Quantitative analysis of ionization quenching in CaF:Ce using PHITS track-structure simulations

平田 悠歩; 甲斐 健師; 小川 達彦; 松谷 悠佑; 佐藤 達彦; 渡辺 賢一*; 加藤 匠*; 河口 範明*; 柳田 健之*

Radiation Measurements, 193, p.107651_1 - 107651_8, 2026/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2026.107651

CaF:Ceは高い光刺激蛍光(OSL)強度を示すため線量計として有用であると期待されている。しかし、CaF:Ceなどの蛍光体に粒子線を照射すると、消光効果により蛍光体の線量当たりの発光強度が低下する。従来、蛍光体の消光効果は線エネルギー付与(LET)などを指標としたエネルギー付与密度に基づいて評価されてきた。しかし、粒子線の種類によりCaF:Ceにおける消光現象とLETの関係性が異なり、LETから正確に消光現象を予測することは困難であったが、放射線輸送計算コードPHITSのTrack structure機能は、放射線による相互作用を個別に追跡することが可能である。そこで、PHITSを用いて粒子線により蛍光体が発光する過程を精密に計算し、予測したCaF:Ceの応答を実験データと比較したところ、CaF:Ceの消光現象にはOSLの量子収率が重要なパラメータであることが示唆された。この成果は、蛍光体検出器のさらなる開発に貢献するものと期待される。

Impact of nuclear data updates from JENDL-4.0 to JENDL-5 on burnup calculations of light-water reactor fuels

渡邉 友章; 多田 健一; 遠藤 知弘*; 山本 章夫*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 16 Pages, 2025/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2486798

本研究では、JENDL-4.0(J4)からJENDL-5(J5)への核データ更新が軽水炉燃料燃焼計算に与える影響を調査した。燃焼計算はPWRピンセル及びBWR燃料集合体形状について実施した。計算の結果、中性子増倍率(k)に燃焼度に依存した大きな差異があることがわかった。燃焼度0-50GWd/tの範囲において、J5のkはJ4のkよりも一貫して小さく、その差は燃焼が進むにつれて徐々に大きくなった。各核種の断面積データをJ4からJ5に置き換えた計算の結果、U, U, Puの断面積とHO中のHの熱中性子散乱則データの更新がkの差に顕著な影響を与えることが分かった。Gd燃料を含むBWR集合体形状では、10-15GWd/tの燃焼度範囲で大きなkの違いが観測された。この差異は主にU, Gd, Gd断面積の更新とHO中のHの熱中性子散乱則データに起因することが分かった。さらに、核種数密度、中性子エネルギー依存の感度係数、中性子スペクトルを調査することにより、核データの更新がkにどのように影響を与えたかを明らかにした。

Three-dimensional reconstruction of a small piece of Ce-doped lithium glass scintillator of an optical fiber-based neutron detector using microcomputed tomography technique

石川 諒尚; 瀬川 麻里子; 藤 暢輔; 渡辺 賢一*; 増田 明彦*; 松本 哲郎*; 山崎 淳*; 吉橋 幸子*; 瓜谷 章*; 原野 英樹*

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), p.rraf048_1 - rraf048_7, 2025/00

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rraf048

An optical fiber-based neutron detector is a real-time neutron monitor for an intense neutron field. A small piece of neutron scintillator, such as Ce-doped lithium glass (Li-glass), used in the detector has a random shape with a grain size of 200-400 m. This causes shape-dependent effects on the detector response. However, it is difficult to control or clarify the micro shape due to its small size. Here we propose a technique to obtain the fine structure of a small piece of the scintillator using a microcomputed tomography (CT) system. To verify accuracy, the mass estimated based on the volume extracted from the obtained CT image was compared to the mass measured in advance using an electronic balance. In the obtained CT images, the fine shape of the small piece of Li-glass was clearly visible, and no false signals from the surrounding components were observed. The estimated mass was in good agreement with the measured value, however, a slight underestimation was observed when the total number of projection images was 2000. This was mitigated by increasing the number of projection images, and the difference between the estimated and measured mass was 1.6% when the number of the projection images was 3141. This was equivalent to the uncertainty of the measured mass. The proposed technique will be useful when high accuracy is needed, such as for medical applications.

Effect of neutron beam properties on dose distributions in a water phantom for boron neutron capture therapy

石川 諒尚; 田中 浩基*; 中村 哲志*; 熊田 博明*; 櫻井 良憲*; 渡辺 賢一*; 吉橋 幸子*; 棚上 裕生*; 瓜谷 章*; 鬼柳 善明*

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), 65(6), p.765 - 775, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rrae076

From the viewpoints of the advantage depths (ADs), peak tumor dose, and skin dose, we evaluated the effect of neutron beam properties, namely, the ratio between thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes (thermal/epithermal ratio), fast neutron component, and -ray component on the dose distribution. Several parameter surveys were conducted with respect to the beam properties of neutron sources for boron neutron capture therapy assuming boronophenylalanine as the boron agent using our dose calculation tool, called SiDE. The ADs decreased by 3% at a thermal/epithermal ratio of 20% - 30% compared with the current recommendation of . The skin dose increased with the increasing thermal/epithermal ratio, reaching a restricted value of 14 Gy-eq at a thermal/epithermal ratio of . The fast neutron component was modified using two different models, namely, the "linear model," in which the fast neutron intensity decreases log-linearly with the increasing neutron energy, and the "moderator thickness (MT) model," in which the fast neutron component is varied by adjusting the moderator thickness in a virtual beam shaping assembly. Although a higher fast neutron component indicated a higher skin dose, the increment was at a fast neutron component of Gy cm for both models. Furthermore, in the MT model, the epithermal neutron intensity was higher at a fast neutron component of Gy cm compared with the current recommendation of Gy cm. The -ray component also caused no significant disadvantages up to several times larger compared with the current recommendation.

Energy-resolved neutron imaging study of a Japanese sword signed by Bishu Osafune Norimitsu

及川 健一; 松本 吉弘*; 渡辺 賢一*; 佐藤 博隆*; Parker, J. D.*; 篠原 武尚; 鬼柳 善明*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.27990_1 - 27990_11, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79436-6

We are conducting research focused on elucidating the crystallographic structure of Japanese swords in a non-destructive manner using the neutron imaging instrument RADEN at J-PARC. In this study, we developed an analysis method that combines wavelength-resolved Bragg-edge imaging and a wavelength-selective neutron tomography with a new strategy, and applied it to an approximately 45 cm long Japanese sword signed by Bishu Osafune Norimitsu. Computed tomography was performed, and the analysis succeeded in clearly capturing the characteristic internal structure "Kobuse". Kobuse is most famous steel combining structure of Japanese swords, where a center steel with low carbon content is covered by an outer steel with high carbon content. The crystallite size distribution obtained through Bragg-edge analysis was able to explain without contradiction from the layered structure of two steels observed in neutron tomograms. Our non-destructive imaging also revealed that the quenching was quite deep, forming a wavy pattern more than 5 mm away from the cutting edge.

Comparison between carrier transport property and crystal quality of TlBr semiconductors

渡辺 賢一*; 須貝 優介*; 長谷川 創大*; 田中 清志朗*; 人見 啓太朗*; 野上 光博*; 篠原 武尚; Su, Y. H.; Parker, J. D.*; Kockelmann, W.*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.25224_1 - 25224_13, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76005-9

Thallium bromide (TlBr) semiconductor detectors are being developed as promising candidates for high-detection-efficiency, high-energy-resolution, and room-temperature gamma-ray spectrometers. This study presents methods for evaluating TlBr crystal quality and carrier transport characteristics using neutron Bragg-dip imaging and the time-of-flight method for pulsed-laser-induced carriers, respectively. In this study, two samples obtained from both the upstream and downstream region in the crystal ingot were evaluated.

Comparison between neutron bragg dip and electron backscatter diffraction images of TlBr semiconductors

渡辺 賢一*; 須貝 優介*; 長谷川 創大*; 人見 啓太朗*; 野上 光博*; 篠原 武尚; Su, Y. H.; Parker, J. D.*; Kockelmann, W.*

Sensors and Materials, 36(1), p.149 - 154, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.18494/SAM4629

Thallium bromide (TlBr) semiconductor detectors are promising candidates for high-detection-efficiency, high-energy-resolution, and room-temperature gamma-ray spectrometers. In this study, we conducted neutron Bragg dip and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) imaging of TlBr crystals to measure the crystal orientation distribution. We confirmed that crystal grains were continuous over a certain distance along the solidification direction for samples fabricated with the current growth procedure.

Update of Bragg edge analysis software "GUI-RITS"

及川 健一; 佐藤 博隆*; 渡辺 賢一*; Su, Y. H.; 篠原 武尚; 甲斐 哲也; 鬼柳 善明*; 長谷美 宏幸

Journal of Physics; Conference Series, 2605, p.012013_1 - 012013_6, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2605/1/012013

Spectral data of Bragg-edge imaging, which is one of the energy-resolved neutron imaging methods, can be analyzed by single-edge analysis and full-pattern analysis with the Bragg-edge analysis code RITS developed by Sato et al. This program has a function to generate neutron transmission data considering wavelength-dependent pulse-shape function, atomic number density, crystalline structure, etc., and to extract these parameters from the measured data by the nonlinear least-squares fitting. Last year, we worked on updating the operating environment of the platform Scientific Linux 6 and the language Python 2, which have been discontinued, to Windows 10 and Python 3, and added some functions to improve usability. GUI-RITS for the windows platform has been released to users. In this presentation, we will show concrete examples of the results of the analysis of the same data by the old and new programs, and compare the efficiency of data analysis.

2021年度楢葉遠隔技術開発センター年報

秋山 陽一; 柴沼 蒼; 柳澤 憲一*; 山田 大地; 鈴木 健太; 吉田 萌夏; 大野 貴裕; 川端 邦明; 渡辺 夏帆; 森本 恭一; et al.

JAEA-Review 2023-015, 60 Pages, 2023/09

JAEA-Review-2023-015.pdf:4.78MB

楢葉遠隔技術開発センターは、東京電力ホールディングス株式会社が実施する福島第一原子力発電所の廃炉作業に資するため、遠隔操作機器・装置による廃炉作業の実証試験・要素試験が実施できる施設・設備を有している。2021年度は84件の施設利用を支援し、福島第一原子力発電所廃炉作業等に貢献した。また、福島第一原子力発電所の廃炉・除染に携わる事業者、災害対応分野においてロボット技術等を必要としている事業者との技術マッチングの機会として開催された廃炉・災害対応ロボット関連技術展示実演会に出展し、地域活性化・福島県の産業復興に協力した。さらに、第6回廃炉創造ロボコンや国際原子力人材育成イニシアチブ事業等の支援を通じて、長期にわたる福島第一原子力発電所の廃炉関連業務を担う次世代の人材育成に貢献した。新たな取組みとして、楢葉町教育委員会が実施している「ならはっ子こども教室」への協力として、楢葉町小学生を対象とした遠隔ロボット操作及びVRの体験会を実施し、地域教育活動に貢献した。本報告書は、2021年度における楢葉遠隔技術開発センターの施設・設備の整備・利用状況およびそれに係る取組み、遠隔基盤技術の開発状況、緊急時対応遠隔操作資機材の整備・訓練等の活動状況について取りまとめたものである。

Lanthanide and actinide ion complexes containing organic ligands investigated by surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy

平田 早紀子*; 日下 良二; 明地 省吾*; 為国 誠太*; 奥寺 洸介*; 浜田 昇賢*; 坂本 知優*; 本田 匠*; 松下 高輔*; 村松 悟*; et al.

Inorganic Chemistry, 62(1), p.474 - 486, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03618

A new technique, surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy, was used for the structural investigation of lanthanide (Ln) and actinide (An) complexes containing organic ligands. We synthesized thiol derivatives of organic ligands with coordination sites similar to those of diglycolamide (DGA), Cyanex-272, and -tetrakis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine (TPEN), which have been used for separating Ln and An through solvent extraction. These ligands were attached on a gold surface deposited on an Si prism through S-Au covalent bonds; the gold surface enhanced the IR absorption intensity of the ligands. Aqueous solutions of Ln (Eu, Gd, Tb) and An (Am) ions were loaded onto the gold surface to form ion complexes. The IR spectra of the ion complexes were obtained using FT-IR spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflection mode. In this study, we developed a new sample preparation method for SEIRA spectroscopy that enabled us to obtain the IR spectra of the complexes with a small amount of ion solution (5 L). This is a significant advantage for the IR measurement of radiotoxic Am complexes. In the IR spectra of DGA, the band attributed to C=O stretching vibrations at 1630 cm shifted to a lower wavenumber by 20 cm upon complexation with Ln and An ions. Moreover, the amount of the red-shift was inversely proportional to the extraction equilibrium constant reported in previous studies on solvent extraction. The coordination ability of DGA toward Ln and An ions could be assessed using the band position of the C=O band. The Cyanex-272- and TPEN-like ligands synthesized in this report also showed noticeable SEIRA signals for Ln and An complexes. This study indicates that SEIRA spectroscopy can be used for the structural investigation of ion complexes and provides a microscopic understanding of selective extraction of Ln and An.