Status report of JAEA-AMS-TONO; Research and technical development in the last four years

Kokubu, Yoko; Fujita, Natsuko; Watanabe, Takahiro; Matsubara, Akihiro; Ishizaka, Chika; Miyake, Masayasu*; Nishio, Tomohiro*; Kato, Motohisa*; Ogawa, Yumi*; Ishii, Masahiro*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 539, p.68 - 72, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2023.03.005

The JAEA-AMS-TONO facility at the Tono Geoscience Center, JAEA has an accelerator mass spectrometer (JAEA-AMS-TONO-5MV). The spectrometer enabled us to use a multi-nuclide AMS of carbon-14 (C), beryllium-10, aluminium-26 and iodine-129, and we have recently been proceeding test measurement of chlorine-36. In response to an increase of samples, we installed a state-of-the-art multi-nuclide AMS with a 300 kV Tandetron accelerator in 2020. Recently, we are driving the development of techniques of isobar separation in AMS and of sample preparation. Ion channeling is applied to remove isobaric interference and we are building a prototype AMS based on this technique for downsizing of AMS. The small sample graphitization for C has been attempted using an automated graphitization equipment equipped with an elemental analyzer.

Testing mosses exposed in bags as biointerceptors of airborne radiocaesium after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station accident

Di Palma, A.; Adamo, P.*; Dohi, Terumi; Fujiwara, Kenso; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Kitamura, Akihiro; Sakoda, Akihiro; Sato, Kazuhiko; Iijima, Kazuki

Chemosphere, 308, Part 1, p.136179_1 - 136179_13, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136179

The present study shows the use of mosses transplanted in bags, called as moss bags, as biosensors of airborne radioactive dusts in the environment of the evacuated zone of Fukushima. A standardized protocol was applied and three moss species were used. Background sites of Okayama Prefecture were used for comparison. In the Fukushima area, the moss bags were able to accumulate radiocaesium in all exposure sites and periods, with Sphagnum palustre moss acting as the most performant moss. The radiocaesium activity concentrations dectected in mosses were in strong agreement with the Cs deposition levels and decontamination status of each exposure site. The accumulation of soil-derived radiocaesium by moss bags was supported by autoradiography and electron microscopy analyses. The linear dependency of Cs accumulation with the exposure time allowed a radiocaesium quantitative assessment.

Data comparison of measurement of carbon isotope standards between JAEA-AMS-TONO and JAEA-AMS-MUTSU

Kokubu, Yoko; Matsubara, Akihiro; Fujita, Natsuko; Kuwabara, Jun; Kinoshita, Naoki

JAEA-Technology 2021-028, 33 Pages, 2022/02

JAEA-Technology-2021-028.pdf:2.18MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has two facilities of accelerator mass spectrometry, JAEA-AMS-TONO and JAEA-AMS-MUTSU at Tono Geoscience Center and Aomori Research and Development Center, respectively. In this report, characteristics of each facility and results of standard samples in the inner-comparison test of carbon isotope measurement will be described. Both facilities have been used for research by not only JAEA's staff but also researchers who belong to universities and other institutes on the shared use program of JAEA facilities. Recently, researchers trend to use both facilities with the expansion of demand for the carbon isotope measurement by using the accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS). However, each facility has a spectrometer made by a different manufacturer and equipped with different mechanical components. There is a difference in each ability to the carbon isotope measurement such as background level. This is, for example, due to different ion injection system adapted at each spectrometer. Further, each facility uses a different analytical method adjusted to each main research field. When a researcher uses both facilities, the researcher understands more about the characteristics and need to make a suitable choice of a facility for samples and the analytical method. The report presents a detailed information of characteristics of the spectrometer, sample preparation method and analytical method, and of ability of the measurement based on the inner-comparison test.

Annual report of Engineering Services Department on JFY2019

Engineering Services Department

JAEA-Review 2021-011, 86 Pages, 2021/08

JAEA-Review-2021-011.pdf:5.35MB

The Engineering Services Department is in charge of operation and maintenance of utility facilities (water distribution systems, electricity supply systems, steam generation systems and drain water systems etc.) in whole of the institute. And also is in charge of operation and maintenance of specific systems (power receiving and transforming facilities, an emergency electric power supply system, an air/liquid waste treatment system, a compressed air supply system) in nuclear reactor facilities, nuclear fuel treatment facilities and usual facilities or buildings. In addition, the department is in charge of maintenance of buildings, design and repair of electrical/mechanical equipments. This annual report describes summary of activities, operation and maintenance data and technical developments of the department carried out in JFY 2019. We hope that this report may help to future work.

Annual report of Department of Research Reactor and Tandem Accelerator, JFY2018 (Operation, utilization and technical development of JRR-3, JRR-4, NSRR, Tandem Accelerator, RI Production Facility and Tritium Process Laboratory)

Department of Research Reactor and Tandem Accelerator

JAEA-Review 2020-074, 105 Pages, 2021/03

JAEA-Review-2020-074.pdf:3.72MB

The Department of Research Reactor and Tandem Accelerator is in charge of the operation, utilization and technical development of JRR-3 (Japan Research Reactor No.3), JRR-4 (Japan Research Reactor No.4), NSRR (Nuclear Safety Research Reactor), Tandem Accelerator, RI Production Facility and TPL (Tritium Process Laboratory). This annual report describes the activities of our department in fiscal year of 2018. We carried out the operation and maintenance, utilization, upgrading of utilization techniques, safety administration and international cooperation. Also contained are lists of publications, meetings, granted permissions on laws and regulations concerning atomic energy, outcomes in service and technical developments and so on.

Annual report of Department of Research Reactor and Tandem Accelerator, JFY2016 (Operation, utilization and technical development of JRR-3, JRR-4, NSRR, Tandem Accelerator, RI Production Facility and Tritium Process Laboratory)

Department of Research Reactor and Tandem Accelerator

JAEA-Review 2020-072, 102 Pages, 2021/03

JAEA-Review-2020-072.pdf:3.86MB

The Department of Research Reactor and Tandem Accelerator is in charge of the operation, utilization and technical development of JRR-3 (Japan Research Reactor No.3), JRR-4 (Japan Research Reactor No.4), NSRR (Nuclear Safety Research Reactor), Tandem Accelerator, RI Production Facility and Tritium Process Laboratory). This annual report describes the activities of our department in fiscal year of 2016. We carried out the operation and maintenance, utilization, upgrading of utilization techniques, safety administration and international cooperation. Also contained are lists of publications, meetings, granted permissions on laws and regulations concerning atomic energy, outcomes in service and technical developments and so on.

Design and produce training-way system for crawler-type robots against nuclear emergency of JAEA facilities

Tsubaki, Hirohiko; Koizumi, Satoshi*

JAEA-Technology 2020-016, 16 Pages, 2020/11

JAEA-Technology-2020-016.pdf:2.96MB

Maintenance and Operation Section for Remote Control Equipment in Naraha Center for Remote Control Technology Development is the main part of the nuclear emergency response team of JAEA deal with Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness. The section needs to train operators from every nuclear facility in JAEA to control crawler-type robots, and so on. A driving training of a crawler-type robot used a reciprocating passage (U-shaped passage look from above) is one of the important training programs. The section always assembled a reciprocating passage with borrowed parts from other sections for every training of being used the passage. The section designed and produced training-way system included a reciprocating passage with stairs in 2019 fiscal year. The system makes the section members labor-saving, possible to set any time for training and diverse training-ways with easy assembling system. This report shows design and produce training-way system for crawler-type robots against nuclear emergency of JAEA facilities by Maintenance and Operation Section for Remote Control Equipment.

Current status of JAEA-AMS-TONO in the 20th year

Kokubu, Yoko; Fujita, Natsuko; Miyake, Masayasu; Watanabe, Takahiro; Ishizaka, Chika; Okabe, Nobuaki; Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Matsubara, Akihiro*; Nishizawa, Akimitsu*; Nishio, Tomohiro*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 456, p.271 - 275, 2019/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2019.03.015

JAEA-AMS-TONO has been in operation at the Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency since 1998 and 20 years have passed from the beginning of its utilization. The AMS system is a versatile system based on a 5 MV tandem Pelletron type accelerator. The system has been used to measure carbon-14 (C), beryllium-10 (Be) and aluminium-26 (Al). In addition, the development of measurement of iodine-129 (I) has been started. The main use is measurement of C in geological samples for dating studies in neotectonics and hydrogeology. In order to increase the speed of sample preparation, we introduced the automated graphitization equipment and made a gas-strip line to collect dissolved inorganic carbon in groundwater samples. Measurement of Be and Al has been used for geoscience studies and the detection limit in the measurement of Be was improved by Be-counting suppression. Recently tuning of measurement condition of I has been progressed.

Update of JAEA-TDB; Update of thermodynamic data for zirconium and those for isosaccahrinate, tentative selection of thermodynamic data for ternary M-UO-CO system and integration with JAEA's thermodynamic database for geochemical calculations

Kitamura, Akira

JAEA-Data/Code 2018-018, 103 Pages, 2019/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2018-018.pdf:5.66MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-018-appendix1(DVD-ROM).zip:0.14MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-018-appendix2(DVD-ROM).zip:0.15MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-018-appendix3(DVD-ROM).zip:0.19MB

The latest available thermodynamic data were critically reviewed and the selected values were included into the JAEA-TDB for performance assessment of geological disposal of high-level radioactive and TRU wastes. This critical review specifically addressed thermodynamic data for (1) a zirconium-hydroxide system through comparison of thermodynamic data selected by the Nuclear Energy Agency within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD/NEA), (2) complexation of metal ions with isosaccharinic acid based on the latest review papers. Furthermore, the author performed (3) tentative selection of thermodynamic data on ternary complexes among alkaline-earth metal, uranyl and carbonate ions, and (4) integration with the latest version of JAEA's thermodynamic database for geochemical calculations. The internal consistency of the selected data was checked by the author. Text files of the updated and integrated thermodynamic database have been prepared for geochemical calculation programs of PHREEQC and Geochemist's Workbench.

The Twenty years of JAEA-AMS-TONO

Kokubu, Yoko; Fujita, Natsuko; Matsubara, Akihiro*; Nishizawa, Akimitsu*; Nishio, Tomohiro; Miyake, Masayasu; Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Watanabe, Takahiro; Ogata, Nobuhisa; Shimada, Akiomi; et al.

JAEA-Conf 2018-002, p.5 - 8, 2019/02

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2018-002

no abstracts in English