To decommission the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the accident caused by a tsunami in 2011, characterization of the fuel debris is required. The precise location and radiological composition of ...the fuel debris are currently unknown, and the area is submerged making it difficult to investigate the primary containment vessel. An integrated system that includes both radiation detectors and sonar will allow the full localization and characterization of the fuel debris. This paper describes research completed toward the development of a complete system, on-board a low-cost, small form-factor, submersible remotely operated vehicle. A cerium bromide (CeBr3) scintillator detector for dose-rate monitoring and gamma-ray spectrometry has been integrated and validated experimentally with a 137 Cs source, both in the laboratory and while submerged. The addition of an Imagenex 831L sonar has enabled technical demonstrations to take place at the National Maritime Research Institute's facility in Japan, where the system was able to characterize the shape and size of synthetic core debris. The combination of geometrical and radiological measurements allows the real-time localization of fuel debris and isotope identification, leading to an invaluable source of information to the workers at Fukushima that will enable increased efficiency and reduce risk during the decommissioning of the site.
The ATLAS experiment is going to replace the current Inner Detector with an all new inner tracker (ITk) in the ATLAS detector for HL-LHC at CERN. Silicon strip detectors cover the outer layers of the ...barrel and the endcap sections. We have designed and fabricated a prototype single-sided n+-in-p AC-coupled silicon strip sensor for the outer barrel layer with long strips (LS), ATLAS17LS. It is of the maximum allowable size to fit in a 6-in. silicon wafer, with an outer dimension of 9.80(width)×9.76(length)cm2. The sensor features two rows of LS strip segments, 4.83 cm strip length per segment, a strip pitch of 75.5 μm, and a slim edge design. We have implemented technology for high voltage operation of up to 1000V, with a good signal collection after irradiation fluence of 5.6 × 1014neq∕cm2at the end of HL-LHC operation.
We had two objectives for the ATLAS17LS fabrication: qualification of the sensor design and fabrication quality, and providing an adequate number of the sensors for prototyping the building blocks of the strip detector. The sensors were fabricated in 3 batches by HPK with standard wafers from the foundry (320 μm physical thickness). Additional 10 sensors were fabricated with a thinner active thickness of 240 μm to investigate the influence of active thickness on charge collection. Another additional 5 sensors, with special passivation to investigate the influence of passivation on humidity sensitivity. The visual inspection of fabricated sensors revealed an inadequacy that the designed metal width of 10 μm was too narrow. The initial measurements by the vendor showed that the sensors fulfilled the specifications: onset voltages of Microdischarge VMD above the operation voltage VOP (700V for the 1st and 2nd batches; 500V for the 3rd batch, which has improved the yield), leakage currents of < 0.1μA/cm2 at VOP, full depletion voltages VFD< 330V, and rates of bad strips <<1%.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The ATLAS collaboration is designing the all-silicon Inner Tracker (ITk) that will operate in the HL-LHC replacing the current design. The silicon microstrip sensors for the barrel and the endcap ...regions in the ITk are fabricated in 6 inch, p-type, float-zone wafers, where large-area strip sensor designs are laid out together with a number of miniature sensors. The radiation tolerance and specific system issues like the need for slim edge of 450 μm have been tested with square shaped sensors intended for the barrel part of the tracker. This work presents the design of the first full size silicon microstrip sensor for the endcap region with a slim edge of 450 μm. The strip endcaps will consist of several wheels with two layers of silicon strip sensors each. The strips have to lie along the azimuthal direction, apart from a small stereo angle rotation (20 mrad on each side, giving 40 mrad total) for measuring the second coordinate of tracks. This stereo angle is built into the strip layout of the sensor and, in order to avoid orphan strips, the sensor edges are inclined by the stereo angle. On top of this, the top and bottom edges are designed as arcs to have equal length strips. Together with the design of this new Stereo Annulus sensor, we will report on the initial measurements of the leakage current as a function of bias voltage, after dicing, and the depletion voltage.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
In this study, we developed a novel cell-stretching device to evaluate the micro-strain field on a cell membrane in which a cellular response to a mechanical stimulus occurred. In a conventional ...cell-stretching device, rigid displacement of the cell body during the stretching operation is not negligible. This rigid displacement makes it difficult to observe the initial cellular response to stretching with high spatial and temporal resolution. A novel device is fabricated by applying the MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technique, and consists of a transparent elastic microchamber and a microlinkage mechanism by which uniaxial stretch is applied to the microchamber. The microchamber and linkage mechanism are fabricated by micromolding and multiple exposure of photoresist, respectively. We demonstrated the applicability of the fabrication process that we proposed, and evaluated the performance of the microdevice prototype. As a result of operation tests, rigid displacement of the cell body during stretching was found to be well suppressed. This result indicated the potential of this device to be used to observe and evaluate the initial cellular response and micro-strain field on a cell membrane during uniaxial stretching.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
In this paper we introduce Gauss diagrams and four kinds of unknotting numbers of a spatial graph. R. Hanaki introduced the notion of pseudo diagrams and the trivializing numbers of knots, links and ...spatial graphs whose underlying graphs are planar. We generalize the trivializing numbers without the assumption that the underlying graphs are planar. Finally we discuss relations among the unknotting numbers and the trivializing numbers.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Radiation-tolerant n+-in-p silicon sensors were developed for use in very high radiation environments. Novel n+-in-p silicon strip and pixel sensors and test structures were fabricated, tested and ...evaluated, in order to understand the designs implemented. The resistance between the n+ implants (interstrip resistance), the electric potential of the p-stop, and the punch-through-protection (PTP) onset voltage were measured before and as a function of fluence after irradiation. The technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations were used to understand the radiation damage and fluence dependence of the structures. The decrease in the interstrip resistance is a consequence of increased leakage current. The decrease in the electric potential of the p-stop results from a build-up of positive charge in the silicon–silicon oxide interface. The decrease and subsequent increase in the PTP onset voltages results from the interface charge build-up and an increase in acceptor states.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
This paper describes the development of a submersible system based on a remote-operated vehicle coupled with radiation detectors to map the interior of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear ...power station. It has the aim oflocating fuel debris. The AVEXIS submersible vehicle used in this study has been designed as a low-cost, potentially disposable, inspection platform that is the smallest of its class and is capable of being deployed through a 150 mm diameter access pipe. To map the gamma-ray environment, a cerium bromide scintillator detector with a small form factor has been incorporated into the AVEXIS to identify radioactive isotopes via gamma-ray spectroscopy. This provides the combined system with the potential to map gamma-ray spectra and particle locations throughout submerged, contaminated facilities, such as Units 1, 2 and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The hypothesis of this research is to determine the sensitivity of the combined system in a submerged environment that replicates the combination of gamma radiation and water submersion but at lower dose rates.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
We developed a real-time and non-destructive method of beam profile measurement on a target under large beam current irradiation, and without any complex radiation detectors or electrical circuits. ...We measured the beam profiles on a target by observing the target temperature using an infrared-radiation thermometer camera. The target temperatures were increased and decreased quickly by starting and stopping the beam irradiation within 1s in response speed.
Our method could trace beam movements rapidly. The beam size and position were calibrated by measuring O-ring heat on the target. Our method has the potential to measure beam profiles at beam current over 1mA for proton and deuteron with the energy around 3MeV and allows accelerator operators to adjust the beam location during beam irradiation experiments without decreasing the beam current.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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