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Morishita, Yuki; Peschet, L.; Yamada, Tsutomu*; Nakasone, Takamasa*; Kanno, Marina*; Sasaki, Miyuki; Sanada, Yukihisa; Torii, Tatsuo*
Radiation Measurements, 183, p.107414_1 - 107414_6, 2025/04
Times Cited Count:0In the decommissioning nuclear facilities, it is crucial to inspect piping for contamination to prevent worker exposure to alpha-emitting nuclides. Traditional methods using gamma rays and neutrons are inadequate for detecting small amounts of alpha nuclides due to the short range (approximately 4 cm) of alpha particles in air. To address this, we developed a compact detector capable of distinguishing between alpha particles for direct measurement within pipes. This detector, comprising a ZnS(Ag) scintillator for alpha particles and a plastic scintillator for beta particles (gamma rays), was coupled to a small photomultiplier tube. The system demonstrated high accuracy in differentiating between alpha and beta radiation through pulse shape discrimination (PSD). Monte Carlo simulations and empirical measurements confirmed the detector's effectiveness, achieving a 51.3% detection efficiency for alpha particles with negligible sensitivity to beta and gamma radiation. This innovation presents a significant advancement for direct alpha contamination measurement in environments with high beta and gamma backgrounds, such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning site.
Morishita, Yuki; Miyamura, Hiroko; Sato, Yuki; Matsubara, Jun*; Sumali, B.*; Mitsukura, Yasue*
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, p.170368_1 - 170368_16, 2025/03
Decommissioning nuclear reactor sites presents challenges due to the presence of various radionuclides, including alpha emitters (e.g., Pu, Am, Cm) and beta emitters (e.g., Cs,
Sr-
Y), which pose significant internal exposure risks to workers. Traditional measurement methods require multiple instruments and are time-consuming, particularly in high gamma-ray environments. To address these issues, we developed a remote alpha and beta discrimination measurement system that integrates a stilbene scintillator detector with a silicon photomultiplier, enabling simultaneous detection of both alpha and beta particles. This study further incorporates machine learning techniques, specifically Support Vector Machines (SVM), for automatic discrimination, eliminating the need for user-defined thresholds and ensuring consistent operational conditions. The system was tested with known radiation sources, demonstrating over 96% classification accuracy for alpha and beta particles. Measurements conducted in motion effectively identified contamination sources, confirming the system's capability for real-time analysis. This innovative approach enhances radiation safety and efficiency in nuclear decommissioning operations, making it particularly beneficial in environments where human access is limited.
Morishita, Yuki; Sagawa, Naoki; Fujisawa, Makoto; Kurosawa, Shunsuke*; Sasano, Makoto*; Hayashi, Masateru*; Tanaka, Hiroki*
Radiation Measurements, 181, p.107371_1 - 107371_5, 2025/02
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)The effects of different types of radiation on a high-resolution alpha imager developed using an electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) camera were investigated. This imager was originally developed to visualize alpha particles from Pu oxide particles at decommissioning sites. Other types of radiation such as beta particles, gamma rays, and neutrons are also present. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of these background radiations on the imager and to develop a method to discriminate between alpha particles and other types of radiation. When measuring gamma rays, and neutrons, the sensor of the EMCCD camera generated high intensity signals due to gamma rays and neutrons. These radiations were identified by image processing. The image values were binarized and the findContours function was applied to count the number of alpha particle spots. The results showed that alpha and gamma (neutron) radiation can be discriminated by using differences in intensity. This method will be useful for visualizing alpha particles at decommissioning sites.
Morishita, Yuki; DiPrete, D. P.*; Deason, T.*; Nagaishi, Ryuji
Radiation Measurements, 181, p.107366_1 - 107366_8, 2025/02
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)Nuclear fuel materials such as Plutonium (Pu) and Neptunium (Np) are produced as by-products of reprocessing operations, necessitating precise understanding of their contamination distribution within controlled areas for radiation protection. This study presents the development and application of an alpha particle imaging detector for on-site detection of Pu and Np contamination. The detector's performance was evaluated using various alpha sources, demonstrating promising energy resolution and spatial resolution. Subsequently, Pu and
Np oxide samples were measured at the Savannah River National Laboratory, showing the detector's effectiveness in on-site applications. The detector enabled simultaneous measurement of radioactivity and energy spectrum of individual particles, facilitating rapid discrimination between
Pu and
Np. The imaging detector has potential for enhancing on-site detection of alpha nuclides in nuclear facilities, aiding in decontamination efforts and environmental monitoring.
Morishita, Yuki; Tomioka, Akifumi; Fujisawa, Makoto; Izaki, Kenji
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1065, p.169527_1 - 169527_5, 2024/08
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Instruments & Instrumentation)It is important to differentiate between natural and artificial radioactive materials such as plutonium in nuclear facilities. In this study, a scintillator-based alpha-particle detector was developed using YAP:Ce scintillator and Multi-Anode PhotoMultiplier Tube. The detector was used to measure various naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) samples including radon progeny, lead plate, lantern mantle, and radium ceramic ball. The measurement results were compared with Monte Carlo simulation calculations and were found to be in agreement. The energy resolution of the detector is 8.6%FWHM. In the measurement results of radon progeny, peaks of Bi (6.1 MeV),
Po (7.7 MeV), and
Po (8.8 MeV) can be observed. The lead plate contains
Po and emits 5.3 MeV alpha particle. The simulation with the same energy was able to reproduce the actual measurement. The results showed the energy and distribution of the alpha particles emitted by the NORM samples. The study successfully demonstrated the capability of the developed alpha-particle detector in identifying NORM.
Morishita, Yuki; Miyamura, Hiroko; Sato, Yuki; Oura, Masatoshi*
Radiation Measurements, 171, p.107064_1 - 107064_7, 2024/02
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)The detection of alpha and beta contamination locations is important for decontaminating nuclear facilities. In the high radiation dose rate environment at the decommissioning sites, the contamination measurement by the workers is not effective. Thus, we developed a remote automatic contamination measurement system using a new scintillator-based detector. A 50 mm
100-
m-thick YAlO
(Ce)(YAP:Ce) scintillator was coupled with a flat panel-type multianode photomultiplier tube. The detector was installed downwards at the bottom of a robot. It has an energy measurement capability, and the energy measurement could discriminate the alpha particles from the beta and
Rn alpha particles. With the energy information, alpha and beta particles could be identified and mapped simultaneously. In addition, a slow-moving robot could be used to obtain statistically sufficient counts in a single run measurement, allowing the evaluation of surface contamination density using only alpha particles. The remote automatic contamination measurement system will be useful in visualizing the contamination distribution in environments that are inaccessible to workers.
Morishita, Yuki; Higuchi, Mikio*; Kaneko, Junichi*; Kitagawa, Yuichi*; Akedo, Jun*; Soma, Mitsugu*; Matsui, Hiroaki*
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1057, p.168702_1 - 168702_8, 2023/12
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Instruments & Instrumentation)This paper describes the development of a large-area imaging detector capable of measuring the detailed distribution of alpha particles on hands and feet for use in entry/exit control monitors in decommissioning sites such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The detector was developed using a commercially available ZnS(Ag) scintillator and an electron multiplying CCD camera. The effectiveness of the detector was evaluated by measuring several types of radiation sources, and the results showed that it was possible to detect the position of alpha particles in a very short time, and contamination levels of up to 11 Bq/cm could be visualized. As a result of the minimal detectable surface activity concentration evaluations, 2.0 minutes or more is required to achieve 4 Bq/cm
, and 25.0 minutes or more is required to achieve 0.4 Bq/cm
. The field of view of the detector was also checked, and it was confirmed that the setup had a field of view that could cover most of the hand and the sole of the shoe. This detector is expected to be useful for preventing internal uptake and decontamination.
Sagawa, Naoki; Fujisawa, Makoto; Hosomi, Kenji; Morishita, Yuki; Takada, Chie
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 58(3), p.135 - 140, 2023/11
Radioactivity concentrations of airborne dust are important measurements because they are used to protect workers from intakes and to assess internal exposure doses. Therefore, we developed a portable -ray dust monitor by using an ultra-thin plastic scintillator, which is designed for continuous monitoring of highly-concentrated airborne contaminants (
10
Bq/cm
, equivalent to 30 times larger than the derived air concentration of
Sr) such as a decommissioning work in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. From the performance test results, it is evaluated that the developed portable
-ray dust monitor is functional in continuous monitoring with an airborne concentration of 1 Bq/cm
.
Sato, Takumi; Otobe, Haruyoshi; Morishita, Kazuki; Marufuji, Takato; Ishikawa, Takashi; Fujishima, Tadatsune; Nakano, Tomoyuki
JAEA-Technology 2023-016, 41 Pages, 2023/09
This report summarizes the results of the stabilization treatments of post-experiment nuclear materials in Plutonium Fuel Research Facility (PFRF) from August 2018 to March 2021. Based on the management standards for nuclear materials enacted after the contamination accident that occurred at PFRF on June 6, 2017, the post-experiment nuclear materials containing plutonium (Pu): samples mixed with organic substances that cause an increase in internal pressure due to radiolysis (including X-ray diffraction samples mixed with epoxy resin and plutonium powder which caused contamination accidents), carbides and nitrides samples which is reactive in air, and chloride samples which may cause corrosion of storage containers, were selected as targets of the stabilization. The samples containing organic materials, carbides and nitrides were heated in an air flow at 650 C and 950
C for 2 hours respectively to remove organic materials and convert uranium (U) and Pu into oxides. U and Pu chlorides in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt were reduced and extracted into liquid Cd metal by a reaction with lithium (Li) -cadmium (Cd) alloy and converted to U-Pu-Cd alloy at 500
C or higher. All of the samples were stabilized and stored at PFRF. We hope that the contents of this report will be utilized to consider methods for stabilizing post experiment nuclear materials at other nuclear fuel material usage facilities.
Morishita, Yuki; Sagawa, Naoki; Takada, Chie; Momose, Takumaro; Takasaki, Koji
Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 199(13), p.1376 - 1383, 2023/08
Times Cited Count:2 Percentile:51.90(Environmental Sciences)It is very important to evaluate the diameters (activity median aerodynamic diameter) of Plutonium dioxide (PuO) particles for internal exposure dose evaluation. In this study, a method of evaluating PuO
particle diameters using an alpha-particle imaging detector was developed. PuO
particles with different diameters were modeled by Monte Carlo simulation, and the change in the shape of the energy spectrum for each particle diameter was evaluated. Two different patterns were modeled, namely, the case of
PuO
and the case of PuO
(including isotopic composition of Pu). Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the PuO
particle diameter from the obtained parameters. The simulated diameters and the diameters obtained with the regression model were in good agreement. The advantage of using the alpha-particle imaging detector is to measure the alpha energy spectrum for individual particle, and this allows accurate measurement of particle diameter distribution.
Morishita, Yuki; Takasaki, Koji; Kitayama, Yoshiharu; Tagawa, Akihiro; Shibata, Takuya; Hoshi, Katsuya; Kaneko, Junichi*; Higuchi, Mikio*; Oura, Masatoshi*
Radiation Measurements, 160, p.106896_1 - 106896_10, 2023/01
Times Cited Count:6 Percentile:77.44(Nuclear Science & Technology)This study proposes a newly developed phoswich alpha/beta detector that can discriminate alpha and beta particles emitted from the alpha and beta contaminations in the FDNPS site. The phoswich alpha/beta detector is made up of two layers of scintillators that detect alpha and beta particles. The pulse shape discrimination (PSD) method was used to detect alpha particles in high beta particle and high gamma-ray (comparable to gamma-ray dose rate near the FDNPS reactor building) environments. Due to a 23.3% full width at half maximum (FWHM) energy resolution for alpha particles, the detector can be used to distinguish between nuclear fuel materials such as plutonium and its radon progeny (Po-214). Moreover, the detector could distinguish alpha particles from Cs gamma rays with a dose rate background up to 9.0 mSv/h. It is the first to demonstrate that the developed phoswich detector can be used to discriminate and measure alpha and beta particles of the actual contaminated FDNPS samples.
Takeuchi, Yusuke*; Tojo, Junji*; Yamanaka, T.*; Nakazawa, Yuga*; Iinuma, Hiromi*; Kondo, Yasuhiro; Kitamura, Ryo; Morishita, Takatoshi; Cicek, E.*; Ego, Hiroyasu*; et al.
Proceedings of 31st International Linear Accelerator Conference (LINAC 2022) (Internet), p.562 - 564, 2022/10
A muon linac is under development for future muon g-2/EDM experiments at J-PARC. The linac provides a 212 MeV muon beam to an MRI-type compact storage ring. After the initial acceleration using the electrostatic field created by mesh and cylindrical electrodes, the muons are accelerated using four types of radio-frequency accelerators. To validate the linac design as a whole, end-to-end simulations were performed using General Particle Tracer. In addition, error studies were performed to investigate the effects on beam and spin dynamics of various errors in the accelerator components and input beam distribution. This paper describes the results of the end-to-end simulations and error studies.
Nakazawa, Yuga*; Iinuma, Hiromi*; Iwata, Yoshiyuki*; Cicek, E.*; Ego, Hiroyasu*; Futatsukawa, Kenta*; Kawamura, N.*; Mibe, Tsutomu*; Mizobata, Satoshi*; Otani, Masashi*; et al.
Proceedings of 31st International Linear Accelerator Conference (LINAC 2022) (Internet), p.275 - 278, 2022/09
We conducted a high-power test of a prototype cavity of a 324-MHz inter-digital H-mode drift tube linac (IH-DTL) for the muon g-2/EDM experiment at J-PARC. This prototype cavity (short-IH) was developed to verify the fabrication methodology for the full-length IH cavity with a monolithic DT structure. After 40 h of conditioning, the short-IH has been stably operated with an RF power of 88 kW, which corresponds to 10% higher accelerating field than the design field (E0) of 3.0 MV/m. In addition, the thermal characteristics and frequency response were measured, verifying that the experimental data was consistent with the three-dimensional model. In this paper, the high-power tests of this IH-DTL for muon acceleration are described.
Kondo, Yasuhiro; Kitamura, Ryo; Fuwa, Yasuhiro; Morishita, Takatoshi; Moriya, Katsuhiro; Takayanagi, Tomohiro; Otani, Masashi*; Cicek, E.*; Ego, Hiroyasu*; Fukao, Yoshinori*; et al.
Proceedings of 31st International Linear Accelerator Conference (LINAC 2022) (Internet), p.636 - 641, 2022/09
The muon linac project for the precise measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic and electric dipole moments, which is currently one of the hottest issues of the elementary particle physics, is in progress at J-PARC. The muons from the J-PARC muon facility are once cooled to room temperature, then accelerated up to 212 MeV with a normalized emittance of 1.5 mm mrad and a momentum spread of 0.1%. Four types of accelerating structures are adopted to obtain the efficient acceleration with a wide beta range from 0.01 to 0.94. The project is moving into the construction phase. We already demonstrated the re-acceleration scheme of the decelerated muons using a 324-MHz RFQ in 2017. The high-power test of the 324-MHz Interdigital H-mode (IH) DTL using a prototype cavity was performed in 2021. The fabrication of the first module of 14 modules of the 1296-MHz Disk and Washer (DAW) CCL will be done to confirm the production process. Moreover, the final design of the travelling wave accelerating structure for the high beta region is also proceeding. In this paper, the recent progress toward the realization of the world first muon linac will be presented.
Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Morishita, Masaki*; Aizawa, Kosuke; Ando, Masanori; Ashida, Takashi; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Doda, Norihiro; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Ezure, Toshiki; Fukano, Yoshitaka; et al.
Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.3, 631 Pages, 2022/07
This book is a collection of the past experience of design, construction, and operation of two reactors, the latest knowledge and technology for SFR designs, and the future prospects of SFR development in Japan. It is intended to provide the perspective and the relevant knowledge to enable readers to become more familiar with SFR technology.
Takeuchi, Yusuke*; Tojo, Junji*; Nakazawa, Yuga*; Kondo, Yasuhiro; Kitamura, Ryo; Morishita, Takatoshi; Cicek, E.*; Ego, Hiroyasu*; Futatsukawa, Kenta*; Kawamura, Naritoshi*; et al.
Proceedings of 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC 22) (Internet), p.1534 - 1537, 2022/06
The muon g-2/EDM experiment is under preparation at Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), and the muon linear accelerator for the experiment is being developed. A Disk-and-Washer (DAW) cavity will be used for the medium-velocity part of the accelerator, and muons will be accelerated from =
= 0.3 to 0.7 with the operating frequency of 1.296 GHz. Machining, brazing, and low-power measurements of a prototype cell reflecting the design of the first tank of DAW were performed to identify fabrication problems. Several problems were identified, such as misalignment of washers during brazing, and some measures will be taken in the actual tank fabrication. In this paper, the results of the prototype cell fabrication will be reported.
Morishita, Yuki
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1027, p.166258_1 - 166258_7, 2022/03
Times Cited Count:7 Percentile:64.62(Instruments & Instrumentation)During the decommissioning process of nuclear facility sites, such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), radioactive contamination due to alpha, beta, and gamma nuclides is present. To accurately detect these nuclides, a new phoswich alpha/beta/gamma detector is proposed and developed. A portable alpha/beta/gamma radiation continuous air-monitoring system is also developed using the proposed phoswich detector for detecting unknown radioactive air contamination. The developed phowich detector features a 6 mm 6 mm
6 mm-stilbene scintillator (first layer) and a 6 mm
6 mm
6 mm-Gd
(Ga, Al)
O
(Ce) (GAGG) scintillator (second layer). The bottom of the GAGG scintillator is optically coupled to a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). The proposed phoswich detector is capable of successfully separating alpha, beta, and gamma nuclides by applying the pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) technique. The alpha energy resolution of the 5.5 MeV alpha particles using was 22.1% at the full width at half maximum (FWHM), whereas the gamma energy resolution of the 0.662 MeV gamma rays was 10.3% FWHM. The energy spectra obtained from the simulations agree well with those obtained from measurements. Continuous alpha-nuclide air measurements were conducted in the basement of a concrete building, where the
Rn concentration was approximately 200 Bq/m
, using the developed portable continuous air-monitoring system. The measured peaks, which correspond to
Bi (6.1 MeV),
Po (7.7 MeV), and
Po (8.8 MeV), were observed in the alpha spectrum by separating beta and gamma rays. Therefore, the developed monitoring system can be potentially efficient for the early detection of unknown released radioactive materials.
Morishita, Kazuki; Sato, Takumi; Onishi, Takashi; Seki, Takayuki*; Sekine, Shinichi*; Okitsu, Yuichi*
JAEA-Technology 2021-024, 27 Pages, 2021/10
In the case of Plutonium (Pu)-bearing organic materials, organic materials are decomposed by alpha rays emitted mainly from Pu to generate hydrogen gas and other substances. Therefore, to safely store Pu-bearing organic materials for an extended period of time, organic materials must be eliminated. In addition, carbide and nitride fuels must be converted into oxides for safe storage in order to prevent the exothermal reaction of these fuels with oxygen/moisture in air. A survey of the literature on the stabilization treatment of Pu-bearing organic materials confirmed that organic materials can be decomposed and removed by heating at 950 C (1223.15 K) or greater in air. Furthermore, based on the calculated thermodynamic parameters of oxidation reaction of carbide and nitride fuels in air, it was estimated that these fuels would be oxidized in air at 950
C because the equilibrium oxygen partial pressure in the oxidation reaction at 950
C was lower than 2.1
10
Pa (oxygen partial pressure in air). Therefore, it was decided to stabilize Pu-bearing organic materials by heating at 950
C in air to remove the organic materials and oxidize the carbide and nitride fuels. As a mock-up test to remove the organic materials, thin sheets of epoxy resin were heated in air. The changes in appearance and weight before and after heating in air showed that organic materials can be removed. After the mock-up test, Pu-bearing organic materials were also stabilized by heating in the similar condition.
Morishita, Hideki*; Yoshida, Minoru*; Nishimura, Akihiko; Matsudaira, Masayuki*; Hirayama, Yoshiharu*; Sugano, Yuichi*
Hozengaku, 20(1), p.101 - 108, 2021/04
no abstracts in English
Morishita, Yuki; Kurosawa, Shunsuke*; Yamaji, Akihiro*; Hayashi, Masateru*; Sasano, Makoto*; Makita, Taisuke*; Azuma, Tetsushi*
Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.5948_1 - 5948_11, 2021/03
Times Cited Count:4 Percentile:42.67(Multidisciplinary Sciences)The internal exposure of workers who inhale plutonium dioxide particles in nuclear facilities is a crucial matter for human protection from radiation. To determine the activity median aerodynamic diameter values at the working sites of nuclear facilities in real time, we developed a high-resolution alpha imager using a ZnS(Ag) scintillator sheet, an optical microscope, and an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device camera. Then, we designed and applied a setup to measure a plutonium dioxide particle and identify the locations of the individual alpha particles in real time. Employing a Gaussian fitting, we evaluated the average spatial resolution of the multiple alpha particles was evaluated to be 16.2 umFWHM with a zoom range of 5 x. Also, the spatial resolution for the plutonium dioxide particle was 302.7 umFWHM due to the distance between the plutonium dioxide particle and the ZnS(Ag) scintillator. The influence of beta particles was negligible, and alpha particles were discernible in the alpha-beta particle contamination. The equivalent volume diameter of the plutonium dioxide particle was calculated from the measured count rate. These results indicate that the developed alpha imager is effective in the plutonium dioxide particle measurements at the working sites of nuclear facilities for internal exposure dose evaluation.