Measurements of capture cross-section of Nb by activation method and half-life of Nb by mass analysis

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 11 Pages, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2198526

The thermal-neutron capture cross section () and resonance integral (I) for Nb among nuclides for decommissioning were measured by an activation method and the half-life of Nb by mass analysis. Niobium-93 samples were irradiated with a hydraulic conveyer installed in the research reactor in Institute for Integral Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University. Gold-aluminum, cobalt-aluminum alloy wires were used to monitor thermal-neutron fluxes and epi-thermal Westcott's indexes at an irradiation position. A 25-m-thick gadolinium foil was used to sort out reactions ascribe to thermal-and epi-thermal neutrons. Its thickness provided a cut-off energy of 0.133 eV. In order to attenuate radioactivity of Ta due to impurities, the Nb samples were cooled for nearly 2 years. The induced radio activity in the monitors and Nb samples were measured by -ray spectroscopy. In analysis based on Westcott's convention, the and I values were derived as 1.110.04 barn and 10.50.6 barn, respectively. After the -ray measurements, mass analysis was applied to the Nb sample to obtain the reaction rate. By combining data obtained by both -ray spectroscopy and mass analysis, the half-life of Nb was derived as (2.000.15)10 years.

Measurement of nuclide production cross sections for proton-induced reactions on Ni and Zr at 0.4, 1.3, 2.2, and 3.0 GeV

Takeshita, Hayato*; Meigo, Shinichiro; Matsuda, Hiroki*; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Nakano, Keita; Watanabe, Yukinobu*; Maekawa, Fujio

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 527, p.17 - 27, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2022.07.002

To improve accuracy of nuclear design of accelerator driven nuclear transmutation systems and so on, nuclide production cross sections on Ni and Zr were measured for GeV energy protons. The measured results were compared with PHITS calculations, JENDL/HE-2007 and so on.

Measurements of thermal-neutron capture cross-section of the Np(n, ) reaction with TC-Pn in KUR

Nakamura, Shoji; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi; Shibahara, Yuji*

KURNS Progress Report 2021, P. 93, 2022/07

https://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2021/ProgRep2021.html

In terms of nuclear transmutation studies of minor actinides in nuclear wastes, the present work selected Np among them and aimed to measure the thermal-neutron capture cross-section of Np using a well-thermalized neutron field by a neutron activation method because there have been discrepancies among reported cross-section data. A Np standard solution was used for irradiation samples. The thermal-neutron flux at an irradiation position was measured with flux monitors: Sc, Co, Mo, Ta and Au. The Np sample was irradiated together with the flux monitors for 30 minutes in the graphite thermal column equipped in the Kyoto University Research Reactor. The similar irradiation was repeated once more to confirm the reproducibility of the results. After irradiation, the Np samples were quantified using 312-keV gamma-ray emitted from Pa in radiation equilibrium with Np. The reaction rates of Np were obtained from the peak net counts of gamma-rays emitted from generated Np, and then the thermal-neutron capture cross-section of Np was found to be 173.84.7 barn by averaging the results obtained by the two irradiations. The present result was in agreement with the reported data given by a time-of-flight method within a limit of uncertainty.

Measurement of nuclide production cross-sections in high-energy proton-induced spallation reactions at J-PARC

Nakano, Keita; Matsuda, Hiroki*; Meigo, Shinichiro; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Takeshita, Hayato*; Maekawa, Fujio

JAEA-Research 2021-014, 25 Pages, 2022/03

JAEA-Research-2021-014.pdf:2.1MB

For the development of accelerator-driven transmutation system (ADS), measurement of nuclide production cross-sections in proton-induced reactions on Be, C, Al, Sc, and V have been performed. The measured data are compared with the calculations by the latest nuclear reaction models and with the nuclear data library to investigate the reproducibilities.

Nuclide production cross section of Lu target irradiated with 0.4-, 1.3-, 2.2-, and 3.0-GeV protons

Takeshita, Hayato; Meigo, Shinichiro; Matsuda, Hiroki; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Nakano, Keita; Watanabe, Yukinobu*; Maekawa, Fujio

JAEA-Conf 2021-001, p.207 - 212, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2021-001

Prediction of nuclide production of spallation products by high-energy proton injection plays a fundamental and important role in shielding design of high-intensity proton accelerator facilities such as accelerator driven nuclear transmutation system (ADS). Since the prediction accuracy of the nuclear reaction models used in the production quantity prediction simulation is insufficient, it is necessary to improve the nuclear reaction models. We have measured nuclide production cross sections for various target materials with the aim of acquiring experimental data and improving nuclear reaction models. In this study, 1.3-, 2.2- and 3.0-GeV proton beams were irradiated to Lu target, and nuclide production cross-section data were acquired by the activation method. The measured data were compared with several nuclear reaction models used in Monte Carlo particle transport calculation codes to grasp the current prediction accuracy and to study how the nuclear reaction model could be improved.

KeV-region analysis of the neutron capture cross-section of Np

Rovira Leveroni, G.; Katabuchi, Tatsuya*; Tosaka, Kenichi*; Matsuura, Shota*; Kodama, Yu*; Nakano, Hideto*; Iwamoto, Osamu; Kimura, Atsushi; Nakamura, Shoji; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(1), p.110 - 122, 2022/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1954104

Thermal-neutron capture cross-section measurement of tantalum-181 using graphite thermal column at KUR

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(10), p.1061 - 1070, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1908187

In a well-thermalized neutron field, it is principally possible to drive a thermal-neutron capture cross-section without considering an epithermal neutron component. This was demonstrated by a neutron activation method using the graphite thermal column (TC-Pn) of the Kyoto University Research Reactor. First, in order to confirm that the graphite thermal column was a well-thermalized neutron field, neutron irradiation was performed with neutron flux monitors: Au, Co, Sc, Cu, and Mo. The TC-Pn was confirmed to be extremely thermalized on the basis of Westcott's convention, because the thermal-neutron flux component took a constant value regardless of the sensitivity of each flux monitor to epithermal neutrons. Next, as a demonstration, the thermal-neutron capture cross section of Ta(n,)Ta reaction was measured using the graphite thermal column, and then derived to be 20.50.4 barn, which supported the evaluated value of 20.40.3 barn. The Ta nuclide could be useful as a flux monitor that complements the sensitivity between Au and Mo monitors.

Bias effects on g- and s-factors in Westcott convention

Harada, Hideo

Applied Sciences (Internet), 11(14), p.6558_1 - 6558_20, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146558

For accuracy improvement of neutron activation analysis and neutron capture cross section, bias effects are investigated on g- and s-factors in the Westcott convention. As origins of biases, a joining function shape, neutron temperature and sample temperature, have been investigated. Biases are quantitatively deduced for two 1/v isotopes (Au, Co) and six non-1/v isotopes (Am, Eu, Rh, In, Hf, Ra). The s-factor calculated with a joining function deduced recently by a detailed Monte Carlo simulation is compared to s-factors calculated with traditional joining functions by Westcott. The results show the bias induced by sample temperature is small as the order of 0.1% for g-factor and the order of 1% for s-factor. On the other hand, biases induced by a joining function shape for s-factor depend significantly on both isotopes and neutron temperature. As the result, reaction rates are also affected significantly as well. The bias size on reaction rate is given in the case of epithermal neutron index r = 0.1, for the eight isotopes.

Nuclide production cross sections of Ni and Zr irradiated with 0.4-, 1.3-, 2.2-, and 3.0-GeV protons

Takeshita, Hayato; Meigo, Shinichiro; Matsuda, Hiroki; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Maekawa, Fujio; Watanabe, Yukinobu*

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011045_1 - 011045_6, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.33.011045

To improve accuracy of nuclear design of accelerator driven nuclear transmutation systems, nuclide production cross sections on Ni and Zr, which were candidate materials to be used in ADS, were measured for GeV energy protons. The measured results were compared with PHITS calculations and JENDL/HE-2007.

Thermal-neutron capture cross sections and resonance integrals of the Am(n,)Am and Am(n,)Am reactions

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(3), p.259 - 277, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1819907

Research and development were made for accuracy improvement of neutron capture cross section data on Am among minor actinides. First, the emission probabilities of decay rays were obtained with high accuracy, and the amount of the ground state of Am produced by reactor neutron irradiation of Am was examined by -ray measurement. Next, the total amount of isomer and ground states was examined by -ray measurement. Thermal-neutron capture cross sections and resonance integrals were derived both for the Am(n,)Am and for Am(n,)Am reactions.