First results with the upgraded TLK tritium calorimeter IGC-V0.5

At Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK) calorimetry has been used for almost 20 years as the main accountancy method for tritium inventory. An extensive work has been carried out in order to improve the existing calorimeters. This paper covers the efforts made for the upgrade of the IGC-V0.5 calorimeter. We replaced the hardware interface – including the obsolete PC – and developed a new control and data acquisition software. The new software applies a smart automatic process control during measurements, significantly reducing measurement time and possible user errors. The three PID control loops have been re-tuned using the standard closed loop Ziegler–Nichols procedure to find the optimal PID parameters. Five calibration runs have been performed between 0.5 μW and 1 W, and their results are being presented and discussed.     

Micro-ERDA,micro-RBS and micro-PIXE techniques in the investigation of fish otoliths

Elemental distribution in the otolith of the fresh water fish burbot (Lota lota L.) collected in Hungary was measured with Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and as a complementary technique, Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) with a focussed ion beam of 1.5 × 1.5 μm² spot size. The organic- and inorganic-rich regions of the otolith are distinguished and they are presented as hydrogen and calcium maps at depth regions of 0–70, 70–140 and 140–210 nm. The textured surface of the sample and its porosity were characterized from the effect on the RBS spectra. The oxygen and carbon PIXE elemental maps can also be used to identify the organic- and inorganic-rich regions of the otolith. The calcium map was found to be more homogeneous because the otolith structure is averaged in a larger depth. The trace elements Fe, Zn and Sr were detected only in very low concentration by micro-PIXE.     

Development of a real-time beam current monitoring system for microbeam scanning-PIXE analysis using a ceramic channel electron multiplier

Microbeam scanning-PIXE (micro-PIXE) analysis is a useful method for obtaining information of multi-elemental distribution in samples by two-dimensional images of sample surfaces such as mammalian cells, tissues, and other environmental monitoring species. In addition to elemental distribution information, quantitative analysis is in demand for further investigations of environmental and biomedical studies concerning heavy metals accumulated in terms of cells and sub-cellular organelles. To make quantitative analysis possible, a real-time beam monitoring system that gives a precise number of ions, and an output independent from a sample that enables one to keep a beam resolution of micrometer size is required. In this paper, we report on the development of beam current monitoring. The beam current was monitored using a ceramic channel electron multiplier (CEM) to detect secondary electrons induced from a 50 nm thick carbon film (10 μg/cm²). This carbon film was attached to a sample holder, which was set at the targeted sample position. The output value of the CEM was proportional to the Faraday cup installed just after the sample position. The beam resolution was measured using off-axis STIM by scanning a copper grid, and was estimated at 1.79 and 1.72 μm for the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, sufficient for routine micro-PIXE analysis.     

An experimental study on pressure drop and dryout heat flux of two-phase flow in packed beds of multi-sized and irregular particles

This paper is concerned with debris bed coolability in a postulated severe accident of light water reactors, where the debris particles are irregular and multi-sized. To obtain and verify the friction laws predicting the hydrodynamics of the debris beds, the drag characteristics of air/water single- and two-phase flow in a particulate bed packed with multi-sized spheres or irregular sand particles were investigated on the POMECO-FL test facility. The same types of particles were then loaded in the test section of the POMECO-HT facility to obtain the dryout heat fluxes of the particulate beds heated volumetrically. The effective (mean) particle diameter is 2.25 mm for the multi-sized spheres and 1.75 mm for the sand particles, determined from the Ergun equation and the measured pressure drop of single-phase flow through the packed bed. Given the effective particle diameter, both the pressure drop and the dryout heat flux of two-phase flow through the bed can be predicted by the Reed model. The experiment also shows that the bottom injection of coolant improves the dryout heat flux significantly and the first dryout position is moving upward with increasing bottom injection flowrate. Compared with top-flooding case, the dryout heat flux of the bed can be doubled if the superficial velocity of coolant injection is 0.21–0.27 mm/s. The experimental data provides insights for interpretation of debris bed coolability (how to deal with the multi-sized irregular particles), as well as high-quality data for validation of the coolability analysis models and codes.     

Characterisation of gunshot residue particles using self-consistent ion beam analysis

Individual particles of gunshot residue were studied with particle-induced X-ray emission and backscattering spectrometry using a 2.5 MeV H⁺ beam focussed to ～4 μm and self-consistent fitting of the data. The geometry of these spherical particles was considered in order to accurately fit the corresponding particle spectrum and therefore to quantify the trace element composition of these particles. The demonstrable self-consistency of this method allows the compositions of most residue particles to be determined unambiguously and with a higher sensitivity to trace elements than conventional methods.     

Ion beam microanalysis of individual aerosol particles originating from Saharan dust episodes observed in Debrecen,Hungary

Approximately 50 episodes of Saharan dust intrusion have been observed by PIXE in the atmosphere of Debrecen, Hungary since 1991 [I. Borbély-Kiss, Á.Z. Kiss, E Koltay, Gy. Szabó, L. Bozó, J. Aerosol Sci. 35 (2004) 1205]. In order to separate dust particles of Saharan origin from local sources, and to follow the formation, ageing and evolution of particles originating from long range transport processes, individual dust particle analysis was carried out on the Debrecen ion microprobe.The samples were collected on polycarbonate filters at a rural site 50 km from Debrecen during the Saharan sand plume in November 1996.Quantitative elemental concentrations for elements Z ? 6 were determined using PIXE–PIXE and STIM analytical methods. Saharan dust particles were selected on the base of characteristic elemental ratios like Ti/Ca, Ti/Fe and Al/Ca. Major and trace element content and possible chemical composition of the selected particles were determined.Single particle analysis of Saharan dust particles will lead to a better understanding of their formation process during transport.     

Overview of the COMPASS CODAC system

This paper presents an overview of the Control, Data Acquisition, and Communication system (CODAC) at the COMPASS tokamak: the hardware set-up, software implementation, and communication tools are described.The diagnostics and the data acquisition are tailored for high spatial and temporal resolution required by the COMPASS physics programme, which aims namely at studies of the plasma edge, pedestal, and Scrape-off-Layer (SOL). Studies of instabilities and turbulence are also an integral part of the programme. Therefore, the data acquisition consists of more than 1000 channels, sampled at rates from 500 kS/s up to 2 GS/s.Presently, the feedback system controls the plasma position and shape, plasma current, and density and it includes 32 analogue input channels as well as 1 digital input/output channel and 8 analogue outputs. The feedback control runs within the Multi-threaded Application Real-Time executor (MARTe) framework with two threads, a 500 μs cycle to control slow systems and a 50 μs cycle to control the fast feedback power supplies for plasma position control.In this paper, special attention is paid to the links between the systems, to the hardware and software connections, and to the communication. The hardware part is described, the software framework is addressed, and the particular implementation – the dedicated software modules, communication protocols, and links to the database are described.     

Influence of superficial oxidation on the pyrophoric behaviour of uranium hydride and uranium powders in air

Pyrophoric behaviours in air of uranium hydride and uranium powders have been studied on samples of small mass – several tens of milligrams – in a thermogravimetric device and on samples of several grams in an instrumented furnace. Results show that ignition can occur at room temperature for both materials but only in the second device and provided that powders are not superficially oxidized. Chemisorption of oxygen on particles is suspected to be responsible for ignition at room temperature. This phenomenon is not taken into account in classical theories of ignition.When ignition does not occur at room temperature, it occurs above at least 90 °C when heating at a rate of 5 °C min^?1. Ignition seems then to result principally from the large increase of oxidation rates with temperature.     

基于Micro-PIXE能谱的大气单颗粒物污染源模式识别研究

来自不同排放源的大气气溶胶,其化学组成特别是微量元素组成具有各自的特征,在Micro-PIXE上呈现不同的特征峰。因此单个气溶胶颗粒物的Micro-PIXE能谱特征可作为其指纹,查找污染源。本文提出了适应于Micro-PIXE谱的模式识别算法,并对这种以Micro-PIXE能谱特征溯源的方法进行了可靠性检验。结果表明以此种方法进行源解析具有较高的可信度。相应的模式识别算法具有准确,快速的特点。     

Aerosol formation and hydrogen co-deposition by colliding ablation plasma plumes of lithium and lead

In a high-repetition inertial fusion reactor, along with pellet implosions, the interior of target chamber is to be exposed to high-energy, short pulses of X-ray, unburned DT and He ash particles and pellet debris. As a result, wall materials will be subjected to ablation, ejecting particles in the plasma state to collide with each other in the center of volume. The interaction dynamics of ablation plasmas of lithium and lead, candidate first wall materials, has been investigated in the deposited energy density range from 3 to 10 J/cm²/pulse at a repetition rate of 10 Hz, each 6 ns long. The plasma density and electron temperature of colliding ablation plumes have been found to vary from the order of 10⁸–10¹³ 1/cm³ and from 0.7 to 1.5 eV, respectively. The formation of aerosol in the form of droplet has been observed with diameters between 100 nm and 10 μm. Also, hydrogen co-deposition has been found to occur particularly for colliding plumes of lithium, resulting in the H/Li atomic ratio from 0.15 to 0.27 in the hydrogen partial pressure range from 10 to 50 Pa.     

Void fraction and effective thermal conductivity of binary particulate bed

In many industrial processes, solid particles of different sizes are mixed in different volume or mass fractions for various applications, primarily to reduce void volume or to increase the density of the mixture. A few of these processes include; production of high density ceramics, mortar, concrete, graphite, bricks and carbon blocks. Experiments were carried out with alumina and lithium titanate pebbles (size ≥ 1 mm) and particles (size < 1 mm) of different sizes and volume fractions in cylindrical and rectangular vessels to study the variation of void fraction with volume fraction of component pebbles and with large pebble to small pebble or pebble to particle size ratio. It was observed that the variation of void fraction with volume fraction of smaller pebbles or particles is ‘V-shaped’. Thus there exists a minimum void fraction and two different volume fractions of smaller pebbles or particles which can give same void fraction. The effect of void fraction on the effective thermal conductivity of binary bed of lithium titanate and alumina pebbles and particles of different sizes and volume fractions was investigated. From the experimental results it was found that the binary particulate bed has higher effective thermal conductivity that that of a unary particulate bed. Effective thermal conductivity of binary particulate bed is the maximum when its void fraction is the minimum. The binary particulate bed with less volume fraction of small particles has higher conductivity than that of the binary bed of higher volume fraction of small particles and having same void fraction. This is due to the fact that with increase in volume fraction of small pebbles or particles, the number of small-to-small and large-to-small pebbles and or particles contact point increases resulting in higher resistance to heat transfers. The experimental details and results are discussed in this paper.     

Elemental imaging of kidneys of adult rats exposed to uranium acetate

Concern about the toxicity of depleted uranium for military use has increased recently. Renal toxicity is the hallmark effect of uranium exposure. However, the dynamics and distribution of uranium in the kidney are not well understood. Here, we determined the precise distribution of uranium and essential elements in the rat kidney using microbeam scanning particle-induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE) and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF).Uranium accumulation in the rat kidney reached a maximum at 1 day after the subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of 2 mg U/kg of uranium acetate and then gradually decreased. At 3 h after administration, uranium was distributed mainly in the proximal tubules of the inner zone of the cortex and in the outer stripe of the outer medulla, and absorbed by the proximal tubule epithelium. Iron was localized more in the inside of the outer medulla than uranium, while phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and zinc were equally distributed in the cortex and the outer stripe of the outer medulla. At 3 days after administration, the number of apoptotic cells increased and cells were lost from the proximal tubules. Uranium was detectable mainly in the outer stripe of the outer medulla at 15 days, suggesting that the renal distribution of uranium is site-selective and causes site-specific renal lesions.     

Further finite element structural analysis of FAST Load Assembly

The FAST (Fusion Advanced Study Torus) machine is a compact high magnetic field tokamak, that will allow to study in an integrated way the main operational issues relating to plasma-wall interaction, plasma operation and burning plasma physics in conditions relevant for ITER and DEMO. The present work deals with the structural analysis of the machine Load Assembly for a proposed new plasma scenario (10 MA – 8.5 T), aimed to increase the operational limits of the machine.A previous paper has dealt with an integrated set of finite element models (regarding a former reference scenario: 6.5 MA – 7.5 T) of the load assembly, including the Toroidal and Poloidal Field Coils and the supporting structure. This set of models has regarded the evaluation of magnetic field values, the evaluation of the electromagnetic forces and the temperatures in all the current-carrying conductors: these analysis have been a preparatory step for the evaluation of the stresses of the main structural components.The previous models have been analyzed further on and improved in some details, including the computation of the out-of-plane electromagnetic forces coming from the interaction between the poloidal magnetic field and the current flowing in the toroidal magnets.After this updating, the structural analysis has been executed, where all forces and temperatures, coming from the formerly mentioned most demanding scenario (10 MA – 8.5 T) and acting on the tokamak's main components, have been considered. The two sets of analysis regarding the reference scenario and the extreme one have been executed and a useful comparison has been carried on.The analyses were carried out by using the FEM code Ansys rel. 13.     

Application of HDF5 in long-pulse quasi-steady state data acquisition at high sampling rate

A new high sampling rate quasi-steady state data-acquisition system has been designed for the microwave reflectometry diagnostic of EAST experiments. In order to meet the requirements of long-pulse discharge and high sampling rate, it is designed based on PXI Express technology. A high-performance digitizer National Instruments PXIe-5122 with two synchronous analog input channels in which the maximum sampling rate is 100 MHz has been adopted. Two PXIe-5122 boards at 60 MSPS and one PXIe-6368 board at 2 MSPS are used in the system and the total throughput is about 500 MB/s. To guarantee the large amounts of data being saved continuously in the long-pulse discharge, an external hard-disk data stream enclosure NI HDD-8265 in which the capacity of sustained speed of reading and writing is 700 MB/s. And in RAID-5 mode its storage capacity is 80% of the total.The obtained raw data firstly stream continuously into NI HDD-8265 during the discharge. Then it will be transferred to the data server automatically and converted into HDF5 file format. HDF5 is an open source file format for data storage and management which has been widely used in various fields, and suitable for long term case. The details of the system are described in the paper.     

The chemical durability of glass and graphite–glass composite doped with cesium oxide

The role of temperature in determining the chemical stability of a waste form, as well as its leach rate, is very complex. This is because the dissolution kinetics is dependent both on temperature and possibility of different rate-controlling mechanisms that appear at different temperature regions. The chemical durability of Alumina-Borosilicate Glass (ABG) and Glass–Graphite Composite (GGC), bearing Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles impregnated with cesium oxide, were compared using a static leach test. The purpose of this study is to examine the chemical durability of glass–graphite composite to encapsulate coated fuel particles, and as a possible alternative for recycling of irradiated graphite. The test was based on the ASTM C1220-98 methodology, where the leaching condition was set at a temperature varying from 298 K to 363 K for 28 days. The release of cesium from ABG was in the permissible limit and followed the Arrhenius’s law of a surface controlled reaction; its activation energy (E_a) was 65.6 ± 0.5 kJ/mol. Similar values of Ea were obtained for Boron (64.3 ± 0.5) and Silicon (69.6 ± 0.5 kJ/mol) as the main glass network formers. In contrast, the dissolution mechanism of cesium from GGC was a rapid release, with increasing temperature, and the activation energy of Cs (91.0 ± 5 kJ/mol) did not follow any model related to carbon kinetic dissolution in water. Microstructure analysis confirmed the formation of Crystobalite SiO₂ as a gel layer and Cs⁺¹ valence state on the ABG surface.     

Study of emission episodes of urban aerosols by ion beam analytical techniques

The quantitative elemental composition and morphology of over 500 atmospheric aerosol particles were determined by nuclear microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples originated from eight sampling campaigns, when hourly variation and sources of the urban aerosol elemental components were studied in Debrecen between 2007 and 2010. Aerosol which could be connected to heavy metal pollution episodes and high aerosol pollution levels deposits were selected for the nuclear microprobe study.Ion beam analytical methods (micro-PIXE and STIM) provided the elemental composition of coarse (particles with aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 and 10 μm) aerosols while the morphology of the different particle types was determined by SEM.Through the elemental composition, elemental correlations and morphology different particle types were identified and attributed to different anthropogenic sources like biomass burning, oil combustion, traffic or industry.     

Identification and characterization of fine and coarse particulate matter sources in a middle-European urban environment

In this work a source apportionment study is presented which aimed to characterize the PM_2.5 and PM_2.5–10 sources in the urban area of Debrecen, East-Hungary by using streaker samples, IBA methods and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis.Samples of fine (PM_2.5) and coarse (PM_2.5–10) urban particulate matter were collected with 2 h time resolution in the frame of five sampling campaigns during 2007–2009 in different seasons in the downtown of Debrecen.Elemental concentrations from Al to Pb of over 1000 samples were obtained by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE); concentrations of black carbon (BC) were determined with a smoke stain reflectometer. On this data base source apportionment was carried out by using the PMF method.Seven factors were identified for both size fractions, including soil dust, traffic, secondary aerosol – sulphates, domestic heating, oil combustion, agriculture and an unknown factor enriched with chlorine. Seasonal and daily variation of the different factors was studied as well as their dependence on meteorological parameters.Besides determining the time patterns characteristic to the city, several emission episodes were identified including a Saharan dust intrusion on 21st–24th May, 2008.     

PIGE analysis of magnesium and beryllium

In this work, we present an alternative method for PIGE analysis of magnesium and beryllium in thick samples. This method is based on the ERYA – Emitted Radiation Yield Analysis – code, which integrates the nuclear reaction excitation function along the depth of the sample. For this purpose, the excitations functions of the ²⁵Mg(p,p′γ)²⁵Mg (E_γ = 585 keV) and ⁹Be(p,γ)¹⁰B (E_γ = 718 keV) reactions were employed. Calculated gamma-ray yields were compared, at several proton energy values, with experimental yields for thick samples made of inorganic compounds containing magnesium or beryllium. The agreement is better than 5%. Taking into consideration the experimental uncertainty of the measured yields and the errors related to the stopping power values, this agreement shows that effects as the beam energy straggling, ignored in the calculation, seem to play a minor role.     

Progress in control and data acquisition for the ITER neutral beam test facility

SPIDER, the ion source test bed in the ITER neutral beam test facility, is under construction and its operation is expected to start in 2014. Control and data acquisition for SPIDER are undergoing final design. SPIDER CODAS, as the control and data acquisition system is referred to, is requested to manage 25 plant units, to acquire 1000 analogue signals with sampling rates ranging from a few S/s to 10 MS/s, to acquire images with up to 100 frames per second, to operate with long pulses lasting up to 1 h, and to sustain 200 MB/s data throughput into the data archive with an annual data storage amount of up to 50 TB. SPIDER CODAS software architecture integrates three open-source software frameworks each addressing specific system requirements. Slow control exploits the synergy among EPICS and Siemens S7 programmable controllers. Data handling is by MDSplus a data-centric framework that is geared towards the collection and organization of scientific data. Diagnostics based on imaging drive the design of data throughput and archive size. Fast control is implemented by using MARTe, a data-driven, object-oriented, real-time environment. The paper will describe in detail the progress of the system hardware and software architecture and will show how the software frameworks interact to provide the functions requested by SPIDER CODAS. The paper will focus on how the performance requirements can be met with the described SPIDER CODAS architecture, describing the progress achieved by carrying out prototyping activities.     

Application of micro-PIXE,MRI and light microscopy for research in wood science and dendroecology

Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) branches were topped and after five months the wound response was analyzed by PIXE, 3D-MRI and light microscopy. From freshly cut and deeply frozen sample 30 μm thick longitudinal-radial tissue sections were prepared for anatomical investigations and micro-PIXE analysis. Light microscopy revealed the structural response to wounding, i.e. occurrence of the reaction zone between the exposed and dehydrated dead tissue and healthy sound wood. The reaction zone was characterized by tylosis in vessels and accumulation of colored deposits in parenchyma cells, fibres and vessels. 3D MRI of a parallel sample showed that the moisture content in the reaction zone was three times higher than in normal healthy wood. Micro-PIXE mapping at margins of compromised wood in beech revealed an increased concentration of potassium in the reaction zone. The increase in the calcium concentration was associated with the dehydrated tissue adjacent to reaction zones.In addition, micro-PIXE was used to determine the elemental distribution in annual tree rings. This may be relevant for retrospective assessment of environmental pollution in wood by measuring yearly increments as a biomonitoring tool. The analysis of European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) wood revealed a high similarity between optical characteristics (i.e. late versus earlywood) and elemental (e.g. Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Zn) distribution.