• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.2004-2010
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• 2022

Quantification of sensitive material is of vital importance when it comes to the movement of nuclear fuel throughout its life cycle. Within the electrorefiner vessel of electrochemical separation facilities, the task of quantifying plutonium by neutron analysis is especially challenging due to it being in a constant mixture with curium. It is for this reason that current neutron multiplicity methods would prove ineffective as a safeguards measure. An alternative means of plutonium verification is investigated that utilizes the (𝛼,n) signature that comes as a result of the eutectic salt within the electrorefiner. This is done by utilizing the multiplicity variable a and breaking it down into its constituent components: spontaneous fission neutrons and (𝛼,n) yield. From there, the (𝛼,n) signature is related to the plutonium content of the fuel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.1406-1413
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• 2022

In this study, a diamond-based neutron scatter camera (DNSC) was developed for neutron spectroscopy in high flux environments. The DNSC was evaluated experimentally and through simulations. It was simulated using several Monte Carlo codes in a two-array layout. The two-array model included two diamond detectors. The simulation reconstructed the spectra of ²⁵²Cf and ²³⁹Pu-Be neutron sources with high accuracy (~93%). The two-diamond array system was experimentally evaluated, demonstrating the neutron spectroscopy capabilities of the DNSC. The reconstructed spectrum of the ²³⁹Pu-Be source manifested the characteristic peaks of the source. The advantage of a DNSC over a NSC is its ability to define any neutron double-scattering events without the need to absorb incident neutrons in the second detector, and atomic recoil energy information is not needed to determine the incident neutron energy.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1988

A bubble-damage polymer detector, which operation principles are based on vaporization of superheated liquid drops by interaction with radiations, is developed for neutron dosimetry. The detectors are fabricated by dispersing the superheated liquid drops of Freon12 into transparent and elastic polymer made of acylamide and glycerine. The bubbles formed by neutron irradiation are immediately visible. The neutron sensitivity of the detectors is 4-7 bubbles/10$\mu$ Sv for Am-Be neutrons.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2022

Boron neutron capture therapy is a precision treatment technology that selectively destroys only tumor cells by irradiating thermal neutrons after accumulating boron drugs in tumor cells. Brain tumor is difficult to diagnose and treat due to the low permeability and targeting of drugs caused by the blood-brain-barrier. Crossing the BBB is essential for drug delivery to the brain. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel compound incorporating benzothiazole to develop a boron drug with high BBB permeability and selectivity for brain tumor cells. In addition, their potential as a BNCT drugs was evaluated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.3326-3333
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• 2023

The results of the analysis of a mathematical modeling for the IBR-2M pulsed reactor dynamics for a transition from a power pulse repetition frequency of 5 Hz-10 Hz are presented. The change in the amplitude response of the reactor for variable pulse delayed neutron fraction was studied. We used a set of power feedback parameters determined experimentally in 2021 at an energy output of 1820 MW·day. At a pulse repetition frequency of 10 Hz, the amplitude of pulse energy oscillations significantly depends on the value of the delayed neutron fraction in pulse β_p. Depending on β_p both suppression and amplification of reactor power fluctuations in the frequency ranges of 0.05-0.20 and 1.25-5.00 Hz can be realized.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.324-329
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• 2023

Different types of deterministic solution methods were used to solve neutron transport equations corresponding to half-space and slab albedo problems. In these types of solution methods, in addition to the error of the numerical solutions, the obtained results contain truncation and discretization errors. In the present work, a non-analog Monte Carlo method is provided to simulate the half-space and slab albedo problems with Inönü and Anlı-Güngör strongly anisotropic scattering functions. For each scattering function, the sampling method of the direction of the scattered neutrons is presented. The effects of different beams with different angular dependencies and the effects of different scattering parameters on the reflection probability are investigated using the developed Monte Carlo method. The validity of the Monte Carlo method is also confirmed through the comparison with the published data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1559-1566
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• 2023

This study developed a quasi-monoenergetic neutron source (QMN) for the semiconductor device's soft error rate test (SER). Quasi-monoenergetic neutrons are generated by ⁹Be(p, n)⁹B nuclear reaction with a 1 mm beryllium target and 30 MeV protons from a cyclotron. An 8 mm water in the back of the beryllium target is used for avoiding proton penetration. The neutron spectra simulated by MCNP showed that the peak energy was around 26.5 MeV. The heat flow and mechanical properties are numerically analyzed, and the safe operating conditions are therefore determined.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2683-2689
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• 2024

This work investigated the most suitable type of degrader (Cu, Al or Nb) and its thickness, taking into consideration the salient aspects of concrete activation for high-purity ⁸⁹Zr production by ⁸⁹Y(p,n)⁸⁹Zr nuclear reaction. The MCNP and FISPACT codes were used to determine the optimal degrader thickness and the radioactivity of shielding concrete by neutron activation, respectively. The results showed that the optimal thickness of the beam degraders was 1.16, 3.19, and 1.33 mm for Cu, Al, and Nb, respectively. The neutron production rate per proton and the energy and angular distributions of neutrons varied depending on the type of degrader. Considering the radioactivity of the target-room concrete and the amount of radioactive waste expected to be generated, the use of a 1.33-mm-thick Nb degrader for ⁸⁹Zr production was determined to be the best choice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.335-341
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• 2017

Cyclotron is a device that accelerates positrons or neutrons, and is used as a facility for making radioactive drugs having short half-lives. Such radioactive drugs are used for positron emission tomography (PET), which is a medical apparatus. In order to make radioactive drugs from a cyclotron, a nuclear reaction must occur between accelerated positrons and a target. After the reaction, unncessary neutrons are produced. In the present study, radioactivation generated from the collisions between the concrete shielding wall and the positrons and neutrons produced from the cyclotron is investigated. We tracked radioactivated radioactive isotopes by conducting experiments using FLUKA, a type of Monte Carlo simulation. The properties of the concrete shielding wall were comparatively analyzed using materials containing impurities at ppm level and materials that do not contain impurities. The generated radioactivated nuclear species were comparatively analyzed based on the exposure dose affecting human body as a criterion, through RESRAD-Build. The results of experiments showed that the material containing impurities produced a total of 14 radioactive isotopes, and $^{60}Co$(72.50%), $^{134}Cs$(16.75%), $^{54}Mn$(5.60%), $^{152}Eu$(4.08%), $^{154}Eu$(1.07%) accounted for 99.9% of the total dose according to the analysis having the exposure dose affecting human body as criterion. The $^{60}Co$ nuclear species showed the greatest risk of radiation exposure. The material that did not contain impurities produced a total of five nuclear species. Among the five nuclear species, 54Mn accounted for 99.9% of the exposure dose. There is a possibility that Cobalt can be generated by inducive nuclear reaction of positrons through the radioactivation process of $^{56}Fe$ instead of impurities. However, there was no radioactivation because only few positrons reached the concrete wall. The results of comparative analysis on exposure dose with respect to the presence of impurities indicated that the presence of impurities caused approximately 98% higher exposure dose. From this result, the main cause of radioactivation was identified as the small ppm-level amount of impurities.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.203-210
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• 2001

Here, we compared the effectiveness of 50 MeV($p{\to}RBe^+$) cyclotron fast neutrons versus $^{60}Co$ ${\gamma}$-rays by the apoptotic fragment frequency in both rat peripheral lymphocytes and crypt cells to check a radiobiological endpoint. The incidence of apoptotic cell death was increased in all irradiated groups, and radiation at all doses trigger rapid changes in both crypt cells and peripheral lymphocytes. These data suggest that apoptosis may play an important role in homeostasis of damaged radiosensitive target organ by removing damaged cells. The curve of dose-effect relationship for these data of apoptotic fragments frequencies was $y=0.3+(6.512{\pm}0.279)D(r^2=0.975)$ after neutrons, while $y=0.3+(4.435{\pm}0.473)D+(-1.300{\pm}0.551)D^2(r^2=0.988)$ after ${\gamma}$-rays. In addition, $y=3.5+(118.410{\pm}10.325)D+(-33.548{\pm}12.023)D^2(r^2=0.992)$ after ${\gamma}$-rays in rat lymphocytes. A significant dose-response relationship was found between the frequency of apoptotic cell and dose. These data show a trend towards increase of the numbers of apoptotic cells with increasing dose. Dose-response curves for high and low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation modalities in these studies were different. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) value for crypt cells was 1.919. In addition, there were significant peaks on apoptosis induction at 4 and 6h after irradiation, and the morphological findings of the irradiated groups were typical apoptotic fragments in crypt cells that were hardly observed in the control group. Thus, apoptosis induction in both crypt cells and peripheral lymphocytes could be a useful endpoint of rat model for studying screening test and microdosimetic indicator to evaluate the biological effects of radiation-induced cell damage.