Hot particles analysis originating from failed and damaged fuels

The increase of activities of fission products and transmutation products in the primary coolant of a nuclear power plant indicates the presence of fuel rod failures. The measurement of the activity concentration of the primary coolant was able to detect fuel failures in the reactor core. Microanalytical methods for examining individual hot particles have been developed and applied to fuel failure detection under normal operation conditions as well as during the severe fuel damage that occurred in the cleaning tank incident at Unit 2 of NPP Paks in April 2003. Several faulty fuel rods can be detected simultaneously by the characterization of individual hot particles originating from the primary water. The analysis of particles originating from the damaged fuels provides information relating to the dissolution process of the fuel debris.     

The g-factors of isomeric states in127, 128Xe

Excited states in^{127, 128}Xe were populated in the reaction⁹Be+¹²²Sn atE _lab=38 MeV. The de-excitation of the isomeric states 7/2⁺ in¹²⁷Xe and 8^? in¹²⁸Xe was studied using angular distribution and TDPAD methods on molten¹²²Sn targets. The results are $$\begin{gathered} T_{1/2} (7/2^ + ) = 37 \pm 1 ns, g(7/2^ + ) = + 0.241 \pm 0.009 \hfill \\ T_{1/2} (8^ - ) = 83 \pm 2 ns, g(8^ - ) = - 0.036 \pm 0.009. \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ The experimentalg-factors suggest the main configurationsvg _7/2 andvh _11/2 g _7/2 for the isomeric states. Detailed analysis of the combined information fromg-factors and transition rates set stringent limits on the admixtures of the wave functions. The quasirotational bands built on the two-quasiparticle 6^? and 10⁺ states are extended to higher spins, (14^?) and (16⁺), respectively, and their structures are analyzed within the framework of the Interacting Boson Model.     

Methodological developments in overpressured-layer chromatography

Summary Since its introduction around 1977, OPLC has found widespread application and its methodology has been further developed. A possible development is gradient elution. Different continuous development methods (e.g. with eluent changeover, multistep gradient) and the possible system configurations for their execution are discussed. The advantages of the newly developed continuous development techniques are compared to earlier data. The most versatile method is demonstrated on lipid samples derived from human plasma, giving separation of six lipid classes and intra-class separation of the most polar classes in the same run.     

Strongly cluster size dependent reaction behavior of CO with O2 on free silver cluster anions

Reactions of free silver anions Agn- (n = 1 - 13) with O2, CO, and their mixtures are investigated in a temperature controlled radio frequency ion trap setup. Cluster anions Agn- (n = 1 - 11) readily react with molecular oxygen to yield AgnOm- (m = 2, 4, or 6) oxide products. In contrast, no reaction of the silver cluster anions with carbon monoxide is detected. However, if silver cluster anions are exposed to the mixture of O2 and CO, new reaction products and a pronounced, discontinuous size dependence in the reaction behavior is observed. In particular, coadsorption complexes Agn(CO)O2- are detected for cluster sizes with n = 4 and 6 and, the most striking observation, in the case of the larger odd atom number clusters Ag7-, Ag9-, and Ag11-, the oxide product concentration decreases while a reappearance of the bare metal cluster signal is observed. This leads to the conclusion that carbon monoxide reacts with the activated oxygen on these silver clusters and indicates the prevalence of a catalytic reaction cycle.     

Cryochemistry. Large acceleration of the oxidation of hydroxylamine by iodate in frozen solution

A large rate increase of the oxidation of hydroxylamine by iodate has been shown in frozen aqueous solution as compared to the supercooled one. The experiments were conducted under frozen conditions at ?5°, ?10°, ?15°, and ?20°C and in liquid solution at 0°, ?5°, and ?10°C, as well. At given time intervals the progress of the reaction was traced by the pH decrease of the unbuffered samples. The around 500-fold enhanced reaction rate of the frozen samples (at ?5° and ?10°C) points to an important role of the ice itself beside the increased solute concentration in the compartmentalized heterogeneous system. The contribution of ice to this pH-regulated oxidation is discussed as a consequence of the high mobility and transfer rate of proton on the ice surface. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Study of relaxation processes in monomolecular films by the step compression experiment

Maxwell's displacement current flowing through a metal electrode/air gap/Langmuir monolayer was detected. MDC experimental results obtained during a step compression mode are presented and contrasted with the Debye-Brown rotational model. As an alternative approach a theoretical model based on an analogy with a nonideal gas of polar molecules is derived from Lagrange's equation of motion.     

Assay of actinides in human urine by rapid method

A method using DGA resin (N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyldiglycolamide on an inert support) was developed for the rapid analysis of actinides in urine samples. Samples acidified with HCl to 4 M were loaded directly (without digestion) onto a DGA column. Actinides were stripped simultaneously, α-sources were prepared by co-precipitation with NdF₃. Americium, plutonium and uranium were separated with acceptable high recoveries (40–80%). The americium, plutonium and uranium content of 100–200 ml urine samples was determined within 24 h with detection limits as low as 0.01 Bq l^?1. Based on model experiments using ¹⁴C-spiked urea, it was proven that high urea content can affect americium separation deleteriously due to irreversible fixing of americium on DGA resin.     

Film autoradiography used for hot particle identification

Summary Two types of films were tested and compared for the purposes of film autoradiography. Commercial black and white photographic film proved to have the highest sensitivity and the best resolution. The film was calibrated by specially prepared sources that contained alpha- and beta-emitting isotopes in the form of particles. Application examples for hot particle identification using the developed film autoradiographic technique are given.