PADC-NTM Applied in 7Li+Pb at 31 MeV Reaction Products Study

Passive nuclear track methodology (NTM) is applied to study charged particles products of the reaction 7Li+Pb at ~ 31 MeV. It is a contribution to the 8pLP Project (LNL-INFN-Italy) in where we show an alternative approach to register charged particle from reaction fragments by PADC detection. The main advantage is that the passive system integrates data over the whole experiment and has its importance for low rate reaction processes. Reaction products as well as scattered beam particles are determined from track shape analysis. Some limitations are inherent to NTM since a priori knowledge is required to correlate track size distribution given by each type of particle emerging from the target. Results show that the passive technique gives useful information when applied in reaction data interpretation for a relatively large range of particle types

Alpha Emitter Intrinsic Concentration in Copper required for Nuclear Spectrometry Application

Low-level radioactivity content in copper are employed for bolometric thermal radiation sensors and astro-nuclear spectrometers. The required lowest achievable alpha emitters concentration, for treated and untreated surfaces, are measured by Double Sided Silicon Strip Detectors in a high vacuum chamber and provide information on its intrinsic NORM content. Results shows that copper alpha emitters content can be achieved in the range below 0.01 (counts. keV-¹·kg-¹·y-¹) adequate for specific nuclear spectrometry applications

Radon Exhalation from Industrial Residues as Suitable Additives for Building Materials

Radon exhalation from phosphogypsum (PG) and red mud (RM) samples are of environmental concern. The study is oriented to evaluate by different nuclear techniques, industrial materials cumulated in sites at Morón (PG) and Puerto Ordaz (RM) in Venezuela. RM samples and industrial by products are assessed for its potential use as additives in building materials regarding its radiological health risk. Radioactive matter concentration in RM is up to 11.6 kBq.kg-1. Radon concentration range for RM dry powder is between DL and 2.5 kBq.m-³ and for PG is between 105-340 Bq.m-³. Results indicate that industrial by product before it can be used as additive; require remedial actions to lower the environmental impact. Experimental values are compared with locally available cement, bricks and gypsum building materials

Simulation of Dose Estimations from Solar Protons: A PMMA-Bi2O3 Shielding Model for Space Exploration

Adverse effects of long-term exposure to galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) pose a non negligible obstacle for future space exploration programs; the high-LET-particle-rich environment has an adverse effect on human health. Concomitant to GCR we have as well solar particle radiation. Long term space exploration will rely on adequate and highly efficient shielding materials that will reduce exposure of both biosystems and electronic equipment to GCR and solar particles. The shield must attenuate efficiently heavy GCR ions, by breaking them up into less-damaging fragments and secondary radiation: biologically damaging energetic neutrons and highly charged and energetic HZE- particles. An approach to this problem is the development of shielding compounds. Shielding materials should address the conditions of different aspects of a given mission, e.g. time duration and travel path. The Monte Carlo method (GEANT4) is here employed to estimate the effects of a shielding material based on the recently developed Bi2O3-based compound (Cao et al., 2020). In the present study GEANT4 code is used to make estimations of attenuation of solar protons. The objective is to provide some insight about the effect of the new composite shield that has an intrinsic capability for dose reduction

Target and PADC Track Detectors for Rare Isotope Studies

A higher yield of rare isotope production methods, for example, isotope separation on-line (ISOL), is expected to be developed for the EURISOL facility. In this paper as a part of the ongoing project, high power-target assembly and passive detector inclusion are given. Theoretical calculations of several configurations were done using Monte Carlo code FLUKA aimed to produce 1015 fiss/s on LEU-Cx target. The proposed radioactive ion beam (RIB) production relies on a high-power (4 MW) multibody target; a complete target design is given. Additionally we explore the possibility to employ PADC passive detector as a complementary system for RIB characterization, since these already demonstrated their importance in nuclear interactions phenomenology. In fact, information and recording rare and complex reaction product or short-lived isotope detection is obtained in an integral form through latent track formation. Some technical details on track formation and PADC detector etching conditions complete this study

Jung’s Theorem Applied in Nuclear Track Methodology

Nuclear track density provides accelerator beam imaging and diagnostic employing CR-39 passive detectors. Counting charged particles related tracks by automated reading systems depend on the accuracy of microscope field view other that chemical etching procedure and frequency of overlapped tracks. The study, to propose a method to determined track density for analyser optical field view not calibrated. The approach Jungs’ theorem, provides the area value based on the maximum distance for two selected etched tracks. Results show that the new method has its importance when microscope field view calibration is not available with precision for accelerator beam diagnostics

Correlation Between Underground Radon Gas and Dormant Geological Faults

This work studies the concentration of radon in soil around a fault in the East Franklin Mountains in the El Paso area in West Texas. It is found that the in-soil production of radon is correlated to the existence of a fault even if it has not had any recorded activity in recent geological times. This adds to previous observations that link the production of radon to seismic activity, and seems to indicate that in non-active faults the radon production is due mainly to the radioactivity of the top soil and to the transport properties of the medium and not to deeper seismic activity. These results open the possibility of using in-soil radon gas concentrations as an examination tool of dormant faults

ZnS (Mn) Nanoparticles as Luminescent Centers for Siloxane Based Scintillators

Synthesis of oleic acid stabilized ZnS nanocrystals activated with Mn is pursued. A hydrothermal method where high pressure and temperature are applied to control the nanocrystals growth is adopted. Capping the nanoparticle surface with oleic acid (OA) improved light output. Samples loaded with both the phosphor and the neutron sensitizer have been produced and tested in a preliminary test as alpha particle detectors and secondly as thermal neutron detectors. The results support further development for siloxane-based scintillator detectors employing ZnS (Mn) nanoparticles

PADC Detected External Neutron Field by Nuclear Tracks at RFX-mod

Measured neutron signals relevant for plasma diagnostics on Reversed Field pinch eXperiment, RFX-mod, are obtained by nuclear track methodology with PADC-NtD’s. this technique provides the external neutron field values around the RFX-mod installation during pulsed operation. Charged particles from (n, p) and (n, α) reactions are related to formed latent tracks. these are etched in a thermoregulated water bath with a 6.25M, KOh solution at 60oC. Observed tracks were analyzed to determine track density from which neutron fluence spatial values should be derived. Results indicate that the neutron density in the surrounding environment change at most 40%. the epithermal component is 60% higher than that corresponding to the thermal region. the estimated neutron fluence for the whole experiment is 7.5×1010 neutrons cm2/s