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

Hirata, Yuho; Kai, Takeshi; Ogawa, Tatsuhiko; Matsuya, Yusuke; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Watanabe, Kenichi*; Kato, Takumi*; Kawaguchi, Noriaki*; Yanagida, Takayuki*

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

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

CaF:Ce has a high potential to be used as a dosimeter due to its high optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) intensity. However, when phosphors such as CaF:Ce are irradiated with swift ions, the OSL intensity per dose decreases due to quenching effects. Traditionally, quenching effects in phosphors have been evaluated based on energy deposition density, using linear energy transfer (LET) as a metric. However, the relationship between quenching effects and LET varies with ion type, complicating unified evaluations. The track structure in PHITS can precisely simulate the radiation interactions. In this study, we simulated the detector response of CaF:Ce irradiated with swift-ions and compared these results with experimental data. The comparison suggests that the quantum yield of OSL is a critical parameter influencing the quenching effect in CaF:Ce. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of improved phosphor detectors.

Run function confirmation of the quadrupedal robots in JAEA facilities targeted for act on special measures concerning nuclear emergency preparedness

Watanabe, Kaho; Nishiyama, Yutaka; Imahashi, Masaki; Taguchi, Yuji; Iitsuka, Yoshinobu; Ouchi, Takuya; Inoue, Shuichi; Kozawa, Takayuki; Nemoto, Takahiro; Sugaya, Takashi; et al.

JAEA-Testing 2025-001, 56 Pages, 2025/11

JAEA-Testing-2025-001.pdf:2.61MB

There is an emergency response team against 7 nuclear facilities (JRR-3 in Nuclear Science Research Institute, Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, JMTR, HTTR and Joyo in Oarai Research and Development Institute, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Monju, Fugen Decommissioning Engineering Center) accidents of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The team is in Naraha Center for Remote Control Technology Development (NARREC). On site surveys which are about the situations and the access entering route of the 7 site emergencies were conducted by the team in 2021. And the results of the surveys made the team get two Spot (quadrupedal robots) in 2022. This is because the team thought using Spot gave operators the less exposure than using crawler robots which had been belonged to the team. After that it was confirmed that the Spot have the ability to respond to the emergency on the route of each facility in 2023. This report shows the results of the Spot's run function (= shooting videos, running oversteps, running up and down stairs, and so on) confirmation about 6 facilities (JRR-3, JMTR, HTTR, Joyo, Monju and Fugen).

Linking combustion-derived magnetite and black carbon; Insights from magnetic characterization of PM in downwind East Asia

Nozomu, Tsuchiya*; Ikemori, Fumikazu*; Kawasaki, Kazuo*; Yamada, Rena*; Hata, Mitsuhiko*; Furuuchi, Masami*; Iwamoto, Yoko*; Kaneyasu, Naoki*; Sadanaga, Yasuhiro*; Watanabe, Takahiro; et al.

Environmental Science & Technology, 59(21), p.10400 - 10410, 2025/05

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c14187

Black carbon (BC) is a typical primary aerosol emitted from combustion. While its co-existence with iron oxides (FeO) has recently been reported, the extent of bias caused by FeO mixing to the BC observations is largely unknown. To identify the dominant FeO emission sources and associated overestimation of BC, magnetics properties of PM collected at a remote site in East Asia was investigated in combination with detailed isotopic and chemical analyses. Consequently, biomass burning events did not enhance aerosol magnetism as they did for the mass concentration of BC, whereas coal burning events coincided with periods of high magnetization. Therefore, magnetization/BC ratio is proposed as a highly selective indicator for identifying combustion sources (i.e. coal, oil or biomass burning).

Oxygen potential measurement of UAmO at 1473, 1573, and 1673 K

Watanabe, Masashi; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Vauchy, R.; Kato, Masato; Sugata, Hiromasa*; Seki, Takayuki*; Hino, Tetsushi*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 599, p.155232_1 - 155232_5, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2024.155232

Oxygen potential data of UAmO were measured at 1473, 1573, and 1673 K by thermogravimetry. In UAnO, where An stands for Pu or Am, and for a given value of y and Oxygen/Metal ratio, the oxygen potential of UAmO is higher than that of UPuO. The valence of cations in the hypostoichiometric region is similar to that of Nd-doped UO. At the stoichiometric composition, it is estimated to be Am, U, and U (for charge compensation of Am). The experimental data were analyzed using a defect chemistry model, and a relationship connecting the oxygen-to-metal ratio, the temperature, and the equilibrium oxygen partial pressure was proposed.

Differential pressure rise event for filters of HTTR primary helium gas circulators, 2; Investigation of filter deposits and recurrence prevention measures

Nemoto, Takahiro; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Arakawa, Ryoki; Choyama, Yuya; Nagasumi, Satoru; Hasegawa, Toshinari; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Watanabe, Masashi; Onishi, Takashi; Kawamoto, Taiki; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2024-003, 17 Pages, 2024/06

JAEA-Technology-2024-003.pdf:1.91MB

In order to investigate the cause of the increase in differential pressure in the primary helium circulator filter that occurred during the RS-14 cycle, a clogged filter was investigated. As a result of the investigation, deposits caused by silicone oil were confirmed on the surface of the filter element. These results revealed that the cause of filter clogging was silicone oil mixed into the primary system due to performance deterioration of the charcoal filter in the gas circulator of primary helium purification system. As a measure to prevent the recurrence of this event, in addition to the conventional management based on operating hours for replacing of charcoal filter in the gas circulator of primary helium purification system, we have established a new replacement plan for every three years.

A Science-based mixed oxide property model for developing advanced oxide nuclear fuels

Kato, Masato; Oki, Takumi; Watanabe, Masashi; Hirooka, Shun; Vauchy, R.; Ozawa, Takayuki; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Ikusawa, Yoshihisa; Nakamura, Hiroki; Machida, Masahiko

Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 107(5), p.2998 - 3011, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.19609

Differential pressure rise event for filters of HTTR primary helium gas circulators, 1; Investigation of differential pressure rise event

Nemoto, Takahiro; Arakawa, Ryoki; Kawakami, Satoru; Nagasumi, Satoru; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Watanabe, Masashi; Onishi, Takashi; Kawamoto, Taiki; Furusawa, Takayuki; Inoi, Hiroyuki; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2023-005, 33 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA-Technology-2023-005.pdf:5.25MB

During shut down of the HTTR (High Temperature engineering Test Reactor) RS-14 cycle, an increasing trend of filter differential pressure for the helium gas circulator was observed. In order to investigate this phenomenon, the blower of the primary helium purification system was disassembled and inspected. As a result, it is clear that the silicon oil mist entered into the primary coolant due to the deterioration of the charcoal filter performance. The replacement and further investigation of the filter are planning to prevent the reoccurrence of the same phenomenon in the future.

Phase analysis of simulated nuclear fuel debris synthesized using UO, Zr, and stainless steel and leaching behavior of the fission products and matrix elements

Tonna, Ryutaro*; Sasaki, Takayuki*; Kodama, Yuji*; Kobayashi, Taishi*; Akiyama, Daisuke*; Kirishima, Akira*; Sato, Nobuaki*; Kumagai, Yuta; Kusaka, Ryoji; Watanabe, Masayuki

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(4), p.1300 - 1309, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2022.12.017

Simulated debris was synthesized using UO, Zr, and stainless steel and a heat treatment method under inert or oxidizing conditions. The primary U solid phase of the debris synthesized at 1473 K under inert conditions was UO, whereas a (U,Zr)O solid solution formed at 1873 K. Under oxidizing conditions, a mixture of UO and (Fe,Cr)UO phases formed at 1473 K whereas a (U,Zr)O solid solution formed at 1873 K. The leaching behavior of the fission products from the simulated debris was evaluated using two methods: the irradiation method, for which fission products were produced via neutron irradiation, and the doping method, for which trace amounts of non-radioactive elements were doped into the debris. The dissolution behavior of U depended on the properties of the debris and aqueous medium the debris was immersed in. Cs, Sr, and Ba leached out regardless of the primary solid phases. The leaching of high-valence Eu and Ru ions was suppressed, possibly owing to their solid-solution reaction with or incorporation into the uranium compounds of the simulated debris.

Free-surface flow simulations with floating objects using lattice Boltzmann method

Watanabe, Seiya*; Kawahara, Jun*; Aoki, Takayuki*; Sugihara, Kenta; Takase, Shinsuke*; Moriguchi, Shuji*; Hashimoto, Hirotada*

Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics, 17(1), p.2211143_1 - 2211143_23, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/19942060.2023.2211143

In tsunami inundations or slope disasters of heavy rain, a lot of floating debris or driftwood logs are included in the flows. The damage to structures from solid body impacts is more severe than the damage from the water pressure. In order to study free-surface flows that include floating debris, developing a high-accurate simulation code of free-surface flows with high performance for large-scale computations is desired. We propose the single-phase free-surface flow model based on the cumulant lattice Boltzmann method coupled with a particle-based rigid body simulation. The discrete element method calculates the contact interaction between solids. An octree-based AMR (Adaptive Mesh Refinement) method is introduced to improve computational accuracy and time-to-solution. High-resolution grids are assigned near the free surfaces and solid boundaries. We conducted two kinds of tsunami flow experiments in the 15 and 70 m water tanks at Hachinohe Institute of Technology and Kobe University to validate the accuracy of the proposed model. The simulation results have shown good agreement with the experiments for the drifting speed, the number of trapped wood pieces, and the stacked angles.

Study on the relation between the crystal structure and thermal stability of FeUO and CrUO

Akiyama, Daisuke*; Kusaka, Ryoji; Kumagai, Yuta; Nakada, Masami; Watanabe, Masayuki; Okamoto, Yoshihiro; Nagai, Takayuki; Sato, Nobuaki*; Kirishima, Akira*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 568, p.153847_1 - 153847_10, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153847

FeUO, CrUO, and FeCrUO are monouranates containing pentavalent U. Even though these compounds have similar crystal structures, their formation conditions and thermal stability are significantly different. To determine the factors causing the difference in thermal stability between FeUO and CrUO, their crystal structures were evaluated in detail. A Raman band was observed at 700 cm in all the samples. This Raman band was derived from the stretching vibration of the O-U-O axis band, indicating that FeCrUO was composed of a uranyl-like structure in its lattice regardless of its "x"' value. Mssbauer measurements indicated that the Fe in FeUO and FeCrUO were trivalent. Furthermore, FeCrUO lost its symmetry around Fe with increasing electron densities around Fe, as the abundance of Cr increased. These results suggested no significant structural differences between FeUO and CrUO. Thermogravimetric measurements for UO, FeUO, and CrUO showed that the temperature at which FeUO decomposed under an oxidizing condition (approximately 800 C) was significantly lower than the temperature at which the decomposition of CrUO started (approximately 1250 C). Based on these results, we concluded that the decomposition of FeUO was triggered by an "in-crystal" redox reaction, i.e., Fe U Fe U, which would not occur in the CrUO lattice because Cr could never be reduced under the investigated condition. Finally, the existence of Cr in FexCrUO effectively suppressed the decomposition of the FeCrUO crystal, even at a very low Cr content.