Benchmark analyses of criticality calculation on SCALE 6.2.3 code system

Okamoto, Naritoshi; Komeno, Akira; Seya, Atsumasa; Inaba, Hideki*; Terakado, Shinichi*; Higuchi, Masashi*

JAEA-Data/Code 2025-022, 497 Pages, 2026/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2025-022.pdf:18.06MB

The Plutonium Fuel Third Development Laboratory of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories has applied for a change of use permit (hereinafter referred to as "license") for plutonium fuel facilities. For the criticality safety design of gloveboxes and equipment/instruments handling mixed oxide (MOX), various criticality calculation codes are used. The most recent employs the 3D Monte Carlo calculation code KENO-V.a embedded in the SCALE 4.4 code system, along with the 27-group ENDF/B-IV neutron cross-section library. SCALE 4.4 was released by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the US in 1998, and has now been in use for 27 years. ORNL has continuously improved its functionality, with SCALE 6.3.2 released in 2024. When designing and constructing new MOX fuel facilities, it is desirable to obtain a license using criticality calculation codes based on the latest knowledge. However, it is necessary to verify that these codes have sufficient reliability. Therefore, in 2018, benchmark calculations were performed using the 252-group ENDF/B-VII.1 neutron cross-section library (v7-252n) for two versions of the criticality calculation sequences KENO-V.a and KENO-VI from SCALE 6.2.3, based on past criticality experimental setups. The estimated critical-limiting multiplication factor was calculated. The results indicate that these codes can be used with sufficient confidence for criticality safety design of MOX fuel facilities.

A Fundamental study on machine learning potential based on atomic energy learning with EAM potential

Kato, Taichi*; Shiihara, Yoshinori*; Mori, Hideki*; Tsuru, Tomohito; Matsunaka, Daisuke*

Zairyo, 75(2), p.109 - 115, 2026/02

https://doi.org/10.2472/jsms.2025.00097

Machine-learning-based molecular dynamics (ML-MD) has emerged as a promising approach to resolving the trade-off between accuracy and computational cost in atomic simulations. The most conventional method in ML-MD, total energy learning (TEL), trains models by matching the sum of predicted atomic energies to the total energy of the system. However, because calculating total energy requires information from all atoms in the system, TEL poses limitations for flexible data refinement. To address this issue, we have developed atomic energy learning (AEL), which enables atomic level data selection by directly using each atom's energy as training data. As a fundamental study, we compare AEL and TEL using datasets based on the Embedded Atom Method (EAM). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of selective data sampling in controlling model accuracy and reveal the advantage of AEL in evaluating atomic energies near defects through targeted data selection.

Operation, maintenance and technical development of cryogenic hydrogen system at MLF (JFY20182022)

Aso, Tomokazu; Ariyoshi, Gen; Muto, Hideki*; Tanaka, Shigeto*

JAEA-Technology 2025-005, 51 Pages, 2025/10

JAEA-Technology-2025-005.pdf:2.47MB

The cryogenic hydrogen system of the J-PARC center is one of the most important pieces equipment, which is a refrigeration system for moderating (cooling) the high energy neutrons generated the spallation neutron source of the Material and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) that is used by many users from Japan and abroad. Since the first operation of the MLF for neutron use in 2008, the cryogenic hydrogen system has been continuously operated and maintained, and related technology development has been carried out. This report summarized these activities over the past five years.

Modeling the extraction of bound rubber from silica-filled styrene-butadiene rubber with toluene

Tamura, Yukiko*; Arakawa, Masato*; Takenaka, Mikihito*; Nakanishi, Yohei*; Fujinami, So*; Shibata, Motoki*; Yamamoto, Katsuhiro*; Miyata, Noboru*; Yamada, Masako*; Seto, Hideki*; et al.

Polymer, 333, p.128662_1 - 128662_8, 2025/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2025.128662

Depositional age of the Lower-Middle Miocene Tanabe Group constrained by detrital zircon U-Pb ages and its implications for stress field

Abe, Noriaki; Hoshi, Hiroyuki*; Haji, Toshiki*; Sato, Katsushi*; Niki, Sota*; Hirata, Takafumi*; Iwano, Hideki*; Danhara, Toru*

Chishitsugaku Zasshi (Internet), 131(1), p.59 - 70, 2025/04

https://doi.org/10.5575/geosoc.2025.0003

To constrain the upper limit of the depositional age of the Tanabe Group, Early-Middle Miocene forearc basin deposit, this study obtained the detrital zircon U-Pb ages separated from eight sedimentary rock samples. We obtained 221 concordant ages from 330 zircon grains. The youngest grain age was 19.4 Ma, suggesting the upper limit of the depositional age is younger than 19.4 Ma, and no grain showed the depositional age indicated by foraminifera (16.3-15.1 Ma). Large-scale volcanic activities occurred in the Middle Miocene around Kii Peninsula, mainly after 15 Ma. The lack of grain younger than 15 Ma suggests that the Tanabe Group was deposited before 15 Ma. Sluggish volcanic activities in the provenance areas before 15 Ma may have caused the lack of zircons having ages close to the depositional period inferred from foraminifera.

Investigation of chemical substances affect the fluidity of paste on cement solidification

Taniguchi, Takumi; Matsumoto, Saori; Hiraki, Yoshihisa; Sato, Junya; Fujita, Hideki*; Kaneda, Yoshihisa*; Kuroki, Ryoichiro; Osugi, Takeshi

JAEA-Review 2024-059, 20 Pages, 2025/03

JAEA-Review-2024-059.pdf:1.0MB

The basic performance required for solidifying waste into cement, such as fluidity before curing and strength after curing, is expected to be affected by the chemical effects of substances and components contained in the waste. The fluidity before curing and the strength properties after curing are greatly influenced by the curing speed of the cement. We investigated existing knowledge with a focus on chemical substances that affect the curing speed of cement. In this report, chemical substances that affect fluidity are broadly classified into inorganic substances such as (1) anion species, (2) metal elements such as heavy metals, (3) inorganic compounds as cement admixtures, and (4) organic compounds as cement admixtures. Based on the investigation, we actually added chemicals and measured the setting time. As a result, it was found that there are multiple mechanisms contributing to accelerated hardening. We investigated chemical substances that inhibit the curing reaction of cement, and were able to compile information to consider ingredients that are contraindicated in cement curing.

Structural behaviors of lead zirconate titanate-based ferroelectric ceramics during pyroelectric-power generation cycles

Kawasaki, Takuro; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Murayama, Ichiro*; Kato, Takanori*; Baba, Masaaki*; Hashimoto, Hideki*; Harjo, S.; Aizawa, Kazuya; Tanaka, Hirohisa*; et al.

Journal of Applied Physics, 137(9), p.094101_1 - 094101_7, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0243081

In-situ measurement of radiation driven back-conversion from para to ortho liquid hydrogen state in cold moderators at J-PARC

Teshigawara, Makoto; Lee, Y.*; Tatsumoto, Hideki*; Hartl, M.*; Aso, Tomokazu; Iverson, E. B.*; Ariyoshi, Gen; Ikeda, Yujiro*; Hasegawa, Takumi*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 557, p.165534_1 - 165534_10, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2024.165534

At Japanese Spallation Neutron Source in J-PARC, the para-hydrogen fraction was measured by using Raman spectroscopy in-situ for an integrated beam power of 9.4 MWh at 1 MW operation, to evaluate the functionality of the ferric oxyhydroxide catalyst. This result showed that full functionality of the catalyst was retained up to the 1 MW operation. We attempted to study the effect of neutron scattering driven para to ortho-hydrogen back-conversion rate in the absence of the catalyst effect with a bypass line without catalyst. The measured increase of ortho-hydrogen fraction was 0.44% for an integrated beam power of 2.4 MWh at 500 kW operation, however, which was considered to be due to not only to neutron collisions in cold moderators but also to the high ortho-hydrogen fraction of initially static liquid hydrogen in the bypass line and passive exudation of quasi-static hydrogen in the catalyst vessel to the main loop.

Surface depth analysis of chemical changes in random copolymer thin films composed of hydrophilic and hydrophobic silicon-based monomers induced by plasma treatment as studied by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and neutron reflectivity measurements

Yamamoto, Katsuhiro*; Imai, Tatsuya*; Kawai, Atsuki*; Ito, Eri*; Miyazaki, Tsukasa*; Miyata, Noboru*; Yamada, Norifumi*; Seto, Hideki*; Aoki, Hiroyuki

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(48), p.66782 - 66791, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c17393

Performance study of a new LiCAF:Ce detector developed for high-efficient neutron detection in intense -ray fields

Kaburagi, Masaaki; Kamada, Kei*; Ishii, Junya*; Matsumoto, Tetsuro*; Manabe, Seiya*; Masuda, Akihiko*; Harano, Hideki*; Kato, Masahiro*; Shimazoe, Kenji*

Journal of Instrumentation (Internet), 19(11), p.P11019_1 - P11019_16, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/19/11/P11019