Impact of microdosimetric modeling on computation of relative biological effectiveness for carbon ion radiotherapy

Hartzell, S.*; Furutani, K. M.*; Parisi, A.*; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Kase, Yuki*; Deglow, C.*; Friedrich, T.*; Beltran, C. J.*

Radiation (Internet), 5(2), p.21_1 - 21_24, 2025/06

https://doi.org/10.3390/radiation5020021

A Benchmark for Monte Carlo simulation of photoneutron fields from electron accelerators

Sari, A.*; Meleshenkovskii, I.*; Ogawa, Tatsuhiko; Tran, K.-T.*; Jinaphanh, A.*; Jouanne, C.*; Zoia, A.*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1072, p.170168_1 - 170168_17, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.170168

Electron accelerators cover a wide range of applications, from nuclear waste package assay and security-related tasks to radiation therapy. High-energy photons produced by electron Bremsstrahlung radiation might induce photonuclear reactions emitting secondary neutrons. In this paper, we perform a two-stage benchmark for Monte Carlo simulation of photoneutron fields from electron accelerators operating in the 4-20 MeV range. On the one hand, we benchmark three independently developed Monte Carlo codes, i.e., MCNP, TRIPOLI-4; and PHITS, using ENDF7u photonuclear data from the ENDF/B-VII.1 library. On the other hand, we benchmark two photonuclear data sub-libraries, i.e., ENDF7u and JENDL-5, as well as nuclear reaction models, using the PHITS code. Errors in ENDF7u for W-184 and Ta-181 cause unphysical shapes of the photoneutron energy spectra with the three codes. Questionable behaviors are also found with JENDL-5, which calls for further examinations in this recently released library. For the cases of heavy water and beryllium, the photoneutron energy spectra obtained with MCNP6 is invalidated. We identified that the problem stems from wrong treatment of the reference frame in using the ACE data files by MCNP and previous versions of PHITS. Results obtained for tungsten and tantalum show that photoneutrons are overall emitted in an isotropic manner. However, results obtained for heavy water and beryllium display different tendencies. This investigation should help Monte Carlo code users to refine the current validity domain of the latest releases of MCNP6, PHITS and TRIPOLI-4 for the simulation of photoneutrons.

Transport and confinement physics Chapter 2 of the special issue: on the path to tokamak burning plasma operation

Yoshida, M.*; McDermott, R. M.*; Angioni, C.*; Camenen, Y.*; Citrin, J.*; Jakubowski, M.*; Hughes, J. W.*; Idomura, Yasuhiro; Mantica, P.*; Mariani, A.*; et al.

Nuclear Fusion, 65(3), p.033001_1 - 033001_132, 2025/02

https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad8ced

Progress in physics understanding and theoretical model development of plasma transport and confinement in the ITPA Transport and Confinement Topical Group since the publication of the ITER Physics Basis was summarized focusing on the contributions to ITER and burning plasma prediction and control. This paper provides a general and streamlined overview on the advances that were mainly led by the ITPA TC joint experiments and joint activities for the last 15 years. This paper starts with the scientific strategy and scope of the ITPA TC Topical group and overall picture of the major progress, followed by the progress of each research field: particle transport, impurity transport, ion and electron thermal turbulent transport, momentum transport, impact of 3D magnetic fields on transport, confinement mode transitions, global confinement, and reduced transport modeling.

France-Japan collaboration on severe accident studies in sodium-cooled fast reactors, 1; Severe accident scenarios assessment

Onoda, Yuichi; Ishida, Shinya; Fukano, Yoshitaka; Kamiyama, Kenji; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu; Shibata, Akihiro*; Bertrand, F.*; Seiler, N.*

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

Comparative evaluation of two analytical functions for the microdosimetry of ions from H to U

Parisi, A.*; Furutani, K. M.*; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Beltran, C. J.*

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 8(3), p.18_1 - 18_16, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs8030018

Selective recovery of thorium and uranium from leach solutions of rare earth concentrates in continuous solvent extraction mode with primary amine N1923

Nguyen, T. H.*; Le Ba, T.*; Tran, C. T.*; Nguyen, T. T.*; Doan, T. T. T.*; Do, V. K.; Watanabe, Masayuki; Pham, Q. M.*; Hoang, S. T.*; Nguyen, D. V.*; et al.

Hydrometallurgy, 213, p.105933_1 - 105933_11, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2022.105933

A continuous counter-current extraction for the selective recovery of thorium (Th) and uranium (U) from the Yen Phu (Vietnam) rare earth concentrate leach solutions was systematically studied. The primary amine N1923 was used as an extractant which was prepared in the isoparaffin IP-2028 diluent. Thorium and uranium were selectively recovered in a hydrometallurgical circuit established by continuous mixer-settler extraction, scrubbing, and back-extraction at the laboratory scale. The desired purity of Th and U can be achieved by managing the volume ratio of organic to aqueous phase (O/A ratio) in the corresponding steps. Highly pure Th and U were recovered from the pregnant back-extraction liquor and the raffinate, respectively, which have satisfactory properties for further processing of the subsequent nuclear materials.

Predictive modeling of a simple field matrix diffusion experiment addressing radionuclide transport in fractured rock. Is it so straightforward?

Soler, J. M.*; Neretnieks, I.*; Moreno, L.*; Liu, L.*; Meng, S.*; Svensson, U.*; Iraola, A.*; Ebrahimi, K.*; Trinchero, P.*; Molinero, J.*; et al.

Nuclear Technology, 208(6), p.1059 - 1073, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1988822

The SKB Task Force is an international forum on modelling of groundwater flow and solute transport in fractured rock. The WPDE experiments are matrix diffusion experiments in gneiss performed at the ONKALO underground facility in Finland. Synthetic groundwater containing several conservative and sorbing tracers was injected along a borehole interval. The objective of Task 9A was the predictive modelling of the tracer breakthrough curves from the WPDE experiments. Several teams, using different modelling approaches and codes, participated in this exercise. An important conclusion from this exercise is that the modelling results were very sensitive to the magnitude of dispersion in the borehole opening, which is related to the flow of water. Focusing on the tails of the breakthrough curves, which are more directly related to matrix diffusion and sorption, the results from the different teams were more comparable.

Development of methodology to evaluate mechanical consequences of vapor expansion in SFR severe accident transients; Lessons learned from previous France-Japan collaboration and future objectives and milestones

Bachrata, A.*; Gentet, D.*; Bertrand, F.*; Marie, N.*; Kubota, Ryuzaburo*; Sogabe, Joji; Sasaki, Keisuke; Kamiyama, Kenji; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2022/04

In the frame of France-Japan collaboration, one of the objectives is to define and assess the calculation methodologies, and to investigate the phenomenology and the consequences of severe accident scenarios in sodium fast reactors (SFRs). A methodology whose purpose is to assess the loadings of the structures induced by a Fuel Coolant Interaction (FCI) taking place in the sodium plenum of SFR has been defined in the frame of the collaboration between France and Japan during 2014-2019. The work progress will be spread over the period 2020-2024 and the main objectives and milestones will be introduced in the paper. The objective of studies is to comprehensively address the margin between the limit of integrity of the main vessel structures and the loadings resulting from severe accidents. For this purpose, the SIMMER mechanistic calculation code simulates core disruptive accident sequences in SFRs. A fluid structure dynamics tool evaluates this interaction i.e. EUROPLEXUS is used in CEA studies and AUTODYN tool is used in JAEA studies. In the paper, a benchmark study is described in order to illustrate the evaluation of vapour expansion phase in the hot plenum. To do that, joint input data are used on the basis of an ASTRID 1500 MWth core degraded state after the power excursion which leads to vapour expansion. The most penalizing case was evidenced in this study by suppressing the action of transfer tube in-core mitigation devices in SIMMER input deck and thus privileging the upward molten core ejection. Even if the most penalizing case was evidenced in this paper, no significant RV deformation was observed in both EUROPLEXUS and AUTODYN calculation results. The assumed mechanical energy was small for the core expansion phase.

The Joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library, JEFF-3.3

Plompen, A. J. M.*; Cabellos, O.*; De Saint Jean, C.*; Fleming, M.*; Algora, A.*; Angelone, M.*; Archier, P.*; Bauge, E.*; Bersillon, O.*; Blokhin, A.*; et al.

European Physical Journal A, 56(7), p.181_1 - 181_108, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00141-9

The Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion nuclear data library 3.3 is described. New evaluations for neutron-induced interactions with the major actinides U, U and Pu, on Am and Na, Ni, Cr, Cu, Zr, Cd, Hf, W, Au, Pb and Bi are presented. It includes new fission yileds, prompt fission neutron spectra and average number of neutrons per fission. In addition, new data for radioactive decay, thermal neutron scattering, gamma-ray emission, neutron activation, delayed neutrons and displacement damage are presented. JEFF-3.3 was complemented by files from the TENDL project. The libraries for photon, proton, deuteron, triton, helion and alpha-particle induced reactions are from TENDL-2017. The demands for uncertainty quantification in modeling led to many new covariance data. A comparison between results from model calculations using the JEFF-3.3 library and those from benchmark experiments for criticality, delayed neutron yields, shielding and decay heat, reveals that JEFF-3.3 is excellent for a wide range of nuclear technology applications, in particular nuclear energy.

Neutron-induced damage simulations; Beyond defect production cross-section, displacement per atom and iron-based metrics

Sublet, J.-Ch.*; Bondarenko, I. P.*; Bonny, G.*; Conlin, J. L.*; Gilbert, M. R.*; Greenwood, L. R.*; Griffin, P. J.*; Helgesson, P.*; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Khryachkov, V. A.*; et al.

European Physical Journal Plus (Internet), 134(7), p.350_1 - 350_50, 2019/07

https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2019-12758-y

Nuclear reaction with nuclear data is the origin of defects produced by cascade damage in irradiated materials. Therefore, it is important to consider nuclear reaction correctly for calculations of the damage energy of Primary Knock on Atom (PKA) and the number of Displacement Per Atom (DPA). Here, radiation damage metrics considering nuclear reaction enables us to simulate transport of each defect and clustering defects in the irradiated material. This paper reviews the theory of nuclear reaction and damage energy and describes the latest methodologies about uncertainty propagation and quantification in nuclear data and damage calculations based on molecular dynamics.