Atomistic modeling of hardening in spinodally-decomposed Fe-Cr binary alloys

Suzudo, Tomoaki; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Nishiyama, Yutaka; Caro, A.*; Toyama, Takeshi*; Nagai, Yasuyoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 540, p.152306_1 - 152306_10, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152306

Spinodal decomposition in thermally aged Fe-Cr alloys leads to significant hardening, which is the direct cause of the so-called 475C-embrittlement. To illustrate how spinodal decomposition induces hardening by atomistic interactions, we conducted a series of numerical simulations as well as reference experiments. The numerical results indicated that the hardness scales linearly with the short-range order (SRO) parameter, while the experimental result reproduced this relationship within statistical error. Both seemingly suggest that neighboring Cr-Cr atomic pairs essentially cause hardening, because SRO is by definition uniquely dependent on the appearance probability of such pairs. A further numerical investigation supported this notion, as it suggests that the dominant cause of hardening is the pinning effect of dislocations passing over such Cr-Cr pairs.

Construction of virtual reality system for radiation working environment reproduced by gamma-ray imagers combined with SLAM technologies

Sato, Yuki; Minemoto, Kojiro*; Nemoto, Makoto*; Torii, Tatsuo

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 976, p.164286_1 - 164286_6, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2020.164286

Neutron diffraction monitoring of ductile cast iron under cyclic tension-compression

Harjo, S.; Kubota, Satoru*; Gong, W.*; Kawasaki, Takuro; Gao, S.*

Acta Materialia, 196, p.584 - 594, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.07.016

A Conventional straddle-sliding-packer system as a borehole extensometer; Monitoring shear displacement of a fault during an injection test

Ishii, Eiichi

Engineering Geology, 275, p.105748_1 - 105748_12, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105748

A constant-head step injection test using a conventional straddle-packer system was performed for a normal fault in siliceous mudstone. The test applied a new method whereby axial displacements of isolated test sections in a borehole during injection are monitored by measuring the pressures of sliding packers and the pore pressure in the test section. The measured pressures and axial displacement, and the injection flow rate, were used to estimate the hydraulic aperture, shear displacement, normal compliance, normal stress, shear stiffness and hydraulic dilation angle of the fault during the test. The injection successfully yielded a large shear displacement during normal faulting of up to 13.3-49.5 mm (including the estimation error), which left residual shear displacement of 2.8-10.4 mm after a remarkable shear-slip event. The shear stiffness during faulting is estimated to be 2.3 10 to 8.4 10 Pa m (considering the estimation error), which is consistent with empirically predicted values based on previous studies. The hydraulic dilation angle was inferred to be effectively zero as the residual shear displacement did not leave any increase in hydraulic aperture. The experimental method applied here does not require specialized equipment and could aid in the investigation of the hydromechanical behavior of subsurface fractures or aquifers.

Radiocesium distribution in the sediments of the Odaka River estuary, Fukushima, Japan

Hagiwara, Hiroki; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Konishi, Hiromi*; Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Misono, Toshiharu; Fujiwara, Kenso; Kitamura, Akihiro

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 220-221, p.106294_1 - 106294_9, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106294

Analysis of ion-irradiation induced lattice expansion and ferromagnetic state in CeO by using Poisson distribution function

Yamamoto, Yuki*; Ishikawa, Norito; Hori, Fuminobu*; Iwase, Akihiro*

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 4(3), p.26_1 - 26_13, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs4030026

The lattice constant and the magnetic state of CeO are modified by the irradiation with 200 MeV Xe ions. Under the assumption that these modifications are induced in the narrow one-dimensional region (the ion track) along the ion beam path, the dependence of the lattice constant and the saturation magnetization of CeO on the Xe ion fluence can be analyzed by using the Poisson distribution function. The analysis reveals that the lattice constant inside the ion track, which is larger than outside the ion track is not affected by the overlapping of the ion track. The present result implies that the Poisson distribution function is useful for describing the effect of ion track overlapping on the ion irradiation induced ferromagnetic state in CeO.

Fatigue crack growth for ferritic steel under negative stress ratio

Yamaguchi, Yoshihito; Hasegawa, Kunio; Li, Y.

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 142(4), p.041507_1 - 041507_6, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4046768

The phenomenon of crack closure is important in the prediction of fatigue crack growth. Several experimental data indicate the closing of fatigue cracks both under negative and positive loads at constant amplitude loading cycles, depending on the magnitude of stress amplitude and stress ratio. Appendix A-4300 of the ASME Code Section XI provides two equations of fatigue crack growth rates expressed by the stress intensity factor range for ferritic steels under negative stress ratio. The boundary of two fatigue crack growth rates is classified with the magnitude of applied stress intensity factor range, in consideration of the crack closure. The boundary value provided by the ASME Code Section XI is validated in this study through an investigation of the influence of the magnitude of the applied stress intensity factor range on crack closure, with the application of fatigue crack growth tests using ferritic steel specimens in air environment at room and high temperatures. Crack closures are obtained as a parameter of stress ratio, and herein, were found to occur at a smaller applied stress intensity factor range, as opposed to the definition given by Appendix A-4300.

Introduction to nuclear security, 3; Nuclear material detection technique for nuclear security

Takahashi, Yoshiyuki*; Koizumi, Mitsuo

Nippon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi, 62(8), p.452 - 456, 2020/08

no abstracts in English

Microscopic analyses on Zr adsorbed IDA chelating resin by PIXE and EXAFS

Arai, Yoichi; Watanabe, So; Ono, Shimpei; Nomura, Kazunori; Nakamura, Fumiya*; Arai, Tsuyoshi*; Seko, Noriaki*; Hoshina, Hiroyuki*; Hagura, Naoto*; Kubota, Toshio*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 477, p.54 - 59, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2019.10.028

Comparison of antioxidative effects between radon and thoron inhalation in mouse organs

Kobashi, Yusuke*; Kataoka, Takahiro*; Kanzaki, Norie; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*; Sakoda, Akihiro; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Ishimori, Yuu; Mitsunobu, Fumihiro*; Yamaoka, Kiyonori*

Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 59(3), p.473 - 482, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-020-00843-0

Radon therapy has been traditionally performed globally for oxidative stress-related diseases. Many researchers have studied the beneficial effects of radon exposure in living organisms. However, the effects of thoron, a radioisotope of radon, have not been fully examined. In this study, we aimed to compare the biological effects of radon and thoron inhalation on mouse organs with a focus on oxidative stress. Male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 15 groups: sham inhalation, radon inhalation at a dose of 500 Bq/m or 2000 Bq/m, and thoron inhalation at a dose of 500 Bq/m or 2000 Bq/m were carried out. Immediately after inhalation, mouse tissues were excised for biochemical assays. The results showed a significant increase in superoxide dismutase and total glutathione, and a significant decrease in lipid peroxide following thoron inhalation under several conditions. Additionally, similar effects were observed for different doses and inhalation times between radon and thoron. Our results suggest that thoron inhalation also exerts antioxidative effects against oxidative stress in organs. However, the inhalation conditions should be carefully analyzed because of the differences in physical characteristics between radon and thoron.