Neutron/-ray discrimination based on the property and thickness controls of scintillators using Li glass and LiCAF(Ce) in a -ray field

Kaburagi, Masaaki; Shimazoe, Kenji*; Terasaka, Yuta; Tomita, Hideki*; Yoshihashi, Sachiko*; Yamazaki, Atsushi*; Uritani, Akira*; Takahashi, Hiroyuki*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1046, p.167636_1 - 167636_8, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167636

We focus on the thickness and property controls of inorganic scintillators used for thermal neutron detection in intense -ray fields without considering pulse shape discrimination techniques. GS20 (a lithium glass) and LiCaAlF:Ce(LiCAF:Ce) cintillators with thicknesses of 0.5 and 1.0 mm, respectively, have been employed. Pulse signals generated by photomultiplier tubes, to which the scintillators were coupled, were inserted into a digital pulse processing unit with 1 Gsps, and the areas of waveforms were integrated for 360 ns. In a Co -ray field, the neutron detection for GS20 with a 0.5-mm thickness was possible at dose rates of up to 0.919 Gy/h; however, for LiCAF:Ce, neutron detection was possible at 0.473 Gy/h, and it failed at 0.709 Gy/h. Threfore, in a Co -ray field, the neutron/-ray discrimination of GS20 was better than that of LiCAF:Ce due to its better energy resolution and higher detection efficiency.

Monitoring technique for detection of nuclear and radioactive materials on major public events

Mochimaru, Takanori*; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Takahashi, Tone; Hironaka, Kota; Kimura, Yoshiki; Sato, Yuki; Terasaka, Yuta; Yamanishi, Hirokuni*; Wakabayashi, Genichiro*

Dai-42-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2021/11

no abstracts in English

Proposal of maintenance rationalization for next-generation fast reactors based on the analysis of the prolonged maintenance of the prototype fast-breeder reactor in Japan, "Monju", 2; Analysis of maintenance plan of "Monju" in reactor cold shutdown

Toyota, Kodai; Hashidate, Ryuta; Takahashi, Keita; Yada, Hiroki; Takaya, Shigeru

Hozengaku, 20(2), p.95 - 103, 2021/07

U-Pb ages of zircons from metamorphic rocks in the upper sequence of the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, Japan; Identification of two metamorphic events and implications for regional tectonics

Takahashi, Yutaka*; Mikoshiba, Masumi*; Shimura, Toshiaki*; Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Iwano, Hideki*; Danhara, Toru*; Hirata, Takafumi*

Island Arc, 30(1), p.e12393_1 - e12393_15, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1111/iar.12393

The Hidaka metamorphic belt is an excellent example of island-arc-type crust, and in this belt the metamorphic grade increases westwards from unmetamorphosed sediment up to the granulite facies. The metamorphic age of the belt had previously been considered to be ca. 55 Ma. However, zircons from the granulites in the lower sequence have given U-Pb ages of ca. 21-19 Ma and a preliminary report on zircons from pelitic gneiss in the upper sequence gave a U-Pb age of ca. 40 Ma. In this paper we provide new U-Pb ages for zircons from the pelitic gneisses in the upper sequence in order to assess the metamorphic age and also the maximum depositional age of the sedimentary protolith. The weighted mean Pb/U ages and 2 sigma errors for zircons from biotite gneiss in the central area of the belt are 39.6 0.9 Ma for metamorphic overgrowth rims and 53.1 0.9 Ma for the youngest inherited detrital cores. The ages of zircons from cordierite-biotite gneiss in the southern area are 35.9 0.7 Ma for overgrowth rims and 46.5 2.8 Ma for the youngest detrital cores. These results indicate that the metamorphism of the upper sequence took place at ca. 40-36 Ma, and that the sedimentary protolith was deposited after ca. 53-47 Ma. These metamorphic ages are consistent with the reported ages of ca. 37-36 Ma plutonic rocks in the upper sequence, but contrast with the ca. 21-19 Ma ages of metamorphic and plutonic rocks in the lower sequence. Therefore, we conclude, that the upper and lower metamorphic sequences developed independently but became coupled before ca. 19 Ma as a result of dextral reverse tectonic movements, as indicated by the intrusion of ca. 19-18 Ma magmas, possibly generated in the lower sequence, into the upper sequence.

A Cubic CeBr gamma-ray spectrometer suitable for the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Kaburagi, Masaaki; Shimazoe, Kenji*; Otaka, Yutaka*; Uenomachi, Mizuki*; Kamada, Kei*; Kim, K. J.*; Yoshino, Masao*; Shoji, Yasuhiro*; Yoshikawa, Akira*; Takahashi, Hiroyuki*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 971, p.164118_1 - 164118_8, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2020.164118

Cryogenic sample environments shared at the MLF, J-PARC

Kawamura, Seiko; Takahashi, Ryuta*; Ishikado, Motoyuki*; Yamauchi, Yasuhiro*; Nakamura, Masatoshi*; Ouchi, Keiichi*; Kira, Hiroshi*; Kambara, Wataru*; Aoyama, Kazuhiro*; Sakaguchi, Yoshifumi*; et al.

Journal of Neutron Research, 21(1-2), p.17 - 22, 2019/05

https://doi.org/10.3233/JNR-190106

The Cryogenics and Magnets group in the Sample Environment team is responsible for operation of cryostats and magnets for user's experiments at the MLF in J-PARC. We have introduced a top-loading He cryostat, a bottom-loading He cryostat, a dilution refrigerator insert and a superconducting magnet. The frequency of use of them dramatically becomes higher in these two years, as the beam power and the number of proposal increase. To respond such situation, we have made efforts to enhance performance of these equipment as follows. The He cryostat originally involves an operation software for automatic initial cooling down to the base temperature and automatic re-charge of He. Recently we made an additional program for automatic temperature control with only the sorb heater. Last year, a new outer vacuum chamber of the magnet with an oscillating radial collimator (ORC) was fabricated. The data quality was drastically improved by introducing this ORC so that the magnet can be used even for the inelastic neutron scattering experiments.

Study on use of superconducting magnet and first inelastic neutron scattering experiment under magnetic field at 4SEASONS spectrometer

Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Ishikado, Motoyuki*; Kira, Hiroshi*; Kaneko, Koji; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Kamazawa, Kazuya*; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Ikeuchi, Kazuhiko*; Iida, Kazuki*; Murai, Naoki; et al.

Physica B; Condensed Matter, 556, p.26 - 30, 2019/03

BB2018-0570.pdf:2.17MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2018.11.065

Anomaly of structural relaxation in complex liquid metal of bismuth; Dynamic correlation function of coherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering

Kawakita, Yukinobu; Kikuchi, Tatsuya*; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Tahara, Shuta*; Maruyama, Kenji*; Hanashima, Takayasu*; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Kiyanagi, Ryoji; Yamauchi, Yasuhiro*; Chiba, Kaori*; et al.

Physica B; Condensed Matter, 551, p.291 - 296, 2018/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2017.12.037

There are elemental liquid metals with complex structures far from the hard sphere (HS) packing model. Liquid Bi has an asymmetric first peak in the structure factors S(Q). The pair distribution function g(r) exhibits strange distance ratio of 1:2 between the first and the second peaks. Since a HS model with two kinds of radius produces asymmetry of the main peak in S(Q), existence of short-lived covalent bonds was discussed. Contrarily, modulation of the atomic distribution by the Friedel oscillations of shielding electrons around metallic ions was discussed. To examine its bonding nature from viewpoints of dynamic correlation functions, we have measured neutron quasielastic scattering of liquid Bi by using cold disk chopper spectrometer installed at MLF of J-PARC. The van Hove function revealed that the shoulder structure located at a longer side of the first peak in g(r) exhibits a longer relaxation time than the main structures such as the first and second peaks.

Sample environment at the J-PARC MLF

Kawamura, Seiko; Oku, Takayuki; Watanabe, Masao; Takahashi, Ryuta; Munakata, Koji*; Takata, Shinichi; Sakaguchi, Yoshifumi*; Ishikado, Motoyuki*; Ouchi, Keiichi*; Hattori, Takanori; et al.

Journal of Neutron Research, 19(1-2), p.15 - 22, 2017/11

https://doi.org/10.3233/JNR-170046

Sample environment (SE) team at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) in J-PARC has worked on development and operation of SE equipment and devices. All the members belong to one sub-team at least, such as Cryogenic and magnet, High temperature, High pressure, Soft matter and special environment including Pulse magnet, Hydrogen environment, Light irradiation and He spin filter. Cryostats, a magnet, furnaces, a VX-6-type Paris-Edinburgh press and a prototype of a Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping (SEOP) based He spin filter for polarized neutron beam experiments are in operation. Furthermore, a prototype of compact power supply for a pulsed magnet system is currently developed. In the J-PARC Research Building, several pieces of equipment for softmatter research such as a rheometer and a gas and vapor adsorption measurement instrument have been prepared.

Current status of a decommissioning project in the Enrichment Engineering Facility; Results in the second-half of the fiscal year of 2014

Matsumoto, Takashi; Takahashi, Nobuo; Hayashibara, Kenichi; Ishimori, Yuu; Mita, Yutaka; Kakiya, Hideyoshi

JAEA-Technology 2016-020, 80 Pages, 2016/11

JAEA-Technology-2016-020.pdf:17.8MB

The Enrichment Engineering Facility of the Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center was constructed in order to establish the technological basis of plant engineering for uranium enrichment in Japan. Uranium enrichment tests, using natural and reprocessed uranium, were carried out from 1979 to 1989 with two types of centrifuges in the facility. According to the decommissioning plan of the facility, UF handling equipment and supplemental equipment in these plants are intended to be dismantled by 2019 in order to make vacant spaces for future projects use, for example, inventory investigation, precipitation treatment, etc. This report shows the current state of the decommissioning project in the second-half of the fiscal year of 2014.