廃棄物安全試験施設(WASTEF)におけるガンマ線照射利用

佐野 成人; 山下 直輝; 渡邊 勝哉; 塚田 学*; 星野 一豊*; 平井 功希; 池上 雄太*; 田代 信介; 吉田 涼一朗; 畠山 祐一; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2023-029, 36 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Technology-2023-029.pdf:2.47MB

廃棄物安全試験施設(WASTEF)においては、令和元年度に原子力科学研究所内の第4研究棟よりガンマ線照射装置「ガンマセル220」を移設し、ガンマ線照射利用が開始された。当初は本装置の所有者である安全研究センター燃料サイクル安全研究ディビジョン サイクル安全研究グループがメインユーザーとして試験を実施していたが、令和4年度以降、日本原子力研究開発機構外部も含む他のユーザーの利用も開始された。ガンマ線照射装置「ガンマセル220」は、カナダNordion International Inc.製であり、平成元年度に購入してから、内蔵されるCo線源の線源更新を1回実施し、核燃料サイクル等に係る安全研究の目的で、今日まで利用されている。本報告書は、ガンマ線照射装置「ガンマセル220」設備概要、WASTEFにおける許認可、利用状況、保守点検及び今後の展望についてまとめたものである。

Observation of gamma rays up to 320 TeV from the middle-aged TeV pulsar wind nebula HESS J1849-000

雨森 道紘*; 土屋 晴文; Tibet AS Collaboration*; 他116名*

Astrophysical Journal, 954(2), p.200_1 - 200_7, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acebce

Gamma rays from HESS J1849-000, a middle-aged TeV pulsar wind nebula (PWN), are observed by the Tibet air shower array and the muon detector array. The detection significance of gamma rays reaches and levels above 25 TeV and 100 TeV, respectively. The energy spectrum measured between 40 TeV E 320 TeV for the first time is described with a simple power-law function of dN/dE = . The gamma-ray energy spectrum from the sub-TeV to sub-PeV ranges including the results of previous studies can be modeled with the leptonic scenario, Inverse Compton Scattering by high-energy electrons accelerated by the PWN of PSR J1849-0001, but the scenario requires sophisticated theoretical modeling. On the other hand, the gamma-ray energy spectrum can be simply modeled with the hadronic scenario in which gamma rays are generated from the decay of neutral pions produced by collisions between accelerated cosmic-ray protons and the ambient molecular cloud found in the gamma-ray emitting region. The cutoff energy of cosmic-ray protons is estimated at , suggesting that protons are accelerated up to the PeV energy range. Our study proposes that HESS J1849-000 should be further investigated as a new candidate for a Galactic PeV cosmic-ray accelerator, or "PeVatron".

Measurement of the spatial polarization distribution of circularly polarized gamma rays produced by inverse Compton scattering

平 義隆*; 遠藤 駿典; 河村 しほり*; 南部 太郎*; 奥泉 舞桜*; 静間 俊行*; Omer, M.; Zen, H.*; 岡野 泰彬*; 北口 雅暁*

Physical Review A, 107(6), p.063503_1 - 063503_10, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.107.063503

偏光レーザーと電子による逆コンプトン散乱は偏光ガンマ線を生成する手法の一つであり、100%偏光のレーザーを用いることで100%の偏光ガンマ線を得ることができる。しかしながら、偏光具合はガンマ線の散乱角度に依存して変化する。本研究ではMeVのエネルギーのガンマ線の円偏光度を測定することが可能である磁化鉄を用いて、ガンマ線の円偏光度の空間分布を実験的に測定した。ガンマ線の磁化鉄の透過率の非対称性が確認され、中心軸付近において円偏光しているガンマ線が、散乱角度が大きくなると円偏光から直線偏光に変化することが確認された。

Development of training course on non-destructive assay of nuclear material for Asian region, 2; Development of lectures and exercises on gamma-ray measurement

山本 昌彦; 河野 壮馬; 三枝 祐; 久野 剛彦; 関根 恵; 井上 尚子; 野呂 尚子; Rodriguez, D.; 山口 知輝; Stinett, J.*

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting 2023 (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05

保障措置・計量管理の担当者を対象とした、アジア地域向け「核物質の非破壊測定に関するトレーニングコース(NDAコース)」を開発した。NDAコースの5日間うち、ガンマ線測定パートは2日間を割いて実施した。ガンマ線検出器の基本特性,検出方法,メカニズムに関する講義は、開発したeラーニングにて提供した。また、実習の部分は原子力機構の施設において実施し、参加者は、各ガンマ線検出器のセットアップからウラン及び他のガンマ線放出核種の測定までを行った。また、ウラン235の濃縮度測定も行った。さらに、原子力機構の研究炉であるJRR-3における新燃料集合体の測定実習の準備として、IAEA保障措置で普及している携帯型ガンマ線スペクトロメータHM-5を用いた訓練も実施した。本発表では、これらのトレーニングコースの開発及び結果、参加者からのフィードバックについて報告する。

Gamma-ray imaging using three-dimensional shadow images created by coded solid

北山 佳治; 野上 光博*; 人見 啓太朗*

KEK Proceedings 2022-3, p.46 - 53, 2023/01

街灯の光で夜道に映し出された自分の影の向きや形から街灯の位置を予想することができる。この考えをガンマ線イメージャーに応用したものはCoded apertureとして知られている。今回、立体的な遮蔽とシンチレータ結晶配置を持ったCoded Cube Camera - POrtable (C3PO)を発案した。C3POは鉛、シンチレータ、空乏でできたキューブを333のルーリックキューブ状にランダムに配置したもので、各シンチレータの出力は3次元影模様を作り出す。三次元影からアンフォールディングによって線源方向分布にもどる。今回、Geant 4を用いたシミュレーションでその特性や実現可能性を検討した。

Clearance measurement for concrete waste generated by the decommissioning of uranium processing facilities

横山 薫; 大橋 裕介

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 175, p.109240_1 - 109240_7, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109240

原子力施設の廃止措置により発生するコンクリート廃棄物のウラン放射能の評価方法を検討した。Ac-228、Tl-208、K-40のピークはコンクリート廃棄物に由来するため、ウラン源から放出される1001keVのピークを区別することは困難である。そのため、コンクリートや環境からのガンマ線を補正する式を導き出し、ウランを定量した。コンクリート廃棄物の重量が約300kgの場合、ウランの重量が3g以上であれば、約30%の相対誤差で定量できる。測定試験は、均質な模擬コンクリート廃棄物を使用して実施した。ウラン処理施設のコンクリート表面はウラン汚染があり、コンクリート表面を削って発生した小さな塊をドラム缶に入れて測定するため、均質なコンクリートの試験は実際の廃棄物を反映していると考えられる。

Catalog of gamma-ray glows during four winter seasons in Japan

和田 有希*; 松本 崇弘*; 榎戸 輝揚*; 中澤 知洋*; 湯浅 孝行*; 古田 禄大*; 米徳 大輔*; 澤野 達哉*; 岡田 豪*; 南戸 秀仁*; et al.

Physical Review Research (Internet), 3(4), p.043117_1 - 043117_31, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043117

In 2015 the Gamma-Ray Observation of Winter Thunderstorms (GROWTH) collaboration launched a mapping observation campaign for high-energy atmospheric phenomena related to thunderstorms and lightning discharges. This campaign has developed a detection network of gamma rays with up to 10 radiation monitors installed in Kanazawa and Komatsu cities, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, where low-charge-center winter thunderstorms frequently occur. During four winter seasons from October 2016 to April 2020, in total 70 gamma-ray glows, minute-lasting bursts of gamma rays originating from thunderclouds, were detected. Their average duration is 58.9 sec. Among the detected events, 77% were observed in nighttime. The gamma-ray glows can be classified into temporally-symmetric, temporally-asymmetric, and lightning-terminated types based on their count-rate histories. An averaged energy spectrum of the gamma-ray glows is well fitted with a power-law function with an exponential cutoff, whose photon index, cutoff energy, and flux are 0.613 0.009, 4.68 0.04 MeV, and (1.013 0.003) 10 erg cms (0.2-20.0 MeV), respectively. The present paper provides the first catalog of gamma-ray glows and their statistical analysis detected during winter thunderstorms in the Kanazawa and Komatsu areas.

Multiple gamma-ray glows and a downward TGF observed from nearby thunderclouds

久富 章平*; 中澤 知洋*; 和田 有希*; 辻 結菜*; 榎戸 輝揚*; 篠田 太郎*; 森本 健志*; 中村 佳敬*; 湯浅 孝行*; 土屋 晴文

Journal of Geophysical Research; Atmospheres, 126(18), p.e2021JD034543_1 - e2021JD034543_12, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD034543

Around 17:00 on January 12, 2020 (UTC), radiation detectors installed at two locations with a 1.35 km separation in Kanazawa City, Japan, captured a total of four gamma-ray enhancements. The first pair was simultaneously observed at the two locations at 17:03 and were abruptly terminated by a lightning discharge. The remaining two enhancements were also nearly simultaneously observed 3 min later, and one of them was also terminated by another lightning discharge. At the last termination, a downward terrestrial gamma-ray flash and a negative energetic in-cloud pulse were observed. Both pairs were associated with thundercloud cells. In the first pair, simultaneous detection in two locations 1.35 km apart suggests either a gamma-ray glow emerged in-between and time variability of its intensity were directly observed or there were two (or more) gamma-ray glows in the cell which reached the two detectors coincidentally. In the latter pair, the peak time in the downwind detector was 40 s later than that of the upwind detector. If the irradiation region moved with the cell, it would have taken 110 s. The discrepancy suggests either the glow moved 2.5 times faster than the cell or there were two (or more) glows in the cell. Also, the fact that the thunderstorm cell hosting the latter glows experienced the lightning discharge 3 min before suggests that the strong electric field in the cell can develop within a few minutes.

Development of an integrated active neutron non-destructive analysis system; Active-N

藤 暢輔; 大図 章; 土屋 晴文; 古高 和禎; 北谷 文人; 米田 政夫; 前田 亮; 小泉 光生

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 8 Pages, 2021/08

Since neutrons have exceptional ability to penetrate high-density materials and can induce fission, they are used in non-destructive analysis such as, Differential Die-Away Analysis (DDA), Prompt Gamma-ray Analysis (PGA) and Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA). The different analytical methods give us complementary information, which are particularly useful for the quantification of Special Nuclear Materials in highly radioactive nuclear materials, including spent fuel. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission are collaborating to develop an active neutron NDA system for nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security. In the second phase of the project, an integrated active neutron NDA system: Active-N which enables the simultaneous measurements of DDA, PGA and NRTA has been developed. The DDA detects fission neutrons, and it can determine small amounts of the fissile mass. PGA is utilized for the quantification of neutron absorber and particularly useful for the detection of explosives. NRTA can be used to quantify almost all medium and high-Z elements and considered as one of the most accurate NDA. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of Active-N and report the recent experimental results. This research was implemented under the subsidy for nuclear security promotion of MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Nondestructive quantitative analysis of difficult-to-measure radionuclides Pd and Tc

藤 暢輔; 瀬川 麻里子; 前田 亮; 常山 正幸*; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 遠藤 駿典; 海老原 充*

Analytical Chemistry, 93(28), p.9771 - 9777, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c01233

Considering the expanding demand for nuclear waste management of the spent nuclear fuel materials in near future, a non-destructive analytical scheme applicable to the most difficult-to-measure nuclide of Pd, which emits no decay gamma-rays and whose half-life is too long to be decayed out during a human lifetime, was designed. The scheme consists of a sophisticated instrument capable of the detection of gamma-rays by Ge detectors coupled with time-of-flight measurement of neutrons and a high-intensity pulsed neutron beam, and can simultaneously perform TOF-coupled prompt gamma-ray analysis (TOF-PGA) as well as PGA and NRCA. An analytical capability was evaluated by applying to simulated samples of the Tc-platinum group metals (Tc-PGMs) obtained by the group partitioning process of spent nuclear fuels, which contain not only Pd but also Tc and another difficult-to-measure fission product. It was confirmed that, although PGA and NRCA could accurately analyze both nuclides in individual single substances, only TOF-PGA can analyze Pd as well as Tc in the Tc-PGMs simulated sample. The TOF-PGA measurement technique can be widely used for the non-destructive analysis of Pd and Tc in nuclear wastes.