Simultaneous measurements of HERFD-XANES, RXES and RIXS of caesium using a transition-edge sensor

Yamaguchi, Akiko; Yamada, Shinya*; Hashimoto, Tadashi*; Okumura, Takuma*; Takeichi, Yasuo*; Okumura, Masahiko; Takahashi, Yoshio*

Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 33(3), p.683 - 692, 2026/05

https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600577526001682

A transition-edge sensor (TES) enables high-resolution X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements across a wide energy range, allowing simultaneous acquisition of high-energy resolution fluorescence-detected X-ray absorption near edge structure (HERFD-XANES), resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy (RXES), and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) in a single scan. In this study, various caesium compounds were analyzed using TES, demonstrating that these techniques can comprehensively evaluate the chemical states of elements. The results highlight the potential of TES for advanced chemical speciation analysis via HERFD-XANES and RXES, rapid identification of effective absorption edges for RIXS, and future applications in microbeam analysis.

Visualization of the accurate distribution of trace uranium in environmental sample using superconducting technology

Yomogida, Takumi; Yamada, Shinya*; Takahashi, Yoshio*

SPring-8/SACLA Research Frontiers 2024 (Internet), p.88 - 89, 2024/08

This article explains the recent research being carried out by our group on the application of superconducting transition edge sensors (TES) to detectors for synchrotron radiation X-ray analysis. We applied a TES spectrometer as a detector for microbeam X-ray measurements to determine uranium (U) distribution at the micro-scale and its chemical species in biotite obtained from the U mine. When using a conventional semiconductor detector, the X-ray fluorescence peaks of Rb and U overlap with each other due to the shortage of energy resolution. The conventional semiconductor detector could only observe the fluorescence X-ray of Rb K line, which is abundant in biotite, and could not accurately detect the signal of trace amounts of U. Meanwhile, the XRF peak of the U L line was fully separated from that of the Rb K line by using TES, which indicates that TES made it possible to perform ultra-high energy resolution analysis.

Sintering and microstructural behaviors of mechanically blended Nd/Sm-doped MOX

Hirooka, Shun; Horii, Yuta; Sunaoshi, Takeo*; Uno, Hiroki*; Yamada, Tadahisa*; Vauchy, R.; Hayashizaki, Kohei; Nakamichi, Shinya; Murakami, Tatsutoshi; Kato, Masato

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(11), p.1313 - 1323, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2192725

Additive MOX pellets are fabricated by a conventional dry powder metallurgy method. NdO and SmO are chosen as the additive materials to simulate the corresponding soluble fission products dispersed in MOX. Shrinkage curves of the MOX pellets are obtained by dilatometry, which reveal that the sintering temperature is shifted toward a value higher than that of the respective regular MOX. The additives, however, promote grain growth and densification, which can be explained by the effect of oxidized uranium cations covering to a pentavalent state. Ceramography reveals large agglomerates after sintering, and Electron Probe Micro-Analysis confirms that inhomogeneous elemental distribution, whereas XRD reveals a single face-centered cubic phase. Finally, by grinding and re-sintering the specimens, the cation distribution homogeneity is significantly improved, which can simulate spent nuclear fuels with soluble fission products.

Liquid phase sintering of alumina-silica co-doped cerium dioxide CeO ceramics

Vauchy, R.; Hirooka, Shun; Watanabe, Masashi; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Sunaoshi, Takeo*; Yamada, Tadahisa*; Nakamichi, Shinya; Murakami, Tatsutoshi

Ceramics International, 49(2), p.3058 - 3065, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.09.295

Deexcitation dynamics of muonic atoms revealed by high-precision spectroscopy of electronic X rays

Okumura, Takuma*; Azuma, Toshiyuki*; Bennet, D. A.*; Caradonna, P.*; Chiu, I. H.*; Doriese, W. B.*; Durkin, M. S.*; Fowler, J. W.*; Gard, J. D.*; Hashimoto, Tadashi; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 127(5), p.053001_1 - 053001_7, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.053001

We observed electronic X rays emitted from muonic iron atoms using a superconducting transition-edge-type sensor microcalorimeter. The energy resolution of 5.2 eV in FWHM allowed us to observe the asymmetric broad profile of the electronic characteristic and X rays together with the hypersatellite X rays around 6 keV. This signature reflects the time-dependent screening of the nuclear charge by the negative muon and the -shell electrons, accompanied by electron side-feeding. Assisted by a simulation, this data clearly reveals the electronic - and -shell hole production and their temporal evolution during the muon cascade process.

Development of a laser chipping technique combined with water jet for retrieval of fuel debris at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Yamada, Tomonori; Takebe, Toshihiko*; Ishizuka, Ippei*; Daido, Hiroyuki*; Hanari, Toshihide; Shibata, Takuya; Omori, Shinya*; Kurosawa, Koichi*; Sasaki, Go*; Nakada, Masahiro*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(12), p.1171 - 1179, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1647890

We describe a new chipping technique combined with a water-jet technique as one of the candidate techniques for the retrieval of fuel debris and support structures as part of the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. We performed proof-of-principle experiments to demonstrate the removal capability of metal parts, where we focused on the observation of removal processes from a metallic sample using a 5.5-kW continuous wave fiber laser combined with continuous and pulsed water jets.

Ion beam analysis of quaternary Heusler alloy Co(MnFe)Si(111) epitaxially grown on Ge(111)

Kawakubo, Yuki*; Noguchi, Masaya*; Hirata, Tomoaki*; Narumi, Kazumasa; Sakai, Seiji; Yamada, Shinya*; Hamaya, Kohei*; Miyao, Masanobu*; Maeda, Yoshihito

Physica Status Solidi (C), 10(12), p.1828 - 1831, 2013/12

https://doi.org/10.1002/pssc.201300367

"Crystal lattice engineering", an approach to engineer protein crystal contacts by creating intermolecular symmetry; Crystallization and structure determination of a mutant human RNase 1 with a hydrophobic interface of leucines

Yamada, Hidenori*; Tamada, Taro; Kosaka, Megumi*; Miyata, Kohei*; Fujiki, Shinya*; Tano, Masaru*; Moriya, Masayuki*; Yamanishi, Mamoru*; Honjo, Eijiro; Tada, Horiko*; et al.

Protein Science, 16(7), p.1389 - 1397, 2007/07

https://doi.org/10.1110/ps.072851407

In an attempt to control protein incorporation in a crystal lattice, a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface (comprising four leucine residues) was introduced into a helical region (helix 2) of the human pancreatic ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) that was predicted to form a suitable crystallization interface. Although crystallization of wild type RNase 1 has not yet been reported, the RNase 1 mutant having four leucines (4L-RNase 1) was successfully crystallized under several different conditions. The crystal structures were subsequently determined by X-ray crystallography by molecular replacement using the structure of bovine RNase A. The overall structure of 4L-RNase 1 is quite similar to that of the bovine RNase A, and the introduced leucine residues formed the designed crystal interface. To further characterize the role of the introduced leucine residues in crystallization of RNase 1, the number of leucines was reduced to three or two (3L- and 2L-RNase 1, respectively). Both mutants crystallized and a similar hydrophobic interface as in 4L-RNase 1 was observed. A related approach to engineer crystal contacts at helix 3 of RNase 1 (N4L-RNase 1) was also evaluated. N4L-RNase 1 also successfully crystallized, and formed the expected hydrophobic packing interface. These results suggest that appropriate introduction of a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface can promote intra molecular symmetry for more efficient protein crystallization in crystal lattice engineering efforts.

Initial yields of DNA double-strand breaks and DNA fragmentation patterns depend on linear energy transfer in tobacco BY-2 protoplasts irradiated with helium, carbon and neon ions

Yokota, Yuichiro; Yamada, Shinya*; Hase, Yoshihiro; Shikazono, Naoya; Narumi, Issei; Tanaka, Atsushi; Inoue, Masayoshi*

Radiation Research, 167(1), p.94 - 101, 2007/01

https://doi.org/10.1667/RR0701.1

The ability of ion beams to kill or mutate plant cells is known to depend on the linear energy transfer (LET) of the ions, although the mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, tobacco BY-2 protoplasts as a model of single plant cells were irradiated with helium, carbon and neon ions having different LETs. Following irradiation, DNA fragments were separated into sizes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Information on DNA fragmentation was obtained by staining the gels with SYBR Green I. Initial DSB yields (Gbp Gy) were found to depend on LET, and the highest relative biological effectiveness (about 1.6) was obtained at 124 and 241 keV/m carbon ions. High-LET carbon and neon ions yielded short DNA fragments more efficiently than rays. These results partially explain the large biological effects caused by high-LET ions in plants.

Application of transition edge sensor (TES) to micro-XRF-XAFS for the speciation of cesium in glassy material emitted by Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Takahashi, Yoshio*; Miura, Hikaru*; Yamada, Shinya*; Okada, Shinji*; Hashimoto, Tadashi*; Ichinohe, Yuto*; Okumura, Takuma*; Hayakawa, Ryota*; Noda, Hirofumi*; Sekizawa, Oki*; et al.

no journal, , 

Radiocesium-bearing microparticle (CsMP) released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident is important as a material that reflects the physicochemical state inside the nuclear reactor at the time of the accident and as a host for radioactive Cs after deposition in the environment, but many unresolved aspects remain to be clarified. In this study, the chemical state of Cs in CsMPs was identified by measuring them with a superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) detector, which has higher sensitivity than conventional detectors.