Effect of heavy element on magneto-transport properties in magnetic FeCoNiCuPd high-entropy alloy thin films

Suzuki, Kazuya; Kubota, Takahide*; Takanashi, Koki

APL Materials (Internet), 13(10), p.101108_1 - 101108_6, 2025/10

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0275093

The structural, magnetic, and magneto-transport properties of ferromagnetic FeCoNiCuPd high-entropy alloy (HEA) thin films were investigated to assess the role of the heavy element Pd in magneto-transport. The FeCoNiCuPd films with varying composition ratios of Cu and Pd were fabricated by a co-sputtering process at ambient temperature, and the resulting films exhibited a face-centered cubic structure with a homogenous single phase. All the films exhibited ferromagnetic hysteresis curves with soft magnetic behavior at room temperature. The dependence of the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect and anomalous Hall effect on Pd suggests that heavy metals with large spin-orbit interactions play an important role in the magneto-transport of magnetic HEAs. This finding will facilitate the understanding of the magneto-transport phenomenon in magnetic HEAs for future spintronic materials.

Validation study on SFR core bowing codes using Joyo ex-core experiment data; Single duct bowing benchmark

Ohgama, Kazuya; Doda, Norihiro; Ota, Hirokazu*; Wozniak, N.*; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Futagami, Satoshi; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa; Ogata, Takanari*; Shemon, E.*; et al.

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 8, p.160 - 164, 2025/09

https://doi.org/10.15669/pnst.8.160

To enhance the accuracy of the safety evaluations for sodium-cooled fast reactors, it is necessary to develop a method that can realistically evaluate the reactivity changes induced by core deformation. In this context, Japan and the United States jointly conducted a benchmark analysis of thermal bowing experiments using a single duct from a Joyo-type fuel assembly. The aim was to confirm the validity of the core bowing analysis codes. Comparisons of analysis and experimental results demonstrated that the codes used by both countries were able to reasonably predict the axial distribution of horizontal duct displacement caused by thermal bowing as well as the contact load on the duct pad.

Biofilm formation on excavation damaged zone fractures in deep neogene sedimentary rock

Hirota, Akinari*; Kozuka, Mariko*; Fukuda, Akari*; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Sakuma, Keisuke; Ozaki, Yusuke; Ishii, Eiichi; Suzuki, Yohei*

Microbial Ecology, 87, p.132_1 - 132_15, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-024-02451-7

Deep underground galleries are used to access the deep biosphere in addition to mining and other engineering applications such as geological disposal of radioactive wastes. Fracture networks developed in the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) are concerned to accelerate mass transport, where microbial colonization might be possible due to the availability of space and nutrients. In this study, microbial biofilms at EDZ fractures were investigated by drilling from a 350-m deep gallery and subsequent borehole logging at the Horonobe underground research laboratory (URL). By using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, the dense colonization of microbial cells was demonstrated at the surfaces of the EDZ fractures with high hydraulic conductivities. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed the dominance of gammaproteobacterial lineages, the cultivated members of which are aerobic methanotrophs. Near-complete Horonobe groundwater genomes affiliated within the methanotrophic lineages were fully equipped with genes involved in aerobic methanotrophy. Although the mediation of aerobic methanotrophy remains to be demonstrated, microbial O production was supported by the presence of genes in the near-complete genomes, such as catalase and superoxide dismutase that produce O from reactive oxygen species and a nitric oxide reductase gene with the substitutions of amino acids in motifs. It is concluded that the EDZ fractures provide energetically favorable subsurface habitats to microorganisms.

Validation study on SFR core bowing codes using Joyo ex-core experiment data; Single duct bowing benchmark

Ohgama, Kazuya; Doda, Norihiro; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Futagami, Satoshi; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa; Ota, Hirokazu*; Ogata, Takanari*; Wozniak, N.*; Shemon, E.*; et al.

Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Fuel Cycle (GLOBAL2024) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2024/10

To enhance the accuracy of the safety evaluations in sodium-cooled fast reactors, it is necessary to develop a method to realistically evaluate the reactivity caused by core deformation. In this regard, Japan and the United States jointly conducted a benchmark analysis of thermal bowing experiments of a single duct of Joyo-type fuel assembly. The aim was to confirm the validity of the core bowing analysis codes. Comparisons of analysis and test results revealed that the core bowing analysis codes used by both countries were able to reasonably predict the axial distribution of horizontal duct displacement of a single duct due to thermal bowing and the contact load on the duct pad.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

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

https://shop.elsevier.com/books/sodium-cooled-fast-reactors/morishita/978-0-12-824076-2

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.

Dynamics of radiocaesium within forests in Fukushima; Results and analysis of a model inter-comparison

Hashimoto, Shoji*; Tanaka, Taku*; Komatsu, Masabumi*; Gonze, M.-A.*; Sakashita, Wataru*; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Nishina, Kazuya*; Ota, Masakazu; Ohashi, Shinta*; Calmon, P.*; et al.

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 238-239, p.106721_1 - 106721_10, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106721

This study was aimed at analysing performance of models for radiocesium migration mainly in evergreen coniferous forest in Fukushima, by inter-comparison between models of several research teams. The exercise included two scenarios of countermeasures against the contamination, namely removal of soil surface litter and forest renewal, and a specific konara oak forest scenario in addition to the evergreen forest scenario. All the models reproduced trend of time evolution of radiocesium inventories and concentrations in each of the components in forest such as leaf and organic soil layer. However, the variations between models enlarged in long-term predictions over 50 years after the fallout, meaning continuous field monitoring and model verification/validation is necessary.

Verification of detailed core-bowing analysis code ARKAS_cellule with IAEA benchmark problems

Ota, Hirokazu*; Ohgama, Kazuya; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.30 - 39, 2019/09

A Design study on a mixed oxide fuel sodium-cooled fast reactor core partially loading highly concentrated MA-containing metal fuel

Ohgama, Kazuya; Ota, Hirokazu*; Oki, Shigeo; Iizuka, Masatoshi*

Proceedings of 2019 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2019) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2019/05

High stereographic resolution texture and residual stress evaluation using time-of-flight neutron diffraction

Xu, P. G.; Harjo, S.; Ojima, Mayumi*; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Ito, Takayoshi*; Gong, W.; Vogel, S. C.*; Inoue, Junya*; Tomota, Yo*; Aizawa, Kazuya; et al.

Journal of Applied Crystallography, 51(3), p.746 - 760, 2018/06

AA2018-0163.pdf:3.0MB

https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600576718004004

SAS4A analysis study on the initiating phase of ATWS events for generation-IV loop-type SFR

Kubota, Ryuzaburo; Koyama, Kazuya*; Moriwaki, Hiroyuki*; Yamada, Yumi*; Shimakawa, Yoshio*; Suzuki, Toru; Kawada, Kenichi; Kubo, Shigenobu; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 10 Pages, 2017/04

This paper describes an analysis study on the initiating phase of the ATWS events with SAS4A in order to confirm the appropriateness of the core design for the medium-scale SFR (750MWe-1765MWt). Not using a conventional lumping method that multiple fuel sub-assemblies having a similar characteristic were assigned to one channel (representing fuel assembly in SAS4A), each channel represents only the sub-assemblies of identical operating condition. In addition, the detailed power and reactivity distribution were set reflecting the change of insertion position of control rods. Applying these detailed analysis conditions, the SAS4A analyses were performed for unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) and unprotected transient overpower (UTOP) during both of the nominal power and the partial power operation. As a result, more proper event progression including incoherency of events especially fuel dispersion after fuel failure was successfully evaluated and then this analysis study suggested that the power excursion with prompt criticality leading to large mechanical energy release can be prevented in the initiating phase of the current design.