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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Precise half-life determination of 131 Ba and 125 Xe

Barium-131 and Xenon-125 are valuable radioisotopes with numerous scientific and medical applications. Here, we produced both isotopes via proton irradiation of a cesium iodide (CsI) target at the Brookhaven Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator (BTVG). Following irradiation, we conducted systematic γ-ray spectroscopy measurements at the National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC) decay station using a calibrated High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector, collecting data over a 2-month period (spanning approximately 4.5 half-lives for 131 Ba). Through careful analysis of the characteristic γ-ray emissions from both isotopes, we determined the half-life of 131 Ba to be 11.55(6) days, which agrees with the previously evaluated value. For 125 Xe, we measured a half-life of 16.56(8) hours, slightly lower than the evaluated value.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The predicted shapes of voids and Xe bubbles in UO 2

Morphology is a fundamental attribute when investigating voids and bubbles in UO 2 . Here we use molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations to predict the lowest energy shapes for voids and bubbles in UO 2 . The energies of the {100}, {110} and {111} surfaces have been calculated and used to predict the equilibrium void shape from Wulff construction. This equilibrium shape is compared to low energy faceted voids exhibiting different relative proportions of each family of terminating surfaces. It is found that the equilibrium Wulff shape does not represent the lowest energy morphology for nm void sizes at temperatures between 300 K and 1200 K. Furthermore, the lowest energy faceted voids are slightly more energetically favourable than spherical voids, and as Xe is added, and bubble pressure increases, the faceted morphology becomes even more favourable than the spherical shape.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Ab-initio informed cluster dynamics simulation of self- and Xe diffusivity in uranium mononitride under irradiation

Uranium mononitride (UN) is one of the ceramic nuclear fuel alternatives to oxide fuels considered for light water reactor and advanced reactor designs, as it presents significant advantages such as high uranium density (better economics) and high thermal conductivity and melting point (increased safety). Self- and fission gas diffusivities need to be better understood, given that they influence key fuel performance phenomena like swelling and fission gas release. Recently, radiation enhanced diffusivity was investigated in UN by means of cluster dynamics simulations relying on empirical potential-based parameterizations, the reliability of which highly depends on the interatomic potential accuracy. Here, in this work, we refine this approach by determining, using ab-initio calculations, the properties of defect clusters containing vacancies, self-interstitials and Xe impurities. We also consider larger clusters than previous studies. The obtained dataset (formation enthalpies, entropies, and migration barriers) is used to parameterize a cluster dynamics model of mobile clusters, and to calculate the defect cluster concentrations under irradiation. This gives us access to the radiation enhanced self- and fission gas diffusivities. Although the resulting diffusivities are close to the values reported in the literature, we find important qualitative differences in the diffusion mechanisms. Capturing the correct mechanisms is crucial to properly describe the chemistry and fission rate dependence of the model.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Microsized Pore Structure Determination in EPDM Rubbers Using High-Pressure 129 Xe NMR Techniques

Microsized pore parameters, such as pore size and distance between pores in a series of model EPDM rubbers, were determined in situ under the pressure of 500 psi using 129 Xe nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques: spin–lattice (T 1 ) and spin–spin (T 2 ) relaxation measurements, pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR, and two-dimensional exchange spectroscopy (2D EXSY). The T 1 /T 2 (>>1) ratio for the xenon confined in the pores is larger than that for nonconfined free xenon. This suggests that almost the entire pore surface interacts with xenon atoms like a closed pore. While these pores still connect each other through very narrow diffusion/exchange channels, it is possible to observe the echo decay in PFG-NMR and cross-peaks in 2D EXSY. The results show that both diffusion (D pore ≈ 2.1 × 10 –10 m 2 /s) and exchange (exchange rate, τ exch = a few tens of milliseconds) of xenon between a pore within the material and outer surface are prolonged. The exchange distances (l), which correspond to the xenon gas penetration depth, were estimated to be 70–100 μm based on the measured diffusion coefficients and exchange rate (1/τ exch ). NMR diffraction analysis reveals that pore size (a) and pore distance (b) are on the order of magnitude of micrometers and tens of micrometers, while the diffusion coefficients of xenon gas in the diffusion channels (D eff ) are about 10 –8 m 2 /s. Overall, this study suggests that the pores with a few micrometers connected through very narrow flowing channels with the length of several tens of micrometers are developed 70 to 100 μm below the rubber surface. Furthermore, the overall steady-state diffusion of xenon is slower, approximately 2 orders of magnitudes, than the diffusion in the channel between the pores. Finally, the pore and exchange distances correlated with the composition of rubbers showed that the properties of EPDM rubber as a high-pressure gas barrier could be improved by reducing the size of cracks and the depth of gas penetration by the addition of both carbon black and silica fillers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

X-ray observations of Ne-like Xe and satellites from C-Mod tokamak plasmas

We discuss X-ray spectra in the wavelength range from 2.70 to 2.76 °A from xenon (Z = 54) in near neon-like charge states have been observed in Alcator C-Mod tokamak plasmas. The 3D (2p 6 - (2p 5 ) 3/2 3d 5/2 , 2720.4 m°A) and 3F (2p 6 - (2p 5 ) 1/2 3s 1/2 , 2729.0 m°A) transitions from neon-like Xe 44+ have been identified, along with nearby Na-, Mgand Al-like satellites. The intensity ratio of 3D to the Mg-like satellite near 2.74 °A increases strongly with electron temperature in the range from 3 to 4 keV.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Discovery of 98 Sn Produced by the Projectile Fragmentation of a 345-MeV/Nucleon 124 Xe Beam

We present the discovery of a new isotope of $^{98}$Sn beyond the double-magic N = Z = 50 nucleus $^{100}$Sn. $^{98}$Sn was identified among the projectile-fragmentation products of a $^{124}$Xe beam at 345 MeV/nucleon at the RI Beam Factory, RIKEN, Japan. Additionally, we have confirmed the production of $^{96}$In and $^{94}$Cd, previously reported as new isotopes at RIKEN. These highly proton-rich nuclei were separated and identified using the large-acceptance two-stage separator BigRIPS. Furthermore, we have determined the cross sections of $^{98}$Sn and its neighboring nuclei. These experimental values were compared to the semi-empirical cross-section formula EPAX3.1a, resulting in a reduction of the predicted cross sections by roughly a factor of 5.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sensitivity of nEXO to 136 Xe charged-current interactions: Background-free searches for solar neutrinos and fermionic dark matter

We study the sensitivity of nEXO to solar neutrino charged-current interactions, 𝜈 𝑒 + 136 Xe → 136 Cs*+𝑒 − , as well as analogous interactions predicted by models of fermionic dark matter. Due to the recently observed low-lying isomeric states of 136 Cs, these interactions will create a time-delayed coincident signal observable in the scintillation channel. Here we develop a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of scintillation emission, propagation, and detection in the nEXO detector to model these signals under different assumptions about the timing resolution of the photosensor readout. We show this correlated signal can be used to achieve background discrimination on the order of 10 −9 , enabling nEXO to make background-free measurements of solar neutrinos above the reaction threshold of 0.668 MeV. We project that nEXO could measure the flux of neutrinos from the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle with a statistical uncertainty of 25%, thus contributing a novel and competitive measurement toward addressing the solar metallicity problem. Additionally, nEXO could measure the mean energy of the 7 Be neutrinos with a precision of 𝜎 ≤ 1.5 keV and could determine the survival probability of 7 Be and pep solar 𝜈𝑒 with precision comparable to the state of the art. These quantities are sensitive to the Sun’s core temperature and to nonstandard neutrino interactions, respectively. Here, the strong background suppression would allow nEXO to search for charged-current interactions of fermionic dark matter in the mass range 𝑚 𝜒 = 0.668–7 MeV with a sensitivity up to three orders of magnitude better than current limits.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fluorescence-mediated postcollision interaction in x-ray photoionization of the Xe 𝐾 edge

Postcollision interaction (PCI) in near-threshold photoionization of the K shell of atomic Xe is investigated with hard-x-ray synchrotron radiation. Applying Auger electron spectroscopy, line-shape distortion is monitored in the K-L 2 → L 2 M 4,5 M 4,5 decay channel, where the initial K-L 2 (Kα 2 ) x-ray-emission step mediates the emission of the two continuum electrons. The K-edge result is compared to similar data obtained on direct L 2 M 4,5 M 4,5 decay at the L 2 edge without x-ray-emission. In conclusion, it is found that the evolution of the PCI shift with excess photon energy is very similar at both edges, but a subtle decrease in the PCI shift is observable at the K edge due to the effect of the ultrafast x-ray emission step delaying the PCI energy exchange by a few attoseconds.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Predicting the neutrinoless double-β-decay matrix element of 136 Xe using a statistical approach

Calculation of the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) for double-β decay is of paramount importance for guiding experiments and for analyzing and interpreting the experimental data, especially for the search of the neutrinoless double β decay mode (0v⁢ββ). However, there are currently still large differences between the NME values calculated by different methods, hence a quantification of their uncertainties is very much required. Here, in this paper, we propose a statistical analysis of 0⁢v⁢ββ NME for the 136 Xe isotope, based on the interacting shell model, but using three independent effective Hamiltonians, emphasizing the range of the NMEs' most probable values and its correlations with observables that can be obtained from the existing nuclear data. Consequently, we propose a common probability distribution function for the 0⁢vββ NME, which has a range of (1.55–2.65) at 90% confidence level, with a mean value of 1.99 and a standard deviation of 0.37.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurement of the Spectral Shape of the $β$-Decay of 137 Xe to the Ground State of 137 Cs in EXO-200 and Comparison with Theory

Herein we report on a comparison between the theoretically predicted and experimentally measured spectra of the first-forbidden nonunique $β$-decay transition 137 Xe ( 7/2 - ) → 137 Cs ( 7/2 + ) . The experimental data were acquired by the EXO-200 experiment during a deployment of an AmBe neutron source. The ultralow background environment of EXO-200, together with dedicated source deployment and analysis procedures, allowed for collection of a pure sample of the decays, with an estimated signal to background ratio of more than 99 to 1 in the energy range from 1075 to 4175 keV. In addition to providing a rare and accurate measurement of the first-forbidden nonunique $β$-decay shape, this work constitutes a novel test of the calculated electron spectral shapes in the context of the reactor antineutrino anomaly and spectral bump.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ab Initio Computation of Charge Densities for Sn and Xe Isotopes

We present the first ab initio calculations for open-shell nuclei past the tin isotopic line, focusing on Xe isotopes as well as doubly magic Sn isotopes. We show that, even for moderately hard interactions, it is possible to obtain meaningful predictions and that the NNLO sat chiral interaction predicts radii and charge density distributions close to the experiment. We then make a new prediction for 100 Sn. This paves the way for ab initio studies of exotic charge density distributions at the limit of the present ab initio mass domain, where experimental data is becoming available. The present study closes the gap between the largest isotopes reachable by ab initio methods and the smallest exotic nuclei accessible to electron scattering experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of electrochemical cycling on microstructures of nanocomposite silicon electrodes using hyperpolarized 129 Xe and 7 Li NMR spectroscopy

The microstructural stability of composite electrodes during electrochemical cycling is critically important as it dictates the performance of Li-ion batteries. The issue becomes even more important for the high capacity alloying anode such as silicon that typically exhibits dramatic lithiation–delithiation-induced volume changes. The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formed on the active electrode surface has a profound effect on the overall microstructural stability of composite electrodes. An ideal SEI layer allows Li+ ions in and out of the electrode, but is an insulator to electrons, preventing the electrolyte from being further reduced. However, the SEI layers formed during initial lithiation may experience changes or degradation with subsequent cycling, adversely affecting the electrode performance. A combination of hyperpolarized 129 Xe and 7 Li nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies was applied to probe the microstructures of nanocomposite silicon electrodes at various stages of the lithiation–delithiation cycle. The results obtained from this study shed light on the degradation mechanism of nanocomposite Si electrodes upon electrochemical cycling and should prove useful in the effort to design more robust electrodes in the future.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scaling Uintah on the Aurora Exascale System up to 122,880 Intel Ponte Vecchio Xe Stacks

The challenge of being able to scale application codes based on the Asynchronous Many-Task (AMT) Uintah framework on the Department of Energy (DOE) Aurora exascale system is addressed in this work by considering a challenging Reverse Monte Carlo Ray Tracing radiation benchmark calculation. This benchmark involves potentially global all-to-all communication and uses adaptive mesh refinement and ray tracing to achieve scalability. This benchmark has been used as part of previous scalability studies on a number of pre-exascale systems and on the DOE Frontier exascale system. This paper describes steps taken to enable this benchmark to run successfully on up to 10,240 nodes and 122,880 Intel® Ponte Vecchio Xe stacks on the DOE Aurora exascale system. This scalability was achieved through a limited number of experiments on Aurora, given machine loads and its uniqueness. These experiments constitute valuable lessons learned to achieve scalability at this level. The resulting scalability runs, while few in number, demonstrate relatively good strong-scaling characteristics. A detailed analysis of these results provides important indications about the path to scalability on Aurora for future work. Overall, these results continue the remarkable ability of this AMT approach to produce scalable solutions for challenging problems at extreme scale on heterogeneous architectures.

Garcia, Marta [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)]↗
DOE OSTI2020

Summary of GAIN BWR Off-Gas Study: Effect of Charcoal on Kr and Xe Delay

This is a summary of a more extensive report, written in collaboration with the GE-Hitachi BWR Owner's Group, detailing a study of BWR off-gas treatment. The study determined that aged charcoal continues to be effective for the delay of Kr and Xe through BWR off-gas treatment systems. It demonstrates the over-sized nature of existing charcoal beds, and highlights potential areas of improvement.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Schiff Moment of 129 Xe and 199 Hg [Slides]

Using Chicoma in 2025, we advanced DFT-based calculations needed to connect fundamental T violating interactions to measurable Schiff moments in heavy nuclei. We implemented DFT for polarized odd nuclear systems, a first step toward treating the time-reversal-breaking mean fields required for Schiff moment calculations. As a validation test, we computed polarizabilities using a perturbation with the dipole operator (see figure to the right) for the odd systems shown in Table 1; while no odd-system effect is expected for polarizabilities, this capability is essential for Schiff moments. Initial mean-field solutions for 129 Xe Schiff moment calculations were also generated.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

XE-100 modeling and simulation for neutronic analysis in MCNP6.2

XE-100 is a generation IV helium-cooled, graphite-moderated, pebble-bed reactor (HTGR). As part of the pathway toward a conceptually designing and licensing this reactor, an independent Monte Carlo model was created in MCNP6.2, and several distinct neutronic analyses were then performed. The double heterogeneity of TRISO fuel within graphite pebbles introduces unique modeling challenges related to particle and pebble clipping. The results show that for neutron and photon heating of ex-core components such as the reflector, RCSS, core barrel (CB), the model that contains clipping produces higher heating values. It is therefore concluded that removing clipping via compression of the particles and pebbles within the model distributes the neutrons and gammas preferentially toward the core center, and reduces the heating that is experienced toward the reactor periphery. Thus, the most conservative model for ex-core heating contains particle and pebble clipping. Also presented are results on the impact of chamfers that exist on the corners of graphite reflector blocks. As these chamfers could potentially create streaming paths, the neutron and gamma flux from the core to the CB were analyzed. It was determined that the chamfers do not significantly impact the neutron or gamma signatures on the CB, in that the shape of the neutron and photon flux on a detector imposed on the CB shows no preferential streaming path. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fine Temperature Grid Continuous Energy Cross Section Generation for Monte Carlo Analysis of Xe-100 Design

The standard “A Compact ENDF (ACE)” data libraries used by Monte Carlo based reactor physics codes calculations are provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) with a temperature interval mostly of 300 K (e.g. 300 K, 600 K, 900 K) for the cross sections and between 100 K and 200 K for the thermal scattering libraries (TSL). However, some codes such as MCNP lack capability to perform on-the-fly temperature interpolation during simulation both for neutron and TSL cross-sections. To evaluate the impact related to Doppler broadening and spectrum shift associated with TSL changes, this paper explores the potential of adopting a temperature grid finer than the ones contained in the standard data libraries. A 50 K temperature grid was employed to quantify the error in neutronics calculations due to temperature grid resolution. This was achieved by comparing the results of this study (50 K temperature interval) against the results obtained with standard data libraries (>100 K temperature interval). While the adopted grid primarily relies on the ENDF/B-VII.1 library, for neutron cross-sections, it utilizes ENDF/B-VIII.0 library for TSL. The analyses confirmed that the accuracy of neutronics calculations is satisfactory when using a 50 K temperature grid. Notably, adopting a 50 K temperature grid, as opposed to standard libraries or coarser temperature grids, could lead to a difference of no more than a few hundred pcm in dk for both fresh fuel and burnt fuel. The most sensitive reaction type to the temperature grid was as expected identified as the capture cross-section of U-238.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗