Conceptual design of pilot ADS

Nishihara, Kenji; Fukushima, Masahiro; Abe, Takumi; Katano, Ryota; Yee-Rendon, B.; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Sugawara, Takanori; Obayashi, Hironari; Saito, Shigeru

JAEA-Research 2025-013, 125 Pages, 2026/03

JAEA-Research-2025-013.pdf:4.68MB

A conceptual design for a pilot Accelerator Driven subcritical System (ADS) was developed as a precursor to a commercial ADS aimed at partitioning and transmutation of minor actinides. The output of the pilot ADS was set at 200 MW. Based on safety assessment results, the design incorporates deep subcriticality and safety rods. Core design, accelerator design, target design, and in-vessel equipment design were performed, clarifying the specific concept.

Lyotropic polymer liquid crystal coating; Enabling lamellar ion-conduction pathways for superior C-Rate performance in NCM523 cathodes

Marium, M.*; Aoki, Kentaro*; He, Y.*; Yamamoto, Katsuhiro*; Suwansoontorn, A.*; Ikuta, Seiya*; Hara, Mitsuo*; Nagano, Shusaku*; Nagao, Yuki*; Nishikawa, Kei*; et al.

ACS Applied Energy Materials (Internet), 8(22), p.16589 - 16600, 2025/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.5c02323

Conceptual study of J-PARC Proton Beam Irradiation Facility

Meigo, Shinichiro; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Sugihara, Kenta*; Hirano, Yukinori*; Tsutsumi, Kazuyoshi*; Saito, Shigeru; Maekawa, Fujio

JAEA-Technology 2024-026, 123 Pages, 2025/03

JAEA-Technology-2024-026.pdf:14.22MB

Based on the design of the ADS Target Test Facility (TEF-T) at the J-PARC Transmutation Experimental Facility, a conceptual study was conducted on the J-PARC proton beam irradiation facility. This research was carried out based on the recommendations of the Nuclear Transmutation Technology Evaluation Task Force of the MEXT. The recommendations state that it is desirable to consider facility specifications that can make the most of the benefits of using the existing J-PARC proton accelerator while also solving the engineering issues of the ADS. We considered facilities that could respond to a variety of needs while reducing the facilities that were not needed in the TEF-T design. In order to clarify these diverse needs, we investigated the usage status of representative accelerator facilities around the world. As a result, it became clear that the main purposes of these facilities were (1) Material irradiation, (2) Soft error testing of semiconductor devices using spallation neutrons, (3) Production of RI for medical use, and (4) Proton beam use, and we investigated the facilities necessary for these purposes. In considering the facility concept, we assumed a user community in 2022 and reflected user opinions in the facility design. This report summarizes the results of the conceptual study of the proton irradiation facility, various needs and responses to them, the roadmap for facility construction, and future issues.

Spatial distributions of low-temperature thermochronometric data in Shikoku mountains and these interpretations

Fukuda, Shoma; Okamoto, Akira*; Kohn, B.*; Shinjo, Hironao*; Sueoka, Shigeru; Tagami, Takahiro*

Fuisshon, Torakku Nyusureta, (37), p.8 - 10, 2024/12

The Shikoku Mountains are a non-volcanic uplift zone parallel to the subduction zone of the Philippine Sea Plate, and elucidation of its mountain building process is expected to contribute to constraining the long-term strain accumulation and release mechanism in the Nankai Trough. In this study, we attempted thermochronological analysis of nine granitoids of the Permian to Miocene age in the Shikoku Mountains using apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He (AHe, ZHe) and apatite fission-track (AFT) methods, which can provide thermal and exhumation history in the shallower crust (2 to 6 km depth). AHe and ZHe dating was conducted at the University of Melbourne, and AFT dating at the Tono Geoscience Center. AHe ages for eight samples ranged from about 55 to 7 Ma, AFT ages for five samples ranged from about 90 to 70 Ma, and ZHe ages for nine samples ranged from about 200 to 70 Ma. These data showed a consistent relationship considering the closure temperature of each method. They are also generally consistent with previously reported ZFT ages, biotite K-Ar ages, and AHe, AFT, and ZHe ages.

Application of transition-edge sensors for micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy; a case study of uranium speciation in biotite obtained from a uranium mine

Yomogida, Takumi; Hashimoto, Tadashi; Okumura, Takuma*; Yamada, Shinya*; Tatsuno, Hideyuki*; Noda, Hirofumi*; Hayakawa, Ryota*; Okada, Shinji*; Takatori, Sayuri*; Isobe, Tadaaki*; et al.

Analyst, 149(10), p.2932 - 2941, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1039/D4AN00059E

In this study, we successfully applied a transition-edge sensor (TES) spectrometer as a detector for microbeam X-ray measurements from a synchrotron X-ray light source to determine uranium (U) distribution at the micro-scale and its chemical species in biotite obtained from the U mine. It is difficult to separate the fluorescent X-ray of the U L line at 13.615 keV from that of the Rb K line at 13.395 keV in the X-ray fluorescence spectrum with an energy resolution of approximately 220 eV of the conventional silicon drift detector (SDD). Meanwhile, the fluorescent X-rays of U L and Rb K were fully separated by TES with 50 eV energy resolution at the energy of around 13 keV. The successful peak separation by TES led to an accurate mapping analysis of trace U in micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and a decrease in the signal-to-background ratio in micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy.

Discovery of Early Paleocene (Danian) tuff from the Yezo Group in the Yubari area, Hokkaido, Northeast Japan

Kubomi, Ko*; Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Ota, Hiroto*; Miyata, Kazunori*; Oto, Shigeru*

Chishitsugaku Zasshi (Internet), 129(1), p.453 - 460, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.5575/geosoc.2023.0011

The Hakobuchi Formation in Hokkaido, NE Japan, consists of marine to terrestrial clastic rocks of the uppermost part of the Yezo Group, was previously interpreted to range from Early Campanian to Late Paleocene age, with a hiatus near the K/Pg boundary. No definitive evidence of the depositional age indicating Lower Paleocene (Danian) has been reported from the formation so far. We reported the LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb dates of a tuff layer of the Hakobuchi Formation in the Yubari area. The weighted average date of the youngest cluster was 64.1 1.1 Ma (2), suggesting the depositional age of the formation is Danian. The result is the first radiometric evidence indicating that the Hakobuchi Formation, at least partly, is correlated with the Danian, and is essential to discuss the depositional age of the Hakobuchi Formation and geochronology of the Yezo Group.

Geochronological study of the Atokura Formation and contact igneous rocks in Shimonita-machi, Gunma Prefecture, central Japan

Bando, Koki*; Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Asahara, Yoshihiro*; Ishizaki, Yasuo*; Oto, Shigeru*

Shimonitamachi Shizenshikan Kenkyu Hokoku, (8), p.33 - 53, 2023/03

We studied the geochronology and geochemistry of the Cretaceous Atokura Formation called Atokura nappe and intrusive rocks in Shimonita, Gunma Prefecture. The depositional age of the Atokura Formation has not been determined whether it was the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) or Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Campanian). The youngest cluster dates obtained from 4 sandstone samples of the Atokura Formation are 182.8 Ma, 129.8 Ma, 123.7 Ma, and 115.1 Ma. Zircons from igneous rocks in the Atokura Formation yielded U-Pb ages of 123.2 Ma, and their zircons show Hf(t)=3.0 to 3.8. The depositional age of the Atokura Formation generally supported the Barremian, but younger zircon U-Pb date was obtained from one sample. The intrusive rocks are similar to the U-Pb dates and Hf isotopes of zircons obtained from Kitakami or Abukuma granitoids in NE Japan.

Attempts to detect thermal anomalies associated with slab-derived fluid activities based on low-temperature thermochronology

Sueoka, Shigeru; Iwano, Hideki*; Danhara, Toru*; Okamoto, Akira*; Tagami, Takahiro*

Fuisshon, Torakku Nyusureta, (35), p.1 - 4, 2022/12

no abstracts in English

Hybrid process combining solvent extraction / low pressure loss extraction chromatography for a reasonable MA(III) recovery process

Sano, Yuichi; Sakamoto, Atsushi; Miyazaki, Yasunori; Watanabe, So; Morita, Keisuke; Emori, Tatsuya; Ban, Yasutoshi; Arai, Tsuyoshi*; Nakatani, Kiyoharu*; Matsuura, Haruaki*; et al.

Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Fuel Cycle; Sustainable Energy Beyond the Pandemic (GLOBAL 2022) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2022/07

We developed a hybrid MA(III) recovery process combining MA(III)+Ln(III) co-recovery flowsheet by solvent extraction with TBP and MA(III)/Ln(III) separation flowsheet by simulated moving bed chromatography using HONTA impregnated adsorbents with large particle size porous silica support.

Fe, Mn and U accumulations in naturally growing at the mill tailings pond; Iron plaque formation possibly related to root-endophytic bacteria producing siderophores

Nakamoto, Yukihiro*; Doyama, Kohei*; Haruma, Toshikatsu*; Lu, X.*; Tanaka, Kazuya; Kozai, Naofumi; Fukuyama, Kenjin; Fukushima, Shigeru; Ohara, Yoshiyuki; Yamaji, Keiko*

Minerals (Internet), 11(12), p.1337_1 - 1337_17, 2021/12

AA2021-0764.pdf:3.94MB

https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121337

Mine drainage is a vital water problem in the mining industry worldwide because of the heavy metal elements and low pH. Rhizofiltration using wetland plants is an appropriate method to remove heavy metals from the water via accumulation in the rhizosphere. is one of the candidate plants for this method because of metal accumulation, forming iron plaque around the roots. At the study site, which was the mill tailings pond in the Ningyo-toge uranium mine, has been naturally growing since 1998. The results showed that accumulated Fe, Mn, and U in the nodal roots without/with iron plaque compared with other plant tissues. Among the 837 bacterial colonies isolated from nodal roots, 88.6% showed siderophore production activities. Considering iron plaque formation around roots, we hypothesized that microbial siderophores might influence iron plaque formation because bacterial siderophores have catechol-like functional groups. The complex of catechol or other phenolics with Fe was precipitated due to the networks between Fe and phenolic derivatives. The experiment using bacterial products of root endophytes, such as spp. and spp., showed precipitation with Fe ions, and we confirmed that several spp. and spp. produced unidentified phenolic compounds. In conclusion, root-endophytic bacteria such as spp. and spp., isolated from metal-accumulating roots of , might influence iron plaque formation as the metal accumulation site. Iron plaque formation is related to tolerance in , and spp. and spp. might indirectly contribute to tolerance.