Using plastic track detectors to solve radiation safety problems at nuclear reactor facilities

Three options of the method to determine microconcentrations of fissile materials in water solutions are developed. They utilize plastic track detectors to measure concentrations. The options are as follows a “wet” method, “thin-layer inorganic sorbent-plastic track detectors”, and a method of selective extraction and coprecipitation. These methods are used to check up fuel cladding integrity at the research reactor IVV-2M and liquid radioactive waste contamination by uranium and plutonium at the Beloyarskaya Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).     

Determination of spatial and energy distributions of neutrons in experiments on transmutation of radioactive waste using relativistic protons

The experiments on transmutation of ¹²⁹I and ²³⁷Np using uranium-lead targets surrounded by a paraffin moderator were performed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Russia). The targets were irradiated by 1.5 GeV and 7.4 GeV protons at the Synchrophasotron of JINR. In the frame of present work spatial and energy distributions of neutrons on the surface of the paraffin moderator were measured using SSNTD technique. It is shown that measured values of spetral indices do not pretend on the energy of incident protons but depend on the target composition. The presence of the uranium insertion softens neutron spectra.     

Nuclear track radiography of “Hot” aerosol particles

Nuclear track radiography was applied to identify aerosol “hot” particles which contain elements of nuclear fuel and fallout after Chernobyl NPP accident. For the determination of the content of transuranium elements in radioactive aerosols the measurement of the -activity of “hot” particles by SSNTD was used in this work, as well as radiography of fission fragments formed as a result of the reactions (n,f) and (γ,f) in the irradiation of aerosol filters by thermal neutrons and high energy gamma quanta. The technique allowed the sizes and alpha-activity of “hot” particles to be determined without extracting them from the filter, as well as the determination of the uranium content and its enrichment by ²³⁵U, ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴¹Pu isotopes. Sensitivity of determination of alpha activity by fission method is 5×10⁻⁶ Bq per particle. The software for the system of image analysis was created. It ensured the identification of track clusters on an optical image of the SSNTD surface obtained through a video camera and the determination of size and activity of “hot” particles.     

Measurement of target fragments produced by 160 MeV proton beam in aluminum and polyethylene with CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors

Production of target fragments from reactions of 160 MeV proton beams in aluminum and polyethylene was measured with CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTD). Due to the detection limit of PNTD, primary protons cannot be detected; only low-energy short-range target fragments are registered. As a feasibility study, a so called “two step etching method” was employed to get the linear energy transfer (LET) spectra, absorbed dose, and dose equivalent. This method is discussed in this paper, together with the measured results.     

Physical grounds of high-sensitive room temperature detection of infrared radiation involving spherical excitons at impurities in crystals

The possibility of the IR-radiation detecting in crystals of direct-gap semiconductors, caused by effects of IR-quenching of probe visible-range radiation within the region of a crystal relative transparency, is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The comparison of some mechanisms investigated allows to conclude that the most probable explanation of the IR-quenching effect, experimentally observed in the CdS crystal, is the mechanism of probe radiation absorption with photon energy deficit with respect to exciton resonance, which is eliminated due to exchange interaction of a free exciton in the intermediate state with spherical excitons localized on manyelectron atoms of impurity.     

On the Thermal Stability of Tracks in Plastics and some Uses in Radiography

The eradication of alpha and fission tracks and the selective track discrimination by heat treatment have been studied in cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and polycarbonate sheets. Some applications of the phenomena in alphagraphy and fissionography are presented.     

Comprehensive analysis of binary events in heavy ion reactions observed with dielectric track detectors

The dielectric track detectors are very efficient in registering the main fragments of a heavy ion reaction in the presence of lightly ionizing products and γ-radiations because of their threshold nature of registration and wide-angle acceptance. The binary events, revealed after chemical etching of these detectors, appear as the events having two correlated prongs in the body of the detector. The measurements of the geometrical parameters of these prongs provide the necessary data for subsequent kinematical analysis. We have made a thorough analysis of the two-pronged events in order to understand the physical mechanism of their production, using the track data from the reactions,     

In-situ gasification chemical looping combustion of plastic waste in a semi-continuously operated fluidized bed reactor

Conventional air incineration of plastic waste has been considered as one of important sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) through de novo synthesis and precursor conversion. Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is an attractive technology for the conversion of plastic wastes to energy with the potential to drastically suppress the formation of PCDD/Fs. In this paper, the iG-CLC (in-situ gasification CLC) experiments of plastic waste were implemented in a semi-continuously operated fluidized bed reactor, which actually simulates the fuel reactor of a continuously-operated interconnected fluidized bed reactor. A kind of low-cost material, natural iron ore without/with 5 wt% CaO adsorbent through the ultrasonic impregnation method, was used as oxygen carrier (OC). Firstly, some key performances of the reactor system, such as the relevance of the bed inventory to the flow rate of fluidizing agent as well as the relationship between the feeding rate and overflow rate of OC, were calibrated. Then, 90 min of single experiment was conducted for each experimental case and an accumulative operation of more than 10 h was attained. Typically, the combustion efficiency can reach at about 98%, and both the carbon conversion and CO₂ yield can approach to 95% at 900 °C and input thermal power of 150 W with a mixture of 5 vol% H₂O and 95 vol% N₂ as the fluidizing agent (U_FR/U_mf = 3). Moreover, the results obtained in the semi-continuously operated fluidized bed reactor demonstrated that CaO decoration to iron ore is conductive to suppressing the formation of chlorobenzene (as a toxic matter and precursor/intermediate of PCDD/Fs) and does not obviously deteriorate the OC performance.     

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基于感应电磁场方程发展了低磁雷诺数条件下充分发展液态金属管道流的数值模拟程序。为了校正程序,分别计算了两种工况：液态金属在全绝缘管道和部分绝缘管道中的流动,数值结果与Hunt和Shercliff的解析解吻合的很好,表明该程序具有很高的精度。最后利用发展的程序对液态金属钠钾合金在管壁材料为304不锈钢的全导电管道中的流动进行了数值模拟,并对流速分布和MHD压降结果与实验结果进行了比较,结果表明数值与实验结果吻合较好。     

Annealing of heavy ion tracks in cellulose nitrate plastic track detectors

The effect of heat treatment on the latent tracks in cellulose nitrate plastic track detectors has been studied. The bulk etch rate increases with annealing temperature while the track diameters of different ions in cellulose nitrate decrease with increase in annealing time and temperature. Experimental results show that for heavier ions higher temperatures are needed for their complete erasure. The track length and track etch rate are decreased by the application of heat. Experiments reveal that annealing reduces track density. The vertical tracks are more stable than the oblique tracks and require higher temperature for their complete erasure.     

液氢贮箱零蒸发数值模拟与分析

采用CFD技术,对处于微重力下的零蒸发(ZBO)液氢贮箱内采用喷嘴棒强迫混合的流场进行稳态数值模拟,建立了二维轴对称模型,预测了在不同几何参数下贮箱内温度场及速度场分布情况。研究表明,喷嘴棒伸入贮箱长度、入口直径等因素均会对系统内温度场产生影响。贮箱内平均温度和最大温度随喷嘴棒长度和入口直径的增大而减小,而喷口直径对贮箱内温度场影响不明显。由上述可以看出,通过增大入口直径、选择合适的喷嘴棒伸入长度,可以改善系统性能。     

Comparative analysis of CR-39 sensitivity for different sets of measurable track parameters

In the present paper the sensitivity V of plastic nuclear track detectors CR-39 to the space radiation, accelerated heavy ions in wide LET range and α-particles is studied. Different approaches for V evaluation are considered and compared. Main attention is given to the method that is appropriate for the measurement of short range heavy secondaries of space radiation. Finally, the experimental verification of the designed V function is carried out via simulation of the secondaries with low energy α-particles in the vicinity of the Bragg peak.     

Calculations of track parameters and plots of track openings and wall profiles in CR39 detector

Computer programs have been developed to calculate track parameters and to plot track openings and wall profiles. The programs are based on equations derived for three-dimensional consideration of track development. All possible cases of track openings and wall profiles are obtainable from these equations. Results are given for lengths of major and minor axes, track depths and surface areas of track openings. Some examples of track openings and wall profiles are also presented.     

Determination of concentrations of fissionable elements in the Black Sea sediment samples before and after Chernobyl using neutron radiography method

The fissionable elements content, particularly uranium, of the Blask Sea sediment samples obtained in 1978 and 1989 as surfacial sediments were determined by neutron radiography using solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs).     

On the determination of subpicogram concentrations of Pu in environment and living species

The method of ²³⁹Pu minor content determination based on subsequent activation with thermal neutrons and gamma-rays was applied for preparations chemically separated from soils, water, river sediments and some living species. The obtained level of sensitivity for routine analysis is proved to be equal 10⁻¹³ gram Pu per gram of sample.     

自由表面磁流体射流不稳定性分析(II)

用微分解析方法分析了自由表面磁流体射流在两个非均匀、相互垂直的横向磁场中的稳定性行为。获得了在给定射流初始速度分布和磁场分布条件下射流的速度空间分布表达式;分析了射流扭转及向外溅射的位置。     

液体火箭发动机中声腔抑制不稳定燃烧的声学分析

发展了声腔的分析和数值模型,对液体火箭发动机不稳定燃烧的抑制作用进行了评定,通过迭代计算研究了二维流动和温度分布变化对声腔调 谐和稳定性能的影响,对不同的声腔几何尺寸和温度梯度的稳定性计算结果表明,燃烧带有较大开口面积的声腔会更大程度地改变振荡的空间分布,这种改变而且影响了驱动和抑制燃烧的机理,讨论了在声腔设计安排中正确选择声腔的几何尺寸,且比较了不同长度和不同直径声腔的阻尼特性,通过考察声吸收系统的方法来最优化系统的阻尼,得到了可供设计参考的结论。     

ESR Induced in CR-39 Plastic as a means of Gamma Ray Dosimetry

The gamma-induced ESR in CR-39 plastic has been studied and the possibility of using it as a gamma-ray dosimeter was investigated. The induced ESR was found to vary linearly with the dose up to 700 krad. The fading of the induced ESR signal at room temperature has been also investigated. The results suggest the possible use of CR-39 plastic for gamma dosimetry in the range 0 … 700 krad.

Es wurde die γ-induzierte ESR-Technik am CR-39 Plast untersucht und ihre Eignung als Gammastrahlen-Dosimeter geprüft. Die induzierte ESR variierte linear bis zu einer Dosis von 700 krad. Das Fading des induzierten ESR-Signals bei Zimmertemperatur wurde ebenfalls untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, daβ cine Verwendung des CR-39 Plast als Dosimeter für Gammastrahlen im Bereich von 0 … 700 krad möglich ist.     

The fission systematics of (15.9 MeV/u) Au ions in polymer CR-39

It has been demonstrated that high-energy heavy ions undergo fission while propagating in dielectric solids. Since these materials act as particle detectors because of their ability to retain primary ionization damage that can be fixed and enlarged with chemical etching, therefore, in principle, a complete kinematical analysis of fission events is possible. The crucial point in this regard is the availability of a well-calibrated range-energy relation, which is necessary for mass identification. We have developed an analytical method to convert the geometrical parameters of fission fragment tracks into physical parameters using an equation that expresses velocity as a polynomial of mass and range. A set of nine different polynomials was used to represent small regions of mass and range in order to improve accuracy. In the case of (15.9 MeV/u) Au ions incident normally on CR-39, we have found about 200 events which could be categorized as in-flight fission of Au ions inside the body of the detector. Mass distributions and cross sections of fission events have been calculated.