Neutron total and capture cross-section measurements of Gd and Gd in the thermal energy region with the Li-glass detectors and NaI(Tl) spectrometer installed in J-PARCMLFANNRI

木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 遠藤 駿典; Rovira Leveroni, G.; 岩本 修; 岩本 信之; 原田 秀郎; 片渕 竜也*; 寺田 和司*; 堀 順一*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(6), p.678 - 696, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2134224

Neutron total and capture cross-section measurements of Gd and Gd were performed in the ANNRI at the MLF of the J-PARC. The neutron total cross sections were determined in the energy region from 5 to 100 meV. At the thermal neutron energy, the total cross sections were obtained to be 59.41.7 and 251.94.6 kilobarn for Gd and Gd, respectively. The neutron capture cross sections were determined in the energy region from 3.5 to 100 meV with an innovative method by taking the ratio of the detected capture event rate between thin and thick samples. At the thermal energy, the capture cross sections were obtained as 59.02.5 and 247.43.9 kilobarn for Gd and Gd, respectively. The present total and capture cross sections agree well within the standard deviations. The results for Gd were found to be consistent with the values in JENDL-4.0 and the experimental data given by Mastromarco et al. and Leinweber et al. within one standard deviation. Moreover, the present results for Gd agreed with the evaluated data in JENDL-4.0 and the experimental data by Mller et al. within one standard deviation and agreed with the data by Mastromarco et al. within 1.4 standard deviations. However, they disagree (11% larger) with the experimental result by Leinweber et al.

Fast-neutron capture cross section data measurement of minor actinides for development of nuclear transmutation systems

片渕 竜也*; 岩本 修; 堀 順一*; 木村 敦; 岩本 信之; 中村 詔司; Rovira Leveroni, G.; 遠藤 駿典; 芝原 雄司*; 寺田 和司*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 281, p.00014_1 - 00014_4, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202328100014

Long-lived minor actinides (MA) in nuclear waste from nuclear power plants are a long-standing issue to continue nuclear energy production. To solve the issue, researchers have suggested nuclear transmutation, in which long-lived radionuclides are transmuted into stable or shorter-life nuclides via neutron-induced nuclear reactions. Development of nuclear transmutation systems as an accelerator-driven system requires accurate neutron nuclear reaction data. The present research project entitled "Study on accuracy improvement of fast-neutron capture reaction data of long-lived MAs for development of nuclear transmutation systems" have been conducted as a joint collaboration, including Tokyo Tech, Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Kyoto University. This project focuses on the neutron capture reaction of MAs, especially Np, Am and Am, in the fast neutron energy region. The final goal of this project is to improve the accuracies of the neutron capture cross sections of Np, Am and Am employing a high-intensity neutron beam from a spallation source of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) that reduces uncertainties of measurement. To achieve the goal, a neutron beam filter system in J-PARC, sample characteristic assay, and theoretical reaction model study were developed. In this contribution, the overview and results of the project will be presented.

Neutron filtering system for fast neutron cross-section measurement at ANNRI

Rovira Leveroni, G.; 岩本 修; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 岩本 信之; 遠藤 駿典; 片渕 竜也*; 寺田 和司*; 児玉 有*; 中野 秀仁*; et al.

JAEA-Conf 2021-001, p.156 - 161, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2021-001

A neutron filtering system has been designed in order to bypass the double-timed structure of the beam. Filter materials were introduced into the rotary collimator of the ANNRI beamline in order to produce quasi-monoenergetic neutron filtered beams. Filter assemblies consisting of Fe with a thickness of 20 cm, and Si with thicknesses of 20 cm and 30 cm of Si were used separately to produce filtered neutron peaks with energies of 24 keV (Fe) and of 54 and 144 (Si). In this study, the characteristics and performance of the neutron filtering system at ANNRI using Fe and Si determined from both measurements and simulations are presented. The incident neutron flux was tested and analyzed by means of transmission and capture experiments. Moreover, simulations using the PHITS code were performed in order to determine the energy distribution of the integrated filtered peaks and assess the reliability of experimental results. Finally, preliminary results of the capture cross section of Au at the filtered energies of 24, 54 and 144 keV are also presented using the NaI(Tl) spectrometer alongside the neutron filtering system.

Measurements of the neutron capture cross section of Am around 23.5 keV

児玉 有*; 片渕 竜也*; Rovira Leveroni, G.; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 遠藤 駿典; 岩本 信之; 岩本 修; 堀 順一*; 芝原 雄司*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(11), p.1159 - 1164, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1943557

The neutron capture cross section of Am was measured with a pulsed neutron beam from a spallation neutron source of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. A Fe neutron beam filter was used to make the incident neutron beam mono-energetic around 23.5 keV. The neutron capture -rays were detected with a NaI(Tl) detector. The pulse height weighting technique was employed to derive the neutron capture cross section from the pulse height spectrum. The cross section was determined relative to the capture cross section of Au of JENDL-4.0. The neutron capture cross section of Am was determined with a smaller uncertainty than previous measurements. The previous measurements and the JENDL-4.0 cross sections were found to be lower than the present result.

Neutron capture cross section measurement of minor actinides in fast neutron energy region for study on nuclear transmutation system

片渕 竜也*; 堀 順一*; 岩本 信之; 岩本 修; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 芝原 雄司*; 寺田 和司*; 登坂 健一*; 遠藤 駿典; et al.

JAEA-Conf 2020-001, p.5 - 9, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2020-001

A research project entitled "Study on accuracy improvement of fast-neutron capture reaction data of long-lived MAs for development of nuclear transmutation systems" has been ongoing since 2017. The project aims at improving accuracy of neutron capture cross sections of long-lived minor actinides (MAs; Np and Am) in the fast neutron energy region which are very important for development of nuclear transmutation systems. In order to improve the capture reaction data of MAs, measurements using an intense pulsed neutron beam from a spallation neutron source of J-PARC are planned. The project consists of four parts: (1) development of neutron beam filter system, (2) cross section measurement, (3) sample characteristic assay, and (4) theoretical study. The filter system is designed to solve a double bunch issue in J-PARC. The sample characteristic assay lowers systematic uncertainties originating the samples. In the theoretical study, a nuclear reaction model is applied to analyzing cross sections and -ray spectra measured in experiments. The outline of the project and the current progress will be presented.

Neutron capture cross-section measurement and resolved resonance analysis of Np

Rovira, G.*; 片渕 竜也*; 登坂 健一*; 松浦 翔太*; 寺田 和司*; 岩本 修; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 岩本 信之; 瀬川 麻里子; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(1), p.24 - 39, 2020/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1651231

The neutron capture cross-section of Np has been measured in the neutron energy region of 10 meV to 500 eV. A neutron time-of-flight method was employed using the NaI(Tl) spectrometer in the ANNRI beam-line at the Japanese Proton Accelerator Re-search Complex (J-PARC). The experimental capture yield was derived using the pulse-height weighting technique and an energy dependent cross-section was obtained relative to the incident neutron spectrum derived from a B(n, )Li reaction yield. The absolute cross-section was determined by normalizing the results to JENDL-4.0 cross-section data at the first resonance of Np. The thermal cross-section was measured to be 177.6 3.8 b. The resolved resonance region was analyzed with the REFIT code.

Measurements of the Am neutron capture and total cross sections with ANNRI at J-PARC

木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 寺田 和司*; 中尾 太郎*; 水山 一仁*; 岩本 信之; 岩本 修; 原田 秀郎; 片渕 竜也*; 井頭 政之*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(6), p.479 - 492, 2019/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1598508

Neutron total and capture cross sections of Am have been measured in Accurate Neutron Nucleus Reaction measurement Instrument at Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility of Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex with a neutron TOF method. The neutron capture cross section in the energy region from 10 meV to 100 eV was determined using an array of Ge detectors. Three samples with different activities were used for measurements of the capture cross section. The neutron total cross section in the energy region from 4 meV to 100 eV was measured using Li-glass detectors. Derived cross-section value at neutron energy of 0.0253 eV is 87.75.4 b for the capture cross section and 10111 b for the total cross section.

Measurements of neutron total and capture cross sections of Am with ANNRI at J-PARC

寺田 和司*; 木村 敦; 中尾 太郎*; 中村 詔司; 水山 一仁*; 岩本 信之; 岩本 修; 原田 秀郎; 片渕 竜也*; 井頭 政之*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(10), p.1198 - 1211, 2018/10

AA2017-0628.pdf:2.06MB

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1485519

Neutron total and capture cross sections of Am have been measured with a new data acquisition system and a new neutron transmission measurement system installed in Accurate Neutron Nucleus Reaction measurement Instrument (ANNRI) at Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The neutron total cross sections of Am were determined by using a neutron time-of-flight method in the neutron energy region from 4 meV to 2 eV. The thermal total cross section of Am was derived with an uncertainty of 2.9%. A pulse-height weighting technique was applied to determine neutron capture yields of Am. The neutron capture cross sections were determined by the time-of-flight method in the neutron energy region from the thermal to 100 eV, and the thermal capture cross section was obtained with an uncertainty of 4.1%. The evaluation data of JENDL-4.0 and JEFF-3.2 were compared with the present results.

Technical developments for accurate determination of amount of samples used for TOF measurements

寺田 和司; 中尾 太郎; 中村 詔司; 木村 敦; 岩本 修; 原田 秀郎; 高宮 幸一*; 堀 順一*

EPJ Web of Conferences, 146, p.03019_1 - 03019_4, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714603019

革新炉や核変換処理の研究開発のため、高精度なマイナーアクチニド(MA)の中性子捕獲断面積が求められている。しかし、現状の精度と要求される精度の間には倍以上の隔たりがある。そこで、MAの断面積精度向上を目的として「マイナーアクチニドの中性子核データ精度向上に係る研究開発」が進められている。精度の良い断面積を得るためには、測定に用いるMA試料のサンプル量を正確に決めることが必要不可欠である。そのため、本プロジェクトの研究課題の一つとして、線分光法とカロリーメーターを用いた熱測定という2つの異なる手法を用いてサンプル量の高精度決定のための技術開発を進めている。線分光法では、サンプルからの崩壊線測定による定量精度向上のために、MAの崩壊線の高精度測定を実施し、線放出率を2%以下の精度で決定した。カロリーメーターを用いた熱測定では、MAのQ値が精度よく分かっているため崩壊熱を精密に測定することでMAの放射能値を決定することができる。本発表では、これら2つの手法の開発及び得られた結果について発表する。

Research and development for accuracy improvement of neutron nuclear data on minor actinides

原田 秀郎; 岩本 修; 岩本 信之; 木村 敦; 寺田 和司; 中尾 太郎; 中村 詔司; 水山 一仁; 井頭 政之*; 片渕 竜也*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 146, p.11001_1 - 11001_6, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714611001

A nuclear data project entitled Research and development for Accuracy Improvement of neutron nuclear data on Minor ACtinides (AIMAC) is being performed in Japan. The objective of the project is to improve accuracy of neutron nuclear data for minor actinides and some fission products, which is required for developing innovative nuclear system transmuting these nuclei. Following research items have been conducted to achieve the objective: (1) Measurements of thermal neutron capture cross-sections by activation methods, (2) High-precision quantifications of shielded sample amounts used for TOF measurement, (3) Resonance parameter determinations at J-PARC/ANNRI and KURRI/LINAC, (4) Extension of capture cross sections to high energy neutrons at J-PARC/ANNRI, (5) High quality evaluation based on iterative communication with experimenters. The achievement of the project is presented.