Satellite-based detection of 16.76 MeV γ-ray from H-bomb D-T fusion

Based on the high energy γ-ray yield from the H-bomb D-T fusion reaction, it brings forward the idea applying the 16.76 MeV γ-ray to judge whether the H-bomb happens or not, and to deduce the explosion TNT equivalent accurately. The Monte Carlo N-Particle was applied to simulate the high energy γ-ray radiation characteristics reaching the geosynchronous orbit satellite, and the CVD diamond detector suit for the requirements was researched. A series of experiments were carried out to testify the capabilities of the diamond detector. It provides a brand-new approach to satellite-based nuclear explosion detection.     

Proton-induced γ-ray analysis of lithium in thick samples

A method for proton-induced γ-ray analysis (PIGE) of Li (either elemental or isotopic composition) in thick samples is presented in this work, which is based on a code that integrates the nuclear reaction excitation function, measured at the same experimental conditions, along the depth of the sample. The energy steps needed to define accurately the excitation function are used as energy intervals for the integration procedure. The excitation function and cross-sections of the reaction ⁷Li(p,p^′γ)⁷Li, for protons in the energy range 0.60–2.5 MeV, were obtained and used as input to calculate lithium concentrations in thick and intermediate samples. The calculated thick target yields of samples with several amounts of lithium were compared with the respective measured yields, showing that this is a reliable and accurate method for PIGE analysis of Li in thick samples.     

Effect of γ-ray irradiation on Nd–Fe–B alloys

We report on how γ-ray irradiation affects the magnetic properties of a powder sample of Nd–Fe–B, which was irradiated at room temperature with doses up to 700 kGy. Both the magnetic properties and surface morphology were changed by the effects of the γ-ray irradiation. The unirradiated and irradiated samples were then characterized using the VSM, XRD and SEM techniques.     

Effects of secondary electrons emitted from surroundings on defect formation in silica glass under γ-ray irradiation

We have investigated the effects of secondary electrons and photons emitted from surrounding materials on defect formation in silica glass under γ-ray irradiation. SiO₂ (silica) glass plates and those sandwiched in a pair of various material disks (carbon, stainless steel or lead) were irradiated by γ-ray, and the optical absorption spectra (UV–vis spectra) of the silica glass plates before and after the irradiation were examined. UV–vis spectra of the glass plates after the irradiation showed three absorption bands peaked around 2 eV, 4 eV and 5.8 eV being assigned to color centers relate metal impurities (Al and Ge) and oxygen-deficient centers like E′ center, respectively. All three bands were found to grow with γ-ray irradiation dose and saturated at higher doses, and absorbance of the bands at the saturation for the sandwiched glass plates was higher than that for the bare glass plate. Moreover, the saturated absorbance was higher for the glass plate sandwiched with heavier materials. Employing Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code for the simulation of the photon–electron transport process, enhanced energy deposition and numbers of secondary electrons and photons emitted from sandwiching material disks to a silica glass plate were calculated. The higher deposition energy correlates well to the higher saturated absorbance, indicating that the secondary electrons and photons emitted from the disks clearly enhanced the defect formation in the sandwiched silica glass plates. This suggests the existence of the dose effect above a critical does, i.e. the irradiation with higher dose will result in higher saturated absorbance.     

Measurement of the cross sections for the reactions Cr(n,2n)Cr, Zn(n,2n)Zn, Y(n,2n)Y and Zr(n,2n)Zr from 13.5 to 14.8 MeV

Cross section measurements for the reactions ⁵²Cr(n,2n)⁵¹Cr, ⁶⁶Zn(n,2n)⁶⁵Zn, ⁸⁹Y(n,2n)⁸⁸Y and ⁹⁶Zr(n,2n)⁹⁵Zr were carried out in the neutron energy range 13.47–14.79 MeV applying the activation technique. Neutrons were produced via the T(d,n)⁴He reaction, making use of the variation of neutron energy with the emission angle. The neutron fluences incident on the samples were determined relative to the well-evaluated cross section for the reaction ⁹³Nb(n,2n)^92mNb.

The induced γ-ray activities of the irradiated Zn, Zr and Y₂O₃ samples and their monitor foils were measured by means of a calibrated Ge(Li) γ-ray detector at the KFI, Debrecen. At the IRK, Vienna, relative γ-ray measurements using a high-purity Ge detector were combined with integral γ-ray counting by means of a NaI(TI) well-type detector on the Cr, Zn and Zr foils of highest activity and on some Nb monitor foils; integral γ-ray counting only was applied in the case of the Y₂O₃ samples. All necessary corrections were taken into account.

The results are compared to the corresponding results of cross section measurements published in the literature. The uncertainties obtained in this work are considerably smaller in most cases than the uncertainties given by other authors.     

Hydrogen analysis of mineral samples at University of Tsukuba

This study reports the present status of our work on the hydrogen analysis of mineral and rock samples. The preparation of a standard material by means of ion implantation, a method of its calibration and the application of the method are described. The number of hydrogen atoms per unit volume in the standard material can be determined from the simultaneous observation of -particles, γ rays and –γ coincidence events for the ¹H(¹⁹F,γ) reaction at the 16.44 MeV resonance energy. The hydrogen content in a natural obsidian determined with the method mentioned above is in agreement with that obtained by FTIR. A heavy-ion microbeam system under construction, which consists of a Russian-type quadrupole magnet for beam focusing, a beam defining slit system and a γ-ray detector, is also described.     

Measurement of β-ray maximum energy with an HPGe detector by means of β-annihilation photons coincidence

A β⁺-ray detection system free from summation of annihilation photons has been constructed for the determination of Q_EC-values. It consists of an HPGe β-ray detector and two pairs of BaF₂ scintillation detectors for annihilation photons. A Q_EC-value of 4.83(4) MeV is obtained for ¹²⁶Cs separated with the JAERI on-line isotope separator.     

Analysis of Cu and O in high-Tc superconductors by 7–9 MeV protons

The use of proton-induced γ-ray emission for the simultaneous analysis of Cu and O in high-T_c superconductors is demonstrated. Utilizing 7–9 MeV protons, the ratio of O relative to Cu can be determined reliably to a few percent accuracy in homogeneous bulk samples and films thicker than 130 μm using standard bulk samples of O and Cu. Results of the present method are compared with those of the analysis of YBa₂Cu₃O_7xdone by the Rutherford scattering of particles and the non-Rutherford scattering through the ¹⁶O(p,p₀)¹⁶O reaction.     

Analysis of structural modifications in γ-irradiated PbO–B2O3–SiO2 glasses by FTIR spectroscopy

The effect of γ-irradiation on the structure of lead borosilicate glasses of varying composition has been probed by FTIR spectroscopy, before and immediately after γ-irradiation. The glasses were irradiated at Calliope ⁶⁰Co plant (RC ENEA Casaccia, Rome), and the spectra were recorded after absorbed doses of 50 Gy, 500 Gy, and 4 kGy. The structural analysis have been made considering both the effect of composition and of irradiation. The experimental results clearly indicate that after irradiation a significant change in structure of borosilicate glass network is observed.     

Isotope effects in thermal neutron transmission and backscattering processes for ε-phase zirconium hydrides and deuterides

Distributions of hydrogen isotope concentrations in ε-phase zirconium hydrides and deuterides (ε-ZrH_x and ε-ZrD_x: 1.8 < x < 2.0) were investigated by neutron radiography (NRG). The NRG images of the thermal neutron transmission and backscattering revealed hydrogen concentration dependence and isotope differences. The thermal neutron mass attenuation coefficients in relation to the hydrogen isotope concentrations were determined from the transmission NRG images. The results showed the isotope effects of the thermal neutron mass attenuation coefficients for ε-ZrH_x to be about 6–9 times higher than those for ε-ZrD_x. The neutron scattering processes for transmission and backscattering NRG images of ε-ZrH_x and ε-ZrD_x were also analyzed using a general Monte Carlo neutron-particle transport (MCNP) code.     

Blue luminescence from poly(methyl methacrylate) modified ZnO and anatase TiO2 nanocrystals prepared using γ radiation

The surface of ZnO and anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals was modified by PMMA through γ radiation. The modified nanocrystals were investigated with photoluminescence (PL) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. A stable blue luminescence peak (420 nm) can be observed for the modified ZnO and anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals. The intensities of luminescence of the modified ZnO and anatase TiO₂ in aqueous solution are very stable, even unchanged after storage time of one month.     

Determination of sulphur and copper depth distribution in patina layers using nuclear reaction techniques

A method for Cu and S profiling in patina layers was developed by applying a combination of nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). The copper profiling was performed by using the 1327 keV γ-ray deexciting the third excited state to the ground state of ⁶³Cu produced by the reaction ⁶³Cu(p,p^′γ)⁶³Cu. For the determination of sulphur the 2230 keV γ-ray was used deexciting the first excited state to the ground state of ³²S formed through the reaction ³²S(p,p^′γ)³²S, which exhibits three sharp resonances at projectile energies 3.094, 3.195 and 3.379 MeV. The relevant cross-sections were measured in the energy range between 3.0 and 3.7 MeV in steps of 20 keV at 125° to the incident proton beam direction. The technique was tested using artificially produced and natural copper patina layers. Supporting information on the depth distribution of the constituent elements of the patina samples was obtained by p-RBS (E_p: 1.5 MeV, θ: 160°).     

Range distribution of fluorine in F-implanted LiNbO3

Depth profiles of fluorine in ¹⁹F⁺implanted LiNbO³ have been accurately measured using the ₁₉F(p, γ)¹⁶O resonant nuclear reaction at E_R = 872.1 keV, with Γ = 4.2 keV. A proper convolution calculation method was used to extract the true distribution of fluorine from the experimental excitation yield curves. The experimental range distribution parameters, R_p and ΔR_p, were compared with those obtained by Monte Carlo simulation using a computer code developed recently in this group and with results obtained using the TRIM90 code. It shows that the experimental R_p values agree with the Monte Carlo simulation values very well, while the experimental ΔR_p values are larger than those obtained from the simulations. The simulation with our computer code improves the agreement between the experimental and calculated range straggling, ΔR_p.     

NRI Řež solution of Exercise 3 of VVER-1000 Coolant Transient Benchmark – Phase 1 with coupled codes DYN3D–ATHLET

The paper presents a solution of VVER-1000 Coolant Transient Benchmark – Phase 1 (V1000CT-1) of Exercise 3 performed with the coupled reactor dynamic code DYN3D and system code ATHLET at NRI Řež. The first part of the paper contains brief characteristics of VVER-1000 NPP input deck and describes also the applied reactor core model. The second part introduces the steady-state results and important time dependencies, compared with experimental values. The calculation results show that such type of transient can be realistically described by the coupled codes DYN3D–ATHLET.     

Intergranular stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of sensitized type 304 steel in 561 K pure water under γ-ray irradiation

Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of sensitized type 304 stainless steel has been investigated in 561 K water under γ-ray irradiation at a flux of 2.6 × 10³ C kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ by slow-strain-rate tensile tests. The IGSCC susceptibility was enhanced by γ-ray irradiation in water containing 8 ppm dissolved oxygen (DO). The DO dependence of the IGSCC susceptibility was observed in the water under γ-irradiation. Although slight IGSCC susceptibility was observed even in deaerated water (less than 1 ppb DO) under γ-ray irradiation, the susceptibility was completely suppressed by injection of hydrogen into the water. The enhancement of IGSCC susceptibility seems to be related to the formation of H₂O₂ in high temperature water by radiolysis under γ-ray irradiation and the H₂O₂ formation rate is markedly decreased by hydrogen injection.     

Co γ-ray irradiation effects on dielectric characteristics of tin oxide films of different thicknesses on n-type Si(1 1 1) substrates

We have tried to determine the effects of ⁶⁰Co gamma irradiation on properties of Au/SnO₂/n-Si (MOS) structures such as dielectric constant (ε′), dielectric loss (ε″), tangent loss (tan δ) and ac conductivity (σ_ac). Three samples were fabricated with different deposition time. The samples were irradiated using a ⁶⁰Co γ-ray source irradiation with the total dose range of 0–500 kGy at room temperature. Capacitance and conductance (C–G–V) measurements were performed at a frequency of 500 kHz in the dark and at room temperature before and after irradiation. The experimental data were analyzed using complex permittivity and electric modulus. The values of ε′, ε″, tan δ and σ_ac showed a strong dependence on the applied voltage and irradiation dose. The dielectric properties of MOS structures have been found to be strongly influenced by the presence of dominant radiation-induced defects. Experimental results show that the interfacial polarization contributes to the improvement of dielectric properties of Au/SnO₂/n-Si (MOS) Schottky diodes.     

气-固分离前后裂变产物样品的γ能谱模拟

针对裂变产物气-固分离前后样品测量的预先评估需求,建立了相应的γ能谱模拟方法。采用修改独立产额数据库的方法实现了气-固分离前后裂变产物的活度计算,根据HPGe探测器测量γ能谱的原理推导了γ能峰面积计算公式,进而结合蒙特卡罗模拟软件和Power Builder10.0编程工具编制了模拟程序。利用该程序分别模拟了裂变产物无损测量和气体裂变产物测量能谱,结果与实测能谱基本相符。     

Radiation grafting of NIPAAm on PVDF nuclear track membranes

Polymer surface modifications are obtained by the application of radiation treatments and other physico-chemical methods: fragment fission (ff) or ion implantation, etching and grafting procedure. Poly vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) foils were irradiated during different times to produce pores of different diameters through the foils. In this way, nuclear track membranes (NTM) were produced with different track diameters and track numbers. Active sites were formed using a γ-ray Co-60 source and then contacted with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) to obtain a graft copolymer that responds to environmental conditions. The present work shows the grafting yield as a function of: γ-dose, NIPAAm concentration, pore diameter, track density, etc.     

Trace-impurity detection by Rutherford backscattering and nuclear resonance reactions

The use of a multisegment annular Si detector together with a multiline electronic processing system has led to an improvement of the detection limit in Rutherford backscattering spectrometry by about two orders of magnitude as compared to the standard single-line arrangement. With regard to nuclear reaction analysis, using particle/γ-ray resonance processes, similar large enhancements have been realized by an effective background-suppression system eliminating environmental and cosmic radiation. The present state of both experimental facilities will be demonstrated and compared with other trace-element detection techniques.