GELINA stability program (GESTA)

Technical description of the GESTA application developed at IRMM.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

Results of time-of-flight transmission measurements for 197Au at a 50 m station of GELINA

Transmission measurements have been performed at the time-of-flight facility GELINA to determine the total cross section for neutron induced reactions in 197Au. The measurements have been carried out at a 50 m transmission station of GELINA with the accelerator operating at 800 Hz. This report provides the experimental details required to deliver the data to the EXFOR data library which is maintained by the Nuclear Data Section of the IAEA and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD. The experimental conditions and data reduction procedures are described. In addition, the full covariance information based on the AGS concept is given such that nuclear reaction model parameters together with their covariances can be derived in a least squares adjustment to the data.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

Results of transmission measurements for 40Ca at GELINA

Transmission measurements have been performed at a 50 transmission station of the neutron time-of-flight facility GELINA to determine the total cross section for neutron induced reactions on 40Ca. These measurements are part of a collaboration of the Joint Research Centre and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) to improve nuclear data for nuclear criticality safety applications. They have been supported by the EUFRAT project. This report provides the experimental details required to submit the data to the EXFOR data library which is maintained by the Nuclear Data Section of the IAEA and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD. The experimental details, i.e. measurement conditions, sample characteristics, measurement procedures and experimental uncertainty components, together with the data reduction procedures are described. The experimental results including the full covariance information, based on the AGS-formalism, are reported following the latest recommendations of the International Nuclear Data Committee. This includes the information that is required to derive nuclear reaction model parameters together with their covariances by a least squares adjustment to experimental data.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

Results of time-of-flight transmission measurements for 63,65Cu and natCu at a 50 m station of GELINA

Transmission measurements have been performed at the time-of-flight facility GELINA to determine neutron resonance parameters for 63Cu and 65Cu. The experiments have been carried out at a 50 m transmission station at a moderated neutron beam using a Li-glass scintillator with the accelerator operating at 800 Hz. Measurements were performed with a natCu metallic sample and metallic samples enriched in 63Cu and 65Cu. This report describes the experimental details required to deliver the experimental transmission to the EXFOR data library which is maintained by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD and the Nuclear Data Section of the IAEA. The experimental conditions and data reduction procedures are described. In addition, the full covariance information based on the AGS concept is given, such that resonance parameters together with their covariances can be derived in a least squares adjustment to the data.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

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

Report of the fifth Interlaboratory Comparison organised by the Community Reference Laboratory for Heavy Metals in Feed and Food Total Cd, Pb and As as extractable Cd and Pb in Mineral Feed

The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the Joint Research Centre, a Directorate-General of the European Commission, operates the Community Reference Laboratory for Heavy Metals in Feed and Food (CRL-HM). One of its core tasks is to organise interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) among appointed National Reference Laboratories (NRLs). This report presents the results of the fifth ILC of the CRL-HM which focused on the determination of total Cd, Pb and As and extractable Cd and Pb in mineral feed according to Directive 2002/32/EC1 of the European Parliament and of the Council on undesirable substances in animal feed. The test material used in this exercise was a commercial mineral feed for piglets provided by AGES, Zentrum Analytik und Mikrobiologie, in Austria. The material, naturally contaminated, was processed, bottled, labelled and dispatched by the Reference Materials Unit of the IRMM. The samples were dispatched on the second half of October 2008. Each participant received one bottle containing approximately 30 g of test material. Thirty-one participants from 25 countries registered to the exercise of which 29 submitted results for total Cd and for total Pb, 22 submitted results for total As and 27 submitted results for extractable Cd and for extractable Pb. Two laboratories did not submit results due to a break down in the instruments that were to be used for the analyses. The assigned values (Xref) for total and extractable Cd and Pb were provided by IRMM using isotope dilution-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-MS). The analytical uncertainty of Xref, uchar, was calculated according to the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM)2. The assigned value for total arsenic was provided by the Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie (SCK-CEN) using neutron activation analysis. The analytical uncertainty of Xref, uchar, for total arsenic was calculated according to GUM3,4. Homogeneity and stability studies were subcontracted to Bayer Antwerpen. The uncertainties of the respective assigned values, uref, were calculated combining the analytical uncertainty, uchar, with a contribution for the between-bottle homogeneity, ubb, and for the short term stability of the test material, usts. Participants were invited to report the uncertainty of their measurements. This was done by 25 laboratories for total Cd, 24 laboratories for total Pb, 18 laboratories for total As, 22 laboratories for extractable Cd and 21 laboratories for extractable Pb. The laboratory performance was evaluated using z and zeta scores in accordance with ISO 135285. The standard deviations for proficiency assessment (also called target standard deviation) were calculated using the modified Horwitz equation6 and were between 15 and 16 % for all the measurands .JRC.D.4-Isotope measurement

Rejection on Report File program (RoRF): Technical description of the RoRF application developed at IRMM

For an efficient analysis of time-of-flight (TOF) data from DAQ2000 it is essential to make a pre selection of data taken under good conditions and eliminate those data (runs) with bad conditions. A program (RoRF) was developed to facilitate the selection.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

On the Determination of the True Dead-Time of a Pulse Counting System in Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry.

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel

Report of the Fourth Interlaboratory Comparison Organised by the Community Reference Laboratory for Heavy Metals in Feed and Food- Total Cd, Pb, As, Hg and Methylmercury in Seafood

The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a Directorate-General of the European Commission, operates the Community Reference Laboratory for Heavy Metals in Feed and Food (CRL-HM). One of its core tasks is to organise interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) among appointed National Reference laboratories (NRLs). This report presents the results of the fourth ILC of the CRL-HM which focused on the determination of total Cd, Pb, As, Hg and methylmercury (related to dry mass) in seafood. The test material used in this exercise was the Certified Reference Material (CRM) TORT-2, lobster hepatopancreas, of the National Research Council of Canada. The material was rebottled and relabelled to prevent recognition by the participants and it was dispatched in the first half of May 2008. Each participant received one bottle containing approximately 20g of test material. Thirty-four participants from twenty-six counttries registered to the exercise of which thirty-three sets of results were reported for Cd and total mercury, thirty-two for Pb, twenty-seven for arsenic and four for methylmercury. One laboratory reported two stes of values for Cd, Pb, Hg and As obtained with two different techniques, respectively. The Assigned values were the certified values taken from the TORT-2 certificate. The uncertainties of the respective assigned values, uref, were taken directly from the CRM certificate as provided by the producer. Participants were invited to report the uncertainty on their measurements. This was done by all the laboratories taking part in the exercise. Laboratory results were rated with z and zeta scores in accordance with ISO 13528. Standard deviation for profficiency assessment (also called target standard deviation) were calculated, using the modified Horwitz equation, and were 9.76% for total Cd, 18.74% for total Pb, 10% for total As, 19.48% for total Hg and 21.24% for methylmercury.JRC.D.4-Isotope measurement

IMEP-24: Analysis of Eight Heavy Metals in Toys According to EN 71-3:1994

The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a Directorate-General of the European Commission, operates the International Measurement Evaluation Programme (IMEP). It organises interlaboratory comparisons (ILC's) in support to EU policies. This report presents the results of an ILC which focussed on the determination of soluble antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium according to European Standard EN 71-3:1994. The principle of the procedure in EN 71-3:1994 consists in the extraction of soluble elements from toy material under the conditions simulating the material remaining in contact with stomach acid for a period of time after swallowing. Forty participants from eighteen countries registered to the exercise, of which 33 reported results for As, 35 for Ba and Se, 37 for Cr, Pb, and Sb, 38 for Hg, and 39 for Cd. For seven measurands the test material had already been certified in the past. The validity of the certificate was reconfirmed and the certified values were taken as the reference values for this ILC. As no certified value was available for Hg, the mean value of the results provided by four expert laboratories was used together with the corresponding uncertainty. Participants were invited to report the uncertainty on their measurements. This was done by 35 of the 39 laboratories having submitted results in this exercise. Laboratory results were rated with z and zeta scores in accordance with ISO 13528. The standard deviations for proficiency assessment were based on the analytical correction laid down in EN 71-3:1994.JRC.D.8-Food safety and qualit