FE-SEM observation of chains of nanohillocks in SrTiO and Nb-doped SrTiO surfaces irradiated with swift heavy ions

Kitamura, Akane; Ishikawa, Norito; Kondo, Keietsu; Yamamoto, Shunya*; Yamaki, Tetsuya*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 460, p.175 - 179, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2019.01.037

Irradiation at grazing incidence formed chains of multiple hillocks on the surface of strontium titanate (SrTiO) and titanium oxide (TiO). They were observed with an atomic force microscope (AFM), however, the AFM measurement gives resolution errors in a nanometer order due to the curvature of the probe tip. To prevent these errors, a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) would be a better option for observation. In this study, we performed SEM observations for the chains of the multiple hillocks. Single crystals of SrTiO and TiO were irradiated with 200 MeV Xe in the tandem accelerator at JAEA-Tokai. It was revealed that a lot of isolated hillocks were formed in a line on these surface. The diameter and the interval of those hillocks are discussed in comparison to AFM observation.

FE-SEM observations of multiple nanohillocks on SrTiO irradiated with swift heavy ions

Kitamura, Akane; Ishikawa, Norito; Kondo, Keietsu; Fujimura, Yuki; Yamamoto, Shunya*; Yamaki, Tetsuya*

Transactions of the Materials Research Society of Japan, 44(3), p.85 - 88, 2019/06

https://doi.org/10.14723/tmrsj.44.85

Swift heavy ions can create nanosized hillocks on the surfaces of various ceramics. When these materials are irradiated with swift heavy ions at normal incidence, each ion impact results in the formation of a single hillock on the surfaces. In contrast, irradiation at grazing incidence forms chains of multiple hillocks on the surface, for example, for strontium titanate (SrTiO). So far, chains of multiple hillocks have been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It should be noted that AFM measurements involve systematic errors of several nanometers due to the finite size of the probe tip. Consequently, it is possible that the image of one hillock may merge with that of a neighboring hillock even if the two hillocks are well separated. In contrast to AFM, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) is a useful technique for obtaining higher-resolution images. In this study, we observed multiple nanohillocks on the surfaces of SrTiO using FE-SEM. Crystals of SrTiO(100) and 0.05 wt% Nb-doped SrTiO(100) were irradiated with 350 MeV Xe ions, respectively, at grazing incidence, where the angle between the sample surface and the beam was less than 2. On the SrTiO surface, a chain of periodic nanohillocks is created along the ion path. In contrast, black lines accompanied by hillocks are observed on the Nb-doped SrTiO surface.

Fluoropolymer-based nanostructured membranes created by swift-heavy-ion irradiation and their energy and environmental applications

Yamaki, Tetsuya*; Nuryanthi, N.*; Kitamura, Akane; Koshikawa, Hiroshi*; Sawada, Shinichi*; Voss, K.-O.*; Severin, D.*; Tautmann, C.*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 435, p.162 - 168, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2018.03.021

We used individual single-ion tracks in fluoropolymers with diameters of tens to hundreds of nanometers; chemical etching and ion-track grafting enabled us to develop ion-track and proton-conductive membranes, respectively. In the ion-track membranes of PVDF, strongly-LET-dependent etching was found, so the pore shape as well as the size was exclusively controlled by the track structures. We performed the ion-track grafting of styrene into ETFE to develop nanostructure-controlled proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for applications in PEM fuel cells. Our ion beam technology to develop fluoropolymer-based nanostructures has the potential to apply in the field of filtration processes and fuel cell devices. This would make it possible to provide new microfiltration technology for water treatment, sterilization, petroleum refining and dairy processing.

Application of carbon nanotube wire for beam profile measurement of negative hydrogen ion beam

Miura, Akihiko; Moriya, Katsuhiro; Miyao, Tomoaki*

Proceedings of 9th International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC '18) (Internet), p.5022 - 5025, 2018/06

https://doi.org/10.18429/JACow-IPAC2018-FRXGBD3

A wire-scanner monitor using metallic wire is reliably employed for the beam-profile measurement in the J-PARC linac. Because the loading of negative hydrogen (H) ion beam on a wire increases under high-current beam operation, we focus on using a high-durability beam profile monitors by attaching another wire material. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are made of graphite in a cylindrical shape and have a tensile strength not less than 100 times that of steel. The electric conductivity has higher than that of metals, and hardness is endured thermally around 3000C in a vacuum circumstance. We applied the wires made from CNT to WSM and measured transverse profiles with a 3-MeV H beam. As a result, we obtained the equivalent signal levels taken by carbon wire made of polyacrylonitrile without any damage. In this paper, the signal response when the CNT is irradiated with an H beam and the result of beam profile measurement. In addition, the surface of CNT after 3-MeV beam operation was observed.

Preparation of nano-structure controlled ion-exchange membranes by ion beams and their application to seawater concentration

Yamaki, Tetsuya*; Goto, Mitsuaki*; Sawada, Shinichi*; Koshikawa, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akane; Higa, Mitsuru*

QST-M-8; QST Takasaki Annual Report 2016, P. 35, 2018/03

http://repo.qst.go.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=34490

We prepared ion exchange membranes by a heavy-ion-track grafting method, and then used them for seawater concentration process. Both the water uptake and resistance were lower for our ion-track grafted membranes than for the conventional -ray-grafted membranes. The results would be because local and high-density energy deposition due to the ion beam enabled us to control the membrane structure in a nanometer scale. We demonstrate our membranes are suitable for this application.

Effect due to RF discharge from a high intensity H ion source upon the extracted beam

Shinto, Katsuhiro; Shibata, Takanori*; Wada, Motoi*

Proceedings of 14th Annual Meeting of Particle Accelerator Society of Japan (Internet), p.648 - 650, 2017/12

http://www.pasj.jp/web_publish/pasj2017/proceedings/PDF/TUP1/TUP105.pdf

In J-PARC, peak H current of several tens mA is extracted from an ion source driven by a solid-state rf amplifier with the frequency of 2 MHz for production of a cesiated hydrogen plasma. In case of the rf-driven ion source for producing the high-intensity H current, the plasma density in the source chamber is so high that the ion sheath around the beam extraction area can follow the rf oscillation. The H beam current fluctuation as large as approximately 1 mA was observed at the average beam current of 44 mA measured by a Faraday cup installed downstream of the ion source. The beam exhibited some fluctuation to the transverse motion as well. To further clarify this high frequency oscillation of the beam extraction sheath, we propose a measurement system using a time-resolved and highly sensitive emittance monitor in order to observe the real-time beam fluctuation in the phase space.

Formation of carbon alloys by low-energy ion doping and its application for adsorptive desulfurization

Shimoyama, Iwao

Hoshasen To Sangyo, (141), p.7 - 11, 2016/12

Desulfurization is an indispensable process on hydrogen formation from fossil fuel. Adsorptive desulfurization, alternative to conventional hydrogenation desulfurization, requires development of stable activated carbon adsorbents with high performance. I study dopant dependence on thiophene adsorption for carbon alloys prepared by heteroatom doping using low-energy ion beam. I doped nitrogen and phosphorus as dopants of group 15 elements in graphite surfaces, and clarified that phosphorus is superior in thiophene adsorption to nitrogen, and that the effect of phosphorus is higher with room temperature doping than with high temperature doping by about 10 times. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that local structures around phosphorus sites were different between them. I attribute the high adsorption property to formation of curved phosphorus sites prepared by room temperature doping. Above results suggest that the property of carbon alloy can be controlled by low-energy ion beam.

Study on small-sized tailless beam formation using multipole magnetic field (Joint research)

Yokota, Wataru; Yuri, Yosuke; Watanabe, Shinichi*; Oshiro, Yukimitsu*; Kubono, Shigeru*

JAEA-Technology 2016-005, 21 Pages, 2016/03

JAEA-Technology-2016-005.pdf:2.24MB

The Center of Nuclear Science (CNS) of Tokyo University conducts the research on nuclear physics using CNS Radio-Isotope Beam Separator (CRIB) installed at the RIKEN AVF cyclotron. Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, JAEA has an AVF cyclotron of similar scale and is developing a technology to form a large-area uniform beam by an octupole magnetic field for the research on materials science. They carried out an R&D to increase the cyclotron beam intensity at a target under joint research. The nonlinear beam optics was designed to form a usual cyclotron beam having a large transverse tail into a small-sized tailless distribution so that the beam passes the gas target orifice (6 mm in diameter) of CRIB without a loss. As a result of particle tracking simulations based on the measured beam emittance, it has been found that an octupole magnetic field is effective in tail-folding and a 10-mm-diameter beam can be formed with two octupole magnets added in the present beam line. It has been also found that additional magnets need to be installed and the beam emittance should be reduced for the objective beam size of 6 mm. Moreover, the objective may be attained if the beam path length and configuration of the magnetic lens system are freely chosen.

Screening of cesium-accumulating mutant of radioresistant bacterium by ion beam breeding technology

Sato, Katsuya; Ueda, Ryoshiro*; Hase, Yoshihiro; Narumi, Issey*; Ono, Yutaka

JAEA-Review 2015-022, JAEA Takasaki Annual Report 2014, P. 100, 2016/02

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-review-2015-022

Development of the negative ion beams relevant to ITER and JT-60SA at Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Hanada, Masaya; Kojima, Atsushi; Tobari, Hiroyuki; Nishikiori, Ryo; Hiratsuka, Junichi; Kashiwagi, Mieko; Umeda, Naotaka; Yoshida, Masafumi; Ichikawa, Masahiro; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; et al.

Review of Scientific Instruments, 87(2), p.02B322_1 - 02B322_4, 2016/02

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4934584

In International Thermo-nuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and JT-60 Super Advanced (JT-60 SA), the D ion beams of 1 MeV, 40 A and 0.5 MeV, 22 A are required to produce 3600 s and 100 s for the neutral beam injection, respectively. In order to realize such as powerful D ion beams for long duration time, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has energetically developed cesium (Cs)-seeded negative ion sources (CsNIS) and electro-static multi-aperture and multi-stage accelerators (MAMuG accelerator) which are chosen as the reference design of ITER and JT-60 SA. In the development of the CsNIS, a 100s production of the H ion beam has been demonstrated with a beam current of 15 A by modifying the JT-60 negative ion source. At the higher current, the long pulse production of the negative ions has been tried by the mitigation of the arcing in the plasma inside the ion source. As for the long pulse acceleration of the negative ions in the MAMuG accelerator, the beam steering angle has been controlled to reduce the power loading of the acceleration grids A pulse duration time has been significantly extended from 0.4 s to 60 s at reasonable beam power for ITER requirement. The achieved pulse duration time is limited by the capacity of the power supplies in the test stand. In the range of 60 s, there are no degradations of beam optics and voltage holding capability in the accelerator. It leads to the further extension of the pulse duration time at higher power density. This paper reports the latest results of development on the negative ion source and accelerator at JAEA.