Development of wide range photon detection system for muonic X-ray spectroscopy

Mizuno, Rurie*; Niikura, Megumi*; Saito, Takeshi*; Matsuzaki, Teiichiro*; Sakurai, Hiroyoshi*; Amato, A.*; Asari, Shunsuke*; Biswas, S.*; Chiu, I.-H. ; Gianluca, J.*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1060, p.169029_1 - 169029_14, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.169029

Microstructural evolution of intermetallic phase precipitates in Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding in high-temperature steam oxidation up to 1400C

Mohamad, A. B.; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Furumoto, Kenichiro*; Okada, Yuji*; Sato, Daiki*

Corrosion Science, 224, p.111540_1 - 111540_15, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2023.111540

Development of an areal density imaging for boron and other elements

Tsuchikawa, Yusuke; Kai, Tetsuya; Abe, Yuta; Oikawa, Kenichi; Parker, J. D.*; Shinohara, Takenao; Sato, Ikken

Journal of Physics; Conference Series, 2605, p.012022_1 - 012022_6, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2605/1/012022

We developed a method to obtain the areal density distribution of boron, which has a large neutron cross section, by means of an energy resolved neutron imaging. Commonly in a measurement of elements with very high neutron sensitivity, the quantitative measurement becomes more difficult with the amount of element due to the neutron self-shielding effect. To avoid this effect, an energy-resolved method using known cross section data was attempted, and a quantitative imaging of such elements was demonstrated at the MLF of J-PARC. This presentation introduces a measurement of melted simulated-fuel assemblies obtained in the research of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the severe accident. Energy-dependent neutron transmission rates of the samples were measured by a neutron imaging detector, and were analyzed to obtained the areal density of boron at each position.

A Terrestrial SER Estimation Methodology Based on Simulation Coupled With One-Time Neutron Irradiation Testing

Abe, Shinichiro; Hashimoto, Masanori*; Liao, W.*; Kato, Takashi*; Asai, Hiroaki*; Shimbo, Kenichi*; Matsuyama, Hideya*; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Kobayashi, Kazutoshi*; Watanabe, Yukinobu*

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 70(8, Part 1), p.1652 - 1657, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2023.3280190

Single event upsets (SEUs) caused by neutrons is a reliability problem for microelectronic devices in the terrestrial environment. Acceleration tests using white neutron beam provide realistic soft error rates (SERs), but only a few facilities can provide white neutron beam in the world. If single-source irradiation applicable to diverse neutron source can be utilized for the evaluation of the SER in the terrestrial environment, it contributes to solve the shortage of beam time. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of the SER estimation in the terrestrial environment by any one of these measured data with the SEU cross sections obtained by PHITS simulation. It was found that the SERs estimated by our proposed method are within a factor of 2.7 of that estimated by the Weibull function. We also investigated the effect of simplification which reduce the computational cost in simulation to the SER estimation.

Intruder configurations in Ne at the transition into the island of inversion; Detailed structure study of Ne

Wang, H.*; Yasuda, Masahiro*; Kondo, Yosuke*; Nakamura, Takashi*; Tostevin, J. A.*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Otsuka, Takaharu*; Poves, A.*; Shimizu, Noritaka*; Yoshida, Kazuki; et al.

Physics Letters B, 843, p.138038_1 - 138038_9, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2023.138038

Detailed -ray spectroscopy of the exotic neon isotope Ne has been performed using the one-neutron removal reaction from Ne. Based on an analysis of parallel momentum distributions, a level scheme with spin-parity assignments has been constructed for Ne and the negative-parity states are identified for the first time. The measured partial cross sections and momentum distributions reveal a significant intruder p-wave strength providing evidence of the breakdown of the N = 20 and N = 28 shell gaps. Only a weak, possible f-wave strength was observed to bound final states. Large-scale shell-model calculations with different effective interactions do not reproduce the large p-wave and small f-wave strength observed experimentally, indicating an ongoing challenge for a complete theoretical description of the transition into the island of inversion along the Ne isotopic chain.

Comprehensive analysis and evaluation of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 3

Yamashita, Takuya; Honda, Takeshi*; Mizokami, Masato*; Nozaki, Kenichiro*; Suzuki, Hiroyuki*; Pellegrini, M.*; Sakai, Takeshi*; Sato, Ikken; Mizokami, Shinya*

Nuclear Technology, 209(6), p.902 - 927, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2022.2157663

MAAP code analysis focusing on the fuel debris condition in the lower head of the pressure vessel in Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2

Sato, Ikken; Yoshikawa, Shinji; Yamashita, Takuya; Cibula, M.*; Mizokami, Shinya*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 404, p.112205_1 - 112205_21, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112205

Based on updated knowledge from plant-internal investigations, experiments and model simulations until now, the in-vessel phase of Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 was analyzed using the MAAP code. In Unit 2, it is considered that the core material enthalpy was relatively low when it relocated to the lower plenum of the pressure vessel, then, cooled by the coolant and solidified there. Although the MAAP code tended to underestimate the degree of core-material oxidation during the relocation, this probable underestimation was compensated for by an existing study that was considered more reliable, so that more realistic debris conditions in the lower plenum could be obtained. Basic validity of the former prediction of the Unit 2 accident progression behavior was confirmed and detailed boundary condition for the later phase was provided. This boundary condition should be utilized for future studies addressing debris reheating process leading to lower head failure and debris relocation toward the pedestal.

The Experimental and simulation results of LIVE-J2 test; Investigation on heat transfer in a solid-liquid mixture pool

Madokoro, Hiroshi; Yamashita, Takuya; Gaus-Liu, X.*; Cron, T.*; Fluhrer, B.*; Sato, Ikken; Mizokami, Shinya*

Nuclear Technology, 209(2), p.144 - 168, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2022.2121545

Role of resonance states of muonic molecule in muon catalyzed fusion

Okutsu, Kenichi*; Yamashita, Takuma*; Kino, Yasushi*; Miyashita, Konan*; Yasuda, Kazuhiro*; Oka, Toshitaka; Okada, Shinji*; Sato, Motoyasu*

JJAP Conference Proceedings (Internet), 9, p.011003_1 - 011003_7, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.56646/jjapcp.9.0_011003

Muon catalyzed fusion (CF) is a cyclic reaction where a negatively charged muon itself acts like a catalyst of nuclear fusion between hydrogen isotopes. In the CF reaction, muon transfer from deuteron to triton and muonic molecular formation are rate-limiting processes. In this work, we have investigated the role of resonance states of muonic molecule in the CF which affects the muonic deuterium atom population. Solving simultaneous rate equations numerically by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, we determined the muonic molecular formation rate so that the number of fusion events reproduces a latest experimental result. It is revealed that the resonance states play a role to enhance the fusion rate by accelerating the de-excitation of the muonic atoms.

A Step-by-step simulation code for estimating yields of water radiolysis species based on electron track-structure mode in the PHITS code

Matsuya, Yusuke; Yoshii, Yuji*; Kusumoto, Tamon*; Akamatsu, Ken*; Hirata, Yuho; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Kai, Takeshi

Physics in Medicine & Biology, 19 Pages, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad199b

Time-dependent yields of chemical products resulted in water radiolysis play a great role in evaluating DNA damage response after exposure to ionizing radiation. Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) is a general-purpose Monte Carlo simulation code for radiation transport, which allows to determine several atomic interactions such as ionizations and electronic excitations as physical stage. However, a chemical code for simulating products of water radiolysis does not exist in the PHITS package. Here, we developed a chemical simulation code dedicated for the PHITS code, hereafter called PHITS-Chem code, which enables calculating G values of water radiolysis species (OH radical, e, H, HO etc) by electron beams. The estimated G values during 1 s are in agreement with the experimental ones and other simulations. This PHITS-Chem code enables simulating the dynamics in the presence of OH radical scavenger, and is useful for evaluating contributions of direct and indirect effects on DNA damage induction. This code will be included and be available in the future version of PHITS.