Hydrogenation of silicon-bearing hexagonal close-packed iron and its implications for density deficits in the inner core

Mori, Yuichiro*; Kagi, Hiroyuki*; Aoki, Katsutoshi*; Takano, Masahiro*; Kakizawa, Sho*; Sano, Asami; Funakoshi, Kenichi*

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 634, p.118673_1 - 118673_8, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118673

To investigate silicon effects on the hydrogen-induced volume expansion of iron, neutron diffraction and X-ray diffraction experiments were conducted to examine hcp-FeSi under high pressures and high temperatures. Neutron diffraction experiments were performed on the deuterated hcp-FeSi at 13.5 GPa and 900 K, and at 12.1 GPa and 300 K. By combining the P-V-T equation of state of hcp-FeSi, present results indicate that the hydrogen-induced volume expansion of hcp-FeSi is 10% greater than that of pure hcp iron. Using the obtained values, we estimated the hydrogen content that would reproduce the density deficit in the inner core, which was 50% less than that without the effect of silicon. Possible hydrogen content, , in the inner core and the outer core was calculated to be 0.07 and 0.12-0.15, respectively, when reproducing the density deficit of the inner core with hcp-FeSiHx.

Current status of Toki Geochronology Research Laboratory, Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Osawa, Hideaki

Gijutsushi "Chubu", (12), p.34 - 41, 2023/09

This introduces current status of Toki Geochronology Research Laboratory, Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency.

Quantitative risk assessment with CMMC method on abnormal snowfall incident for a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Nakashima, Risako*; Koike, Akari*; Sakai, Takaaki*; Doda, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2022/08

In development of a quantitative risk assessment method to the external hazards for a sodium-cooled fast reactor, a dynamic PRA using the Continuous Markov chain Monte Carlo (CMMC) method was performed to evaluate the effect of global warming on the probability of exceeding the temperature limit as a core damage factor. There is a possibility that the amount of snowfall in abnormal snowfall events will increase due to global warming in the future. A hazard curve of snowfall considering global warming was developed. The results show that the probability of exceeding the temperature limit is increased by the abnormal snowfall events due to global warming.

Preface to the special issue on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident and geochemistry; 10 years after the Fukushima accident

Tanaka, Kazuya; Yamasaki, Shinya*

Chikyu Kagaku, 55(4), p.93 - 95, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.14934/chikyukagaku.55.93

Ten years have passed since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. In this special issue, we compiled review papers on the environmental behavior of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides from various research fields. This special issue shows that various research fields contributed to better understandings on the environmental behavior of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides.

Behavior of light elements in iron-silicate-water-sulfur system during early Earth's evolution

Iizuka, Riko*; Goto, Hirotada*; Shito, Chikara*; Fukuyama, Ko*; Mori, Yuichiro*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Kagi, Hiroyuki*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.12632_1 - 12632_10, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91801-3

The Earth's core consist of Fe-Ni alloy with some light elements (H, C, O, Si, S etc.). Hydrogen (H) is the most abundant element in the universe and one of the promising candidates. In this study, we have investigated the effects of sulfur(S) on hydrogenation of iron-hydrous silicate system containing saturated water in the ideal composition of the primitive Earth. We observed a series of phase transitions of Fe, dehydration of the hydrous mineral, and formation of olivine and enstatite with increasing temperature. The FeS formed as the coexisting phase of Fe under high-pressure and temperature condition, but its unit cell volume did not increase, suggesting that FeS is hardly hydrogenated. Recovered samples exhibited that H and S can be incorporated into solid Fe, which lowers the melting temperature as Fe(H)-FeS system. No detection of other light elements (C, O, Si) in solid Fe suggests that they dissolve into molten iron hydride and/or FeS in the later process of Earth's core-mantle differentiation.

Development of evaluation method for variability of groundwater flow conditions associated with long-term topographic change and climate perturbations

Onoe, Hironori; Kosaka, Hiroshi*; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Komatsu, Tetsuya; Takeuchi, Ryuji; Iwatsuki, Teruki; Yasue, Kenichi

Genshiryoku Bakkuendo Kenkyu (CD-ROM), 26(1), p.3 - 14, 2019/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnuce.26.1_3

In this study, it is focused on topographic changes due to uplift and denudation, also climate perturbations, a method which is able to assess the long-term variability of groundwater flow conditions using the coefficient variation based on some steady-state groundwater flow simulation results was developed. Spatial distribution of long residence time area which is not much influenced due to long-term topographic change and recharge rate change during the past one million years was able to estimate through the case study of the Tono area, Central Japan. By applying this evaluation method, it is possible to identify the local area that has low variability of groundwater flow conditions due to topographic changes and climate perturbations from the regional area quantitatively and spatially.

Records of physico-chemical parameters by geochemical monitoring system in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Mezawa, Tetsuya; Mochizuki, Akihito; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Sasamoto, Hiroshi

JAEA-Data/Code 2018-001, 55 Pages, 2018/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2018-001.pdf:10.63MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-001-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:8.57MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting "geoscientific study" and "research and development on geological disposal" in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) for safe geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Geochemical parameters of groundwater pressure, pH, and oxidation-reduction potential in the deep groundwater has been continuously monitored with monitoring systems which were developed in the Horonobe URL Project. This report presents the physico-chemical parameters of groundwater which have been obtained by the monitoring systems installed at the 140 m, 250 m and 350 m gallery. The data obtained until March 31, 2017 was summarized along with related information such as the specifications of boreholes and the excavation of the URL.

Hydrogenation of iron in the early stage of Earth's evolution

Iizuka, Riko*; Yagi, Takehiko*; Goto, Hirotada*; Okuchi, Takuo*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami

Nature Communications (Internet), 8, p.14096_1 - 14096_7, 2017/01

AA2016-0524.pdf:0.73MB

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14096

Density of the Earth's core is lower than that of pure iron and the light element(s) in the core is a long-standing problem. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the solar system and thus one of the important candidates. However, the dissolution process of hydrogen into iron remained unclear. Here we carry out high-pressure and high-temperature in situ neutron diffraction experiments and clarify that when the mixture of iron and hydrous minerals are heated, iron is hydrogenized soon after the hydrous mineral is dehydrated. This implies that early in the Earth's evolution, as the accumulated primordial material became hotter, the dissolution of hydrogen into iron occurred before any other materials melted. This suggests that hydrogen is likely the first light element dissolved into iron during the Earth's evolution and it may affect the behaviour of the other light elements in the later processes.

Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel solubility data and a discrete solid phase model at 25C based on two binary non-ideal solid solutions

Walker, C.; Suto, Shunkichi; Oda, Chie; Mihara, Morihiro; Honda, Akira

Cement and Concrete Research, 79, p.1 - 30, 2016/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2015.07.006

Modeling the solubility behavior of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel is important to make quantitative predictions of the degradation of hydrated ordinary Portland cement (OPC) based materials. Experimental C-S-H gel solubility data have been compiled from the literature, critically evaluated and supplemented with new data from the current study for molar Ca/Si ratios = 0.2-0.83. All these data have been used to derive a discrete solid phase (DSP) type C-S-H gel solubility model based on two binary non-ideal solid solutions in aqueous solution(SSAS). Features of the DSP type C-S-H gel solubility model include satisfactory predictions of pH values and Ca and Si concentrations for all molar Ca/Si ratios = 2.7 0 in the C-S-H system, portlandite (CH) for Ca/Si ratios 1.65, congruent dissolution at Ca/Si ratios = 0.85, and amorphous silica (SiO) for Ca/Si ratios 0.55 as identified in the current study by IR spectroscopy.

Hydrochemical disturbances measured in groundwater during the construction and operation of a large-scale underground facility in deep crystalline rock in Japan

Iwatsuki, Teruki; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Omori, Kazuaki; Munemoto, Takashi; Onoe, Hironori

Environmental Earth Sciences, 74(4), p.3041 - 3057, 2015/08

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4337-3

Changes of hydrochemical condition resulting from large-scale underground facility construction to 500 m depth in sedimentary and granitic rock were evaluated at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU), Japan. The investigation of hydrochemical impact around the facility suggests that an understanding of hydrogeological structures, including hydrogeological compartments prior to facility construction and the locating of shafts/galleries in low permeability rock area is essential to minimize hydrochemical disturbances.