Removal of polonium from stainless steel surface contaminated by neutron irradiated lead-bismuth eutectic

Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) has good characteristics for the coolant and/or target of various nuclear systems, but it also has a problem of polonium contamination. In the study, baking experiment was performed to remove polonium contamination on type 316 stainless steel plate that was originated from neutron irradiated LBE. The contaminated type 316 stainless steel plate was baked in a vacuum condition at various temperatures from 200°C to 600°C. In the previous preliminary study, the effect of short time baking was investigated. In the study, the effect of long time baking was investigated. The detail of the experimental method was also described. The result of long time baking experiment showed that the baking method was effective for removal of polonium from stainless steel surface contaminated by neutron irradiated LBE, if the baking was performed at 500°C and higher in a vacuum condition. The obtained result was consistent to the previous preliminary study.     

Future of international cooperative activity for graduate school education in nuclear field

Further improvement of graduate school education in nuclear field is one of the important issues in universities in nuclear field. The COE-INES program has performed international cooperative activities for graduate school education with foreign universities in nuclear field. There are a lot of possibilities in international cooperation with foreign universities for graduate school education. The use of Internet can be a strong tool for the activities.     

Environmental fatigue crack growth in titanium aluminides and hydrogen evolution behaviour

The influence of environment on fatigue crack growth behaviour was investigated both in nearly lamellar and in duplex titanium aluminides, and the hydrogen evolution kinetics was analysed by thermal desorption spectroscopy. The tensile strength of the duplex material decreases in the order of the extent of the water molecule content in the environment: the strength in vacuum is the highest, and decreases in the order of laboratory air and finally in water. In the case of the lamellar material, the fatigue crack growth rate in dry air is higher in the R–C crack plane orientation than that in the L–C crack plane orientation. The crack growth rate becomes higher when the crack grows as the lamellae tear. However, in the case of the duplex material, the crack growth rate in the R–C crack plane orientation is smaller in the low Δ K (Δ K _eff ) region. When cathodic charging is applied, the fatigue crack growth rate becomes higher than in dry air, particularly in the higher stress intensity factor range. The hydrogen evolution rate is increased by cathodic charging, with lower temperature peaks and higher ones. The peaks at lower temperatures are correlated with the decomposition of hydrides and de-training of hydrogen from microstructural imperfections such as microvoids. As-received materials also show an evolution peak at a higher temperature, and the evolution rate is almost independent of cathodic charging. In addition, the evolution rate at a high temperature (above 800 °C) is increased by cathodic charging. The hydrogen is considered to have an important role on fatigue crack growth acceleration.     

Microgenerator Using BiSbTe-Pt Thermopile and Pt-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Ceramic Combustor

The performance of a microcombustor thermoelectric generator device based on a thermopile using p-type Bi_0.3Sb_1.7Te₃ (BST) and n-type Pt films has been investigated. The BST films were prepared by two different methods—pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and sputter deposition—on Si₃N₄/SiO₂ multilayers on Si substrate. The ceramic catalyst combustor was patterned on the thermopile end on a thin membrane fabricated by back-side bulk etching of the silicon substrate. At 138°C the thermoelectric power factors of the PLD and sputter-deposited films were 3.6 × 10⁻³ W/mK² and 0.22 × 10⁻³ W/mK², respectively. The power from the generator with the sputter-deposited film was 0.343 μW, which was superior to that of the device with the PLD film, which provided 0.1 μW, for combustion of a 200 sccm flow of 3 v/v% hydrogen in air.     

Surgical strategy for abdominal aortic aneurysm with concurrent symptomatic malignancy

In an attempt to improve the guidelines for concurrent management of concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and symptomatic malignancy, a retrospective study was undertaken. A total of 186 AAA repairs were performed electively, and 25 patients (13.4%) had concurrent symptomatic malignancy from April 1986 to March 1997. Fourteen patients underwent a one-stage operation, including five abdominoperineal rectal resections, four subtotal gastrectomies, three total gastrectomies, and two right hemicolectomies. Eleven others underwent a two-stage operation, including four with total gastrectomy and left hemicolectomy followed by AAA repair, as well as two with right hemicolectomy and one with left hemicolectomy prior to AAA repair. There were no operative deaths or severe postoperative complications. Of the 25 patients, 22 (88.0%) are still alive during follow-up ranging from 8 months to 11 years. Our surgical approach to both lesions is as follows: (1) Using the transperitoneal approach alone, subtotal gastrectomy and abdominoperineal rectal resection can be safely done simultaneously. (2) Although total gastrectomy can also be performed concurrently, the approach used for each lesion is separate. (3) Colorectal resection is generally done separately. However, a one-stage operation can be performed using the thromboexclusion procedure for AAA repair in patients with right-sided colonic cancer or a temporary transverse colostomy for left-sided colorectal cancer.     

A 557-mW, 2.5-Gbit/s SONET/SDH regenerator-section terminating LSIchip using low-power bipolar-LSI design

A regenerator-section terminating digital large-scale-integration chip for an STM-16 (2.5-Gbit/s synchronous optical network/synchronous digital hierarchy) regenerator has been developed using low-power bipolar technologies. The high-speed performance of bipolar devices enabled four or more chips, including a demultiplexer and a multiplexer, to be integrated into a single chip. The low-power dissipation of 557 mW, only about one-tenth that of previously reported chips, was achieved through the use of four design steps: one-chip integration architecture, power management, 2.5-V emitter-coupled logic, and power optimization     

An optical field-induced ionization X-ray laser using a preformedplasma scheme

Soft X-ray amplification by optical field-induced ionization (OFI) of a preformed plasma is investigated. A small-signal gain of 20 cm^-1 and a gain-length product of 4 at 13.5 nm on the Lyman-α transition in hydrogen-like lithium have been obtained using the modified OFI scheme. Experimental and numerical results ensure that we have produced a plasma with a significantly lower electron temperature than what is expected by an above-threshold ionization model. To explain the results, a two component plasma model in which relatively high temperature electrons are produced by OFI in a cold electron bath of the preformed plasma is presented. The model indicates that the average electron temperature of the OFI plasma rapidly decreases since a high-temperature part of the electrons escapes from the focal volume without interaction. The initial electrons produced prior to the field ionization, which survive after the OEI, also significantly contribute to the rapid three-body recombination. Based on the ionization-induced refractive index change, the pulse propagation of a high-intensity pump laser during the OFI is also discussed     

Cardiac malignant pheochromocytoma with bone metastases

A patient with malignant cardiac pheochromocytoma with bone metastases is described. The primary tumor was located between the pulmonary trunk and the left atrium, while metastatic lesions were found in the iliac bones. Treatments with antihypertensive agents, alpha-methylparatyrosine, and combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dacarbazine partially improved the patient's symptoms, catecholamine levels, and the metastatic lesion of the iliac bones. However, the primary tumor in the heart progressively increased in size and the patient died of disseminated intravascular coagulation and other various complications about 4 years after the diagnosis of the disease.     

Self-routing space switch network comprising fast and uniform switch elements

The authors present a method by which to construct a fast N*N self-routing space switch network with identical 2*2 switch elements. This network is nonblocking and employs O(N log/sup 3/ N) switch elements; each element uses just two bits of the output port address for switching control.<>     

Surface modification of III-V compound semiconductors using surfaceelectromagnetic wave etching induced by ultraviolet lasers

The surface modification of semiconductors by laser-induced surface electromagnetic wave (SEW) etching was investigated. With the novel etching method using a holographic exposure system, submicron periodic dot structures were fabricated directly on semiconductor substrates (n-InP, n-GaAs, and InGaAs-InP). Making use of laser polarization dependence in this etching system, a variety of surface modifications could be achieved on the semiconductors. In particular, in the case of using the s-polarization light, periodic submicron dot structures with a geometrical diameter down to 80 nm could be obtained directly using a single-step process without a mask. The InGaAs-InP dot structures were studied optically by means of photoluminescence spectroscopy, and the blue shift of the photoluminescence energy up to 5.36 meV was observed for the smallest dots, which displayed a lateral quantization