Application of the spectral determination method to unified -, - and X-ray spectra

Oshima, Masumi*; Goto, Jun*; Hayakawa, Takehito*; Asai, Masato; Shinohara, Hirofumi*; Suzuki, Katsuyuki*; Shen, H.*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 10 Pages, 2025/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2024.2439921

The spectrum determination method (SDM) is the method to determine radioactivities by analyzing full spectral shape of - or rays through least-squares fitting by referring to standard - and spectra. In this paper, we have newly applied the SDM to a unified spectrum composed of two spectra measured with a Ge detector and a liquid scintillation counter. By analyzing the unified spectrum, uncertainties of deduced radioactivities have been improved. We applied this method to the unified spectrum including 40 radionuclides with equal intensities, and have deduced their radioactivities correctly.

Sm synchrotron-radiation-based Mssbauer and SR studies of SmRuGe

Tsutsui, Satoshi; Ito, Takashi; Nakamura, Jin*; Yoshida, Mio*; Kobayashi, Yoshio*; Yoda, Yoshitaka*; Nakamura, Jumpei*; Koda, Akihiro*; Higashinaka, Ryuji*; Aoki, Dai*; et al.

Interactions (Internet), 245(1), p.55_1 - 55_9, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-024-01900-6

In-situ measurement of radiation driven back-conversion from para to ortho liquid hydrogen state in cold moderators at J-PARC

Teshigawara, Makoto; Lee, Y.*; Tatsumoto, Hideki*; Hartl, M.*; Aso, Tomokazu; Iverson, E. B.*; Ariyoshi, Gen; Ikeda, Yujiro*; Hasegawa, Takumi*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 557, p.165534_1 - 165534_10, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2024.165534

At Japanese Spallation Neutron Source in J-PARC, the para-hydrogen fraction was measured by using Raman spectroscopy in-situ for an integrated beam power of 9.4 MWh at 1 MW operation, to evaluate the functionality of the ferric oxyhydroxide catalyst. This result showed that full functionality of the catalyst was retained up to the 1 MW operation. We attempted to study the effect of neutron scattering driven para to ortho-hydrogen back-conversion rate in the absence of the catalyst effect with a bypass line without catalyst. The measured increase of ortho-hydrogen fraction was 0.44% for an integrated beam power of 2.4 MWh at 500 kW operation, however, which was considered to be due to not only to neutron collisions in cold moderators but also to the high ortho-hydrogen fraction of initially static liquid hydrogen in the bypass line and passive exudation of quasi-static hydrogen in the catalyst vessel to the main loop.

Effect of sample temperature and laser ablation angle on optical emission and acoustic signals from laser-induced Zirconium plasma

Batsaikhan, M.; Oba, Hironori; Karino, Takahiro; Akaoka, Katsuaki; Wakaida, Ikuo

Optics Express (Internet), 32(24), p.42626 - 42638, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.538774

Numerical simulation on dispersion of hydrogen leaked in particle layers of glass beads and soil

Terada, Atsuhiko; Nagaishi, Ryuji

Nuclear Technology, 210(10), p.1871 - 1887, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2302747

In order to understand dispersion of H2 leaked in packed beds of non-porous/porous particles in a partially open space practically, the dispersion of H2 in the particle layers of glass beads and soil was analytically studied using a CFD code to be compared with the experiments and to elucidate the effects of particle layer. H2 flowed out from a single leak point in the particle layer of non-porous glass beads was affected by buoyancy around the leak point, and diffused directly above the leak point in an elliptical shape faster than in the horizontal direction. After that, when it reached the air layer in the head space above the particle layer, H2 spread horizontally, formed a large concentration gradient near the boundary between the particle layer and the air layer, and further diffused in the air layer until the H2 concentration became about 1/3 or less of the concentration near the surface of particle layer. The calculations largely reproduced the experimental concentration distributions. When the particle layer was porous decomposed granite soil, the diffusion behavior of H2 in the particle layer proceeded in the same manner as in the case of glass beads. However, a large concentration gradient was formed near the boundary between the particle layer and the air layer, and then H2 diffused in the air layer until the H2 concentration became below the lower combustion limit. It was suggested through sensitivity analysis that the air permeability coefficient had a large effect on the time course of H2 concentration distribution. Based on the above, we further simulated H2 behavior in the vessel containing the H2 leaked particle layer. By inserting multiple vent pipes without considering H2 generation distribution and particle properties in the particle layer, H2 accumulated from one pipe was discharged by buoyancy without depending on the H2 generation distribution and particle properties in the particle layer, and air flowed in from the other pipe.

Nuclear fuel storage container opening inspection and metal inner container repacking

Licensing Application Group, Fuels and Materials Department

JAEA-Testing 2024-002, 20 Pages, 2024/08

JAEA-Testing-2024-002.pdf:1.46MB

The contamination accident occurred at Plutonium Fuel Research Facility (PFRF) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Oarai Research and Development Institute on June 6, 2017. During the work of opening the fuel storage container and checking the properties of the contents, the plastic bag that double-packed the inner container burst. The scattering of the fuels contaminated the work room and exposed the worker. The cause of the plastic bag burst was that the enclosed epoxy resin was decomposed by -rays and the internal pressure increased due to the generated hydrogen gas. The 54 storage containers containing plutonium held at PFRF also at risk of increasing internal pressure. Therefore, an opening inspection was conducted to confirm the contents of the storage container in the hot cell. In addition, the contents of storage containers that may generate gas were stabilized. We are planning to transport the fuel storage containers out to another facility for the decommission of PFRF. The other 9 storage containers include oxide raw material powder: Pu + U in excess of 220 g. In order to decrease to less than 220 g (the limit of transport cask), the metal inner containers in the storage container were taken out and repacked in another storage container. This report describes advance measures such as permit application and the details of about storage container opening inspection and metal inner container repacking.

Development of a radiation tolerant laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system using a single crystal micro-chip laser for remote elemental analysis

Tamura, Koji; Nakanishi, Ryuzo; Oba, Hironori; Karino, Takahiro; Shibata, Takuya; Taira, Takunori*; Wakaida, Ikuo

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(8), p.1109 - 1116, 2024/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2298485

Anisotropic creep property related to non-spherical shape of mechanically alloyed powder of oxide dispersion strengthened F82H

Sakasegawa, Hideo; Nakajima, Motoki*; Kato, Taichiro*; Nozawa, Takashi*; Ando, Masami*

Materials Today Communications (Internet), 40, p.109659_1 - 109659_8, 2024/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2024.109659

Nanometric oxide particles play an important role in improving the creep property of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steels. In our previous research, we examined a microstructural feature known as prior particle boundary (PPB). PPB refers to the surface of mechanically alloyed (MA) powders before consolidation. We revealed that the ODS steel with fine PPBs produced from smaller MA powders, exhibited shorter creep rupture times, compared to that with coarse PPBs produced from larger MA powders. The size of MA powders had an impact on the creep property. In this study, we examined the shape of MA powders, which were non-spherical shapes. Such shapes have the potential to induce anisotropic creep behavior. We conducted small punch creep tests on specimens with two different orientations to study the possible anisotropy. The results revealed that the creep rupture times varied depending on the orientation of specimen, thus indicating anisotropic creep property.

GPV2OSC, meteorological data format conversion program for OSCAAR

Risk Analysis Research Group, Reactor Safety Research Division, Nuclear Safety Research Center

JAEA-Data/Code 2024-006, 40 Pages, 2024/07

JAEA-Data-Code-2024-006.pdf:1.92MB

The Risk Analysis Research Group, Reactor Safety Research Division, Nuclear Safety Research Center, Sector of Nuclear Safety Research and Emergency Preparedness, Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been developing OSCAAR, a probabilistic risk assessment program for nuclear facility accidents. OSCAAR has the feature to calculate atmospheric concentrations of radioactive materials using an atmospheric dispersion model. This feature requires the input of meteorological data about wind speed, precipitation rate, atmospheric stability and so on. However, to use numerical weather prediction data created from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on OSCAAR, it is necessary to convert the data format to match OSCAAR input format in advance. Therefore, we developed GPV2OSC, a pre-processing program for OSCAAR, to create meteorological data converted from JMA weather prediction data format to OSCAAR input format when the target region and period are specified. This report describes the outline and usage of GPV2OSC.

Evaluation of radiation dose caused by bremsstrahlung photons generated by high-energy beta rays using the PHITS and GEANT4 simulation codes

Shikaze, Yoshiaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(7), p.894 - 910, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2285934

Among the radioactive nuclides inside the nuclear reactor buildings emitted by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor accident, high-energy beta-ray sources, such as strontium-90 and yttrium-90, generate bremsstrahlung photons in the building materials, comprising the wall, floor, and interior structure. Therefore, evaluating the radiation dose of the bremsstrahlung to the workers in the nuclear reactor building is crucial for radiation protection. The precision of the evaluation calculation of the bremsstrahlung dose was investigated by comparing the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) and the GEometry ANd Tracking (GEANT4) simulation code results. In the calculation, behind various shielding plates (lead, copper, aluminum, glass, and polyethylene, with thicknesses ranging from 1.0 to 40 mm), the water cylinder was set as the evaluated material, the absorbed dose and the deposited energy spectrum by the bremsstrahlung photons were obtained, and the characteristics and differences for both simulation codes were investigated. In the comparison results of the deposited energy spectrum, the spectral shapes have consistent trends. In the energy range below several tens of keV, a peak is seen in the PHITS spectrum for the lead shielding material. In comparing the absorbed dose under various conditions of the shielding plate for generating bremsstrahlung photons, most results for both codes correlate within an 10% difference for 2.280 MeV beta-ray sources and an 20% difference for 0.5459 MeV beta-ray sources, except for 30% for 20 mm thick lead. Although there were differences in some cases, the evaluation results of the two simulation codes were concluded to correlate well with the above precision.