Suppression of segmental chain dynamics on a particle's surface in well-dispersed polymer nanocomposites

Kim, J.*; Thompson, B. R.*; Tominaga, Taiki*; Osawa, Takahito; Egami, Takeshi*; Frster, S.*; Ohl, M.*; Senses, E.*; Faraone, A.*; Wagner, N. J.*

ACS Macro Letters (Internet), 13(6), p.720 - 725, 2024/06

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00168

The Rouse dynamics of polymer chains in model nanocomposite PolyEthylene Oxide (PEO)/Silica NanoParticles (NPs) was investigated using QuasiElastic Neutron Scattering (QENS). The apparent Rouse rate of the polymer chains decreases as the particle loading increases. However, there is no evidence of an immobile segment population on the probed time scale of tens of ps. The slowing down of the dynamics is interpreted in terms of modified Rouse models for the chains in the NP inter-phase region. Thus, two chain populations, one bulk like and the other characterized by a suppression of Rouse modes, are identified. The spatial extent of the interphase region is estimated to be about twice the adsorbed layer thickness, or about 2 nm. These findings provide a detailed description of the suppression of the chain dynamics on the surface of NPs. These results are relevant insights on surface effects and confinement and provide a foundation for the understanding of the rheological properties of Polymer NanoComposites (PNCs) with well-dispersed NPs.

Development of DynamicMC for PHITS Monte Carlo package

Watabe, Hiroshi*; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Yu, K. N.*; Zivkovic, M.*; Krstic, D.*; Nikezic, D.*; Kim, K. M.*; Yamaya, Taiga*; Kawachi, Naoki*; Tanaka, Hiroki*; et al.

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 200(2), p.130 - 142, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncad278

Previously, we have developed DynamicMC for modelling relative movement of ORNL phantom in a radiation field for MCNP. Using this software, 3-dimensional dose distributions in a phantom irradiated by a certain mono-energetic source can be deduced through its graphical user interface (GUI). In this study, we extended DynamicMC to be used in combination with the PHITS by providing it with a higher flexibility for dynamic movement for a less sophisticated anthropomorphic phantom. We anticipate that the present work and the developed open-source tools will be in the interest of nuclear radiation physics community for research and teaching purposes.

Level structures of Ca cast doubt on a doubly magic Ca

Chen, S.*; Browne, F.*; Doornenbal, P.*; Lee, J.*; Obertelli, A.*; Tsunoda, Yusuke*; Otsuka, Takaharu*; Chazono, Yoshiki*; Hagen, G.*; Holt, J. D.*; et al.

Physics Letters B, 843, p.138025_1 - 138025_7, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2023.138025

Gamma decays were observed in Ca and Ca following quasi-free one-proton knockout reactions from Sc. For Ca, a ray transition was measured to be 1456(12) keV, while for Ca an indication for a transition was observed at 1115(34) keV. Both transitions were tentatively assigned as the decays. A shell-model calculation in a wide model space with a marginally modified effective nucleon-nucleon interaction depicts excellent agreement with experiment for level energies, two-neutron separation energies, and reaction cross sections, corroborating the formation of a new nuclear shell above the N = 34 shell. Its constituents, the and orbitals, are almost degenerate. This degeneracy precludes the possibility for a doubly magic Ca and potentially drives the dripline of Ca isotopes to Ca or even beyond.

Multiple mechanisms in proton-induced nucleon removal at 100 MeV/nucleon

Pohl, T.*; Sun, Y. L.*; Obertelli, A.*; Lee, J.*; Gmez-Ramos, M.*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Yoshida, Kazuki; Cai, B. S.*; Yuan, C. X.*; Brown, B. A.*; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 130(17), p.172501_1 - 172501_8, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.172501

We report on the first proton-induced single proton- and neutron-removal reactions from the neutron deficient O nucleus with large Fermi-surface asymmetry at 100 MeV/nucleon. Our results provide the first quantitative contributions of multiple reaction mechanisms including the quasifree knockout, inelastic scattering, and nucleon transfer processes. It is shown that the inelastic scattering and nucleon transfer, usually neglected at such energy regime, contribute about 50% and 30% to the loosely bound proton and deeply bound neutron removal, respectively.

Extended neutron orbital and the shell closure in Ca

Enciu, M.*; Liu, H. N.*; Obertelli, A.*; Doornenbal, P.*; Nowacki, F.*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Poves, A.*; Yoshida, Kazuki; Achouri, N. L.*; Baba, Hidetada*; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 129(26), p.262501_1 - 262501_7, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.262501

The one-neutron knockout from Ca was performed at 230 MeV/nucleon combined with prompt spectroscopy. The momentum distributions corresponding to the removal of and neutrons were measured. The cross sections are consistent with a shell closure at the neutron number , found as strong as at and in Ca isotopes from the same observables. The analysis of the momentum distributions leads to a difference of the root-mean-square radii of the neutron and orbitals of 0.61(23) fm, in agreement with the modified-shell-model prediction of 0.7 fm suggesting that the large root-mean-square radius of the orbital in neutron-rich Ca isotopes is responsible for the unexpected linear increase of the charge radius with the neutron number.

Benchmark analysis of ductile fracture simulation for circumferentially cracked pipes subjected to bending

Kumagai, Tomohisa*; Miura, Yasufumi*; Miura, Naoki*; Marie, S.*; Almahdi, R.*; Mano, Akihiro; Li, Y.; Katsuyama, Jinya; Wada, Yoshitaka*; Hwang, J.-H.*; et al.

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 144(1), p.011509_1 - 011509_18, 2022/02

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4052852

To predict fracture behavior for ductile materials, some ductile fracture simulation methods different from classical approaches have been investigated based on appropriate models of ductile fracture. For the future use of the methods to overcome restrictions of classical approaches, the applicability to the actual components is of concern. In this study, two benchmark problems on the fracture tests supposing actual components were provided to investigate prediction ability of simulation methods containing parameter decisions. One was the circumferentially through-wall and surface cracked pipes subjected to monotonic bending, and the other was the circumferentially through-wall cracked pipes subjected to cyclic bending. Participants predicted the ductile crack propagation behavior by their own approaches, including FEM employed GTN yielding function with void ratio criterion, are FEM employed GTN yielding function, FEM with fracture strain or energy criterion modified by stress triaxiality, XFEM with J or delta J criterion, FEM with stress triaxiality and plastic strain based ductile crack propagation using FEM, and elastic-plastic peridynamics. Both the deformation and the crack propagation behaviors for monotonic bending were well reproduced, while few participants reproduced those for cyclic bending. To reproduce pipe deformation and fracture behaviors, most of groups needed parameters which were determined toreproduce pipe deformation and fracture behaviors in benchmark problems themselves and it is still difficult to reproduce them by using parameters only from basic materials tests.

Pairing forces govern population of doubly magic Ca from direct reactions

Browne, F.*; Chen, S.*; Doornenbal, P.*; Obertelli, A.*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Utsuno, Yutaka; Yoshida, Kazuki; Achouri, N. L.*; Baba, Hidetada*; Calvet, D.*; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 126(25), p.252501_1 - 252501_7, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.252501

Direct proton-knockout reactions of Sc were studied at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. Populated states of Ca were investigated through -ray and invariant-mass spectroscopy. Level energies were calculated from the nuclear shell model employing a phenomenological inter-nucleon interaction. Theoretical cross sections to states were calculated from distorted-wave impulse approximation estimates multiplied by the shell model spectroscopic factors. Despite the calculations showing a significant amplitude of excited neutron configurations in the ground-state of Sc, valence proton removals populated predominantly the ground-state of Ca. This counter-intuitive result is attributed to pairing effects leading to a dominance of the ground-state spectroscopic factor. Owing to the ubiquity of the pairing interaction, this argument should be generally applicable to direct knockout reactions from odd-even to even-even nuclei.

First spectroscopic study of Ar by the (,2) reaction

Juhsz, M. M.*; Elekes, Z.*; Sohler, D.*; Utsuno, Yutaka; Yoshida, Kazuki; Otsuka, Takaharu*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Doornenbal, P.*; Obertelli, A.*; Baba, Hidetada*; et al.

Physics Letters B, 814, p.136108_1 - 136108_8, 2021/03

AA2020-0747.pdf:0.83MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2021.136108

The nuclear structure of Ar was studied by the (,2) reaction using -ray spectroscopy for the bound and unbound states. Comparing the results to our shell-model calculations, two bound and six unbound states were established. The low cross sections populating the two bound states of Ar could be interpreted as a clear signature for the presence of significant sub-shell closures at neutron numbers 32 and 34 in argon isotopes.

Overview and outcomes of the OECD/NEA benchmark study of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS (BSAF), Phase 2; Results of severe accident analyses for Unit 2

Sonnenkalb, M.*; Pellegrini, M.*; Herranz, L. E.*; Lind, T.*; Morreale, A. C.*; Kanda, Kenichi*; Tamaki, Hitoshi; Kim, S. I.*; Cousin, F.*; Fernandez Moguel, L.*; et al.

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 369, p.110840_1 - 110840_10, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2020.110840

This is the second paper in a series of 3 in which results of severe accident analyses for Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi are presented, gained in Phase 2 of the OECD/NEA project "Benchmark Study of the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (BSAF)". Nine organizations of six countries submitted results of their calculated severe accident scenarios for Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi using different severe accident codes. The present paper describes the findings of the comparison of the participants' results for Unit 2 against each other and against plant data, the evaluation of the accident progression and the final status inside the reactors. Special focus is on reactor pressure vessel status, melt release and fission product behavior and release. Unit 2 specific aspects will be highlighted and points of consensus as well as remaining uncertainties and data needs will be summarized.

Dose coefficients for external exposures to environmental sources

Petoussi-Henss, N.*; Satoh, Daiki; Endo, Akira; Eckerman, K. F.*; Bolch, W. E.*; Hunt, J.*; Jansen, J. T. M.*; Kim, C. H.*; Lee, C.*; Saito, Kimiaki; et al.

Annals of the ICRP, 49(2), p.11 - 145, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.1177/0146645320906277

The age-dependent dose coefficients of organ equivalent doses and effective doses for the member of the public are required to estimate the external dose of the public exposed to radiations from radionuclides in the environment. For this purpose, a computational method to simulate the radiation fields of environmental photon and electron sources in the air, soil, and water has been developed using a particle transport code PHITS in the JAEA, and the organ equivalent doses have been calculated using the human models of newborns, 1-year-old, 5-years-old, 10-years-old, and 15-years-old children, and adults male and female provided by the ICRP. In addition, the nuclide-specific effective dose coefficients have been derived using the skin-dose data and nuclide-decay data provided by the Hanyang University and ICRP, respectively. The data of the dose coefficients are available for dose estimations of not only the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident but radiological emergencies which radionuclides are released to the environment.