Measurements of capture cross-section of Nb by activation method and half-life of Nb by mass analysis

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(11), p.1361 - 1371, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2198526

The thermal-neutron capture cross section () and resonance integral (I) for Nb among nuclides for decommissioning were measured by an activation method and the half-life of Nb by mass analysis. Niobium-93 samples were irradiated with a hydraulic conveyer installed in the research reactor in Institute for Integral Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University. Gold-aluminum, cobalt-aluminum alloy wires were used to monitor thermal-neutron fluxes and epi-thermal Westcott's indexes at an irradiation position. A 25-m-thick gadolinium foil was used to sort out reactions ascribe to thermal-and epi-thermal neutrons. Its thickness provided a cut-off energy of 0.133 eV. In order to attenuate radioactivity of Ta due to impurities, the Nb samples were cooled for nearly 2 years. The induced radio activity in the monitors and Nb samples were measured by -ray spectroscopy. In analysis based on Westcott's convention, the and I values were derived as 1.110.04 barn and 10.50.6 barn, respectively. After the -ray measurements, mass analysis was applied to the Nb sample to obtain the reaction rate. By combining data obtained by both -ray spectroscopy and mass analysis, the half-life of Nb was derived as (2.000.15)10 years.

Development of correction method for sample density effect on PGA

Maeda, Makoto; Segawa, Mariko; Toh, Yosuke; Endo, Shunsuke; Nakamura, Shoji; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 332(8), p.2995 - 2999, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-08961-x

Alumino-silicate structural formation during alkali-activation of metakaolin; In-situ and ex-situ ATR-FTIR studies

Onutai, S.; Osugi, Takeshi; Sone, Tomoyuki

Materials, 16(3), p.985_1 - 985_14, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16030985

Evaluation on activation activity of radioactive materials remaining in JMTR Reactor Facility

Nagata, Hiroshi; Otsuka, Kaoru; Omori, Takazumi; Ide, Hiroshi

JAEA-Technology 2022-017, 113 Pages, 2022/08

JAEA-Technology-2022-017.pdf:6.17MB

Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) was decided as a one of decommission facilities in April 2017. The activation activity of radioactive materials remaining in the reactor facility was evaluated in order to submit the decommissioning plan to the Nuclear Regulation Authority. Total activation activity was 9.310 Bq after the permanent shutdown of reactor, 2.710 Bq after 21 years, 1.010 Bq after 40 years and 2.410 Bq after 100 years. The structure with high activation activity was the core structural materials in JMTR such as beryllium frame, aluminum reflector, etc., and the material was stainless steel, beryllium, etc. The ratio of nuclides to the total amount of activated radioactivity was highest in H-3 until about 40 years after the reactor shutdown, and then in Ni-63. For reference, the radioactivity level was classified based on the results of the obtained radioactivity concentration. The ratio of the weight of each radioactivity level to the total weight was 0.3-0.4% (10-13t) for L1, 0.0-0.4% (0-14t) for L2, 1.0-1.2% (32-39t) for L3 and 98.0-98.7% (about 3200t) for CL until 100 years after the reactor shutdown. It was found that those classified as CL account for more than 90% of the total. When treating and disposing of radioactive waste, evaluation will be carried out based on appropriate methods, including evaluation results of secondary pollutants.

Measurements of thermal-neutron capture cross-section of the Np(n, ) reaction with TC-Pn in KUR

Nakamura, Shoji; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi; Shibahara, Yuji*

KURNS Progress Report 2021, P. 93, 2022/07

https://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2021/ProgRep2021.html

In terms of nuclear transmutation studies of minor actinides in nuclear wastes, the present work selected Np among them and aimed to measure the thermal-neutron capture cross-section of Np using a well-thermalized neutron field by a neutron activation method because there have been discrepancies among reported cross-section data. A Np standard solution was used for irradiation samples. The thermal-neutron flux at an irradiation position was measured with flux monitors: Sc, Co, Mo, Ta and Au. The Np sample was irradiated together with the flux monitors for 30 minutes in the graphite thermal column equipped in the Kyoto University Research Reactor. The similar irradiation was repeated once more to confirm the reproducibility of the results. After irradiation, the Np samples were quantified using 312-keV gamma-ray emitted from Pa in radiation equilibrium with Np. The reaction rates of Np were obtained from the peak net counts of gamma-rays emitted from generated Np, and then the thermal-neutron capture cross-section of Np was found to be 173.84.7 barn by averaging the results obtained by the two irradiations. The present result was in agreement with the reported data given by a time-of-flight method within a limit of uncertainty.

Thermal-neutron capture cross-section measurement of tantalum-181 using graphite thermal column at KUR

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(10), p.1061 - 1070, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1908187

In a well-thermalized neutron field, it is principally possible to drive a thermal-neutron capture cross-section without considering an epithermal neutron component. This was demonstrated by a neutron activation method using the graphite thermal column (TC-Pn) of the Kyoto University Research Reactor. First, in order to confirm that the graphite thermal column was a well-thermalized neutron field, neutron irradiation was performed with neutron flux monitors: Au, Co, Sc, Cu, and Mo. The TC-Pn was confirmed to be extremely thermalized on the basis of Westcott's convention, because the thermal-neutron flux component took a constant value regardless of the sensitivity of each flux monitor to epithermal neutrons. Next, as a demonstration, the thermal-neutron capture cross section of Ta(n,)Ta reaction was measured using the graphite thermal column, and then derived to be 20.50.4 barn, which supported the evaluated value of 20.40.3 barn. The Ta nuclide could be useful as a flux monitor that complements the sensitivity between Au and Mo monitors.

Bias effects on g- and s-factors in Westcott convention

Harada, Hideo

Applied Sciences (Internet), 11(14), p.6558_1 - 6558_20, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146558

For accuracy improvement of neutron activation analysis and neutron capture cross section, bias effects are investigated on g- and s-factors in the Westcott convention. As origins of biases, a joining function shape, neutron temperature and sample temperature, have been investigated. Biases are quantitatively deduced for two 1/v isotopes (Au, Co) and six non-1/v isotopes (Am, Eu, Rh, In, Hf, Ra). The s-factor calculated with a joining function deduced recently by a detailed Monte Carlo simulation is compared to s-factors calculated with traditional joining functions by Westcott. The results show the bias induced by sample temperature is small as the order of 0.1% for g-factor and the order of 1% for s-factor. On the other hand, biases induced by a joining function shape for s-factor depend significantly on both isotopes and neutron temperature. As the result, reaction rates are also affected significantly as well. The bias size on reaction rate is given in the case of epithermal neutron index r = 0.1, for the eight isotopes.

Thermal-neutron capture cross sections and resonance integrals of the Am(n,)Am and Am(n,)Am reactions

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(3), p.259 - 277, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1819907

Research and development were made for accuracy improvement of neutron capture cross section data on Am among minor actinides. First, the emission probabilities of decay rays were obtained with high accuracy, and the amount of the ground state of Am produced by reactor neutron irradiation of Am was examined by -ray measurement. Next, the total amount of isomer and ground states was examined by -ray measurement. Thermal-neutron capture cross sections and resonance integrals were derived both for the Am(n,)Am and for Am(n,)Am reactions.

Measurement of thick target neutron yield at 180 for a mercury target induced by 3-GeV protons

Matsuda, Hiroki; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Meigo, Shinichiro; Takeshita, Hayato*; Maekawa, Fujio

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 483, p.33 - 40, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2020.09.012

A thick target neutron yield for a mercury target at an angle of 180 from the incident beam direction is measured with the time-of-flight method using a 3-GeV proton beam at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). Comparing the experimental result with a Monte Carlo particle transport simulation by the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) shows that there are apparent discrepancies. We find that this trend is consistent with an experimental result of neutron-induced re- action rates obtained using indium and niobium activation foils. Comparing proton-induced neutron-production double-differential cross-sections for a lead target at backward directions between the PHITS calculation and experimental data suggests that the dis- crepancies for our experiments would be linked to the neutron production calculation around 3 GeV by the PHITS spallation model and/or the calculation of nonelastic cross-sections around 3 GeV in the particle transport simulation.

Measurement of nuclide production cross section for lead and bismuth with proton in energy range from 0.4 GeV to 3.0 GeV

Matsuda, Hiroki; Meigo, Shinichiro; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Maekawa, Fujio

EPJ Web of Conferences, 239, p.06004_1 - 06004_4, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202023906004

For the Accelerator-Driven nuclear transmutation System (ADS), nuclide production yield estimation in the lead-bismuth target is important to manage the target. However, experimental data of nuclide production yield by spallation and high-energy fission reactions are scarce. In order to obtain the experimental data, we experimented in J-PARC using Pb and Bi samples. The samples were irradiated with protons at various kinematic energy points between 0.4 and 3.0 GeV. After the irradiation, the nuclide production cross section over Be to Re was obtained by spectroscopic measurement of decay gamma-rays from the samples with HPGe detectors. The present experimental results were compared with the evaluated data (JENDL-HE/2007) and the calculation with the PHITS code and the INCL++ code. The present experiment data showed consistency with other experimental data with better accuracy than other ones. In reactions to produce light nuclides, JENDL and calculation with the PHITS and INCL++ for Be production agreed with the data.Na production, however, underestimated about 1/10 times. For middle to heavy nuclide productions cases, both calculations agreed with the experiment by a factor of two. JENDL showed lower energy having a maximum value of excitation function maximal value than the experimental data.