Gas barrier properties of chemical vapor-deposited graphene to oxygen imparted with sub-electronvolt kinetic energy

Ogawa, Shuichi*; Yamaguchi, Hisato*; Holby, E. F.*; Yamada, Takatoshi*; Yoshigoe, Akitaka; Takakuwa, Yuji*

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (Internet), 11(21), p.9159 - 9164, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02112

Atomically thin layers of graphene have been proposed to protect surfaces through the direct blocking of corrosion reactants such as oxygen with low added weight. The long term efficacy of such an approach, however, is unclear due to the long-term desired protection of decades and the presence of defects in as-synthesized materials. Here, we demonstrate catalytic permeation of oxygen molecules through previously-described impermeable graphene by imparting sub-eV kinetic energy to molecules. These molecules represent a small fraction of a thermal distribution thus this exposure serves as an accelerated stress test for understanding decades-long exposures. The permeation rate of the energized molecules increased 2 orders of magnitude compared to their non-energized counterpart. Graphene maintained its relative impermeability to non-energized oxygen molecules even after the permeation of energized molecules indicating that the process is non-destructive and a fundamental property of the exposed material.

Annual report on the effluent control of low level liquid waste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories FY2017

Nakano, Masanao; Fujita, Hiroki; Mizutani, Tomoko; Nagaoka, Mika; Inoue, Kazumi; Koike, Yuko; Yamada, Ryohei; Yoshii, Hideki*; Hiyama, Yoshinori*; Otani, Kazunori*; et al.

JAEA-Review 2018-028, 120 Pages, 2019/02

JAEA-Review-2018-028.pdf:2.69MB

Based on the regulations (the safety regulation of Tokai Reprocessing Plant, the safety regulation of nuclear fuel material usage facilities, the radiation safety rule, the regulation about prevention from radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, which are related with the nuclear regulatory acts, the local agreement concerning with safety and environment conservation around nuclear facilities, the water pollution control law, and by law of Ibaraki Prefecture), the effluent control of liquid waste discharged from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performed. This report describes the effluent control results of the liquid waste in the fiscal year 2017. In this period, the concentrations and the quantities of the radioactivity in liquid waste discharged from the reprocessing plant, the plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, and the other nuclear fuel material usage facilities were much lower than the limits authorized by the above regulations.

Annual report on the effluent control of low level liquid waste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories FY2016

Nakano, Masanao; Fujita, Hiroki; Nagaoka, Mika; Inoue, Kazumi; Koike, Yuko; Yoshii, Hideki*; Hiyama, Yoshinori*; Otani, Kazunori*; Kikuchi, Masaaki*; Sakauchi, Nobuyuki*; et al.

JAEA-Review 2017-037, 119 Pages, 2018/03

JAEA-Review-2017-037.pdf:2.58MB

Based on the regulations (the safety regulation of Tokai Reprocessing Plant, the safety regulation of nuclear fuel material usage facilities, the radiation safety rule, the regulation about prevention from radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, which are related with the nuclear regulatory acts, the local agreement concerning with safety and environment conservation around nuclear facilities, the water pollution control law, and bylaw of Ibaraki Prefecture), the effluent control of liquid waste discharged from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performed. This report describes the effluent control results of the liquid waste in the fiscal year 2016. In this period, the concentrations and the quantities of the radioactivity in liquid waste discharged from the reprocessing plant, the plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, and the other nuclear fuel material usage facilities were much lower than the limits authorized by the above regulations.

Determination of fusion barrier distributions from quasielastic scattering cross sections towards superheavy nuclei synthesis

Tanaka, Taiki*; Narikiyo, Yoshihiro*; Morita, Kosuke*; Fujita, Kunihiro*; Kaji, Daiya*; Morimoto, Koji*; Yamaki, Sayaka*; Wakabayashi, Yasuo*; Tanaka, Kengo*; Takeyama, Mirei*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 87(1), p.014201_1 - 014201_9, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.87.014201

Excitation functions of quasielastic scattering cross sections for the Ca + Pb, Ti + Pb, and Ca + Cm reactions were successfully measured by using the gas-filled recoil-ion separator GARIS. Fusion barrier distributions were extracted from these data, and compared with the coupled-channels calculations. It was found that the peak energies of the barrier distributions for the Ca + Pb and Ti + Pb systems coincide with those of the 2n evaporation channel cross sections for the systems, while that of the Ca + Cm is located slightly below the 4n evaporation ones. This results provide us helpful information to predict the optimum beam energy to synthesize superheavy nuclei.

Development of a method of safety assessment for geological disposal considering long-term evolution of geological and topographical environment by uplift and erosion

Wakasugi, Keiichiro; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Koo, Shigeru*; Nagao, Fumiya; Kato, Tomoko; Suzuki, Yuji*; Ebashi, Takeshi; Umeki, Hiroyuki*; Niibori, Yuichi*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 16(1), p.15 - 33, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J16.010

This study provides a method of safety assessment for the geological disposal of HLW to evaluate the effects of uplift and erosion which are widespread phenomena identified on regional and global scales, and are more or less difficult to avoid in Japan. This method enables to deal with different uplift rate and erosion rate, and to evaluate repository depth, the time required for a repository to reach the weathered zone and surface of the ground, and the number of waste packages eroded as a function of time by using a landform evolution model. Based on trial analysis, the result shows that the maximum dose in the Base Case (uplift rate: 0.3 mm/y) is less than the targeted criterion suggested by the international organization even if the repository reaches the ground surface. Furthermore, the diversifying effect on timing the waste packages to reach to weathered zone due to heterogeneity on altitude of bottom of weathered zone reduces one order magnitude of result of the existed dose assessment. The new method is applicable to evaluate safety of geological disposal based on realistic phenomena of uplift and erosion and to quantify a safety margin and robustness of the disposal system.

Electronic structures of ferromagnetic CeAgSb; Soft X-ray absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopies

Saito, Yuji; Fujiwara, Hidenori*; Yamaguchi, Takashi*; Nakatani, Yasuhiro*; Mori, Takeo*; Fuchimoto, Hiroto*; Kiss, Takayuki*; Yasui, Akira*; Miyawaki, Jun*; Imada, Shin*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 85(11), p.114713_1 - 114713_7, 2016/11

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.85.114713

We report on the electronic structures of ferromagnetic CeAgSb using soft X-ray absorption (XAS), magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) spectroscopies. The Ce XAS spectra show very small satellite structures, reflecting a strongly localized character of the Ce 4 electrons. The linear dichroism effects in the Ce XAS spectra demonstrate the ground-state Ce 4 symmetry of , the spatial distribution of which is directed along the -axis. Nevertheless, ARPES spectra at the Ce 3-4 resonance show the momentum dependence of the intensity ratio between Ce 4 and 4 peaks in a part of the Brillouin zone, suggesting the non negligible momentum-dependent hybridization effect between the Ce 4 and the conduction electrons. This is associated with the moderate mass enhancement in CeAgSb.

Fabrication and test results of testing equipment for remote-handling of MA fuel, 1; Testing equipment for fuel cooling

Nishihara, Kenji; Tazawa, Yujiro; Inoue, Akira; Sugawara, Takanori; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Sasa, Toshinobu; Obayashi, Hironari; Yamaguchi, Kazushi; Kikuchi, Masashi*

JAEA-Technology 2015-051, 47 Pages, 2016/03

JAEA-Technology-2015-051.pdf:3.6MB

This report summarizes fabrication and test results of a testing equipment for fuel cooling that is a component of the testing equipment for remote-handling of highly-radioactive MA fuels in the transmutation physics experimental facility (TEF-P) planned in the J-PARC. Evaluation formula of pressure drop and temperature increase used in the design of TEF-P was validated by the test, and, feasibility of cooling concept was confirmed.

Numerical study on inert gas behavior in fast reactor primary coolant system; Inert gas accumulation at HPP and consideration of gas elimination system

Takata, Takashi*; Konaka, Yuji*; Yamaguchi, Akira*; Ito, Kei; Ohno, Shuji; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

Proceedings of 9th Korea-Japan Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS-9) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2014/11

In this paper, a model of bubble transport at entrance nozzle has been developed based on theoretical and computational methods. For this purpose, a three-dimensional analysis of dynamic bubbles behavior has been carried out by using one-way bubble tracking method which is specified to a bubble flow under a low void fraction. A commercial CFD tool, FLUENT Ver. 6.3.26 is used for three-dimensional flow field analyses. Then the gas accumulation at a high pressure plenum (HPP) of sodium-cooled fast rector has been quantitatively-assessed by implementing the developed model in SYRENA code. Furthermore, gas elimination (bubble removal) systems have been considered and the quantitatively-assessment has been carried out in order to investigate the effect of each measure to the accumulation of gas at the HPP.

Study on bubble behavior of inert gases at entrance nozzle in sodium-cooled fast reactor

Konaka, Yuji*; Takata, Takashi*; Yamaguchi, Akira*; Ito, Kei; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

Proceedings of 8th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS-8) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2012/12

Bubbles of inert gases exist in a primary coolant system of sodium-cooled fast reactor. Those bubbles may cause increase of reactivity in the core and cavitation erosion and so on. Therefore it is necessary from the viewpoint of reactor safety to understand the dynamic behavior of the bubbles. In this study, the model of gas transport at the entrance nozzle has been developed using a non-dimensional correlation based on a three-dimensional analysis of dynamic bubbles behavior. As a result, it has been demonstrated that the bubble behavior is influenced by the sodium flow field, bubble radius and the shape of the entrance nozzle. The authors have also developed a correlation for the gas behavior based on the dimensionless number which corresponds to the geometric, the buoyancy and the drag force effects acting on the bubble.

Azimuthal correlations of electrons from heavy-flavor decay with hadrons in and Au+Au collisions at = 200 GeV

Adare, A.*; Afanasiev, S.*; Aidala, C.*; Ajitanand, N. N.*; Akiba, Yasuyuki*; Al-Bataineh, H.*; Alexander, J.*; Aoki, Kazuya*; Aphecetche, L.*; Aramaki, Y.*; et al.

Physical Review C, 83(4), p.044912_1 - 044912_16, 2011/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.83.044912

Measurements of electrons from the decay of open-heavy-flavor mesons have shown that the yields are suppressed in Au+Au collisions compared to expectations from binary-scaled collisions. Here we extend these studies to two particle correlations where one particle is an electron from the decay of a heavy flavor meson and the other is a charged hadron from either the decay of the heavy meson or from jet fragmentation. These measurements provide more detailed information about the interaction between heavy quarks and the quark-gluon matter. We find the away-side-jet shape and yield to be modified in Au+Au collisions compared to collisions.