| ■ J-PARC News - November 2013 (Issue #103) |
| ●Held Explanatory Meetings for Residents on Efforts after the J-PARC Accident (October 31-November 2) |
| Three explanatory meetings for residents were held in Tokai Village to present the efforts of the J-PARC Center made after the radioactive material leak accident at the Hadron Experimental Facility. The meetings were attended by a total of 85 people, both from inside and outside the prefecture. The J-PARC Center apologized for causing the accident at the beginning of the meetings and reported the measures to prevent recurrence and strengthen the safety management system, and investigation of the gold target. In question-and-answer sessions after the reports by the J-PARC Center, we were able to respond to many questions from the participants, and hear their valuable comments. |
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| ●Education and Training for Persons Engaged in Radiation Work |
| After the radiation leak accident at the Hadron Experimental Facility, the J-PARC Center reviewed its rules, amended rules to prevent radiation hazard and other relevant provisions, and enacted new regulations regarding reports of accidents. To ensure that all center staff are aware of these changes, education and training sessions for persons engaged in radiation work were held on November 7 (in Japanese) and November 20 (in English). Tests were given to check the degree of understanding of the participants. In addition, on the 7th, a supervisor from the Nuclear Regulation Agency observed the education and training situation, and an on-the-spot survey was conducted on the nature of the rule changes, implementation of measures to prevent accident recurrence, and other important issues. |
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| As a measure for preventing accident recurrence, the J-PARC Center has established a new "Alert Status" between the previous "Normal Status" and "Emergency Status" to ensure that signs of problems are not overlooked. This recent training was carried out based on a scenario in which equipment for monitoring mercury leakage at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) detected abnormal signals. The training proceeded according to a new procedure for emergencies, in which first an alert status was declared, then the situation at the site was checked, and a decision was made whether to shift to an emergency status. Then a command post at an accident site was established in the MLF control room, and an accident response headquarters in the Safety Administration Building of the Nuclear Science Research Institute (NSRI). This training was observed by officials from Ibaraki Prefecture and surrounding local governments. |
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| Since August of this year, this working group has been evaluating and examining issues such as the appropriateness of, and best approach for, moving forward with R&D on partitioning and transmutation technologies for long-lived radionuclides contained in high-level radioactive waste. At the fourth meeting on October 23, the group discussed matters such as the roadmap for future R&D, including development of a transmutation experimental facility planned for construction at J-PARC, and at the fifth meeting on October 30, the discussion focused on a "draft summary of interim issues." Regarding the transmutation experimental facility, the group decided it would be appropriate to advance to the next stage, and indicated an intention to move towards development of the facility. As for the European MYRRHA Project for ADS development, it was determined to be appropriate to begin coordination with the involved countries to move toward participation. In addition, it was confirmed that future check-and-review will be carried out, when appropriate, by this working group. |
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| An Accelerator Driven System (ADS) for nuclear transmutation drives a subcritical reactor core, fueled with the nuclides to be transmuted, by using spallation neutrons produced by directing a proton beam onto a lead-bismuth target. The need for an ADS has been continuously proposed since construction of J-PARC started, and at the October 30 meeting of the Working Group for Evaluating Partitioning and Transmutation Technologies of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the group confirmed the appropriateness of developing such a facility, and decided that the plan can proceed to the next stage. At present, various tests are being carried out at J-PARC including material corrosion tests in the lead-bismuth alloy that flows at high temperature, and testing of basic technology for measurement and control equipment. R&D on ADS has been ongoing in Europe, and lead-bismuth alloy technology is being developed in the European Framework Program. The Karlsruhe Institute (Germany) has the KALLA large lead-bismuth test loop as part of its core research facilities, and they are carrying out a variety of experiments. The MYRRHA Project, which aims to demonstrate an experimental reactor class ADS with maximum output of 100 MW, is underway at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN). Both of these facilities were recently visited by Dr. Toshinobu Sasa, subleader of the Transmutation Section in charge of ADS development at J-PARC, and views were exchanged on cooperation regarding construction of a transmutation experimental facility and the MYRRHA Project. In the material corrosion test loop at KALLA, experiments have been conducted over a long period under conditions where the oxygen concentration in lead-bismuth is controlled. Deposition in pipes of oxides and precipitates, which has been a problem in the experimental loop at J-PARC, does not occur at KALLA. Views were exchanged on various topics, including the fact that oxygen concentration control is an essential technology, the suitability of 316 stainless steel as a container material for lead-bismuth targets, and tests relating to fuel assemblies for MYRRHA, for which preparations are underway in the heat transfer flow testing loop. At SCK-CEN, Dr. Sasa explained the background of review by the MEXT Working Group, and the rough outline of evaluation based on the draft summary of interim issues, and discussed the best approach for research cooperation going forward. With regard to project participation by countries other than Belgium, which is a requirement for carrying out the MYRRHA Project, it was explained that a number of countries have shown a high level of interest, including the European Union, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and China, and it is expected that the results of the evaluation process in Japan will have a positive effect on interested countries and institutions. At SCK-CEN, various tests are underway for the MYRRHA Project in addition to the existing lead-bismuth test equipment. These include fabrication of multiple test loops, and testing of oxygen concentration control. Views were exchanged on these topics, and there was discussion on continuing to deepen cooperative ties in the future. |
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| The Japan-Australia bilateral Neutron Science Workshop "Sharing Science with Neutrons" was organized by the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO), and was held with the cooperation of J-PARC at ANSTO's OPAL reactor facility in the suburbs of Sidney. This workshop was held to coincide with the signing of a cooperation agreement in the field of neutron science between ANSTO and J-PARC. This agreement is the realization of an idea of "further developing the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries, and expanding applications of neutron science into new fields". The idea was conceived by Dr. Rob Robinson, Head of the Bragg Institute at ANSTO, and Dr. Masatoshi Arai, Head of the Materials and Life Science Division of the J-PARC Center, at a joint Japan-Australia Science and Technology Meeting held in Tokyo in August 2012.
The workshop was started with the opening addresses of Chemnupati Jagadish, the vice-chairperson of AAS, and Mitsuyasu Ohtsuki, the First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Australia, followed by the welcome talks of Dr. Masatoshi Arai at J-PARC and Dr. Adi Paterson, the Chief Executive Officer of ANSTO. Many researchers participated in the workshop from AAS and ANSTO, and Australian universities, including three vice-president level Professors and 17 Japanese attended from the J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS) and five universities including the University of Tokyo. There were reports of the latest information regarding the facilities and equipment of both countries, as well as talks and exchanges of views on state-of-the-art research results in each specialized field. The organizers used creative approaches throughout the workshop to ensure deepening of the understanding of researchers on both sides, such as preparation of a program brochure giving the research history of each participant, seating arrangements at the workshop dinner where researchers in similar fields were seated near each other, and dividing of the tour of the OPAL reactor into courses so that small groups could carefully examine the parts they were most interested in. The consideration and ambition of ANSTO were evident in the workshop, as well as high expectations and enthusiasm for Japan-Australia cooperation.
There have been exchanges between Japan and Australia for many years in quantum beam related fields such as synchrotron radiation and neutron science. Recently users of J-PARC neutron spectrometers show a steady tendency of increase. The Bragg Institute and other neutron facilities in the world kindly accepted the experiments from J-PARC and JRR-3 when their operations were suspended due to the Great East Japan Earthquake. |
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| At the Ibaraki Materials Design Diffractometer (iMATERIA) in neutron beamline BL20 of the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF), planning is being done for in-situ structural analysis of magnetic materials under various conditions such as high-temperature and gaseous atmospheres. At present, R&D is being conducted using magnetic materials (e.g., Nb (Dy) FeB based) as basic research in this area at the Ibaraki Prefecture project research facilities and the Elements Strategy Initiative Center for Magnetic Materials (ESICMM). The Ibaraki Prefecture Society for Promotion of Neutron Utilization and other organizations held a special interest group meeting in Tokyo on October 22 for discussions and review to firm up the foundation necessary for promoting this type research. At this meeting, various speakers gave detailed reports on topics such as performance of iMATERIA, basic knowledge for magnetic structure analysis, and examples using programs for powder magnetic structure analysis. There were also lively question-and-answer sessions. |
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| The Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) at J-PARC currently enables use of the world's highest intensity pulsed neutrons, and the detector development group of the MLF is developing a high-performance neutron detector to further improve experiment efficiency.
The neutron and muon research facility (ISIS) in the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) has been operated for more than 30 years. The group has been promoting research corporation with the detector development group of ISIS since 2005. Eight 1-dimensional scintillator detectors of ISIS type, which were fabricated domestically, have been operational in BL19 neutron spectrometer of MLF since 2008. The detector development group of the MLF succeeded in the original development and practical use of 2-dimentional scintillator detectors with the combination of scintillators and wavelength shifting fibers for the first time in the world. Sixty-nine detectors of this type in total are now being operated in the neutron spectrometers (BL03, BL17 and BL18) in MLF.
As the supply shortage of helium-3 (3He) in recent years, . RAL in the UK has formulated a development plan for scintillator detectors as a substitute for 3He neutron detectors, and this plan is moving forward based on international cooperation by relevant persons from J-PARC (Japan), Julich (Germany), SNS (USA), NIST (USA), and PSI (Switzerland). J-PARC has employed and being operated previously developed scintillator detectors with wavelength shifting fibers. It is expected that, in the future, the measurement technology and the operation performance with those detectors will contribute greatly to detector development through strengthening of international partnerships and cooperation.
This fall, on October 24, Dr. Nigel Rhodes, a group leader involved in detector development at ISIS, visited J-PARC with two colleagues, toured the detector development site, exchanged views with Japanese researchers, and engaged in a lively discussion on future development. They were given explanation from spectrometer contact persons and exchanged their views. Also, on November 7, J-PARC was visited by Dr. Ralf Engels, a group leader engaged in detector development at the Julich Research Center. |
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