An integrated neutron interrogation system has been developed for non-destructive assay of highly-radioactive special nuclear materials, to accumulate knowledge of the method through developing and ...using it. The system combines a differential die-away (DDA) measurement system for the quantification of nuclear materials and a prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) system for the detection of neutron poisons which disturb the DDA measurements; a common D-T neutron generator is used. A special care has been taken for the selection of materials to reduce the background gamma rays produced by the interrogation neutrons. A series of measurements were performed to test the basic performance of the system. The results show that the DDA system can quantify plutonium of as small as 20 mg and it is not affected by intense neutron background up to 1.57 × 107 s−1 and gamma ray of 4.43 × 1010 s−1. The gamma-ray background counting rate at the PGA detector was reduced down to 3.9 × 103 s−1 even with the use of the D-T neutron generator. The test measurements show that the PGA system is capable of detecting 0.783 g of boron and about 86.8 g of gadolinium in 30 min.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The fourth version of the Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library has been produced in cooperation with the Japanese Nuclear Data Committee. In the new library, much emphasis is placed on the ...improvements of fission product and minor actinoid data. Two nuclear model codes were developed in order to evaluate the cross sections of fission products and minor actinoids. Coupled-channel optical model parameters, which can be applied to wide mass and energy regions, were obtained for nuclear model calculations. Thermal cross sections of actinoids were carefully examined by considering experimental data or by the systematics of neighboring nuclei. Most of the fission cross sections were derived from experimental data. A simultaneous evaluation was performed for the fission cross sections of important uranium and plutonium isotopes above 10 keV. New evaluations were performed for the thirty fission-product nuclides that had not been contained in the previous library JENDL-3.3. The data for light elements and structural materials were partly reevaluated. Moreover, covariances were estimated mainly for actinoids. The new library was released as JENDL-4.0, and the data can be retrieved from the Web site of the JAEA Nuclear Data Center.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
The fourth version of the Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library has been produced in cooperation with the Japanese Nuclear Data Committee. In the new library, much emphasis is placed on the ...improvements of fission product and minor actinoid data. Two nuclear model codes were developed in order to evaluate the cross sections of fission products and minor actinoids. Coupled-channel optical model parameters, which can be applied to wide mass and energy regions, were obtained for nuclear model calculations. Thermal cross sections of actinoids were carefully examined by considering experimental data or by the systematics of neighboring nuclei. Most of the fission cross sections were derived from experimental data. A simultaneous evaluation was performed for the fission cross sections of important uranium and plutonium isotopes above 10 keV. New evaluations were performed for the thirty fissionproduct nuclides that had not been contained in the previous library JENDL-3.3. The data for light elements and structural materials were partly reevaluated. Moreover, covariances were estimated mainly for actinoids. The new library was released as JENDL-4.0, and the data can be retrieved from the Web site of the JAEA Nuclear Data Center.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
We developed a new analytical technique that combines prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) and time-of-flight elemental analysis (TOF) by using an intense pulsed neutron beam at the Japan Proton ...Accelerator Research Complex. It allows us to obtain the results from both methods at the same time. Moreover, it can be used to quantify elemental concentrations in the sample, to which neither of these methods can be applied independently, if a new analytical spectrum (TOF-PGA) is used. To assess the effectiveness of the developed method, a mixed sample of Ag, Au, Cd, Co, and Ta, and the Gibeon meteorite were analyzed. The analytical capabilities were compared based on the gamma-ray peak selectivity and signal-to-noise ratios. TOF-PGA method showed high merits, although the capability may differ based on the target and coexisting elements.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
An integrated neutron interrogation system has been developed for non-destructive assay of highly-radioactive special nuclear materials, to accumulate knowledge of the method through developing and ...using it. The system combines a differential die-away (DDA) measurement system for the quantification of nuclear materials and a prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) system for the detection of neutron poisons which disturb the DDA measurements; a common D-T neutron generator is used. A special care has been taken for the selection of materials to reduce the background gamma rays produced by the interrogation neutrons. A series of measurements were performed to test the basic performance of the system. The results show that the DDA system can quantify plutonium of as small as 20 mg and it is not affected by intense neutron background up to 1.57 × 107 s-1 and gamma ray of 4.43 × 1010 s-1. The gamma-ray background counting rate at the PGA detector was reduced down to 3.9 × 103 s-1 even with the use of the D-T neutron generator. The test measurements show that the PGA system is capable of detecting 0.783 g of boron and about 86.8 g of gadolinium in 30 min.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Multiple prompt gamma-ray analysis (MPGA), a new radionuclide quantification method with high energy resolution, was applied to sediments from a marine shallow-water hydrothermal mound. Surface ...sediments around mounds were collected from the Wakamiko submarine crater located in Kagoshima Bay, southwest Japan, where the hydrothermal system was different from those at other marine shallow-water hydrothermal mounds. All samples were desalted and MPGA measurements were performed for 4,500 s (real time). Event data were obtained using eight Canberra-Eurisys CLOVER Ge detectors. The size of the list data that included all multiple events was from 1.19 to 19.2 GB. We could obtain concentrations of
32
S,
55
Mn,
75
As,
157
Gd,
39
K,
149
Sm,
56
Fe, and
85
Rb with high sensitivity by MPGA. Furthermore,
32
S,
85
Rb, and
55
Mn have characteristic concentrations only at a mound, not at control sampling sites, suggesting that sediments were sulfurated by magmatic fluids at this mound.
The thermal-neutron capture cross sections (σ
0,m
and σ
0,g
) and resonance integrals (I
0,m
and I
0,g
) leading to the isomeric and ground states of
81
Se were measured by the activation method. ...Samples of high-purity (99.99%) selenium oxide were irradiated in a rotary specimen rack of the research reactor of Rikkyo University. Wires of Co/Al and Au/Al alloys, which have different sensitivities to neutrons in the thermal and epithermal energy regions, were irradiated to monitor the thermal neutron fluxes and the epithermal components at the same position of the rotary specimen rack. The cadmium-shielded samples were also irradiated to obtain the cadmium ratio and the resonance integrals (I
0,m
and I
0,g
). A high-purity Ge detector was used to measure the γ-rays emitted from the irradiated samples and wires, and reaction rates were calculated from γ-ray yields. On the basis of Westcott's convention, the cross sections were obtained as follows: σ
0,m
= 0.057 ± 0.003 b and I
0,m
= 0.186 ± 0.014 b leading to
81m
Se, and σ
0,g
= 0.536 ± 0.046 b and I
0,g
= 0.867 ± 0.102 b leading to
81g
Se.
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In order to measure the amount of nuclear materials in the fuel debris produced in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, we have designed a measurement system based on a Fast Neutron ...Direct Interrogation (FNDI) method. In particular, we have developed a fast response detector bank for fast neutron measurements by Monte Carlo simulations. The new bank has more than one order of magnitude faster response compared to the standard ones. We have also simulated the nondestructive measurements of the nuclear materials in homogeneously mixed fuel debris with various matrices which contain stainless steel (JIS SUS304), concrete, and various control-rod (CR) contents in the designed system. The results show that if the debris contains less than 1.0 vol% of CR component and more than 2.5 vol% of spent fuel component, the fissile materials in the debris can be measured by using the designed system.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary about 65 million years ago records a mass extinction event caused by a bolide impact. K-T boundary clay collected from Stevns Klint, Denmark was investigated in ...this work. Iridium concentrations of eight clays across the K-T boundary were determined using a multiple gamma-ray analysis system after neutron activation. Anomalously high Ir concentrations were detected in five marl samples, with the highest concentration being 29.9 ppb. Four samples were analyzed for all noble gases. No extraterrestrial Ar, Kr, and Xe were discovered in any of the samples, although most of the 3He which was detected was extraterrestrial. Solar-like Ne was observed only in the sample SK4, which had an Ir concentration of 14.3 ppb, indicating the presence of micrometeorites. The solar-like Ne clearly did not originate from an asteroid/comet associated with the bolide impact, as that asteroid is thought to have been extremely large. Also, because there was no sign of a high accretion rate of micrometeorites at the boundary it could not be ascertained whether the solar-like Ne was related to a catastrophic event that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
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