Direct energy conversion using Ni/SiC Schottky junction in Np and Am gamma ray regions

Fukuda, Tatsuo; Kobata, Masaaki; Shobu, Takahisa; Yoshii, Kenji; Kamiya, Junichiro; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Makino, Takahiro*; Yamazaki, Yuichi*; Oshima, Takeshi*; Shirai, Yasuhiro*; et al.

Journal of Applied Physics, 132(24), p.245102_1 - 245102_8, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0099136

Direct energy conversion has been investigated using Ni/SiC Schottky junctions with the irradiation of monochromatized synchrotron X-rays simulating the gamma rays of Np (30 keV) and Am (60 keV). From current-voltage measurements, electrical energies were obtained for both kinds of gamma rays. The energy conversion efficiencies were found to reach up to 1.6%, which is comparable to those of a few other semiconducting systems reported thus far. This result shows a possibility of energy recovery from nuclear wastes using the present system, judging from the radiation tolerant nature of SiC. Also, we found different conversion efficiencies between the two samples. This could be understandable from hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements, suggesting the formation of Ni-Si compounds at the interface in the sample with a poor performance. Hence, such combined measurements are useful to provide information that cannot be obtained by electrical measurements alone.

structure observation of pyroelectric ceramics during power generation cycle

Kawasaki, Takuro; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Sakamoto, Tomokazu*; Murayama, Ichiro*; Kato, Takanori*; Baba, Masaaki*; Hashimoto, Hideki*; Harjo, S.; Aizawa, Kazuya; et al.

Journal of Applied Physics, 131(13), p.134103_1 - 134103_7, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0084166

Behavior of radiocesium in sediments in Fukushima coastal waters; Verification of desorption potential through pore water

Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Kambayashi, Shota*; Fukuda, Miho*; Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Misono, Toshiharu; Suzuki, Takashi; Aono, Tatsuo*

Environmental Science & Technology, 54(21), p.13778 - 13785, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c05450

Concentrations of Cs in seawater, seabed sediment, and pore water collected from the area around Fukushima were investigated from 2015 to 2018, and the potential of coastal sediments to supply radiocesium to the bottom environment was evaluated. The Cs concentration in the pore water ranged from 33 to 1934 mBq L and was 10-40 times higher than that in the overlying water (seawater overlying within 30 cm on the seabed). At most stations, the Cs concentrations in the overlying water and the pore water were approximately proportional to those in the sediment. The conditional partition coefficient between pore water and sediment was 0.9-1410 L kg, independent of the year of sampling. These results indicated that an equilibrium of Cs between pore water and sediment has established in a relatively short period, and Cs in the pore water is gradually exported to seawater near the seabed. A simple box model estimation based on these results showed that the Cs in the sediment was decreased by about 6% per year by desorption/diffusion of Cs from the seabed.

Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of Pt/YFeO

Kobata, Masaaki; Yoshii, Kenji; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Kawasaki, Ikuto; Okane, Tetsuo; Yamagami, Hiroshi; Yaita, Tsuyoshi; Harii, Kazuya; Ieda, Junichi; Okayasu, Satoru; et al.

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 30, p.011192_1 - 011192_6, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.30.011192

High energy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) measurements were carried out for the Spin Seebeck system Pt/YFeO(YIG). This system was found to show anomalous Hall effect, possible due to the formation of intermetallic compounds between Fe and Pt. To reveal this possibility, we have measured the Fe 1s photoelectron peaks by using HAXPES. It was found that the Fe ions consist of Fe in YIG and metallic Fe. The formation of the metallic state is consistent with the proposed origin of the anomalous Hall effect. Other spectra such as Pt 4f will be presented at the conference.

Lattice dynamics in FeSe via inelastic X-ray scattering and first-principles calculations

Murai, Naoki; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Nakajima, Masamichi*; Kawamura, Mitsuaki*; Ishikawa, Daisuke*; Tajima, Setsuko*; Baron, A. Q. R.*

Physical Review B, 101(3), p.035126_1 - 035126_6, 2020/01

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.101.035126

We report an inelastic X-ray scattering investigation of phonons in FeSe superconductor. Comparing the experimental phonon dispersion with density functional theory (DFT) calculations in the non-magnetic state, we found a significant disagreement between them. A better overall agreement was obtained by allowing for spin-polarization in DFT calculations, despite the absence of magnetic order in FeSe. This calculation gives a realistic approximation, at DFT level, of the disordered paramagnetic state of FeSe, in which strong spin fluctuations are present.

Invariant incommensurate coherence length in spin-density-wave excitation of CrFe

Hiraka, Haruhiro*; Yano, Shinichiro*; Fukuda, Tatsuo

Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 469, p.629 - 632, 2019/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2018.09.035

Temperature stability of PIN-PMN-PT ternary ceramics during pyroelectric power generation

Moro, Takuya*; Kim, J.*; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Murayama, Ichiro*; Kato, Takanori*; Nakayama, Tadachika*; Takeda, Masatoshi*; Yamada, Noboru*; Nishihata, Yasuo; Fukuda, Tatsuo; et al.

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 768, p.22 - 27, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2018.07.182

Factors controlling Cs activity concentrations in sediment collected off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in 2013-2015

Fukuda, Miho*; Aono, Tatsuo*; Yamazaki, Shinnosuke*; Ishimaru, Takashi*; Kanda, Jota*; Nishikawa, Jun*; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi

Geochemical Journal, 52(2), p.201 - 209, 2018/00

https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0504

To elucidate recent activity levels and the behavior of radiocesium in the coast off Fukushima Prefecture, lateral and vertical distributions of Cs in sediment were observed in 2013-2015 at 12 monitoring stations. At stations around the water depth of 100 m, relatively higher Cs activities were observed from surface sedimentary layer (0-3 cm). In these stations, sediments had high content of silt to clay particles and organic matter. The high Cs activities in the surface sediments were attributed to accumulation of highly mobile sediment particles. In October 2014, at some coastal stations, sharp peaks of Cs activities were observed in the subsurface (5-16 cm) sediments, whereas such broad peaks were not found in October 2015. These results suggest that the Cs activities in sediment had largely changed by lateral transport and re-sedimentation on the surface, as well as sediment mixing in the middle-layers.

Pyroelectric power generation with ferroelectrics (1-x)PMN-xPT

Kim, J.*; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Nakajima, Akira*; Kato, Takanori*; Kim, Y.*; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Yoshii, Kenji; Nishihata, Yasuo; Baba, Masaaki*; Takeda, Masatoshi*; et al.

Ferroelectrics, 512(1), p.92 - 99, 2017/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00150193.2017.1349991

Dissolved radiocaesium in seawater off the coast of Fukushima during 2013-2015

Fukuda, Miho*; Aono, Tatsuo*; Yamazaki, Shinnosuke*; Nishikawa, Jun*; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Ishimaru, Takashi*; Kanda, Jota*

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 311(2), p.1479 - 1484, 2017/02

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-5009-9

In order to investigate processes affecting distribution of radiocaesium in seawater in the adjacent region of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), relationships between Cs activity in seawater and physical properties of seawater (salinity, temperature, and potential density) were observed in seven stations within 10 km radius from the FDNPP. As a whole, Cs concentrations in seawater were higher in the vicinity of the FDNPP, and were negatively correlated with potential density. From these results, it can be considered that river water discharge or export of seawater from the FDNPP's harbor has affected the higher activity levels of Cs in seawater. It was also observed that the Cs-elevated seawater can be advected to the 2050 m depths.