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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Key results from irradiation and post-irradiation examination of AGR-1 UCO Triso fuel - 18576

The AGR-1 irradiation experiment was performed as the first test of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel in the US Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The experiment consisted of 72 right cylinder fuel compacts containing approximately 3 x 10{sup 5} coated fuel particles with uranium oxide/uranium carbide (UCO) fuel kernels. The fuel was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor for a total of 620 effective full power days. Fuel burnup ranged from 11.3 to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom and time average, volume average irradiation temperatures of the individual compacts ranged from 955 to 1136 deg. C. This paper focuses on key results from the irradiation and post-irradiation examination, which revealed a robust fuel with excellent performance characteristics under the conditions tested and have significantly improved the understanding of UCO coated particle fuel irradiation behavior. The fuel exhibited zero TRISO coating failures (failure of all three dense coating layers) during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing at temperatures up to 1700 deg. C. Advanced PIE methods have allowed particles with SiC coating failure that were discovered to be present in a very-low population to be isolated and meticulously examined, which has elucidated the specific causes of SiC failure in these specimens. The level of fission product release from the fuel during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing has been studied in detail. Results indicated very low release of krypton and cesium through intact SiC and modest release of europium and strontium, while also confirming the potential for significant silver release through the coatings depending on irradiation conditions. Focused study of fission products within the coating layers of irradiated particles down to nanometer length scales has provided new insights into fission product transport through the coating layers and the role various fission products may have on coating integrity. The broader implications of these results and the application of lessons learned from AGR-1 to fuel fabrication and post-irradiation examination for subsequent fuel irradiation experiments as part of the US fuel program are also discussed. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Deformation mechanism study of a hot rolled Zr-2.5Nb alloy by transmission electron microscopy. II. In situ transmission electron microscopy study of deformation mechanism change of a Zr-2.5Nb alloy upon heavy ion irradiation

The effect of heavy-ion irradiation on deformation mechanisms of a Zr-2.5Nb alloy was investigated by using the in situ transmission electron microscopy deformation technique. The gliding behavior of prismatic 〈a〉 dislocations has been dynamically observed before and after irradiation at room temperature and 300 °C. Irradiation induced loops were shown to strongly pin the gliding dislocations. Unpinning occurred while loops were incorporated into or eliminated by 〈a〉 dislocations. In the irradiated sample, loop depleted areas with a boundary parallel to the basal plane trace were found by post-mortem observation after room temperature deformation, supporting the possibility of basal channel formation in bulk neutron irradiated samples. Strong activity of pyramidal slip was also observed at both temperatures, which might be another important mechanism to induce plastic instability in irradiated zirconium alloys. Finally, (011{sup ¯}1)〈01{sup ¯}12〉 twinning was identified in the irradiated sample deformed at 300 °C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

TU-H-CAMPUS-TeP2-02: FLASH Irradiation Improves the Therapeutic Index Following GI Tract Irradiation

Purpose: To investigate and characterize the radiobiological effectiveness of very high dose rate radiotherapy (FLASH) compared to conventional irradiation in an in vivo model. Methods: The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of C57BL/6 mice were irradiated with doses ranging between 10 and 18 Gy using a custom stereotactic jig. A Varian Clinac 21EX was modified to allow dose rates ranging from 0.05 to 240 Gy/s at the position of the mirror. With the gantry at 180 degrees, the jig holding the individual animals was placed above the mirror to take advantage of the reduced source to target distance. Mice were irradiated with 20MeV electrons. Following irradiation, the mice were monitored twice daily for morbidity and daily for weight changes. Results: Mice irradiated with FLASH irradiation had lower weight loss compared to the mice receiving conventional irradiation. Following FLASH irradiation, a maximum weight loss of ∼20% was observed at day 6 with subsequent recovery, while following conventional irradiation, higher weight losses was observed with fewer instances of recovery. Concerning survival, all mice in the conventionally irradiated groups had a 100% mortality in the range of 15.5–18 Gy, while the mice irradiated with FLASH irradiation had a 100% survival in the same range. Conclusion: These results have demonstrated proof of principle that FLASH irradiations have a dramatic impact on the overall survival of mice following GI tract irradiations. If the increase in the therapeutic window can be validated and understood, this would revolutionize the field of radiation oncology and lead to increased cure rates with reduced side effects following treatment, resulting in increased quality of life for cancer survivors. Funding: DoD, Award#:W81XWH-14-1-0014, Weston Havens Foundation, Bio-X (Stanford University), the Office of the Dean of the Medical School, the Office of the Provost (Stanford University), and the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation; BL and PM are founders of TibaRay,Inc.; BL and PM have received research grants from Varian and RaySearch Laboratory.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Oxide shell reduction and magnetic property changes in core-shell Fe nanoclusters under ion irradiation

Ion irradiation effects are studied on the Fe-based core-shell nanocluster (NC) films with core as Fe and shell as Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/Fe{sub 3}N. These NC films were deposited on Si substrates to thickness of ∼0.5 μm using a NC deposition system. The films were irradiated at room temperature with 5.5 MeV Si{sup 2+} ions to ion fluences of 10{sup 15} and 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2}. It is found that the irradiation induces grain growth, Fe valence reduction in the shell, and crystallization or growth of Fe{sub 3}N. The film retained its Fe-core and its ferromagnetic properties after irradiation. The nature and mechanism of oxide shell reduction and composition dependence after irradiation were studied by synthesizing additional NC films of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and FeO + Fe{sub 3}N and irradiating them under the same conditions. The presence of nanocrystalline Fe is found to be a major factor for the oxide shell reduction. The surface morphologies of these films show dramatic changes in the microstructures due to cluster growth and agglomeration as a result of ion irradiation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Irradiation of rainbow trout at early life stages results in trans-generational effects including the induction of a bystander effect in non-irradiated fish

The bystander effect, a non-targeted effect (NTE) of radiation, which describes the response by non-irradiated organisms to signals emitted by irradiated organisms, has been documented in a number of fish species. However transgenerational effects of radiation (including NTE) have yet to be studied in fish. Therefore rainbow trout, which were irradiated as eggs at 48 h after fertilisation, eyed eggs, yolk sac larvae or first feeders, were bred to generate a F1 generation and these F1 fish were bred to generate a F2 generation. F1 and F2 fish were swam with non-irradiated bystander fish. Media from explants of F1 eyed eggs, F1 one year old fish gill and F1 two year old fish gill and spleen samples, and F2 two year old gill and spleen samples, as well as from bystander eggs/fish, was used to treat a reporter cell line, which was then assayed for changes in cellular survival/growth. The results were complex and dependent on irradiation history, age (in the case of the F1 generation), and were tissue specific. For example, irradiation of one parent often resulted in effects not seen with irradiation of both parents. This suggests that, unlike mammals, in certain circumstances maternal and paternal irradiation may be equally important. This study also showed that trout can induce a bystander effect 2 generations after irradiation, which further emphasises the importance of the bystander effect in aquatic radiobiology. Given the complex community structure in aquatic ecosystems, these results may have significant implications for environmental radiological protection. - Highlights: • We evaluated the transgenerational effect of early life irradiation in rainbow trout. • Trout irradiated as eggs, yolk sac larvae or first feeders were crossed. • A transgenerational effect was evident in two generations after irradiation. • F1 and F2 generation fish induced a bystander effect in non-irradiated fish. • The precise effects were tissue specific and dependent on parental radiation history.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Heavy ion irradiations on synthetic hollandite-type materials: Ba{sub 1.0}Cs{sub 0.3}A{sub 2.3}Ti{sub 5.7}O{sub 16} (A=Cr, Fe, Al)

The hollandite supergroup of minerals has received considerable attention as a nuclear waste form for immobilization of Cs. The radiation stability of synthetic hollandite-type compounds described generally as Ba{sub 1.0}Cs{sub 0.3}A{sub 2.3}Ti{sub 5.7}O{sub 16} (A=Cr, Fe, Al) were evaluated by heavy ion (Kr) irradiations on polycrystalline single phase materials and multiphase materials incorporating the hollandite phases. Ion irradiation damage effects on these samples were examined using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Single phase compounds possess tetragonal structure with space group I4/m. GIXRD and TEM observations revealed that 600 keV Kr irradiation-induced amorphization on single phase hollandites compounds occurred at a fluence between 2.5×10{sup 14} Kr/cm{sup 2} and 5×10{sup 14} Kr/cm{sup 2}. The critical amorphization fluence of single phase hollandite compounds obtained by in situ 1 MeV Kr ion irradiation was around 3.25×10{sup 14} Kr/cm{sup 2}. The hollandite phase exhibited similar amorphization susceptibility under Kr ion irradiation when incorporated into a multiphase system. - Graphical abstract: 600 keV Kr irradiation-induced amorphization on single phase hollandites compounds occurred at a fluence between 2.5×10{sup 14} Kr/cm{sup 2} and 5×10{sup 14} Kr/cm{sup 2}. The hollandite phase exhibited similar amorphization susceptibility under Kr ion irradiation when incorporated into a multiphase system. This is also the first time that the critical amorphization fluence of single phase hollandite compounds were determined at a fluence of around 3.25×10{sup 14} Kr/cm{sup 2} by in situ 1 MeV Kr ion irradiation. Display Omitted.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of Irradiation Mode on Irradiated Microstructure of HT9

Core components in Generation IV fast reactors are expected to be exposed to very high damage levels of 200 displacements per atom (dpa) and above. Numerous issues with in-reactor irradiations including residual radioactivity, expense, length of irradiation and availability have led to increased interest in ion irradiation as a surrogate. Self-ion irradiations can produce damage rates of around 10{sup -3} dpa/s with well-controlled temperature, doses and dose rates, allowing for accelerated irradiation testing. Along with these benefits, ion irradiations have been shown to reproduce many of the same irradiation-induced features as in reactor irradiations. Of particular interest at high doses is formation of voids, precipitates and evolution of the dislocation microstructure. However, the beam mode under ion irradiation must be addressed. Raster scanning has been shown to produce microstructural features similar to those observed in-reactor irradiations, however, since they are a pulsed type irradiation, they may induce artifacts as a result of annealing between pulses. Defocused beams have the benefit of full coverage 100% of the time, but may be challenging in terms of ensuring even irradiation over a large area as well as in reaching high enough currents to maintain acceptable damage rates to be useful as a surrogate. This paper reports upon the comparison of behavior of ferritic martensitic steels under a raster scanned or defocused beam mode. The objective is to determine the effect of beam condition the irradiated microstructural; specifically, on the formation of voids, precipitates and dislocation loops and analyze these results within the context of the FDRT model. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Japan-US Joint Research Project PHENIX (2013–2018); Heat Transfer Tests, Neutron Irradiation and Post-Irradiation Examinations for Development of He-Cooled Tungsten Divertor

The goal of the Japan-US joint research project PHENIX (2013–2018) is to understand the feasibility of He-cooled W divertor for DEMO applications. To achieve this goal, the project has three major objectives: (1) to understand heat transfer in a divertor module cooled with high-temperature and high-pressure He gas, (2) to establish database on thermomechanical properties of W materials after high temperature (~500, ~800 and ~1100 °C) neutron irradiation with fusion-relevant energy spectrum, and (3) to clarify tritium (T) trapping and permeation in neutron-irradiated W materials. Heat transfer tests for a He-cooled modular divertor with multi-jet (HEMJ) have been performed, and the problem of heat transfer degradation by re-laminarization was identified.The irradiation capsule with thermal neutron shielding was designed for high temperature neutron irradiation in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with fusion-relevant transmutation. The expected damage level is 1–1.5 displacements per atom (dpa). Heat load resistance, thermal conductivity, mechanical properties and microstructures are examined in ORNL after the irradiation. Mechanical properties of W single crystal samples irradiated with neutrons in HFIR at 90– 850 °C without thermal neutron shielding were examined for comparison. Significant hardening was observed after irradiation to >1 dpa. Microstructural examinations revealed that the hardening was mainly caused by formation of irradiation-induced precipitates consisting of W, Re and Os. Comparison with new samples irradiated in the capsule with thermal neutron shielding will show the effects of irradiation temperatures and transmutation elements. Retention and permeation of hydrogen isotopes including T in neutron-irradiated samples are examined in Idaho National Laboratory, and permeation of H and D in samples damaged with surrogate irradiations (heavy ions, electrons, etc.) is measured in Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, to study hydrogen-defect interactions in wider conditions. The measurement of D retention in the single crystal W sample after neutron irradiation to 0.1 dpa at 360 °C and subsequent plasma exposure at 400 °C showed significant trapping effects by radiation-induced defects.

Ueda, Yoshio↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effects of neutron irradiation and post-irradiation annealing on the microstructure of HT-UPS stainless steel

Microstructural changes resulted from neutron irradiation and post-irradiation annealing in a high-temperature ultra-fine precipitate strengthened (HT-UPS) stainless steel were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom probe tomography (APT). Three HT-UPS samples were neutron-irradiated to 3 dpa at 500 °C, and after irradiation, two of them were annealed for 1 h at 600 °C and 700 °C, respectively. Frank dislocation loops were the dominant defect structure in both the as-irradiated and 600 °C post-irradiation-annealed (PIAed) samples, and the loop sizes and densities were similar in these two samples. Unfaulted dislocation loops were observed in the 700 °C PIAed sample, and the loop density was greatly reduced in comparison with that in the as-irradiated sample. Nano-sized MX precipitates were observed under TEM in the 700 °C PIAed sample, but not in the 600 °C PIAed or the as-irradiated samples. The titanium-rich clusters were identified in all three samples using APT. The post-irradiation annealing (PIA) caused the growth of the Ti-rich clusters with a stronger effect at 700 °C than at 600 °C. The irradiation caused elemental segregations at the grain boundary and the grain interior, and the grain boundary segregation behavior is consistent with observations in other irradiated austenitic steels. Here, APT results showed that PIA reduced the magnitude of irradiation induced segregations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-irradiation examination of commercial tantalum alloys following neutron irradiation

Post irradiation examination of two commercial tantalum alloys (based on Ta-8 %W) revealed significant irradiation hardening following neutron irradiation in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Tensile samples of commercial Ta alloys T-111 and ASTAR-811C were irradiated to a total neutron fluence (E > 0.1 MeV) in the range (2–4)x10 21 n/cm 2 (0.39–0.75 dpa) at an irradiation temperature near 900 °C. Tensile testing conducted at room temperature and at 800 °C revealed significant irradiation hardening under all test conditions. Samples that were tensile tested at room temperature exhibited brittle failure, whereas ductility was maintained for elevated temperature testing. The irradiation hardening and embrittlement noted for both alloys was attributed to irradiation-induced dislocation loop formation as confirmed through scanning transmission electron microscopy analysis. Corresponding energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy revealed radiation-induced segregation of Hf in these loop populations. This Hf enrichment is shown to result in eventual co-precipitation of elongated (Hf,O)-rich precipitates along the dislocation loops. Further, these results show that irradiation hardening is enhanced via irradiation-enhanced precipitation at elevated irradiation temperatures. Consequently, the minimum recommended operating temperature window for Ta alloys should be increased to account for observed hardening/embrittlement at irradiation temperatures as high as 900 °C (1,173 K).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Single high-dose irradiation aggravates eosinophil-mediated fibrosis through IL-33 secreted from impaired vessels in the skin compared to fractionated irradiation

We have revealed in a porcine skin injury model that eosinophil recruitment was dose-dependently enhanced by a single high-dose irradiation. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanism of eosinophil-associated skin fibrosis and the effect of high-dose-per-fraction radiation. The dorsal skin of a mini-pig was divided into two sections containing 4-cm{sup 2} fields that were irradiated with 30 Gy in a single fraction or 5 fractions and biopsied regularly over 14 weeks. Eosinophil-related Th2 cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and C–C motif chemokine-11 (CCL11/eotaxin) were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR. RNA-sequencing using 30 Gy-irradiated mouse skin and functional assays in a co-culture system of THP-1 and irradiated-human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were performed to investigate the mechanism of eosinophil-mediated radiation fibrosis. Single high-dose-per-fraction irradiation caused pronounced eosinophil accumulation, increased profibrotic factors collagen and transforming growth factor-β, enhanced production of eosinophil-related cytokines including IL-4, IL-5, CCL11, IL-13, and IL-33, and reduced vessels compared with 5-fraction irradiation. IL-33 notably increased in pig and mouse skin vessels after single high-dose irradiation of 30 Gy, as well as in irradiated HUVECs following 12 Gy. Blocking IL-33 suppressed the migration ability of THP-1 cells and cytokine secretion in a co-culture system of THP-1 cells and irradiated HUVECs. Hence, high-dose-per-fraction irradiation appears to enhance eosinophil-mediated fibrotic responses, and IL-33 may be a key molecule operating in eosinophil-mediated fibrosis in high-dose-per fraction irradiated skin. - Highlights: • Single high-dose irradiation aggravates eosinophil-mediated fibrosis through IL-33. • Vascular endothelial cells damaged by high-dose radiation secrete IL-33. • Blocking IL-33 suppressed migration of inflammatory cells and cytokine secretion. • IL-33 is a key in eosinophil-mediated fibrosis in high-dose-per-fraction radiation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ultrafast laser and swift heavy ion irradiation: Response of Gd 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 to intense electronic excitation

In order to investigate the response of materials to extreme conditions, there are several approaches to depositing extremely high concentrations of energy into very small volumes of material, including ultrafast laser and swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation. In this study, crystalline-to-crystalline phase transformations in cubic Gd 2 O 3 and monoclinic ZrO 2 have been investigated using ultrafast laser irradiation. The phases produced by the extreme conditions of irradiation were characterized by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Gd 2 O 3 exhibited a cubic-to-monoclinic phase transformation, as evidenced by the appearance of the monoclinic (40$\bar{2}$), (003), (310), and (112$\bar{2}$) peaks in the GIXRD pattern and of four A g and three B g Raman modes. ZrO 2 underwent a monoclinic-to-tetragonal phase transformation, as evidenced by the emergence of the tetragonal (101) peak in the GIXRD pattern and of E g and A 1g Raman modes. The new phases formed by ultrafast laser irradiation are high temperature polymorphs of the two materials. No evidence of amorphization was seen in the GIXRD data, though Raman spectroscopy indicated point defect accumulation. These results are identical to those produced by irradiation with SHIs, which also deposit energy in materials primarily through electronic excitation. Finally, the similarity in damage process and material response between ultrafast laser and SHI irradiation suggests a fundamental relationship between these two techniques.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The materials irradiation experiment for testing plasma facing materials at fusion relevant conditions

The Materials Irradiation Experiment (MITE-E) was constructed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Laboratory to test materials for potential use as plasma-facing materials (PFMs) in fusion reactors. PFMs in fusion reactors will be bombarded with x-rays, neutrons, and ions of hydrogen and helium. More needs to be understood about the interactions between the plasma and the materials to validate their use for fusion reactors. The MITE-E simulates some of the fusion reactor conditions by holding samples at temperatures up to 1000 °C while irradiating them with helium or deuterium ions with energies from 10 to 150 keV. The ion gun can irradiate the samples with ion currents of 20 μA–500 μA; the typical current used is 72 μA, which is an average flux of 9 × 10{sup 14} ions/(cm{sup 2} s). The ion gun uses electrostatic lenses to extract and shape the ion beam. A variable power (1-20 W), steady-state, Nd:YAG laser provides additional heating to maintain a constant sample temperature during irradiations. The ion beam current reaching the sample is directly measured and monitored in real-time during irradiations. The ion beam profile has been investigated using a copper sample sputtering experiment. The MITE-E has successfully been used to irradiate polycrystalline and single crystal tungsten samples with helium ions and will continue to be a source of important data for plasma interactions with materials.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Nonstationary and Non-Gaussian Moving Average Model for Solar Irradiance

Historically, power has flowed from large power plants to customers. Increasing penetration of distributed energy resources such as solar power from rooftop photovoltaic has made the distribution network a two-way-street with power being generated at the customer level. The incorporation of renewables introduces additional uncertainty and variability into the power grid. Distribution network operation studies are being adapted to include renewables; however, such studies require high quality solar irradiance data that adequately reflect realistic meteorological variability. Data from satellite-based products are spatially complete, but temporally coarse, whereas solar irradiances exhibit high frequency variation at very fine timescales. We propose a new stochastic method for temporally downscaling global horizontal irradiance (GHI) to 1 min resolution, but we do not consider the spatial aspect due to limited availability of the in situ irradiance measurements. Solar irradiance's first and second-order structures vary diurnally and seasonally, and our model adapts to such nonstationarity. Empirical irradiance data exhibits highly non-Gaussian behavior; we develop a nonstationary and non-Gaussian moving average model that is shown to capture realistic solar variability at multiple timescales. We also propose a new estimation scheme based on Cholesky factors of empirical autocovariance matrices, bypassing difficult and inaccessible likelihood-based approaches. The model is demonstrated for a case study of three locations that are located in diverse climates through the United States. The model is compared against competitors from the literature and is shown to provide better uncertainty and variability quantification on testing data.

Cholesky factor↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-irradiation Examination of Eurofer-97 Steel Irradiated to 20 dpa at 200–400°C in HFIR under the EUROfusion (ORNL-KIT) Collaboration Program

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (ORNL/KIT) collaboration focuses on research involving irradiation experiments and post-irradiation examinations (PIE) of isotopically modified Eurofer-97 steels for fusion reactor applications. This collaboration capitalizes on ORNL’s expertise in radiation effects on materials and its capabilities in irradiation and PIE. The research aims to qualify Fe-9Cr-based Eurofer-97 steel under simulated fusion conditions, which include high doses and high transmutation rates. A unique isotopic modification technique is utilized in the research, wherein high-transmutation isotopes such as Fe-54 and Ni-58 are alloyed into the Eurofer steel to align with the expected helium production rates in fusion reactor conditions. This report presents the results of post-irradiation mechanical testing activities for the EUROFER-97/2 specimens after irradiation to ~20 dpa at various irradiation temperatures. The irradiation doses and temperatures for the ES capsules ranged from 18.4–20.4 dpa and 202–256°C, respectively. The mechanical property datasets, obtained through baseline testing and PIE of the tensile and fracture specimens, include microhardness data from 93 irradiated and non-irradiated tensile specimens and 28 irradiated bend bar specimens, uniaxial tensile property data from 45 irradiated and non-irradiated tensile specimens, and fracture toughness data from the bend bar specimens. Further data analyses provide statistical information on the microhardness values and tensile properties, as well as the reference ductile-brittle transition temperature (T 0 ) data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2013

Surface Irradiances Consistent With CERES-Derived Top-of-Atmosphere Shortwave and Longwave Irradiances

The estimate of surface irradiance on a global scale is possible through radiative transfer calculations using satellite-retrieved surface, cloud, and aerosol properties as input. Computed top-of-atmosphere (TOA) irradiances, however, do not necessarily agree with observation-based values, for example, from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES). This paper presents amethod to determine surface irradiances using observational constraints of TOA irradiance from CERES. A Lagrange multiplier procedure is used to objectively adjust inputs based on their uncertainties such that the computed TOA irradiance is consistent with CERES-derived irradiance to within the uncertainty. These input adjustments are then used to determine surface irradiance adjustments. Observations by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), CloudSat, andModerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) that are a part of the NASA A-Train constellation provide the uncertainty estimates. A comparison with surface observations from a number of sites shows that the bias [root-mean-square (RMS) difference] between computed and observed monthlymean irradiances calculated with 10 years of data is 4.7 (13.3) W/sq m for downward shortwave and 22.5 (7.1) W/sq m for downward longwave irradiances over ocean and 21.7 (7.8) W m22 for downward shortwave and 21.0 (7.6) W/sq m for downward longwave irradiances over land. The bias andRMS error for the downward longwave and shortwave irradiances over ocean are decreased from those without constraint. Similarly, the bias and RMS error for downward longwave over land improves, although the constraint does not improve downward shortwave over land. This study demonstrates how synergetic use of multiple instruments (CERES,MODIS, CALIPSO, CloudSat, AIRS, and geostationary satellites) improves the accuracy of surface irradiance computations.

Kato, Seiji↗
DOE OSTI2015

In-situ TEM/heavy ion irradiation on ultrafine-and nanocrystalline-grained tungsten: Effect of 3 MeV Si, Cu and W ions

Plasma facing components for future fusion applications will experience helium- and neutron-induced structural damage. Direct observation of the in-situ dynamic response of such components during particle beam exposure assists in fundamental understanding of the physical phenomena that give rise to their irradiation resistance. We investigated the response of ultrafine and nanocrystalline-grained tungsten to 3 MeV heavy ion irradiations (Si{sup 2} {sup +}, Cu{sup 3} {sup +} and W{sup 4} {sup +}) for the simulation of neutron-induced damage through transmutation reactions via in-situ ion irradiation–transmission electron microscopy experiments. Defect densities as a function of irradiation dose (displacement per atom) and fluence were studied. Four stages of defect densities evolution were observed, as a function of irradiation dose: 1) increase in defect density at lower doses, 2) higher defect production rate at the intermediate doses (before saturation), 3) reaching the maximum value, and 4) drop of the defect density in the case of W{sup 4} {sup +}, possibly due to defect coalescence and grain boundary absorption of small defect clusters. The effect of grain size on defect densities was investigated and found that defect densities were independent of grain size in the ultrafine and nanocrystalline region (60–400 nm). These results were compared to other heavy ion irradiation studies of structural materials. - Graphical abstract: Bright-field TEM micrographs and defect densities of UF and NC tungsten grains irradiated with a) Si{sup +} {sup 2} at 1.03 dpa: 1) 140 nm — 7.2 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}, 2) 122 nm — 6.9 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}, 3) 63 nm — 4.7 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}, and 4) 367 nm — 6.4 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; b) Cu{sup +} {sup 3} to 3.79 dpa: 1) 228 nm — 4.3 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; 2) 202 nm — 5.9 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; and 3) 137 nm — 6.1 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; and c) W{sup +} {sup 4} to 5.72 dpa: 1) 372 nm — 2.3 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2} and 2) 128 nm — 4.5 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}. - Highlights: • Heavy ion irradiations were performed on UF and NC grained tungsten. • Irradiations were performed with 3 MeV (Si{sup 2} {sup +}, Cu{sup 3} {sup +} and W{sup 4} {sup +}) ions at RT. • Defect density vs. dpa demonstrated four different stages in the case of W{sup 4} {sup +} irradiation. • Defect coalescence and absorption by the grain boundaries were observed after a dose of 3 dpa during W{sup 4} {sup +} irradiation. • No correlation existed between the grain width and the defect density for the UF and NC region.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2001

Response of thyroid follicular cells to gamma irradiation compared to proton irradiation. I. Initial characterization of DNA damage, micronucleus formation, apoptosis, cell survival, and cell cycle phase redistribution

The RBE of protons has been assumed to be equivalent to that of photons. The objective of this study was to determine whether radiation-induced DNA and chromosome damage, apoptosis, cell killing and cell cycling in organized epithelial cells was influenced by radiation quality. Thyroid-stimulating hormone-dependent Fischer rat thyroid cells, established as follicles, were exposed to gamma rays or proton beams delivered acutely over a range of physical doses. Gamma-irradiated cells were able to repair DNA damage relatively rapidly so that by 1 h postirradiation they had approximately 20% fewer exposed 3' ends than their counterparts that had been irradiated with proton beams. The persistence of free ends of DNA in the samples irradiated with the proton beam implies that either more initial breaks or a quantitatively different type of damage had occurred. These results were further supported by an increased frequency of chromosomal damage as measured by the presence of micronuclei. Proton-beam irradiation induced micronuclei at a rate of 2.4% per gray, which at 12 Gy translated to 40% more micronuclei than in comparable gamma-irradiated cultures. The higher rate of micronucleus formation and the presence of larger micronuclei in proton-irradiated cells was further evidence that a qualitatively more severe class of damage had been induced than was induced by gamma rays. Differences in the type of damage produced were detected in the apoptosis assay, wherein a significant lag in the induction of apoptosis occurred after gamma irradiation that did not occur with protons. The more immediate expression of apoptotic cells in the cultures irradiated with the proton beam suggests that the damage inflicted was more severe. Alternatively, the cell cycle checkpoint mechanisms required for recovery from such damage might not have been invoked. Differences based on radiation quality were also evident in the alpha components of cell survival curves (0.05 Gy(-1) for gamma rays, 0.12 Gy(-1) for protons), which suggests that the higher level of survival of gamma-irradiated cells could be attributed to the persistence of nonlethally irradiated thyrocytes and/or the capacity to repair damage more effectively than cells exposed to equal physical doses of protons. The final assessment in this study was radiation-induced cell cycle phase redistribution. Gamma rays and protons produced a similar dose-dependent redistribution toward a predominantly G(2)-phase population. From our cumulative results, it seems likely that a majority of the proton-irradiated cells would not continue to divide. In conclusion, these findings suggest that there are quantitative and qualitative differences in the biological effects of proton beams and gamma rays. These differences could be due to structured energy deposition from the tracks of primary protons and the associated high-LET secondary particles produced in the targets. The results suggest that a simple dose-equivalent approach to dosimetry may be inadequate to compare the biological responses of cells to photons and protons.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗