*; Iwata, Takahiro*; Abe, Masanao*; Otake, Makiko*; Matsuura, Shuji*; Takagi, Yasuhiko*; Nakamura, Tomoki*; Hiroi, Takahiro*; Matsuoka, Moe*; et al.

Nature Astronomy (Internet), 5(3), p.246 - 250, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-01271-2

Here we report observations of Ryugu's subsurface material by the Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRS3) on the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. Reflectance spectra of excavated material exhibit a hydroxyl (OH) absorption feature that is slightly stronger and peak-shifted compared with that observed for the surface, indicating that space weathering and/or radiative heating have caused subtle spectral changes in the uppermost surface. However, the strength and shape of the OH feature still suggests that the subsurface material experienced heating above 300 C, similar to the surface. In contrast, thermophysical modeling indicates that radiative heating does not increase the temperature above 200 C at the estimated excavation depth of 1 m, even if the semimajor axis is reduced to 0.344 au. This supports the hypothesis that primary thermal alteration occurred due to radiogenic and/or impact heating on Ryugu's parent body.

Annual report for research on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste in fiscal year 2019

Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Ogata, Nobuhisa; Kokubu, Yoko; Shimada, Koji; Hanamuro, Takahiro; Shimada, Akiomi; Niwa, Masakazu; Asamori, Koichi; Watanabe, Takahiro; Sueoka, Shigeru; et al.

JAEA-Research 2020-011, 67 Pages, 2020/10

JAEA-Research-2020-011.pdf:3.87MB

This annual report documents the progress of research and development (R&D) in the 5th fiscal year during the JAEA 3rd Mid- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2015-2021) to provide the scientific base for assessing geosphere stability for long-term isolation of the high-level radioactive waste. The planned framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques. The current status of R&D activities with previous scientific and technological progress is summarized.

The Surface composition of asteroid 162173 Ryugu from Hayabusa2 near-infrared spectroscopy

Kitazato, Kohei*; Milliken, R. E.*; Iwata, Takahiro*; Abe, Masanao*; Otake, Makiko*; Matsuura, Shuji*; Arai, Takehiko*; Nakauchi, Yusuke*; Nakamura, Tomoki*; Matsuoka, Moe*; et al.

Science, 364(6437), p.272 - 275, 2019/04

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav7432

The near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu, the target of Hayabusa2 sample return mission, is believed to be a primitive carbonaceous object. The Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRS3) on Hayabusa2 acquired reflectance spectra of Ryugu's surface to provide direct measurements of the surface composition and geological context for the returned samples. A weak, narrow absorption feature centered at 2.72 micron was detected across the entire observed surface, indicating that hydroxyl (OH)-bearing minerals are ubiquitous there. The intensity of the OH feature and low albedo are similar to thermally- and/or shock-metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. There are few variations in the OH-band position, consistent with Ryugu being a compositionally homogeneous rubble-pile object generated from impact fragments of an undifferentiated aqueously altered parent body.

Isotope-selective dissociation of diatomic molecules by terahertz optical pulses

Ichihara, Akira; Matsuoka, Leo*; Segawa, Etsuo*; Yokoyama, Keiichi

Physical Review A, 91(4), p.043404_1 - 043404_7, 2015/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.91.043404

We propose a new method for isotope-selective dissociation of diatomic molecules in the gas phase by using two kinds of terahertz-pulse fields. The first field consists of a train of pulses, which composes a frequency comb, excites the selected isotope into highly-rotationally excited state. The second intense pulse field dissociates the excited molecule by further rotational excitations. We performed wave-packet computations using the lithium chlorides LiCL and LiCl to demonstrate the applicability of our method. Nearly 20% of LiCl in the lowest rovibrational state is dissociated in the designed pulse fields, while the dissociation probability is negligible in LiCl. This method is expected to be applicable to other diatomic molecules, and to molecular ensembles whose rotational states spread in energy.

Evaluation of damage accumulation behavior and strength anisotropy of NITE SiC/SiC composites by acoustic emission, digital image correlation and electrical resistivity monitoring

Nozawa, Takashi; Ozawa, Kazumi; Asakura, Yuki*; Koyama, Akira*; Tanigawa, Hiroyasu

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 455(1-3), p.549 - 553, 2014/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.08.043

SiC/SiC composite is a promising candidate material of fusion DEMO reactor. This paper aims to identify its damage tolerance and strength anisotropy by various characterization techniques such as acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, electrical resistivity (ER) measurement, and digital image correlation (DIC). The AE results identified that damage accumulation initiated prior to the proportional limit stress (PLS) by both tensile and compressive loadings for 2D composites. The preliminary AE waveform analysis implied that this AE detect strength corresponds to initiation of micro-cracking but the stress-strain curve shows further linearity due to the strong interfacial friction. Then fiber sliding occurred near the PLS, followed by the non-linearlity of the curve. The preliminary tensile test results using a notched specimen also suggest notch insensitivity of the composites in any loading directions. The detailed failure mechanism will eventually be discussed with ER and DIC results.

High power laser developments with femtosecond to nanosecond pulse durations for laser shock science and engineering

Kiriyama, Hiromitsu; Mori, Michiaki; Suzuki, Masayuki*; Daito, Izuru*; Okada, Hajime; Ochi, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Momoko; Sato, Masatoshi*; Tamaoki, Yoshinori*; Yoshii, Takehiro*; et al.

Reza Kenkyu, 42(6), p.441 - 447, 2014/06

http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/40020137371

We describe three specific high power laser systems that are being developed in our laboratory for many applications in high field science, nonlinear optics and material processing. We report on a femtosecond petawatt-class Ti:sapphire chirped-pulse amplification laser system that can produce a pulse energy of 20 J of 40 fs pulse duration, a picosecond high intensity Yb:YAG chirped-pulse amplification laser system that can generate a pulse energy of 100 mJ of 0.5 ps pulse duration, and a nanosecond high repetition rate Nd:YAG laser system that can provide an average power of 360 W with a pulse duration of 30 ns delivered at a 1 kHz repetition rate. We discuss the basic design aspects and present the results from our experimental investigations of these laser systems.

Theoretical study on isotope-selective dissociation of the lithium chloride molecule using a designed terahertz-wave field

Ichihara, Akira; Matsuoka, Leo; Kurosaki, Yuzuru; Yokoyama, Keiichi

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 1, p.013093_1 - 013093_4, 2014/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.1.013093

Isotope-selective dissociation of the lithium chloride (LiCl) molecule was investigated by quantum mechanical calculations. LiCl in the initial rovibrational state (v=0,J=0) was excited by an optical frequency comb whose spectral frequencies were tuned to the rotational transition frequencies of LiCl. LiCl was not highly excited by the comb because of the difference of the transition frequencies. The time evolution of rovibrational population was evaluated using the close-coupling method during the comb irradiation. The dissociation process in the second pulse was calculated by the wave packet method. The amplitudes of close-coupling were employed as the input of the wave packet computation. The dissociation probability was estimated by absorbing wave packet using a damping function. By the optical pulses adopted, about 60% of LiCl was dissociated. The dissociation probability of LiCl was less than 2%t.

Annual report on the environmental radiation monitoring around the Tokai Reprocessing Plant FY2011

Sumiya, Shuichi; Watanabe, Hitoshi; Nakano, Masanao; Takeyasu, Masanori; Nakada, Akira; Fujita, Hiroki; Isozaki, Tokuju; Morisawa, Masato; Mizutani, Tomoko; Nagaoka, Mika; et al.

JAEA-Review 2013-009, 195 Pages, 2013/06

JAEA-Review-2013-009.pdf:3.35MB

Environmental radiation monitoring around the Tokai Reprocessing Plant has been performed by the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, based on "Safety Regulations for the Reprocessing Plant of Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Chapter IV - Environmental Monitoring". This annual report presents the results of the environmental monitoring and the dose estimation to the hypothetical inhabitant due to the radioactivity discharged from the plant to the atmosphere and the sea during April 2011 to March 2012. In this report, some data include the influence of the accidental release from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on Tokyo Electric Power Co. in March 2011.