Uranium chelating ability of decorporation agents in serum evaluated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Uehara, Akihiro*; Matsumura, Daiju; Tsuji, Takuya; Yakumaru, Haruko*; Tanaka, Izumi*; Shiro, Ayumi*; Saito, Hiroyuki*; Ishihara, Hiroshi*; Homma-Takeda, Shino*

Analytical Methods, 14(24), p.2439 - 2445, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.1039/D2AY00565D

The Chemistry of thorium, plutonium and MA

Sato, Nobuaki*; Kirishima, Akira*; Watanabe, Masayuki; Sasaki, Takayuki*; Uehara, Akihiro*; Takeda, Shino*; Kitatsuji, Yoshihiro; Otobe, Haruyoshi; Kobayashi, Taishi*

The Chemistry of Thorium, Plutonium and MA, 254 Pages, 2022/03

The chemistry of nuclear materials such as Thorium (Part 1) and Plutonium (Part 2) was described in relation from the fundamentals on solid chemistry and solution chemistry to the practicals on the experiment and evaluation method in detail. Minor actinides such as Neptunium, Americium, Curium and Protoactinium, was introduced the basics on the solid and solution chemistry.

The Chemistry of uranium (II); Method and practice

Sato, Nobuaki*; Kirishima, Akira*; Watanabe, Masayuki; Sasaki, Takayuki*; Uehara, Akihiro*; Takeda, Shino*

Uran No Kagaku (II); Hoho To Jissen, 143 Pages, 2021/03

This book describes necessary facts when readers would have an opportunity to treat Uranium for experiments. In the content, the method section shows experimental facilities and equipment including method, and the practical section mentions solution and solid state experiments using Uranium and/or radioisotopes.

Measurement of cesium isotopic ratio by thermal ionization mass spectrometry for neutron capture reaction studies on Cs

Shibahara, Yuji*; Nakamura, Shoji; Uehara, Akihiro*; Fujii, Toshiyuki*; Fukutani, Satoshi*; Kimura, Atsushi; Iwamoto, Osamu

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 325(1), p.155 - 165, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07198-2

The measurements of isotopic ratios of Cs samples by thermal ionization mass spectrometry were performed for the analysis of their samples used to evaluate nuclear data obtained for Cs. To obtain a high intensity and stable ion beam, the effects of additive agents on the ionization of Cs were examined. The effect of silicotungstic acid on the ionization of Cs was the largest among the additive agents studied in the present study, while the silicotungstic acid also showed the largest isobaric interference of polyatomic ions. It was demonstrated that as small as 210 g of a Cs sample was sufficient to achieve the analytical precision required to measure the Cs/Cs ratio in the case where an additive agent of TaO/glucose was employed. After examining of the analytical conditions, such as the interference effect due to Ba, the measurements of the isotopic ratios of two Cs samples used in our study using TIMS were conducted, and it was discussed how much the ratios contributed to evaluation of the neutron capture cross-section of Cs.

Structural change of borosilicate glass by neutron irradiation

Nagai, Takayuki; Kobayashi, Hidekazu; Okamoto, Yoshihiro; Akiyama, Daisuke*; Sato, Nobuaki*; Uehara, Akihiro*; Fujii, Toshiyuki*; Sekimoto, Shun*

KURNS Progress Report 2018, P. 105, 2019/08

https://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2018/KURNS_Progress_Report2018_web.pdf

To understand this structural change of a borosilicate glass by a neutron irradiation in detail, the irradiation test was carried out in KUR in 2017FY. The glass structure was estimated by using Raman spectrometry in 2018FY. Comparing with the Raman spectra of glass samples before and after irradiation, it could be observed the change of peak height of Si-O bridging structure by the irradiation.

Measurements of thermal-neutron capture cross-section and resonance integral of neptunium-237

Nakamura, Shoji; Kitatani, Fumito; Kimura, Atsushi; Uehara, Akihiro*; Fujii, Toshiyuki*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(6), p.493 - 502, 2019/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1598304

The thermal-neutron capture cross-section()and resonance integral(I) were measured for the Np(n,)Np reaction by an activation method. A method with a Gadolinium filter, which is similar to the Cadmium difference method, was used to measure the with paying attention to the first resonance at 0.489 eV of Np, and a value of 0.133 eV was taken as a cut-off energy. Neptunium-237 samples were irradiated at the pneumatic tube of the Kyoto University Research Reactor in Institute for Integral Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University. Wires of Co/Al and Au/Al alloys were used as monitors to determine thermal-neutron fluxes and epi-thermal Westcott's indices at an irradiation position. A -ray spectroscopy was used to measure activities of Np, Np and neutron monitors. On the basis of Westcott's convention, the and I values were derived as 186.96.2 barn, and 100990 barn, respectively.

Measurements of gamma-ray emission probabilities in the decay of americium-244g

Nakamura, Shoji; Terada, Kazushi*; Kimura, Atsushi; Nakao, Taro*; Iwamoto, Osamu; Harada, Hideo; Uehara, Akihiro*; Takamiya, Koichi*; Fujii, Toshiyuki*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(1), p.123 - 129, 2019/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1539353

Accurate data of -ray emission probabilities are frequently needed when one quantitatively determines the amount of isotope by -ray measurements or obtains neutron capture cross-sections using them. Americium-243, one of the most important minor actinides, produces Am after neutron capture. The 744-keV -ray decaying from the ground state of Am has a relatively large -ray emission probability c.a. 66%, however, its uncertainty is as large as 29%. The uncertainty of the -ray emission probability leads to a major factor of the systematic uncertainty on determining an amount of isotope, and therefore the -ray emission probability was measured by using an activation method and an examined level structure of Cm. In this study, the emission probability of 744-keV ray was derived as 66.51.1%, and its uncertainty was improved from 29% to 2%.

Analysis of Cs/Cs isotopic ratio for samples used for neutron capture cross section measurement project by thermal ionization mass spectrometry

Shibahara, Yuji*; Uehara, Akihiro*; Fujii, Toshiyuki*; Nakamura, Shoji; Kimura, Atsushi; Hales, B. P.; Iwamoto, Osamu

JAEA-Conf 2018-001, p.205 - 210, 2018/12

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2018-001

In the ImPACT project, high-precision mass analysis was performed on a Cs standard solution for using Cs included in the standard solution as an impurity to measure the Cs cross-sections. A Cs standard solution of only 10Bq (pg order) was analyzed, and the isotope ratio of Cs and Cs was obtained with an accuracy of 0.5%.

Research on neutron capture cross sections at J-PARC in ImPACT Project

Nakamura, Shoji; Kimura, Atsushi; Hales, B. P.; Iwamoto, Osamu; Tsubata, Yasuhiro; Matsumura, Tatsuro; Shibahara, Yuji*; Uehara, Akihiro*; Fujii, Toshiyuki*

JAEA-Conf 2017-001, p.15 - 22, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2017-001

Neutron nuclear data of long lived fission products (LLFPs) have been required as basic data for the technology of reduce environmental impact involved in high level radioactive wastes (HLW). The innovative large project called by "Impusing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program: ImPACT" have been started from October, 2014. In the ImPACT project, some research groups of JAEA engaged in the Project No.2 (Nuclear Reaction Data Measurements), and have started measurements of neutron capture cross-section at J-PARC/MLF/ANNRI. In our research, we selected cesium-135 (Cs) nuclide (half life: 2.310 yr.) among LLFPs in the HLW, and decided to measure the neutron capture cross-sections of Cs. When measurement, the Cs sample might contained cecium-137 (Cs) as impurities because it's impossible to chemically separate each other. To measure the cross-sections of Cs, there should be also needed to know the cross-sections of Cs. In this work, sample maintenance also has been examined especially for selen-79 (Se) nuclide among LLFPs having difficulty in sample preparations. In this oral session, the outline of our research project will be presented together with a research motivation, situations of past reported data, total schedules, progress, future plans, and some of high light data for neutron capture cross-section measurements.

High-precision mass analysis of RI sample for cross-section measurements

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Uehara, Akihiro*; Fujii, Toshiyuki*; Kimura, Atsushi; Hales, B. P.; Iwamoto, Osamu

KURRI Progress Report 2016, P. 66, 2017/07

http://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2016/CO2.pdf

In the ImPACT project, high-precision mass analysis was performed on a Cs standard solution for using Cs included in the standard solution as an impurity to measure the Cs cross-sections. A Cs standard solution of only 10Bq (pg order) was analyzed, and the isotope ratio of Cs and Cs was obtained with an accuracy of 0.5%.