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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

Kinetic Inductance Detectors for Dark Matter Searches

Decades of astrophysical observations suggest that 23% of the mass energy of the universe is dark. Meanwhile, particle physics theories favor the existence of a stable and weakly interacting particle, which has yet to be detected. These realities combine to formulate a very well motivated particle dark matter candidate, which was produced in the early universe and still lingers in abundance today. The expectation of a small weak interaction cross-section enables the instrumentation of experiments designed to discover the nature of the dark matter which continues to be an overarching question of cosmology. A detector for this dark matter candidate senses energy from occasional collisions between the dark matter and atomic nuclei; the more nuclei in the detector, the greater its sensitivity to dark matter. The detectors of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) measure phonons and charge emanating from recoiling germanium nuclei. Its phonon sensors, though exquisitely sensitive, are relatively complicated to fabricate and deploy. Responding to the scientific imperative to increase dark matter sensitivity, we look for a simpler phonon sensor technology. Kinetic inductance based phonon sensors (KIPS) are superconducting thin film microwave frequency resonant circuits. Phonon energy impinging on the film alters its surface impedance, which alters the characteristics of the resonance. KIPS can be made with relatively large, millimeter sized features which makes them easier to fabricate and reduces variations between detectors. This instrumentation focused thesis shows that KIPS can be used as a simple and sensitive phonon sensor for the CDMS detector. KIPS design aspects, competitiveness to the current transition edge phonon sensors, readout considerations and suggestions on how to instrument them in future dark matter experiments will be presented. The broader applicability of KIPS in nuclear non-proliferation and other physics investigations is also discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Interplay between phonon downconversion efficiency, density of states at Fermi energy, and intrinsic energy resolution for microwave kinectic inductance detectors

Microwave Kinetic Inductance detectors (MKIDs) have been recognized as a powerful new tool for single photon detection. These highly multiplexed superconducting devices give timing and energy measurement for every detected photon. However, the full potential of MKID single photon spectroscopy has not been reached , the achieved energy resolution is lower than expected from first principles. Here, we study the efficiency in the phonon downconversion process following the absorption of energetic photons in MKIDs. Assuming previously published material properties, we measure an average downconversion efficiency for three TiN resonators is $\eta$=0.14. We discuss how this efficiency can impact the intrinsic energy resolution of MKID, and how any uncertainty in the unknown density of electron states at the Fermi energy directly affects the efficiency estimations.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

High speed induction machine

In one embodiment, a high speed induction machine includes: a stator formed of a first plurality of laminations having a thickness of less than approximately 0.01 inch and a winding comprising a coil formed of Litz wire adapted about the stator; and a rotor adapted within the stator. The rotor may include: a rotor core formed of a second plurality of laminations having a second thickness of greater than approximately 0.10 inch and formed of high strength steel and sandwiched between a first end region including at least one first peripheral second lamination and a second end region including at least one second peripheral second lamination, the first end region having a first end ring retained by a first retaining ring adapted there around, the second end region having a second end ring retained by a second retaining ring adapted there around.

Karmaker, Haran Chandra↗

On the Homogeneity of TiN Kinetic Inductance Detectors Produced through Atomic Layer Deposition

The non-homogeneity in the critical temperature $T_{c}$ of an Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID) could be caused by non-uniformity in the deposition process of the thin superconducting film. This produces low percent yield and frequency collision in the readout of the MKIDs. Here, we show the homogeneity that offers Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). We report an improvement of up to a factor of 50 in the fractional variation of the $T_{c}$ for TiN MKIDs fabricated with Atomic Layer Deposition in comparison with MKIDs fabricated with sputtering. We measured the critical temperature of 48 resonators. We extracted the $T_{c}$ of the MKIDs by fitting the fractional resonance frequency to the complex conductivity of their resonators. We observed uniformity on the critical temperature for MKIDs belonging to the same fabrication process, with a maximum change in the $T_{c}$ of 60 mK for MKIDs fabricated on different wafers.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

The production of advanced glass ceramic HLW forms using cold crucible induction melter

Cold Crucible Induction Melters (CCIM) will favorably change how High-Level radioactive Waste (from nuclear fuel recovery) is treated in a near future. Unlike the existing Joule-Heated Melters (JHM) currently in operation for the glass-based immobilization of High-Level Waste (HLW), CCIM offers unique material features that will increase melt temperatures, increase throughput, increase mixing, increase loading in the waste form, lower melter foot prints, eliminate melter corrosion and lower costs. These features not only enhance the technology for producing HLW forms, but also provide advantageous attributes to the waste form by allowing more durable alternatives to glass. It is concluded that glass ceramic waste forms that are tailored to immobilize fission products of HLW can be can be made from the HLW processed with the CCIM. The advantageous higher temperatures reached with the CCIM and unachievable with JHM allows the lanthanides, alkali, alkaline earths, and molybdenum to dissolve into a molten glass. Upon controlled cooling they go into targeted crystalline phases to form a glass ceramic waste form with higher waste loadings than achievable with borosilicate glass waste forms. Natural cooling proves to be too fast for the formation of all targeted crystalline phases.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Partitioning of fission products from irradiated nitride fuel using inductive vaporization

Irradiated nitride fuel (Pu{sub 0.3}Zr{sub 0.7})N fabricated at PSI in frame of the CONFIRM project and having a burn-up of 10.4 % FIMA (Fission per Initial Metal Atom) has been investigated by means of inductive vaporization. The study of thermal stability and release behavior of Pu, Am, Zr and fission products (FPs) was performed in a wide temperature range (up to 2300 C. degrees) and on different redox conditions. On-line monitoring by ICP-MS detected low nitride stability and significant loss of Pu and Am at T>1900 C. degrees during annealing under inert atmosphere (Ar). The oxidative pre-treatment of nitride fuel on air at 1000 C. degrees resulted in strong retention of Pu and Am in the solid, as well as of most FPs. Thermodynamic modelling of elemental speciation using GEM-Selektor v.3 code (Gibbs Energy Minimization Selektor), supported by a comprehensive literature review on thermodynamics of actinides and FPs, revealed a number of binary compounds of Cs, Mo, Te, Sr and Ba to occur in the solid. Speciation of some FPs in the fuel is discussed and compared to earlier results of electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Predominant vapor species predicted by GEM-Selektor calculations were Pu(g), Am(g) and N{sub 2}. Nitrogen can be completely released from the fuel after complete oxidation at 1000 C. degrees. With regard to the irradiated nitride reprocessing technology, this result can have an important practical application as an alternative way for {sup 15}N recovery. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Iron Phosphate Glass for Vitrifying Hanford AZ102 LAW in Joule Heated and Cold Crucible Induction Melters - 12240

An iron phosphate composition for vitrifying a high sulfate (∼17 wt%) and high alkali (∼80 wt%) Hanford low activity waste (LAW), known as AZ-102 LAW, has been developed for processing in a Joule Heated Melter (JHM) or a Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM). This composition produced a glass waste form, designated as MS26AZ102F-2, with a waste loading of 26 wt% of the AZ-102 which corresponded to a total alkali and sulfate (represented as SO{sub 3}) content of 21 and 4.4 wt%, respectively. A slurry (7 M Na{sup +}) of MS26AZ102F-2 simulant was melted continuously at temperatures between 1030 and 1090 deg. C for 10 days in a small JHM at PNNL and for 70 hours in a CCIM at INL. The as-cast glasses produced in both melters and in trial laboratory experiments along with their canister centerline cooled (CCC) counterparts met the requirements for the Product Consistency Test (PCT) and the Vapor Hydration Test (VHT) responses in the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Contract. These glass waste forms retained up to 77 % of the SO{sub 3} (3.3 wt%), 100% of the Cesium, and 33 to 44% of the rhenium (used as a surrogate for Tc) all of which either exceeded or were comparable to the retention limit for these species in borosilicate glass nuclear waste form. Analyses of commercial K-3 refractory lining and the Inconel 693 metal electrodes used in JHM indicated only minimum corrosion of these components by the iron phosphate glass. This is the first time that an iron phosphate composition was melted continuously in a slurry fed JHM and in the US, thereby, demonstrating that iron phosphate glasses can be used as alternative hosts for vitrifying nuclear waste. The following conclusions are drawn from the results of the present work. (1) An iron phosphate composition, designated as MS26AZ102F-2, containing 26 wt% of the simulated high sulfate (17 wt%), high alkali (80 wt%) Hanford AZ-102 LAW meets all the criteria for processing in a JHM and CCIM. This composition produces a homogeneous glass with a density of 2.80 ± 0.04 g/cm{sup 3} after melting between 1000 and 1050 deg. C for 3 to 5 h. (2) This is the first time that an iron phosphate glass was melted in the JHM continuously for 10 days achieving a specific melting rate of 1010 kg/m2/day and in the CCIM for 70 hrs with a melting rate of 664 kg/m{sup 2}/day. (3) The analyzed (ICP-AES) compositions for all the glasses prepared under several melting conditions are in excellent agreement with the target composition. The variation of melting conditions include: (i) use of small scale/short melting time to large scale/long melting time (300 g to 80 kg, 4 h to 10 days) operations including melting in the JHM and CCIM, (ii) use of dry or wet (slurry) melter feed, (iii) addition of reductant (sugar) in the batch, and (iv) bubbling the melt with air. (4) The chemical durability as measured by PCT and VHT for the quenched and CCC-treated waste forms prepared from laboratory, JHM or CCIM melting exceeds the DOE requirements for LAW. (5) Depending upon the melting time (4 h to 10 days), the average concentration of SO{sub 3} in the MS26AZ102F-2 iron phosphate glass waste form varies from about 1.78 (RSM) to 3.74 (laboratory melt) wt% which corresponds to an SO{sub 3} retention of 41 to 86% when melted between 1030 at 1050 deg. C in air. (6) The retention of SO{sub 3} in the glass was reduced when a reductant (sugar) was added to the slurry. (7) The retention of other problem components like Cesium and Rhenium/Tc-99 is also high; from 92 to 100% for Cs{sub 2}O under different melting conditions, and from 66 to 33% for Re{sub 2}O{sub 7} for melts processed from 3 to 5 hours and up to 10 days. (8) Corrosion tests on Inconel 693 and K-3 refractory at temperatures between 1000 and 1050 deg. C indicate that both materials should be suitable for melting iron phosphate glasses. (9) The viscosity and electrical conductivity of the MS26AZ102F-2 melt are within the acceptable limits for RSM and CCIM processing. (10)This work has shown that iron phosphate compositions are a potential alternative to borosilicate glasses for vitrifying problematic wastes such as Hanford AZ-102 LAW that contains high amounts sulfate and alkali oxides, and that iron phosphate melts such as MS26AZ102F-2 can be processed in the JHM or CCIM. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Radiation and Electromagnetic Induction Data Fusion for Detection of Buried Radioactive Metal Waste - 12282

At the United States Army's test sites, fired penetrators made of Depleted Uranium (DU) have been buried under ground and become hazardous waste. Previously, we developed techniques for detecting buried radioactive targets. We also developed approaches for locating buried paramagnetic metal objects by utilizing the electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor data. In this paper, we apply data fusion techniques to combine results from both the radiation detection and the EMI detection, so that we can further distinguish among DU penetrators, DU oxide, and non- DU metal debris. We develop a two-step fusion approach for the task, and test it with survey data collected on simulation targets. In this work, we explored radiation and EMI data fusion for detecting DU, oxides, and non-DU metals. We developed a two-step fusion approach based on majority voting and a set of decision rules. With this approach, we fuse results from radiation detection based on the RX algorithm and EMI detection based on a 3-step analysis. Our fusion approach has been tested successfully with data collected on simulation targets. In the future, we will need to further verify the effectiveness of this fusion approach with field data. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

UMo Solutions Processing in La Hague Cold Crucible Induction Melter: the Feedback From the First Years of Operation - 16376

250 cubic meters of high-level liquid waste from reprocessed U-Mo-Sn-Al spent fuel, used in Gas Cooled Reactors (GCR), were produced during the mid-1960's at La Hague facility. These 'UMo' solutions are less radioactive than the current fission product concentrates coming from ongoing reprocessing activities, but are very rich in molybdenum and phosphorus whose contents make the molten glass quite corrosive and require a high-temperature glass formulation to obtain sufficiently high waste loading factors (12% in molybdenum oxide). Hence the use of the Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM) technology to process such solutions has been deemed a good opportunity for AREVA to meet its performance expectations. In addition to being very corrosive, the UMo waste is quite challenging to process as the molybdenum has a strong tendency to stick in the calciner and causes clogging issues in off-gas treatment equipment. Therefore, the process and technological qualifications were deployed in order to address these specific issues. UMo solutions processing in the La Hague CCIM has started in January 2013 and is currently ongoing. During this period (from 2013 to 2015), many data have been collected to confirm the process parameters that were defined during the qualification of this innovating process. Even if some difficulties occurred, operations teams experience along with engineering and R and D support allowed managing them. This paper presents the start-up methodology and the feedback from the first years of UMo solutions processing with the CCIM technology at La Hague site. Lessons learned are presented with the difficulties encountered and the solutions implemented, emphasizing the benefits of a close integration between R and D, engineering and operations teams. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Rapid measurements of 235 U fission product isotope ratios using an online, high-pressure ion chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry protocol with comparison to isotopic depletion models

An automated online separation–direct analysis method, RAPID (rapid analysis of post-irradiation debris), has been developed for the measurement of the concentration and isotopic composition of over 40 elements down to the low-picogram level. Here we discuss the application of RAPID to irradiated highly-enriched uranium, demonstrating that it has the sensitivity required to achieve precise, low-level analyses of non-natural isotopes, even in the presence of a bulk uranium matrix. As a result, isotopic ratios have been successfully measured at the low-picogram level, and the accuracy of these ratios was confirmed using an isotopic depletion and decay modeling software to within 1–2%.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The role of amino acid electron-donor/acceptor atoms in host-cell binding peptides is associated with their 3D structure and HLA-binding capacity in sterile malarial immunity induction

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fundamental residues located in some HABPs are associated with their 3D structure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron-donor atoms present in {beta}-turn, random, distorted {alpha}-helix structures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron-donor atoms bound to HLA-DR53. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron-acceptor atoms present in regular {alpha}-helix structure bound to HLA-DR52. -- Abstract: Plasmodium falciparum malaria continues being one of the parasitic diseases causing the highest worldwide mortality due to the parasite's multiple evasion mechanisms, such as immunological silence. Membrane and organelle proteins are used during invasion for interactions mediated by high binding ability peptides (HABPs); these have amino acids which establish hydrogen bonds between them in some of their critical binding residues. Immunisation assays in the Aotus model using HABPs whose critical residues had been modified have revealed a conformational change thereby enabling a protection-inducing response. This has improved fitting within HLA-DR{beta}1{sup Asterisk-Operator} molecules where amino acid electron-donor atoms present in {beta}-turn, random or distorted {alpha}-helix structures preferentially bound to HLA-DR53 molecules, whilst HABPs having amino acid electron-acceptor atoms present in regular {alpha}-helix structure bound to HLA-DR52. This data has great implications for vaccine development.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Phase II enzyme induction by a carotenoid, lutein, in a PC12D neuronal cell line

Highlights: • Lutein reduced ROS levels in a PC12D neuronal cell line. • Lutein induced mRNAs of phase II antioxidative enzymes in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein increased protein levels of HO-1, SOD2, and NQO-1 in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein had no effect on intranuclear Nrf2 levels in PC12D neuronal cells. • Lutein did not activate potential upstream Nrf2 nuclear translocation pathways. - Abstract: The mechanism by which lutein, a carotenoid, acts as an antioxidant in retinal cells is still not fully understood. Here, lutein treatment of a neuronal cell line (PC12D) immediately resulted in reduced intracellular ROS levels, implying that it has a direct role in ROS scavenging. Significantly, lutein treatment also induced phase II antioxidative enzyme expression, probably via a nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2) independent pathway. This latter mechanism could explain why lutein acts diversely to protect against oxidative/cytotoxic stress, and why it is physiologically involved in the human neural tissue, such as the retina.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗