Demonstration of a neutron resonance transmission analysis system using a laser-driven neutron source

Hironaka, Kota; Ito, Fumiaki*; Lee, J.; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Takahashi, Tone; Suzuki, Satoshi*; Yogo, Akifumi*; Arikawa, Yasunobu*; Abe, Yuki*

Dai-42-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2021/11

Neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA) is a method for non-destructive measurement of nuclear material by using a time-of-flight (TOF) technique with a pulsed neutron source. For NRTA system to carry out the short-distance TOF measurements with high resolutions, a short-pulsed neutron source is required. Laser-driven neutron sources (LDNSs) is very suitable as such a neutron source because of its short pulse width. Moreover, the compactness of the laser system is also expected due to the remarkable development of laser technology in recent years. In the present study, we have developed a technology for applying LDNS to the NRTA system and conducted the demonstration experiment using the LFEX laser at Osaka University to investigate the feasibility of the system. In this experiment, we successfully observed the neutron resonance peaks of indium and silver samples.

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

Toh, Yosuke; Segawa, Mariko; Maeda, Makoto; Tsuneyama, Masayuki*; Kimura, Atsushi; Nakamura, Shoji; Endo, Shunsuke; Ebihara, Mitsuru*

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

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

Gas barrier properties of chemical vapor-deposited graphene to oxygen imparted with sub-electronvolt kinetic energy

Ogawa, Shuichi*; Yamaguchi, Hisato*; Holby, E. F.*; Yamada, Takatoshi*; Yoshigoe, Akitaka; Takakuwa, Yuji*

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (Internet), 11(21), p.9159 - 9164, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02112

Atomically thin layers of graphene have been proposed to protect surfaces through the direct blocking of corrosion reactants such as oxygen with low added weight. The long term efficacy of such an approach, however, is unclear due to the long-term desired protection of decades and the presence of defects in as-synthesized materials. Here, we demonstrate catalytic permeation of oxygen molecules through previously-described impermeable graphene by imparting sub-eV kinetic energy to molecules. These molecules represent a small fraction of a thermal distribution thus this exposure serves as an accelerated stress test for understanding decades-long exposures. The permeation rate of the energized molecules increased 2 orders of magnitude compared to their non-energized counterpart. Graphene maintained its relative impermeability to non-energized oxygen molecules even after the permeation of energized molecules indicating that the process is non-destructive and a fundamental property of the exposed material.

Development of active neutron NDA system for radioactive nuclear materials

Toh, Yosuke; Ozu, Akira; Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Kitatani, Fumito; Komeda, Masao; Maeda, Makoto; Koizumi, Mitsuo

Proceedings of INMM 60th Annual Meeting (Internet), 7 Pages, 2019/07

Development of active neutron NDA techniques for nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security

Toh, Yosuke; Ozu, Akira; Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Kitatani, Fumito; Komeda, Masao; Maeda, Makoto; Kureta, Masatoshi; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Seya, Michio; et al.

EUR-28795-EN (Internet), p.684 - 693, 2017/00

http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC107151/esarda_symposium_proceedings-final.pdf

Presence of -martensite as an intermediate phase during the strain-induced transformation of SUS304 stainless steel

Hatano, Masaharu*; Kubota, Yoshiki*; Shobu, Takahisa; Mori, Shigeo*

Philosophical Magazine Letters, 96(6), p.220 - 227, 2016/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/09500839.2016.1190876

We have investigated the formation process of '-martensite from the -phase induced by external strain using synchrotron diffraction experiments, combined with Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM observations. It is clearly demonstrated that -martensite with hexagonal symmetry appears as an intermediate structure during the plastic deformation of SUS304 stainless steel. In addition to stacking faults and dislocations, interfaces between the twin structures presumably play a key role in the formation of -martensite.

Synthesis of heterostructured SiC and C-SiC nanotubes by ion irradiation-induced changes in crystallinity

Taguchi, Tomitsugu; Yamamoto, Shunya; Kodama, Katsuaki; Asaoka, Hidehito

Carbon, 95, p.279 - 285, 2015/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2015.08.056

Amorphous SiC nanotubes are successfully synthesized by 340 keV Si ions irradiation of polycrystalline SiC nanotubes for the first time. A polycrystalline/amorphous heterostructure SiC nanotube, in which polycrystalline SiC and amorphous SiC coexist in the same nanotube, is also synthesized by ions irradiation with a mask in front of polycrystalline SiC nanotube. According to electron energy loss spectroscopy evaluation, the plasmon energies of SiC nanotube change rapidly at the interface between polycrystalline and amorphous regions. The volume swelling by amorphization evaluated from the differences of plasmon energies is approximately 5.0%. This result reveals that the further relaxed amorphous SiC nanotubes with higher density can be produced. The graphitic shells in carbon layer of C-SiC nanotube gradually bend to the radial direction of nanotube by the ion irradiation. Since the graphite (002) spots in the selected area electron diffraction pattern are clearly observed even after the ion irradiation, the carbon layer in C-SiC nanotube has certain crystallinity. Moreover, the new multi-walled carbon nanotube with the graphitic shells completely parallel to the radial direction of nanotube is also produced inside the amorphous SiC tubular layer in the case of C-SiC nanotube with large caliber.

Impact of systematic effects on results of neutron resonance transmission analysis

Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Harada, Hideo; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Kitatani, Fumito; Takamine, Jun; Kureta, Masatoshi; Iimura, Hideki; Kimura, Atsushi; Becker, B.*; Kopecky, S.*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 767, p.364 - 371, 2014/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2014.09.009

The impact of systematic effects on the areal density derived from a neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA) is investigated by measurements at the time-of-flight facility GELINA. The experiments were carried out at a 25 m station using metallic natural Cu discs with different thicknesses. To derive the areal density from a fit to the experimental transmission, the resonance shape analysis code REFIT was used. Large bias effects were observed using recommended resonance parameters. Therefore, neutron resonance parameters, in particular resonance energies and neutron widths, were derived from the transmission data obtained with a 0.25 mm thick Cu metallic sample. These parameters were used to study the impact of the resonance strength and sample thickness, on the accuracy of the areal density derived by NRTA.

Distinctive radiation durability of an ion exchange membrane in the SPE water electrolyzer for the ITER water detritiation system

Iwai, Yasunori; Yamanishi, Toshihiko; Isobe, Kanetsugu; Nishi, Masataka; Yagi, Toshiaki; Tamada, Masao

Fusion Engineering and Design, 81(1-7), p.815 - 820, 2006/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2005.09.036

Solid-polymer-electrolyte (SPE) water electrolysis is attractive in electrolytic process of water detritiation system (WDS) in fusion reactors because it can electrolyze liquid waste directly, but radioactive durability of its ion exchange membrane is a key point. Radioactive durability of Nafion, a typical commercial ion exchange membrane, was experimentally investigated using Co-60 irradiation facility and electron beam irradiation facility at Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment of JAERI. Nafion is composed of PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) main chain. However the degradation of its mechanical strength by irradiation was significantly distinguished from that of PTFE and no serious damage was observed for its ion exchange capacity up to 530 kGy, the requirement of ITER. Atmospheric effects such as soaking and oxygen on degrading behaviors were discussed from the viewpoint of radical reaction mechanism. Dependencies of operating temperature and radioactive source are also demonstrated in detail.

New conceptual design of a test module assembly for tritium permeation experiment

Ohira, Shigeru; Luo, G.; Nakamura, Hirofumi; Shu, Wataru; Kitamura, Kazunori*; Nishi, Masataka

Fusion Science and Technology, 48(1), p.621 - 624, 2005/07

https://doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A1002

A new conceptual design of a tritium permeation test module assembly was developed for demonstration tests using a strong plasma source constructed in TPL for simulation of practical tritium permeation in the real plasma facing components and validation of the models and codes for evaluation of tritium permeation. The target module, to be irradiated by the high flux plasma beam, consists of a multi-layer structure of a plasma facing material plate and a copper substrate with pressurized coolant cavity. Tests using a preliminary model of the target module has been performed to verify thermal and mechanical behavior of the bonded structure and to assess its structural integrity focused on the bonded interface under the cyclic heat loads. After the heat load testing, no visible defect and crack was observed around the bonded interfaces with magnifying glass, and its structural integrity was verified. Also the first tests using tritium plasma at TSTA/LANL with the preliminary model was performed and process to measured tritium permeated was established.