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At least 289 records · Page 16

Real-space local self-motion of protonated and deuterated water

Here, we report on the self-part of the Van Hove correlation function, the correlation function describing the dynamics of a single molecule, of water and deuterated water. The correlation function is determined by transforming inelastic scattering spectra of neutrons or x rays over a wide range of momentum transfer Q and energy transfer E to space R and time t. The short-range diffusivity is estimated from the Van Hove correlation function in the framework of the Gaussian approximation. The diffusivity has been found to be different from the long-range macroscopic diffusivity, providing information about local atomic dynamics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Observation of Magnon Polarization

We measure the mode-resolved direction of the precessional motion of the magnetic order, i.e.,magnon polarization, via the chiral term of inelastic polarized neutron scattering spectra. The magnon polarization is a unique and unambiguous signature of magnets and is important in spintronics, affecting thermodynamic properties such as the magnitude and sign of the spin Seebeck effect. However, it has never been directly measured in any material until this work. The observation of both signs of magnon polarization in Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 also gives direct proof of its ferrimagnetic nature. The experiments agree very well with atomistic simulations of the scattering cross section.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Possible Observation of Quadrupole Waves in Spin Nematics

Discovery of new states of matter is a key objective in modern condensed matter physics, which often leads to revolutionary technological advancements such as superconductivity. Quantum spin nematic, a “hidden order” that evades conventional magnetic probes, is one such state. Na 2 ⁢BaNi⁢(PO 4 ) 2 is a potential spin nematic material, suggested by the observation of a two-magnon Bose-Einstein condensation from above the saturation field. However, direct confirmation of the spin nematicity remains elusive. Here, this Letter presents inelastic neutron scattering spectra from the putative spin nematic phases of Na 2⁢ BaNi⁢(PO 4 ) 2 , revealing low-energy quadrupole waves that are absent in the neighboring conventional magnetic phases. A spin-one model quantitatively captures the full details of the spin excitation spectra across all low-temperature phases, providing direct evidence of the spin nematic orders. Additionally, we show evidence of the three-magnon continuum and two-magnon bound states in the 1/3-magnetization plateau, revealing condensation of the two-magnon bound state as the origin of the low-field spin nematic supersolid phase.

Sheng, Jieming [Southern University of Science and↗

Post Irradiation Examination of Pressurized Water Reactor Stainless Steel Internal Components

Internal structural components of pressurized water reactors (PWR), such as baffle former bolts, are subjected to significant neutron irradiation and mechanical stresses at elevated temperatures during plant operation. Over the long operation of the power plant, these conditions lead to potential degradation and reduced load-carrying capacity of these bolts. To understand property degradation more fully, to confirm the results of experimental irradiation programs, and to predict operational lifetime performance of structural materials in internal components, post irradiation examination of harvested materials from operating nuclear reactors is required. In this work, two high fluence 316 stainless steel baffle former bolts were retrieved from a commercial Westinghouse two-loop downflow type PWR and then sectioned for analysis via mechanical testing and microstructural characterization. The irradiation damage fluctuated along the bolt length with damage levels from 15 to 41 displacements per atom with the bolt head receiving approximately twice the neutron damage levels as that of the bolt thread section. Mechanical testing evaluations showed extensive irradiation hardening and a sharp decrease in fracture toughness in all parts of the bolt, though with limited variation along the bolt length. Microstructural characterization using analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography showed significant radiation induced precipitation, segregation, and dislocation loop and cavity formation. However, unlike the mechanical behavior, there was considerable variation along the bolt length but opposite of what may be expected, with more precipitation and cavity formation in the bolt thread where the neutron radiation dose is less than in the bolt head where the neutron radiation dose is higher. The cause of this variation is likely due to gradients in temperature, neutron energy spectra, and gamma irradiation.

Lach, Tim↗

Selected Uses of TSUNAMI in Critical Experiment Design and Analysis

Validation in criticality safety is performed by comparing the results of critical experiments with the calculated results from models of the experiments using the computational method to be validated. Laboratory critical experiments are controlled systems that achieve a k eff of approximately 1 and enable investigation of the parameters at which such a critical condition is achieved. For the critical experiments used in a validation to capture the biases of the materials and neutron energy spectra of interest, those materials must be included in the experiment such that they influence k eff or another observable parameter with statistical significance. This paper discusses the use of sensitivity uncertainty (S/U) methods to develop critical experiments for various purposes. S/U techniques are useful for understanding the underlying components of nuclear data which affect the k eff or another parameter of a given configuration. S/U calculations are most commonly used to compare existing experiments to applications of interest; however, S/U techniques can also be used to identify, optimize, or assess features of proposed experiments so that they can better test specific portions of nuclear data or match an application of interest. The S/U techniques discussed here are from the TSUNAMI code system. The two primary codes discussed in this work are TSUNAMI-3D, which implements the KENO criticality code to calculate the sensitivity of k eff to nuclear data, and TSAR, which calculates the sensitivity of a reactivity difference between two configurations based on their TSUNAMI-3D generated sensitivity profiles. The methods used in these tools are discussed in more detail in the SCALE manual. This paper is one of a series on the development and use of TSUNAMI tools. The other papers address development of TSUNAMI methods and a review of TSUNAMI applications.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Discovery of AMPX Thermal Scattering Law Processing Issue for Solid Moderators

The 2020 edition of The International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) Handbook includes a newly produced plastic-moderated evaluation, identified as PU-MET-MIXED-002 and referred to as PMM002. The 2021 edition should include another new plastic-moderated experiment, HEU-MET-THERM-004, referred to as HMT-004. These evaluations are of particular interest, as PMM-002 is moderated with polyethylene, and HMT-004 is moderated with polymethyl methacrylate (Lucite), allowing for investigation of the differences in the thermal scattering laws (TSLs) available for these materials. ENDF/B-VIII.0 includes newly produced data for 1 H-based scattering materials, including Lucite and yttrium hydride. Other available 1 H TSLs include polyethylene, light water, zirconium hydride. The unbound 1 H (free-gas) cross sections were also used. ENDF/B-VIII.0 also includes revisions made to the ENDF/B-VII.1 light water and polyethylene evaluations. Zirconium hydride was unchanged from ENDF/B-VII.1. As of this writing, there are no benchmarks included in the Verified, Archived Library of Inputs and Data (VALID) that are primarily moderated with any solid moderator, so validation that includes the PMM-002 and HMT-004 evaluations would expand the coverage to two new moderators. A study was undertaken at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with two purposes: to provide validation data based on systems that are primarily moderated with polyethylene and Lucite, and to demonstrate the reactivity changes that can result from use of different 1 H TSLs in these plastic-moderated systems. The first objective was mainly to test data and code for SCALE and AMPX, whereas the second objective was to provide useful data for practitioners on the potential variability of predicted $k_{eff}$ based on TSL changes. The use of an exactly correct TSL is often not possible given the materials involved (e.g., lubricants), but this study was intended to provide some indication of the magnitude of the changes among similar materials that can manifest through application of different TSLs in hydrogenous systems over a range of different neutron energy spectra. Unfortunately, the nominal $k_{eff}$ results exposed deviations between SCALE and Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP). Some of the results using different TSLs were also unexpected and difficult to explain. An investigation revealed a processing issue in AMPX that was caused by an ambiguous description of the data for incoherent elastic scattering in the ENDF manual. This issue is discussed in detail in a SCALE User Notification, and it affects some solid moderators, but it does not apply to 1 H bound in water. This issue highlights the importance of validating all TSLs used in safety analysis calculations. The remainder of this paper provides a more detailed examination of the results that triggered the investigation and a summary of the findings of that investigation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Nuclear Data and Cross Section Testing Using ENDF/B-VIII.0

With the release of the Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF)/B-VIII.0 library, nuclear criticality safety practitioners and engineers have access to the latest cross section sets available for their analyses. However, these cross sections must be rigorously tested and validated to ensure that the nuclear data are responsive to the needs of the individuals responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining computational tools for criticality safety applications. Thus, the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library is tested and validated with a large collection of experiments that were vetted by the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project and made available in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments. A selection of benchmark experiments for use within the criticality safety community were prepared and reviewed within the Verified, Archived Library of Inputs and Data (VALID), which is maintained by the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The performance of the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library is assessed by using VALID models of benchmark experiments with the beta 12 version of SCALE 6.3 KENO V.a and KENO-VI Monte Carlo codes. The performance is compared with the results obtained from with the ENDF/B-VII.1 library. This report considers multigroup (MG) and continuous energy (CE) formats of the ENDF/B-VIII.0 and -VII.1 libraries. The benchmark experiments within VALID that validate the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library cover 15 broad system categories by using a range of fissile materials, uranium enrichments, plutonium isotopic vectors, and mixed uranium/plutonium systems. These forms are represented as metals, solutions, or various arrays of rods or plates that cover a variety of neutron energy spectra: thermal, fast, mixed, and intermediate. Over 600 cases were considered for use with the KENO V.a and KENO-VI codes with the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library. The results of the Monte Carlo comparison of ENDF/B-VIII.0 to ENDF/B-VII.1 with both KENO V.a and KENO-VI indicate that there is a less than 0.53% Δk difference between the bias of calculated k eff from the expected values. The CE ENDF/B-VIII.0 library results in smaller magnitude biases than the ENDF/B-VII.1 data for HEU-MET-FAST, HEU-SOL-THERM, IEU-MET-FAST, LEU-SOL-THERM, PU-SOL-THERM, and U233-MET-FAST systems, while the MG results yielded smaller magnitude biases for HEU-MET-FAST, HEU-SOL-THERM, IEU-MET-FAST, LEU-COMP-THERM, LEU-SOL THERM, MIX-COMP-FAST, and U233-MET-FAST systems. Most notable are the adjustments to the plutonium and 233 U cross section data, which has resulted in noticeably lower biases in the ENDF/B VIII.0 results for the mixed, plutonium, and 233 U systems. Results of the sensitivity data file comparison generated from TSUNAMI-3D for selected VALID cases for the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library indicate a very high level of agreement with correlation coefficients of the effect of nuclear data uncertainty on k eff (the c k integral parameter) all above 0.99. This indicates that cases with the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library would see very similar responses to any nuclear data errors or change as those with the ENDF/B-VII.1 library.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Material Control & Accountancy for Molten Salt Reactors (FY2021 Report)

There is significant domestic and international interest, investment, and research and development momentum to pursue advanced nuclear reactor technologies. Molten salt reactor (MSR) concepts display the largest variability in fuel type and design features among the current advanced concepts. MSRs have been proposed with various core designs, sizes (power), and fuel cycles. Salt-fueled molten salt systems represent the only advanced reactor type with fuel that is not in a solid form during operation. These “liquid-fueled” MSRs are unique from perspectives of fuel fabrication, spent irradiated fuel and waste components, licensing, and material control and accountability (MC&A) including the potential of fissile material holdup. The liquid fuel salt is the defining distinction in comparison to other advanced reactors that propose TRI-structural ISOtropic particle fuel pebbles, various coolant options (e.g., molten salts or metals, high temperature gas), or small modular alternatives using solid fuel variants including both light water reactors and non-light water reactors. MSRs are appealing to the nuclear energy industry because of the diverse reactor characteristics they can support including various neutron energy spectra, fueling requirements, fuel cycles, and/or fuel utilization. However, because of the significant deviation and diversity of a salt-fueled system compared to traditional solid fuel light water-cooled reactors (LWRs), the history, regulatory licensing framework, modeling capabilities, and supporting engineering technology are either lacking or, in some cases, nonexistent. Therefore, the research community is actively supporting advanced MSR development on many of these fronts in particular to assist MSR vendors with licensing requirements. ORNL is leading the research and development of respective MC&A approaches for salt-fueled MSRs. This report summarizes the research performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Advanced Reactor Safeguards (ARS) program to investigate safeguards and security by design concepts, licensing and regulatory considerations, and dynamic system-level modeling to understand radioisotope concentrations for salt-fueled MSRs. The report builds upon the previous research and literature, identifies the MC&A challenges inherent to a salt-fueled MSR, reviews current regulatory frameworks for LWRs and their applicability towards salt-fueled MSRs, summarizes the status and progress of an MSR dynamic modeling tool, and discusses a prospective MC&A approach based on the Molten Salt Demonstration Reactor (MSDR) model.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Relevant Advanced Reactor Benchmarks for Nuclear Data Assessment

Advanced reactor concepts currently being developed throughout the industry are significantly different from light water reactor (LWR) designs with respect to geometry, materials, and operating conditions, and consequently, with respect to their reactor physics behavior. Given the limited operating experience with non-LWRs, the accurate simulation of reactor physics and the quantification of associated uncertainties are critical for ensuring that advanced reactor concepts operate within the appropriate safety margins. Nuclear data are a major source of input uncertainties in reactor physics analysis. As part of an ongoing project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the effects of nuclear data uncertainties on key figures of merit associated with advanced reactor safety are being assessed for selected advanced reactor technologies. Key nuclear data relevant for reactor safety analysis for each selected advanced reactor technology were identified in Phase 1, and their impact on important key figures of merit was assessed in Phase 2. This report describes the outcome of Phase 3. Available benchmarks and fuel irradiation data for use in evaluating the impact of uncertainties and gaps in nuclear data that impact reactivity control for advanced reactor designs through the fuel cycle were identified and assessed. Benchmarks were identified by searching (1) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) handbook, (2) the OCED/NEA International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) handbook, (3) ongoing OECD/NEA benchmark activities, and (4) documentation in public literature. Relevant benchmarks were identified by selecting reactors with geometry, materials, and neutron energy spectra similar to those of selected advanced reactor technologies. This assessment identified six benchmarks, of which three are experimental and three are purely computational. One experimental and one computation benchmark contain depleted fuel; all others are limited to fresh fuel. This report provides short descriptions of the selected benchmarks along with the availability of measured data for comparison.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Validating FENDL-2.1 and FENDL-3.2 with a Suite of LLNL Pulsed Sphere Measurements

This report summarizes simulations of LLNL pulsed-sphere neutron-leakage spectra using FENDL- 3.2, an upcoming version of the Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library, and one of its predecessor libraries, FENDL-2.1. These simulated values are compared to values obtained with the recent U.S. nuclear data library, ENDF/B-VIII.0, and its predecessor, ENDF/B-VII.1 as well as experimental data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Updates to SNL Nuclear Criticality Safety Benchmark Suite for MCNP

Members of the Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) Program at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) have updated the suite of benchmark problems developed to validate MCNP6 Version 2.0 for use in NCS applications. The updated NCS benchmark suite adds approximately 600 new benchmarks and includes peer review of all input files by two different NCS engineers (or one NCS engineer and one candidate NCS engineer). As with the originally released benchmark suite, the updated suite covers a broad range of fissile material types, material forms, moderators, reflectors, and neutron energy spectra. The benchmark suite provides a basis to establish a bias and bias uncertainty for use in NCS analyses at SNL.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

SCALE 6.2.4 Validation: Nuclear Criticality Safety

The computational bias of criticality safety computer codes must be established through the validation of the codes to critical experiments. A large collection of suitable experiments has been vetted by the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and made available in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments (ICSBEP Handbook). More than 600 cases from this handbook have been prepared and reviewed within the Verified, Archived Library of Inputs and Data (VALID), which is maintained by the Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The performance of the KENO V.a and KENO-VI Monte Carlo codes within the SCALE 6.2.4 code system is assessed using the VALID models of benchmark experiments. A range of nuclear cross section libraries based on Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF)/B-VII.1 in both multigroup (MG) and continuous energy (CE) formats is considered. The critical experiments available to validate the KENO V.a code cover 15 broad categories of systems. These systems use a range of fissile materials, including a range of uranium enrichments, various plutonium isotopic vectors, and some mixed uranium/plutonium oxides. The physical forms of the fissile material also vary and are represented as metal, solutions, or arrays of rods or plates in a water moderator. The neutron energy spectra of the systems also vary and cover fast, intermediate, mixed, and thermal spectra. Over 550 of the total cases use the KENO V.a code for the four nuclear data libraries considered in this report.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

EMPIRE-3.2 Nuclear reaction code system [Slides]

The presentation discusses the scope of EMPIRE, EMPIRE's convenience, the EMPIRE-3.2 (Malta) Nuclear Reaction Model Code, reaction models, and what is needed to improve EMPIRE's predictive power.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Integral Experiment Final Design for Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments with 233U3O8 ZPR Fuel Elements and Polyethylene (IER-329 CED-2 Report)

This report documents the integral experiment final design for IER-329, Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) with 233 U 3 O 8 Zero Power Reactor (ZPR) Fuel Elements and Polyethylene. IER-329 (TEX-23) is the third baseline design in the Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) series led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and funded by the DOE’s Nuclear Criticality Safety Program. This experiment was designed to address the existing 233U integral benchmark experiments over prediction in k eff by up to 2% for thermal systems and under-prediction in k eff by up to 4% for intermediate systems. The TEX-23 design utilizes assemblies of 233 U 3 O 8 Zero Power Reactor (ZPR) fuel elements moderated and reflected by high-density polyethylene. This design is similar to the existing TEX-Pu and TEX-HEU designs, utilizing an adjustable moderator to tune the neutron energy spectra and modular layers for the incorporation of diluent materials.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

MCNPs Easy Sources for (α,n) (MESA) 1.0: A User’s Guide

MCNPs Easy Sources for Alpha,N (MESA) facilitates the construction of MCNP source definition cards for (α,n) sources. It is a complete re-write of the homogeneous, surface source, and three layer problem types from Sources4c. Please refer to this reference for documentation on the cross-sections and neutron emission spectra. The one departure from Sources4c is the use of alpha energies and activities from the ISC ENDF VII or VIII library specified by the user.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Godiva IV Simulated Radiation Field Characterization and Variance Reduction

Godiva IV is a system comprised of highly enriched uranium alloyed with molybdenum in the form of fuel plate rings. The reactor, along with its predecessors, was designed with the unique ability to satisfy interests in the super-prompt-critical reactor operation space. Originally, the reactor was part of the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) at Technical Area-18 (TA-18). The radiation field around Godiva at this facility was well characterized and understood. As a fast neutron system, the neutron spectrum in and around Godiva was close to a Watt Fission spectrum. The Kiva where Godiva IV was located at LACEF was made of thin, sheet metal walls which did not contribute significantly to the neutron spectrum. Following the transition of LACEF to the National Critical Experiments and Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada, Godiva-IV was moved from TA-18 to the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Part of this move brought renewed interest in radiation field characterization. The new facility introduced significant changes to the environment surrounding Godiva, and preliminary foil irradiation results suggested that the room contribution to the neutron spectrum was significant. Unlike at TA-18, a large thermal neutron signature was added to the fast spectrum from Godiva due to significant room return. A primary goal due to the additional complexity that the room return adds to the Godiva IV radiation emission spectrum was the development of an efficient Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) calculation capable of characterizing the neutron spectrum anywhere in the room around Godiva. A campaign of activation foil irradiations and analysis were completed to support the validation of the MCNP model. The modeling of these foils in MCNP can be easily done with a standard volumetric neutron flux tally. However, given the multitude of locations and reaction rates to be modeled, further steps must be taken to increase the efficiency of these calculations in MCNP. During this study, a benchmark model currently under development for Godiva IV was used. A qualitative assessment of the thermal neutron contributors was performed using spatial neutron distribution plots. Additional detail was added to the model based on the qualitative results showing the thermal spectrum’s large sensitivity to hydrogenous material. Neutron energy spectra was evaluated at discrete locations in the room around Godiva to quantify the relative contribution of various components. It was discovered that the concrete walls are the largest contributor to the thermal signature, with minor contributions from plastic components surrounding Godiva. Following these results, two different variance reduction techniques were implemented to improve the problem efficiency in these calculations. In the first approach, an F5 point detector tally was implemented in the standard Godiva IV criticality problem. The second approach involved a weight-window generator implementation with an F5 point detector tally in a fixed source problem. The weight window implementation reduced the runtime from 42739.55 minutes to 1803.34 minutes (computer time), compared to the F5 KCODE implementation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Assessment of Self-interrogation Safeguards Signatures for Pebble Bed Reactor Fuel

New reactor designs, such as pebble-bed reactors, present challenges for the safeguarding of fissile material. Due to the multi-pass fuel circulation design and the non-uniform path a pebble may traverse through a pebble-bed reactor, there will be variations in the irradiation history of spent fuel pebbles. The standard approach of estimating actinide quantities based on fission gamma spectra or neutron emission paired with depletion modeling may yield uncertainties too large for safeguards and material accountancy. This project investigated, through modeling and experimentation, the potential of neutron self-interrogation of spent fuel pebbles as an innovative method to implement materials accountability. As an example, our feasibility studies indicate that the mass of U-235, U-238, Pu-239 and Pu-241 can be predicted to 4.1, 0.86, 13 and 13 % accuracy, respectively, when measuring 100 closely packed end-of-life spent fuel pebbles over approximately 12 days using a 4π counting geometry.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Hybrid Method for Eigenvalue Sensitivity Coefficient Calculations: Part II [Slides]

The hybrid method stemmed from a need to develop a way for CLUTCH to generate more accurate sensitivity coefficients for systems with large fissionable reflectors (i.e., HMF-028-001). For additional systems, the method has been shown to generate accurate sensitivity coefficients for a variety of systems with different fissile nuclides, fissile forms, and neutron energy spectra.

CLUTCH↗