Evaluation of thermal neutron scattering law of nuclear-grade isotropic graphite

Nakayama, Shinsuke; Iwamoto, Osamu; Kimura, Atsushi

EPJ Web of Conferences, 294, p.07001_1 - 07001_6, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202429407001

Graphite is a candidate of moderator in innovative nuclear reactors such as molten salt reactors. Scattering of thermal neutrons by the moderator material has a significant impact on the reactor core design. To contribute to the development of innovative nuclear reactors, an evaluation method of thermal neutron scattering law for reactor grade graphite was studied. The inelastic scattering component due to lattice vibration was evaluated based on the phonon density of states computed with first-principles lattice dynamics simulations. The simulations were performed for ideal crystalline graphite. The coherent elastic scattering component due to crystal structure was evaluated based on neutron transmission and scattering experiments recently performed in the J-PARC/MLF facility. In comparison with the neutron transmission experiments, it was found that the quantification of small-angle neutron scattering due to structures larger than crystal, such as pores in graphite, is important. Based on the above methods, thermal neutron scattering law data for reactor-grade graphite at room temperature were evaluated.

Proton diffusion in liquid 1,2,3-triazole studied by incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering

Shinohara, Yuya*; Iwashita, Takuya*; Nakanishi, Masahiro*; Osti, N. C.*; Kofu, Maiko; Nirei, Masami; Dmowski, W.*; Egami, Takeshi*

Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 128(6), p.1544 - 1549, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07685

Installation manuals for "Utsusemi"

Inamura, Yasuhiro

JAEA-Testing 2023-002, 80 Pages, 2023/12

JAEA-Testing-2023-002.pdf:2.43MB

"Utsusemi" is a suite of software used to process data obtained from measurements of neutron scattering experiments at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF), J-PARC. To directly obtain the physical quantities which scientists want to get from the data produced by instruments at MLF, many processes are required, such as creating histogram format data, easily visualizing and converting units and correcting intensity adapting the instrument conditions. "Utsusemi" software consists of many software components, many functions for data processing, graphical interface software for executing Utsusemi functions, data visualization applications, and so on. "Utsusemi" has already played an important role in data processing and has been widely employed in MLF beamlines. This document describes how to install the "Utsusemi" software on each operating system to be of help of instrument staff and users who want to process data by themselves. Installation of "Utsusemi" on Windows and macOS requires only general knowledge of working with PC applications according to this document.

Preliminary analyses of modified STACY core configuration using serpent with JENDL-5

Kawaguchi, Maho*; Shiba, Shigeki*; Iwahashi, Daiki*; Okawa, Tsuyoshi*; Gunji, Satoshi; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Suyama, Kenya

Proceedings of 12th International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety (ICNC2023) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2023/10

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has been working on an experimental approach for evaluating the criticality of fuel debris produced by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNP) accident since 2014, collaborating with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). As part of the approach, JAEA has modified the STAtic experiment Critical facilitY (STACY) for critical experiments to evaluate characteriscs of pseudo-fuel debris. As the preliminary analyses, we verified critical characteristics with major nuclear data libraries for the proposed core configuration patterns. The three-dimensional continuous-energy Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport code, SERPENT-V2.2.0 was used with the latest JENDL, JENDL-5. As a result, larger multiplication factors of JENDL-5 across the modified STACY core configuration patterns were evaluated in comparison to the other libraries. And, H scattering and U fission sensitivity coefficients of JENDL-5 were different from those of the other libraries. Comparing among analyses with those libraries, the updated S(, ) of JENDL-5 might affect the result of critical characteristics in the critical analyses for the modified STACY core configuration.

An X-ray and neutron scattering study of aqueous MgCl solution in the gigapascal pressure range

Yamaguchi, Toshio*; Fukuyama, Nami*; Yoshida, Koji*; Katayama, Yoshinori*; Machida, Shinichi*; Hattori, Takanori

Liquids, 3(3), p.288 - 302, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/liquids3030019

We report the structure of an aqueous 2 mol/kg MgCl solution at pressures from 0.1 MPa to 4 GPa and temperatures from 300 to 500 K revealed by X-ray and neutron scattering measurements. The scattering data are analyzed by empirical potential structure refinement (EPSR) modeling to derive the pair distribution functions, coordination number distributions, angle distributions, and spatial density functions as a function of pressure and temperature. Mg forms rigid solvation shells extended to the third shell; the first solvation shell of six-fold octahedral coordination with about six water molecules at 0 GPa transforms into about five water molecules and one Cl due to the formation of the contact ion pairs in the GPa pressure range. The Cl solvation shows a substantial pressure dependence; the coordination number of a water oxygen atom around Cl increases from 8 at 0.1 MPa/300 K to 10 at 4 GPa/500 K. The solvent water transforms the tetrahedral network structure at 0.1 MPa/300 K to a densely packed structure in the GPa pressure range; the number of water oxygen atoms around a central water molecule gradually increases from 4.6 at 0.1 MPa/298 K to 8.4 at 4 GPa/500 K.

Deuterated malonamide synthesis for fundamental research on solvent extraction systems

Micheau, C.; Ueda, Yuki; Akutsu, Kazuhiro*; Bourgeois, D.*; Motokawa, Ryuhei

Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange, 41(2), p.221 - 240, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/07366299.2023.2166351

Magnon mode transition in real space

Iida, Kazuki*; Kodama, Katsuaki; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Chang, L.-J.*; Shamoto, Shinichi

Scientific Reports (Internet), 12, p.20663_1 - 20663_7, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22555-9

Spin excitation of an ilmenite FeTiO powder sample is measured by time-of-flight inelastic neutron scattering. The dynamic magnetic pair-density function is obtained from the dynamic magnetic structure factor by the Fourier transformation.

Neutron scattering on an aqueous sodium chloride solution in the gigapascal pressure range

Yamaguchi, Toshio*; Yoshida, Koji*; Machida, Shinichi*; Hattori, Takanori

Journal of Molecular Liquids, 365, p.120181_1 - 120181_10, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120181

Neutron scattering measurements were performed on an aqueous 3 mol/kg NaCl solution in DO at temperature and pressure conditions of 0.1 MPa/298K, 1 GPa/298K, 1 GPa/523K, and 4 GPa/523K. The empirical potential structure refinement method was applied to the obtained data to extract the pair correlation function, coordination number distribution, angular distribution (orientation correlation), and spatial density function (3-D structure). From those results, pressure and temperature dependence of solvation and association of ions and solvent-water structure were discussed.

Anisotropic magnon damping by zero-temperature quantum fluctuations in ferromagnetic CrGeTe

Chen, L.*; Mao, C.*; Chung, J.-H.*; Stone, M. B.*; Kolesnikov, A. I.*; Wang, X.*; Murai, Naoki; Gao, B.*; Delaire, O.*; Dai, P.*

Nature Communications (Internet), 13, p.4037_1 - 4037_7, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31612-w

Enhanced covalency and nanostructured-phonon scattering lead to high thermoelectric performance in -type PbS

Rathore, E.*; Juneja, R.*; Sarkar, D.*; Roychowdhury, S.*; Kofu, Maiko; Nakajima, Kenji; Singh, A. K.*; Biswas, K.*

Materials Today Energy (Internet), 24, p.100953_1 - 100953_9, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtener.2022.100953