Neural network study of the nuclear ground-state spin distribution within a random interaction ensemble

The distribution of the nuclear ground-state spin in a two-body random ensemble(TBRE)was studied using a general classification neural network(NN)model with two-body interaction matrix elements as input features and the corresponding ground-state spins as labels or output predictions.The quantum many-body system problem exceeds the capability of our optimized NNs in terms of accurately predicting the ground-state spin of each sample within the TBRE.However,our NN model effectively captured the statistical properties of the ground-state spin because it learned the empirical regularity of the ground-state spin distribution in TBRE,as discovered by physicists.

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of in-vessel phenomena under severe accident mitigation strategy based on ISAA-SAUP program

The phenomenology involved in severe accidents in nuclear reactors is highly complex.Currently,integrated analysis programs used for severe accident analysis heavily rely on custom empirical parameters,which introduce considerable uncertainty.Therefore,in recent years,the field of severe accidents has shifted its focus toward applying uncertainty analysis methods to quantify uncertainty in safety assessment programs,known as“best estimate plus uncertainty(BEPU).”This approach aids in enhancing our comprehension of these programs and their further development and improvement.This study concentrates on a third-generation pressurized water reactor equipped with advanced active and passive mitigation strategies.Through an Integrated Severe Accident Analysis Program(ISAA),numerical modeling and uncertainty analysis were conducted on severe accidents resulting from large break loss of coolant accidents.Seventeen uncertainty parameters of the ISAA program were meticulously screened.Using Wilks'formula,the developed uncertainty program code,SAUP,was employed to carry out Latin hypercube sampling,while ISAA was employed to execute batch calculations.Statistical analysis was then conducted on two figures of merit,namely hydrogen generation and the release of fission products within the pressure vessel.Uncertainty calculations revealed that hydrogen production and the fraction of fission product released exhibited a normal distribution,ranging from 182.784 to 330.664 kg and from 15.6 to 84.3%,respectively.The ratio of hydrogen production to reactor thermal power fell within the range of 0.0578–0.105.A sensitivity analysis was performed for uncertain input parameters,revealing significant correlations between the failure temperature of the cladding oxide layer,maximum melt flow rate,size of the particulate debris,and porosity of the debris with both hydrogen generation and the release of fission products.

Design and prototyping of the readout electronics for the transition radiation detector in the high energy cosmic radiation detection facility

The high energy cosmic-radiation detection(HERD)facility is planned to launch in 2027 and scheduled to be installed on the China Space Station.It serves as a dark matter particle detector,a cosmic ray instrument,and an observatory for high-energy gamma rays.A transition radiation detector placed on one of its lateral sides serves dual purpose,(ⅰ)calibrating HERD's electromagnetic calorimeter in the TeV energy range,and(ⅱ)serving as an independent detector for high-energy gamma rays.In this paper,the prototype readout electronics design of the transition radiation detector is demonstrated,which aims to accurately measure the charge of the anodes using the SAMPA application specific integrated circuit chip.The electronic performance of the prototype system is evaluated in terms of noise,linearity,and resolution.Through the presented design,each electronic channel can achieve a dynamic range of 0–100 fC,the RMS noise level not exceeding 0.15 fC,and the integral nonlinearity was<0.2%.To further verify the readout electronic performance,a joint test with the detector was carried out,and the results show that the prototype system can satisfy the requirements of the detector's scientific goals.

Review on synergistic damage effect of irradiation and corrosion on reactor structural alloys

The synergistic damage effect of irradiation and corrosion of reactor structural materials has been a prominent research focus.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the synergistic effects on the third-and fourth-generation fission nuclear energy structural materials used in pressurized water reactors and molten salt reactors.The competitive mechanisms of multiple influencing factors,such as the irradiation dose,corrosion type,and environmental temperature,are summarized in this paper.Conceptual approaches are proposed to alleviate the synergistic damage caused by irradiation and corrosion,thereby promoting in-depth research in the future and solving this key challenge for the structural materials used in reactors.

Benchmark experiment on slab^(238)U with D-T neutrons for validation of evaluated nuclear data

A benchmark experiment on^(238)U slab samples was conducted using a deuterium-tritium neutron source at the China Institute of Atomic Energy.The leakage neutron spectra within energy levels of 0.8-16 MeV at 60°and 120°were measured using the time-of-flight method.The samples were prepared as rectangular slabs with a 30 cm square base and thicknesses of 3,6,and 9 cm.The leakage neutron spectra were also calculated using the MCNP-4C program based on the latest evaluated files of^(238)U evaluated neutron data from CENDL-3.2,ENDF/B-Ⅷ.0,JENDL-5.0,and JEFF-3.3.Based on the comparison,the deficiencies and improvements in^(238)U evaluated nuclear data were analyzed.The results showed the following.(1)The calculated results for CENDL-3.2 significantly overestimated the measurements in the energy interval of elastic scattering at 60°and 120°.(2)The calculated results of CENDL-3.2 overestimated the measurements in the energy interval of inelastic scattering at 120°.(3)The calculated results for CENDL-3.2 significantly overestimated the measurements in the 3-8.5 MeV energy interval at 60°and 120°.(4)The calculated results with JENDL-5.0 were generally consistent with the measurement results.

Design and performance evaluation of a large field-of-view dual-particle time-encoded imager based on a depth-of-interaction detector

Time-encoded imaging is useful for identifying potential special nuclear materials and other radioactive sources at a distance.In this study,a large field-of-view time-encoded imager was developed for gamma-ray and neutron source hotspot imaging based on a depth-of-interaction(DOI)detector.The imager primarily consists of a DOI detector system and a rotary dual-layer cylindrical coded mask.An EJ276 plastic scintillator coupled with two SiPMs was designed as the DOI detector to increase the field of view and improve the imager performance.The difference in signal time at both ends and the log of the signal amplitude ratio were used to calculate the interaction position resolution.The position resolution of the DOI detector was calibrated using a collimated Cs-137 source,and the full width at half maximum of the reconstruction position of the Gaussian fitting curve was approximately 4.4 cm.The DOI detector can be arbitrarily divided into several units to independently reconstruct the source distribution images.The unit length was optimized via Am-Be source-location experiments.A multidetector filtering method is proposed for image denoising.This method can effectively reduce image noise caused by poor DOI detector position resolution.The vertical field of view of the imager was(-55°,55°)when the detector was placed in the center of the coded mask.A DT neutron source at 20 m standoff could be located within 2400 s with an angular resolution of 3.5°.

State-selective charge exchange cross sections in collisions of highly-charged sulfur ions with helium and molecular hydrogen

The state-selective cross section data are useful for understanding and modeling the x-ray emission in celestial observations.In the present work,using the cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy,for the first time we investigated the state-selective single electron capture processes for S^(q+)–He and H_(2)(q=11–15)collision systems at an impact energy of q×20 keV and obtained the relative state-selective cross sections.The results indicate that only a few principal quantum states of the projectile energy level are populated in a single electron capture process.In particular,the increase of the projectile charge state leads to the population of the states with higher principal quantum numbers.It is also shown that the experimental averaged n-shell populations are reproduced well by the over-barrier model.The database is openly available in Science Data Bank at 10.57760/sciencedb.j00113.00091.

The energy response of LaBr_(3)(Ce),LaBr_(3)(Ce,Sr),and NaI(Tl)crystals for GECAM

The GECAM series of satellites utilizes LaBr_(3)(Ce),LaBr_(3)(Ce,Sr),and NaI(Tl)crystals as sensitive materials for gamma-ray detectors(GRDs).To investigate the nonlinearity in the detection of low-energy gamma rays and address the errors in the calibration of the E-C relationship,comprehensive tests and comparative studies of the three aforementioned crystals were conducted using Compton electrons,radioactive sources,and mono-energetic X-rays.The nonlinearity test results of the Compton electrons and X-rays demonstrated substantial differences,with all three crystals presenting a higher nonlinearity for X/-rays than for Compton electrons.Despite the LaBr_(3)(Ce)and LaBr_(3)(Ce,Sr)crystals having higher absolute light yields,they exhibited a noticeable nonlinear decrease in the light yield,especially at energies below 400 keV.The NaI(Tl)crystal demonstrated an"excess"light output in the 6-200 keV range,reaching a maximum"excess"of 9.2%at 30 keV in the X-ray testing and up to 15.5%at 14 keV during Compton electron testing,indicating a significant advantage in the detection of low-energy gamma rays.Furthermore,we explored the underlying causes of the observed nonlinearity in these crystals.This study not only elucidates the detector responses of GECAM,but also initiates a comprehensive investigation of the nonlinearity of domestically produced lanthanum bromide and sodium iodide crystals.

Effects of sequential decay on collective flows and nuclear stopping power in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

In this study, the rapidity distribution, collective flows, and nuclear stopping power in ^(197)Au+^(197)Au collisions at intermediate energies were investigated using the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics(UrQMD) model with GEMINI++ code. The UrQMD model was adopted to simulate the dynamic evolution of heavy-ion collisions, whereas the GEMINI++ code was used to simulate the decay of primary fragments produced by UrQMD. The calculated results were compared with the INDRA and FOPI experimental data. It was found that the rapidity distribution, collective flows, and nuclear stopping power were affected to a certain extent by the decay of primary fragments, especially at lower beam energies. Furthermore, the experimental data of the collective flows and nuclear stopping power at the investigated beam energies were better reproduced when the sequential decay effect was included.

Photonuclear production of nuclear isomers using bremsstrahlung induced by laser-wakefield electrons

In this study,we theoretically investigate the feasibility of using laser-wakefield accelerated(LWFA)electrons for the photonuclear measurement of nuclear isomers according to the characteristics of the electrons obtained from LWFA experiments conducted at the Compact Laser-Plasma Accelerator(CLAPA)laboratory.The experiments at the CLAPA show that a stable electron beam with an energy of 78-135 MeV and a charge of 300-600 pC can be obtained.The bremsstrahlung spectra were simulated using Geant4,which suggests that a bremsstrahlung source with a peak intensity of 10^(19) photons/s can be generated.Theoretical calculations of isomer production cross sections from the photonuclear reactions on six target nuclei,^(197)Au,^(180)Hf,^(159)Tb,^(115)In,^(103)Rh,and ^(90)Zr,were performed and compared with the available experimental data in EXFOR,which suggest that further experiments are required for a series of photonuclear reaction channels.Flux-averaged cross sections and isomer ratios(IR)resulting from such bremsstrahlung sources are theoretically deduced.The results suggest that IR measurements can be used to constrain nuclear components,such asγstrength function and optical model potential.In addition,the detection of the decay characteristics was evaluated with Geant4 simulations.The use of the LWFA electron beam and its bremsstrahlung for photonuclear studies involving nuclear isomers is anticipated.

Investigation ofβ—‑decay half‑life and delayed neutron emission with uncertainty analysis

β-decay half-life and β-delayed neutron emission(βn) are of great importance in the development of basic science and industrial applications, such as nuclear physics and nuclear energy, where β--decay plays an important role. Many theoretical models have been proposed to describe β-decay half-lives, whereas the systematic study of βn is still rare. This study aimed to investigate β--decay half-lives and βn probabilities through analytical formulas and by comparing them with experimental data. Analytical formulas for β--decay properties have been proposed by considering prominent factors, that is, decay energy,odevity, and the shell effect. The bootstrap method was used to simultaneously evaluate the total uncertainty on calculations,which was composed of statistic and systematic uncertainties. β--decay half-lives, βn probabilities, and the corresponding uncertainties were evaluated for the neutron-rich region. The experimental half-lives were well reproduced. Additional predictions are also presented with theoretical uncertainties, which helps to better understand the disparity between the experimental and theoretical results.

Simulation and test of the SLEGS TOF spectrometer at SSRF

The Shanghai laser electron gamma source(SLEGS)is a powerful tool for exploring photonuclear physics,such as giant dipole resonance(GDR)and pygmy dipole resonance,which are the main mechanisms of collective nuclear motion.The goal of the SLEGS neutron time-of-flight(TOF)spectrometer is to measure GDR and specific nuclear structures in the energy region above the neutron threshold.The SLEGS TOF spectrometer was designed to hold 20 sets of EJ301 and LaBr3 detectors.Geant4 was used to simulate the efficiency of each detector and the entire spectrometer,which provides a reference for the selection of detectors and layout of the SLEGS TOF spectrometer.Under the events of 208Pb,implementations of coincidence and time-of-flight technology for complex experiments are available;thus,and neutron decay events can be separated.The performance of SLEGS TOF spectrometer was systematically evaluated using offline experiments,in which the time resolution reached approximately 0.9 ns.

Solvent extraction and separation of cobalt from leachate of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes with N263 in nitrite media

To effectively separate and recover Co(Ⅱ) from the leachate of spent lithium-ion battery cathodes,we investigated solvent extraction with quaternary ammonium salt N263 in the sodium nitrite system.NO_(2)^(-)combines with Co(Ⅱ) to form an anion [Co(NO_(2))_(3)]^(-),and it is then extracted by N263.The extraction of Co(Ⅱ) is related to the concentration of NO_(2)^(-).The extraction efficiency of Co(Ⅱ) reaches the maximum of99.16%,while the extraction efficiencies of Ni(Ⅱ),Mn(Ⅱ),and Li(Ⅰ) are 9.27%-9.80% under the following conditions:30vol% of N263 and15vol% of iso-propyl alcohol in sulfonated kerosene,the volume ratio of the aqueous-to-organic phase is 2:1,the extraction time is 30 min,and1 M sodium nitrite in 0.1 MHNO_(3).The theoretical stages require for the Co(Ⅱ) extraction are performed in the McCabe–Thiele diagram,and the extraction efficiency of Co(Ⅱ) reaches more than 99.00% after three-stage counter-current extraction with Co(Ⅱ) concentration of 2544mg/L.When the HCl concentration is 1.5 M,the volume ratio of the aqueous-to-organic phase is 1:1,the back-extraction efficiency of Co(Ⅱ)achieves 91.41%.After five extraction and back-extraction cycles,the Co(Ⅱ) extraction efficiency can still reach 93.89%.The Co(Ⅱ) extraction efficiency in the actual leaching solution reaches 100%.

Advances in nuclear detection and readout techniques

“A Craftsman Must Sharpen His Tools to Do His Job,”said Confucius.Nuclear detection and readout techniques are the foundation of particle physics,nuclear physics,and particle astrophysics to reveal the nature of the universe.Also,they are being increasingly used in other disciplines like nuclear power generation,life sciences,environmental sciences,medical sciences,etc.The article reviews the short history,recent development,and trend of nuclear detection and readout techniques,covering Semiconductor Detector,Gaseous Detector,Scintillation Detector,Cherenkov Detector,Transition Radiation Detector,and Readout Techniques.By explaining the principle and using examples,we hope to help the interested reader underst and this research field and bring exciting information to the community.

Reference device for calibration of radon exhalation rate measuring instruments and its performance

Environmental radon emanates from the exhalation and release of soil,rocks,and building materials.Environmental radon contamination tracing and radon pollution prevention and control require the measurement of the radon exhalation rate on media surfaces.Reliable measurements of the radon exhalation rate cannot be achieved without regular calibration of the measuring instrument with a high-performance reference device.In this study,a reference device for the calibration of radon exhalation rate measuring instruments was developed using a diffusion solid radon source with a high and stable radon emanation coefficient,an integrated diffusion component composed of a plasterboard and a high-density wooden board,an air pressure balance device,a radon accumulation chamber,and a support structure.The uniformity and stability of the reference device were evaluated using the activated carbon-γspectrum and open-loop method,respectively,to measure the radon exhalation rate.The reference device achieved different radon exhalation rates by using different activities of diffusion solid radon sources.Nineteen measurement points were regularly selected on the radon exhalation surface of the reference device,and the uniformity of the radon exhalation rate exceeded 5%.The short-term stability of the reference device was better than 5%under different environmental conditions and was almost unaffected by the ambient air pressure,environmental temperature,and relative humidity.

Measurement and simulation of the leakage neutron spectra from Fe spheres bombarded with 14 MeV neutrons

Iron is commonly used as a structural and shielding material in nuclear devices. The accuracy of its nuclear data is critical for the design of nuclear devices. The evaluation data of ^(56)Fe isotopes in the latest version of the CENDL-3.2 library from China was significantly updated. This new data must be tested before it can be used. To test the reliability of this data and assess the shielding effect, a shielding benchmark experiment was conducted with natural Fe spherical samples using a pulsed deuterium–tritium neutron source at the China Institute of Atomic Energy(CIAE). The leakage neutron spectra from the natural spherical iron samples with different thicknesses(4.5, 7.5, and 12 cm) were measured between 0.8 and 16 MeV after interacting with 14 MeV neutrons using the time-of-flight method. The simulation results were obtained by Monte Carlo simulations by employing the Fe data from the CENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-VIII.0, and JEDNL-5.0 libraries. The measured and simulated leakage neutron spectra and penetration rates were compared, demonstrating that the CENDL-3.2 library performs sufficiently overall. The simulation results of the other two libraries were underestimated for scattering at the continuum energy level.

Electron-impact ionization of W^(9+)and W^(10+)

Electron-impact single-ionization(EISI)cross sections for W^(q+)(q=9,10)ions have been calculated by using the level-to-level distorted-wave(LLDW)method with emphasis on the contribution of metastable states to the total ionization cross sections.Contributions from direct-ionization(DI)and excitation-autoionization(EA)processes are taken into account.The calculated cross sections include the contributions from both the ground configuration and the long-lived metastable states with lifetimes exceeding 10^(-6)s.Calculated cross sections are in good agreement with experimental measurements when the influence of metastable states on the total ionization cross section are well considered.

PSA study of the effect of extreme snowfall on a floating nuclear power plant:case study in the Bohai Sea

This study presents a probabilistic safety analysis(PSA)method for the external event of extreme snowfall on a floating nuclear power plant(FNPP)deployed in the Bohai Sea.We utilized the Weibull and Gumbel extreme value distributions to fit the collected meteorological data and obtained a hazard curve for the event of an extreme snowfall where the FNPP is located,providing a basis for the frequency of extreme snowfall-initiating events.Our analysis indicates that extreme snowfall primarily affects the ventilation openings of the equipment,leading to the failure of devices such as the diesel generators.Additionally,extreme snowfall can result in a loss of off-site power(LOOP).Therefore,the developed extreme snowfall PSA model is mainly based on the LOOP event tree,considering responses such as snowfall removal by personnel.Our calculations indicate a core damage frequency(CDF)of 1.13×10^(-10) owing to extreme snowfall,which is relatively low.The results of the cut-set analysis indicate that valve failures in the core makeup tank(CMT),passive residual heat removal system(PRS),and in-containment refueling water storage tank(IRWST)significantly contribute to the CDF.

Alfvén continuum in the presence of a magnetic island in a cylinder configuration

In this work,the effect of a magnetic island on Alfvén waves is studied.A physical model is established wherein Alfvén waves propagate in the presence of a magnetic island in a cylindrical geometry.The structure of the Alfvén wave continuum is calculated by considering only the coupling caused by the periodicity in the helical angle of the magnetic island.The results show that the magnetic island can induce an upshift in the Alfvén continuum.Moreover,the coupling between different branches of the continuous spectrum becomes more significant with increasing continuum mode numbers near the boundary of the magnetic island.

Effective extraction of photoneutron cross-section distribution using gamma activation and reaction yield ratio method

Photoneutron cross-section(PNCS)data are important in various current and emerging applications.Although a few sophis-ticated methods have been developed,there is still an urgent need to study the PNCS data.In this study,we propose the extraction of PNCS distributions using a combination of gamma activation and reaction yield ratio methods.To verify the validity of the proposed extraction method,experiments for generating^(62,64)Cu and^(85m,87m)Sr isotopes via laser-induced pho-toneutron reactions were performed,and the reaction yields of these isotopes were obtained.Using the proposed extraction method,the PNCS distributions of^(63)Cu and^(86)Sr isotopes(leading to^(85m)Sr isotope production)were successfully extracted.These extracted PNCS distributions were benchmarked against available PNCS data or TALYS calculations,demonstrating the validity of the proposed extraction method.Potential applications for predicting the PNCS distributions of the 30 iso-topes are further introduced.We conclude that the proposed extraction method is an effective complement to the available sophisticated methods for measuring and evaluating PNCS data.