JRC support to JAEA on the development of neutron resonance densitometry

The activities carried out during 2013 at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission to support the Japan Atomic Energy Agency in the development of Neutron Resonance Densitometry are described. These activities include experiments carried out at the time-of-flight facility GELINA, development of a model to account for sample inhomogeneities, assistance in data reduction and analysis procedures, preparation of test samples, training of JAEA staff and dissemination of the results.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

NRD Demonstration Experiments at GELINA

Neutron Resonance Densitometry (NRD), a non-destructive analysis method, was presented. The method has been developed to quantify special nuclear material (SNM) in debris of melted fuel that will be produced during the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants. The method is based on Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA) and Neutron Resonance Capture Analysis combined with Prompt Gamma–ray analysis (NRCA/PGA). The quantification of SNM relies on the NRTA results. The basic principles of NRD, which are based on well-established methodologies for neutron resonance spectroscopy, have been explained. To develop NRD for the characterization of rock- and particle like heterogeneous samples a JAEA/JRC collaboration has been established. As part of this collaboration a NRD demonstration workshop was organized at the time-of-flight facility GELINA of the JRC-IRMM in Geel (B). The potential of NRD was demonstrated by measurements on a complex mixture of different elements. It was demonstrated that the elemental composition of an unknown sample predicted by NRTA deviated on average by less than 2% from the declared value. In addition the potential to identify the presence of light elements by NRCA/PGA was shown.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

Quantum chemical Study of Radiation Damage in Biomolecules: the Case of Steroids

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GELINA, a Neutron Time-of-Flight Facility for High-Resolution Neutron Data Measurements

Accurate neutron data are required for the assessment of safety aspects of nuclear power installations or for the design of new innovative concepts like nuclear waste transmutation or accelerator driven systems. For the measurement of such data in the resonance region an extremely good energy resolution is required, only achievable using a pulsed white-spectrum neutron source in combination with time-of-flight measurements. The Geel Electron LINear Accelerator Facility (GELINA) at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the European Commission’s Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC) is especially designed for such purposes. Within the framework of the EURATOM 'Transnational Access to Large Infrastructure' programme, JRC-IRMM is able to offer, via the NUDAME project, beam time to external users from EU member countries and associated states.JRC.D.5-Neutron physic