Development of a GdSiO (GPS) scintillator-based alpha imaging detector for rapid plutonium detection in high-radon environments

Morishita, Yuki; Izaki, Kenji; Kaneko, Junichi*; Yamamoto, Seiichi*; Higuchi, Mikio*; Torii, Tatsuo

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 67(10), p.2203 - 2208, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2020.3014997

We developed a GdSiO (GPS) scintillator-based alpha imaging detector and demonstrated its effectiveness by evaluating actual Pu particle and Rn progeny. The GPS scintillator plate was prepared by a sintering method. The outer dimensions of the GPS scintillator plate were 5 5 cm, and the scintillator layer was approximately 50 m on a 3-mm-thick high-transparency glass. The plate was optically coupled to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube with silicone grease. The developed imaging detector exhibited good uniformity. Pu particle activities were accurately evaluated at 14 different positions, and the difference in activity was within 6%. Radon-222 (Rn) progeny counts were reduced by 65.3% by applying an energy window. Although the Pu/Rn progeny activity ratio was 1/51, the Pu particle was successfully identified among Rn progeny within the 5 min-measurement time. The imaging detector has an excellent ability for detecting Pu among Rn progeny. Thus, this detector is useful for alpha contamination monitoring in high-radon-background environments.

Development of a new detector system to evaluate position and activity of plutonium particles in nasal cavities

Morishita, Yuki; Yamamoto, Seiichi*; Momose, Takumaro; Kaneko, Junichi*; Nemoto, Norio

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 178(4), p.414 - 421, 2018/03

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncx127

Plutonium dioxide (PuO) is used to fabricate a mixed oxide fuel for fast breeder reactors. When a glove box containing PuO fails, such as by rupture of a glove or a vinyl bag, airborne contamination of plutonium (Pu) can occur. If the worker inhale PuO particles, they deposit in the lung and cause lung cancer. The nasal smear and nose blow methods are useful for checking workers for PuO intake in the field. However, neither method can evaluate the quantitative activity of Pu. No alpha-particle detector that can be used for direct measurements in the nasal cavity has been developed. Therefore, we developed a nasal monitor capable of directly measuring the activity of Pu in the nasal cavity to precisely evaluate the internal exposure dose of a worker. Prismatic-shaped 22 acrylic light guides were used to compose a detector block, and a ZnS(Ag) scintillator was adhered to the surface of these light guides. Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays with 88 channels were used as a photodetector. Actual PuO particles were measured using the nasal monitor. The nasal monitor could be directly inserted in the nasal cavities. The activity distribution of Pu was obtained by the nasal monitor. The average efficiencies in 4 were 11.43% and 11.58% for the left and right nasal cavities, respectively. The effect of and rays on the detection of the alpha particles of Pu was negligible. The difference in the measured Pu activity between the ZnS(Ag) scintillation counter and the nasal monitor was within 4.0%. The developed nasal monitor can solve the uncertainty problem encountered with the nasal smear and the nose blow methods. We expect this monitor to be useful for accurately estimating the internal exposure dose of workers.

Radioactive Cs in the severely contaminated soils near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Kaneko, Makoto*; Iwata, Hajime; Shiotsu, Hiroyuki; Masaki, Shota*; Kawamoto, Yuji*; Yamasaki, Shinya*; Nakamatsu, Yuki*; Imoto, Jumpei*; Furuki, Genki*; Ochiai, Asumi*; et al.

Frontiers in Energy Research (Internet), 3, p.37_1 - 37_10, 2015/09

https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2015.00037

The mobility of the aggregates of submicron-sized sheet aluminosilicate in the surface environment is a key factor controlling the current Cs migration in Fukushima.

Development of a Si-PM based alpha camera for plutonium detection in nuclear fuel facilities

Morishita, Yuki; Yamamoto, Seiichi*; Izaki, Kenji; Kaneko, Junichi*; Toi, Kohei*; Tsubota, Yoichi*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 747, p.81 - 86, 2014/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2013.12.052

Alpha particles are monitored for detecting nuclear fuel material (i.e., plutonium and uranium) at nuclear fuel facilities. In this study, we developed a new alpha-particle imaging system by combining an Si-PM array, which is insensitive to noise, with a Ce-doped GdAlGaO (GAGG) scintillator, and evaluated our developed system's fundamental performance. The scintillator was 0.1-mm thick, and the light guide was 3.0 mm thick. An Am source was used for all the measurements. We evaluated the spatial resolution by taking an image of a resolution chart. A 1.6 lp/mm slit was clearly resolved, and the spatial resolution was estimated to be less than 0.6-mm FWHM. The energy resolution was 13% FWHM. A slight distortion was observed in the image, and the uniformity near its center was within 24%. We conclude that our developed alpha-particle imaging system is promising for plutonium detection at nuclear fuel facilities.

Study on piping response under multiple excitations; Triple shaking table test of piping having three-supporting anchors

Watakabe, Tomoyoshi; Kaneko, Naoaki*; Aida, Shigekazu*; Otani, Akihito*; Tsukimori, Kazuyuki; Moriizumi, Makoto; Kitamura, Seiji

Dynamics and Design Conference 2013 (D&D 2013) Koen Rombunshu (USB Flash Drive), 8 Pages, 2013/08

The piping in a nuclear power plant is laid across multiple floors of a single building or two buildings, which are supported at many anchors. As the piping is excited by multiple inputs from the supporting anchors during an earthquake, seismic response analysis by multiple excitations is needed to obtain the exact seismic response of the piping. However, few tests involving such multiple excitations have been performed to verify the validity of multiple excitation analysis. To perform rational seismic design and evaluation, it is important to investigate the seismic response by multiple excitations and verify the validity of the analysis method by multiple excitation test. This paper reports on the result of the shaking test using triple uni-axial shaking tables and a 3-dimensional piping model.

Observation of high- quasiparticle states in Cm by in-beam -ray spectroscopy using heavy-ion transfer reactions

Ishii, Tetsuro; Makii, Hiroyuki*; Asai, Masato; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Toyoshima, Atsushi; Matsuda, Makoto; Makishima, Akiyasu*; Shigematsu, Soichiro*; Kaneko, Junichi*; Shizuma, Toshiyuki; et al.

Physical Review C, 78(5), p.054309_1 - 054309_11, 2008/11

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.78.054309

Spectroscopic observations of beam and source plasma light and testing Cs-deposition monitor in the large area negative ion source for LHD-NBI

Oka, Yoshihide*; Tsumori, Katsuyoshi*; Ikeda, Katsunori*; Kaneko, Osamu*; Nagaoka, Kenichi*; Osakabe, Masaki*; Takeiri, Yasuhiko*; Asano, Eiji*; Komada, Seiji*; Kondo, Tomoki*; et al.

Review of Scientific Instruments, 79(2), p.02C105_1 - 02C105_4, 2008/02

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2819322

In the present studies, we studied the cesium lines in the source plasma during beam shots on the LND MN-NBI system. It was found for the first time in the LHD-source 2, that both the amount of Cs I (neutral Cs) and Cs II (Cs) in the source plasma light rose sharply when beam acceleration began, and continued rising during a 10 s pulse. We think that this was because the cesium was evaporated/sputtered from the source backplate by the back-streaming positive ions.

Z dependence of the deformed shell gap; In-beam -ray spectroscopy of neutron-rich Pu

Makii, Hiroyuki; Ishii, Tetsuro; Asai, Masato; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Toyoshima, Atsushi; Matsuda, Makoto; Makishima, Akiyasu*; Kaneko, Junichi*; Tome, Hayato*; Ichikawa, Shinichi; et al.

Physical Review C, 76(6), p.061301_1 - 061301_5, 2007/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.76.061301

We have measured deexcitation rays for the first time in the neutron-rich nuclei of Pu and Pu produced by the (O, O) and the (O, O) reactions, respectively. The ground-state band of Pu was established up to 12 states. The systematics of the moments of inertia of Pu isotopes suggests that the deformed subshell closure disappears in these isotopes. The measurements of deexcitation rays in Pu shows a small energy spacing between neutron orbitals at , which explans the disappearance of the subshell closure.

Ground-state bands of neutron-rich Th and U nuclei and implication of spherical shell closure at

Ishii, Tetsuro; Makii, Hiroyuki; Asai, Masato; Koura, Hiroyuki; Shigematsu, Soichiro*; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Toyoshima, Atsushi; Matsuda, Makoto; Makishima, Akiyasu*; Kaneko, Junichi*; et al.

Physical Review C, 76(1), p.011303_1 - 011303_5, 2007/07

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.76.011303

The ground-state bands of the neutron-rich Th and U nuclei were established up to spin 10 and 8, respectively, by in-beam -ray spectroscopy using the (O, Ne) two-proton pickup reaction with a U and a Pu target. Deexcitation rays in Th and U were identified by selecting the kinetic energies of Ne using Si - detectors. The excitation energies of the first 2 states in U and Pu isotopes have local minima at , suggesting the possibility that nuclei with have a spherical shell closure of . Calculation using the Koura-Yamada single-particle potential gives an energy gap of 1.8 MeV at for U.

In-beam -ray spectroscopy of U using the (O,O) reaction

Ishii, Tetsuro; Shigematsu, Soichiro; Asai, Masato; Makishima, Akiyasu*; Matsuda, Makoto; Kaneko, Junichi*; Hossain, I.*; Ichikawa, Shinichi; Kono, Toshiyuki*; Ogawa, Masao*

Physical Review C, 72(2), p.021301_1 - 021301_5, 2005/08

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.72.021301

In the two-neutron-transfer reaction of a 200-MeV O beam with a U target, deexcitation rays in a neutron-rich nucleus of U were measured. The rays in U were identified by taking coincidence with O, using Si - detectors. The kinetic energies of O particles allowed us to select the excitation energies of U below the neutron separation energy. The ground-state band and the octupole band of U were established up to 12 and 9, respectively. The octupole-band head of U is higher than those of U by about a hundred keV, suggesting that a secondary maximum of octupole correlations exists at in U isotopes.