Pre-irradiation Conditions Research Articles

Analytical study of SPERT-CDC test 859 using fuel performance codes FEMAXI-8 and RANNS

The fuel-failure-limit data obtained in the simulated reactivity-initiated-accident experiment SPERT-CDC 859 (SPERT859) has entailed a lot of discussions if it represents fuel-failure behavior of typical commercial LWRs for its specific pre-irradiation condition and fuel state. The fuel-rod conditions before and during SPERT859 were thus assessed by the fuel-performance codes FEMAXI-8 and RANNS with focusing on cladding corrosion and its effect on the failure limit of the test rod. The analysis showed that the fuel cladding was probably excessively corroded even when the influential calculation conditions such as fuel-swelling and creep models were determined so that the lowest limit of the cladding oxide layer thickness was captured. Such assumption of excessive cladding corrosion during pre-irradiation well explains not only the test-rod state before pulse irradiation but also the fuel-failure limit observed. Such understanding undermines anew the representativeness of the test data as a direct basis of safety evaluation for LWR fuels.

Gamma-ray radiation effects in graphene-based transistors with h-BN nanometer film substrates

Radiation effects on graphene field effect transistors (GFETs) with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) thin film substrates are investigated using 60Co gamma-ray radiation. This study examines the radiation response using many samples with varying h-BN film thicknesses (1.6 and 20 nm thickness) and graphene channel lengths (5 and 10 μm). These samples were exposed to a total ionizing dose of approximately 1 Mrad(Si). I-V measurements were taken at fixed time intervals between irradiations and postirradiation. Dirac point voltage and current are extracted from the I-V measurements, as well as mobility, Dirac voltage hysteresis, and the total number of GFETs that remain properly operational. The results show a decrease in Dirac voltage during irradiation, with a rise of this voltage and permanent drop in Dirac current postirradiation. 1.6 nm h-BN substrate GFETs show an increase in mobility during irradiation, which drops back to preirradiation conditions in postirradiation measurements. Hysteretic changes to the Dirac voltage are the strongest during irradiation for the 20 nm thick h-BN substrate GFETs and after irradiation for the 1.6 nm thick h-BN GFETs. Failure rates were similar for most GFET types during irradiation; however, after irradiation, GFETs with 20 nm h-BN substrates experienced substantially more failures compared to 1.6 nm h-BN substrate GFETs.

Influence of welding and neutron irradiation on dislocation loop formation and α′ precipitation in a FeCrAl alloy

An advanced accident-tolerant FeCrAl alloy, C35 M (Fe–13Cr–10Al–1Mo, at %), and its laser-fusion weldments were studied after neutron irradiation up to 1.8 dpa at 357 °C to evaluate the radiation damage and α′-precipitation kinetics. Results show that the densities of α′ in the fusion zone (FZ) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) were only a third of that in the base material, i.e., 2.3 × 1024 m−3. Density of dislocation loops in the FZ and HAZ were less than half of that in base material. The size of α′ precipitates and the dislocation loops were found to be smaller in base material, compared to FZ and HAZ. The variances in microstructural response within the different regions were attributed to initial as-welded states of each region, indicating the impact of the pre-irradiation condition on radiation response in FeCrAl alloys.

Laser treatment contributes to maintain membrane integrity in stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (shed) under nutritional deficit.

This study aimed to analyze the effects of laser irradiation on the membrane integrity and viability of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) that were kept in serum starvation. Nutritional deficit was used to mimic the cellular stress conditions of SHED isolation for regenerative dental approaches, where laser therapy could be beneficial. SHED were cultured under serum starvation (MEMα + 1%FBS) for 1 or 24h pre-irradiation (protocols A and B, respectively). Then, cells received low-level laser therapy (LLLT; 660nm) at 2.5J/cm2 (0.10W; groups I and V), 5.0J/cm2 (0.20W; groups II and VI), 7.5J/cm2 (0.30W; groups III and VII), or remained non-irradiated (groups IV and VIII). During irradiation, cells were maintained in 1% FBS (groups I-IV) or 10% FBS (normal culture conditions; groups V-VIII). Membrane integrity was evaluated by quantifying lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release (immediately after irradiation), and cell viability was assessed by the MTT assay (24, 48, and 72h post-irradiation). Serum starvation did not alter LDH release by non-irradiated SHED, while LDH release decreased significantly in groups irradiated in 1% FBS (I and III), but not in groups irradiated in 10% FBS (V-VII), regardless the pre-irradiation conditions (protocols A/B). Cell viability was significantly higher 24h after irradiation, in most protocol A groups. In contrast, cell viability remained mostly unaltered in protocol B groups. LLLT contributed to maintain membrane integrity in SHED subjected to nutritional deficit before and during irradiation with 0.10 or 0.30W. Short serum starvation before irradiation improved SHED viability at 24h post-irradiation.

Sensitivity and stability of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters with filled deep electron/hole traps under pre-irradiation and bleaching conditions

PurposeWe aimed to evaluate the characteristics of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) with fully filled deep electron/hole traps, and determine the optimal bleaching conditions for these OSLDs to minimize the changes in dose sensitivity or linearity according to the accumulated dose. MethodsInLight nanoDots were used as OSLDs. The OSLDs were first pre-irradiated at a dose greater than 5kGy to fill the deep electron and hole traps, and then bleached (OSLDfull). OSLDfull characteristics were investigated in terms of the full bleaching, fading, regeneration of luminescence, dose linearity, and dose sensitivity with various bleaching conditions. For comparison, OSLDs with un-filled deep electron/hole traps (OSLDempty) were investigated in the same manner. ResultsThe fading for OSLDfull exhibited stable signals after 10min, for 1 and 10Gy. The mean supra-linear index values for OSLDfull were 1.001±0.001 for doses from 2 to 10Gy. Small variations in dose sensitivity were obtained for OSLDfull within standard deviations of 0.85% and 0.71%, whereas those of OSLDempty decreased by 2.3% and 4.2% per 10Gy for unfiltered and filtered bleaching devices, respectively. ConclusionsUnder the bleaching conditions determined in this study, clinical dosimetry with OSLDfull is highly stable, minimizing the changes in dose sensitivity or linearity for the clinical dose.

Study of variations in structural, optical parameters and bulk etch rate of CR-39 polymer due to electron irradiation

In this work, electron induced modifications on the bulk etch rate, structural and optical parameters of CR-39 polymer were studied using gravimetric, FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) and UV–vis (Ultraviolet–Visible) techniques, respectively. CR-39 samples were irradiated with 10 MeV electron beam for different durations to have the absorbed doses of 1, 10, 550, 5500, 16 500, and 55 000 kGy. From the FTIR analysis, the peak intensities at different bands were found to be changing with electron dose. A few peaks were observed to shift at high electron doses. From the UV-vis analysis, the optical band gaps for both direct and indirect transitions were found to be decreasing with the increase in electron dose whereas the opacity, number of carbon atoms in conjugation length, and the number of carbon atoms per cluster were found to be increasing. The bulk etch rate was observed to be increasing with the electron dose. The primary objective of this investigation was to study the response of CR-39 to high electron doses and to determine a suitable pre-irradiation condition. The results indicated that, the CR-39 pre-irradiated with electrons can have better sensitivity and thus can be potentially applied for neutron dosimetry.

Effect of irradiation damage on hydrothermal corrosion of SiC

The hydrothermal corrosion behavior (320°C, 20MPa, 168h) of high-purity chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) SiC pre-irradiated with 5.1-MeV Si ions at 400 and 800°C and 0.1–2.6dpa was studied in order to clarify the effects of irradiation damage on SiC corrosion. Regardless of the pre-irradiation conditions, selective corrosion was observed at the grain boundaries and stacking faults even at the unirradiated regions. In contrast to the complete loss of the irradiated regions observed in the specimens irradiated at 400°C during the autoclave test, a number of large grains survived in the case of the specimens irradiated at 800°C. The corrosion rates at the irradiated regions increased with increasing irradiation fluence, with a significant dependence in the lower dpa regime similar to that observed in the point-defect swelling. SiO2 formation was not detected in any case. Cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analyses of the surfaces of the surviving grains revealed oxygen diffusion to a depth of 3.0nm from the surface. A significant reduction of the oxygen diffusion barrier at the surface was implicated as one of the key mechanisms of the acceleration of the ion-irradiated SiC corrosion rates.

Radiation-tolerant joining technologies for silicon carbide ceramics and composites

Silicon carbide (SiC) for nuclear structural applications, whether in the monolithic ceramic or composite form, will require a robust joining technology capable of withstanding the harsh nuclear environment. This paper presents significant progress made towards identifying and processing irradiation-tolerant joining methods for nuclear-grade SiC. In doing so, a standardized methodology for carrying out joint testing has been established consistent with the small volume samples mandated by neutron irradiation testing. Candidate joining technologies were limited to those that provide low induced radioactivity and included titanium diffusion bonding, Ti–Si–C MAX-phase joining, calcia–alumina glass–ceramic joining, and transient eutectic-phase SiC joining. Samples of these joints were irradiated in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory High Flux Isotope Reactor at 500 or 800°C, and their microstructure and mechanical properties were compared to pre-irradiation conditions. Within the limitations of statistics, all joining methodologies presented retained their joint mechanical strength to ∼3dpa at 500°C, thus indicating the first results obtained on irradiation-stable SiC joints. Under the more aggressive irradiation conditions (800°C, ∼5dpa), some joint materials exhibited significant irradiation-induced microstructural evolution; however, the effect of irradiation on joint strength appeared rather limited.

Effects of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on green algae under visible, UVA, and UVB irradiations: No evidence of enhanced algal toxicity under UV pre-irradiation

Some metal oxide nanoparticles are photoreactive, thus raising concerns regarding phototoxicity. This study evaluated ecotoxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles and titanium dioxide nanoparticles to the green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata under visible, UVA, and UVB irradiation conditions. The nanoparticles were prepared in algal test medium, and the test units were pre-irradiated by UV light in a photoreactor. Algal assays were also conducted with visible, UVA or UVB lights only without nanoparticles. Algal growth was found to be inhibited as the nanoparticle concentration increased, and ZnO NPs caused destabilization of the cell membranes. We also noted that the inhibitory effects on the growth of algae were not enhanced under UV pre-irradiation conditions. This phenomenon was attributed to the photocatalytic activities of ZnO NPs and TiO2 NPs in both the visible and UV regions. The toxicity of ZnO NPs was almost entirely the consequence of the dissolved free zinc ions. This study provides us with an improved understanding of toxicity of photoreactive nanoparticles as related to the effects of visible and UV lights.

Characterization of Spontaneous Bone Marrow Recovery after Sublethal Total Body Irradiation: Importance of the Osteoblastic/Adipocytic Balance

Many studies have already examined the hematopoietic recovery after irradiation but paid with very little attention to the bone marrow microenvironment. Nonetheless previous studies in a murine model of reversible radio-induced bone marrow aplasia have shown a significant increase in alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) prior to hematopoietic regeneration. This increase in ALP activity was not due to cell proliferation but could be attributed to modifications of the properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). We thus undertook a study to assess the kinetics of the evolution of MSC correlated to their hematopoietic supportive capacities in mice treated with sub lethal total body irradiation. In our study, colony-forming units – fibroblasts (CFU-Fs) assay showed a significant MSC rate increase in irradiated bone marrows. CFU-Fs colonies still possessed differentiation capacities of MSC but colonies from mice sacrificed 3 days after irradiation displayed high rates of ALP activity and a transient increase in osteoblastic markers expression while pparγ and neuropilin-1 decreased. Hematopoietic supportive capacities of CFU-Fs were also modified: as compared to controls, irradiated CFU-Fs significantly increased the proliferation rate of hematopoietic precursors and accelerated the differentiation toward the granulocytic lineage. Our data provide the first evidence of the key role exerted by the balance between osteoblasts and adipocytes in spontaneous bone marrow regeneration. First, (pre)osteoblast differentiation from MSC stimulated hematopoietic precursor's proliferation and granulopoietic regeneration. Then, in a second time (pre)osteoblasts progressively disappeared in favour of adipocytic cells which down regulated the proliferation and granulocytic differentiation and then contributed to a return to pre-irradiation conditions.

The effect of pre-irradiation culture conditions on the yield of X-ray-induced respiratory-deficient mutants in haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

The effect of pre-irradiation culture conditions on the yield of X-ray-induced respiratory-deficient mutants in haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

Retinyl palmitate is non-genotoxic in Chinese hamster ovary cells in the dark or after pre-irradiation or simultaneous irradiation with UV light

Retinyl palmitate (RP), an ingredient of cosmetic and medical skin-care preparations, has been reported to be photo-genotoxic/photo-clastogenic in mouse lymphoma cells ( Tk locus) as well as in human Jurkat T-cells, as measured by use of the comet assay. Given that these results were obtained under exploratory conditions, we re-investigated the photo-genotoxicity of RP following a protocol consistent with current recommendations for photo-genotoxicity testing of drugs and chemicals. We tested RP in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in the dark (standard chromosome aberration test), under pre-irradiation (UVA irradiation of cells and subsequent treatment with RP) or simultaneous irradiation (irradiation of cells and RP together, standard photo-genotoxicity protocol) conditions. UVA irradiation was applied at 350 and 700 mJ/cm 2 with the high UV dose targeted to produce a small increase in the incidence of structural chromosome aberrations (CA) in cells not treated with RP. RP was tested up to and above its limit of solubility in the culture medium (20–40 μg/mL). There was no overt cytotoxicity under dark or different irradiation conditions. Treatment of cells with RP in the dark, as well as treatment under pre- or simultaneous irradiation conditions failed to produce biologically significant increases in the incidence of CA, whereas the positive control substances 4-nitroquinolone and 8-methoxypsoralene produced significantly positive effects in the dark or under simultaneous irradiation, respectively. Overall, our results failed to confirm the reported positive photo-genotoxic effects, and suggest that they may have been due to the test conditions, i.e. high irradiation doses, high cytotoxicity or re-irradiation of photo-products. In conclusion, our data suggest that, under standard conditions for testing photo-genotoxicity, RP had no in vitro genotoxic or photo-genotoxic potential and is therefore unlikely to pose a local or systemic genotoxic or photo-genotoxic risk.

Neutron irradiation effect on site distribution of cations in non-stoichiometric magnesium aluminate spinel

Neutron irradiation effects on cation distribution in non-stoichiometric Mg–Al spinel were examined by ALCHEMI (Atom Location by Channeling Enhanced Microanalysis) method. Parameter n, or non-stoichiometry of MgO · nAl 2O 3 of the specimens, were n = 1.00, 1.01, 1.10, 1.48. These specimens were neutron-irradiated up to a fluence of 2.3 × 10 24 n/m 2 ( E > 0.1 MeV) at 500–530 °C in JMTR. Some specimens contracted by the irradiation and the arrangement of cations became more disorder. The other specimens showed very small swelling by the irradiation and the cation distribution became slightly ordered. The cation distribution of the contracted specimen returned stepwise to the pre-irradiated condition after the annealing at 700 °C. The cation distribution of the slightly swollen specimens did not change after the annealing up to 700 °C. Cation distribution in the T-site was more sensitively influenced by the irradiation.

Imprint reduction in a plasma layer preformed with x-ray irradiation

Indirect–direct-hybrid irradiation scheme has been proposed for suppressing the initial imprint of the laser irradiation nonuniformities. The target is irradiated by a low intensity x-ray radiation prior to the direct-drive laser pulse. The x-ray irradiation generates a plasma expansion layer on the target surface. The thermal smoothing effect is expected to take place in the preformed plasma when the direct-drive laser pulse comes onto the target, and then, the initial imprint can be significantly reduced. Planar target experiments on the indirect–direct-hybrid irradiation scheme were performed. The preformed plasma profile was measured by using x-ray side-on backlighting method. The reduction of the initial imprint was demonstrated by the indirect–direct-hybrid irradiation scheme on planar target experiments. The imprint is suppressed by a factor of 1.5–7 depending on x-ray preirradiation conditions. Results are in good agreement with the cloudy-day model with parameters derived from one-dimensional simulation.

Semi-numerical modelling of an n-channel irradiated MOSFET

A semi-numerical model of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) has been developed for theoretical examination of the effect of ionizing radiation on the characteristics of the device. The present model utilizes the radiation-induced changes in the flat-band voltage to estimate the change in the surface charge carrier concentration which in turn changes the mobility of the surface channel and affects the source-to-drain current. For the first time a model of an irradiated MOSFET has been presented that incorporates the effect of both transverse and longitudinal electric fields in the transport of the carriers in the surface channel. The present model can also be used to determine the characteristics of the device in the pre-irradiated condition. The validity of the model has been established by comparing and contrasting the results in the preirradiated condition with those obtained using other models, including twodimensional models. The results obtained on the basis of our model are compared with reported experimental results and also a SPICE (Level 3) model in the post-irradiated condition. It is found that our model gives a better fit to the reported experimental results as compared with SPICE models.-The present model is expected to yield fairly accurate results for estimation of I D V D characteristics and the transfer characteristics, even for a short channel device.

Total dose response studies of n-channel SOI MOSFETs for low power CMOS circuits

A rad-sensitive sub-threshold model for the partially depleted, SOI n-channel MOSFET, based on existing pre-irradiated device models is presented for applications in low power CMOS circuit designs. The model is continuous from sub-threshold to strong inversion regions and includes the radiation-induced oxide trapped charge, interface state charge, floating body effects and associated parasitic such as BJT. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, we have made an attempt to explain the sub-threshold current–voltage characteristics of a typical SOI n-MOSFET under a total dose condition. The calculated shift of sub-threshold characteristics to more negative values with dose with respect to pre-irradiated condition agrees with the experimentally observed behavior reported in the literature.

Study of modified polypropylene nonwoven cloth. I. graft copolymerization of 4-vinylpyridine onto polypropylene nonwoven cloth by preirradiation method

Polypropylene (PP) nonwoven cloth was grafted with 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) by a preirradiation method. The effects of preirradiation conditions on the mechanical properties of preirradiated PP nonwoven cloth and the percentage of grafting (Pg) of 4-VP onto the preirradiated PP nonwoven cloth were systematically investigated. The results indicated that the mechanical properties of preirradiated PP nonwoven cloth decreased with increasing irradiation dose and that the Pg was greatly affected by the concentration of monomer, irradiation dose, grafting reaction temperature, and the addition of inhibitor and inorganic acid in the grafting reaction system. The grafted nonwoven cloth samples were characterized using IR spectroscopy and SEM. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1861–1868, 2000

Irradiation of optically activated SI-GaAs high-voltage switches with low and high energy protons

Semi-Insulating Gallium Arsenide (SI-GaAs) devices have been tested for radiation hardness with 3-4 MeV or 24 GeV proton beams. These devices can be operated in dc mode as optically activated electrical switches up to 1 kV. Both single switches (vertical Schottky diodes) and multiple (8) switches (planar devices) have been studied, by analyzing their current-voltage (I-V) reverse characteristics in the dark and under red light illumination, both before and after irradiation. We propose to use them in the system of high-voltage (-600 V) switches for the microstrip gas chambers for the CMS experiment at CERN. Low energy protons (3-4 MeV) were used in order to produce a surface damage below the Schottky contact: their fluence (up to 2.6/spl times/10/sup 15/ p/cm/sup 2/) gives a high-dose irradiation. The high energy proton irradiation (energy: 24 GeV, fluence: 1.1/spl times/10/sup 14/ p/cm/sup 2/) reproduced a ten years long proton exposure of the devices in CMS experiment conditions. For low energy irradiation, limited changes of the I-V curves in the dark have been observed, with at most a fourfold increase of the leakage current: after exposure, however, the breakdown voltage decreases significantly. For high energy irradiation, we observed-for the vertical Schottky diodes biased at -600 V-an increase of the leakage current and a reduction of the photocurrent after irradiation, with respect to pre-irradiation conditions. For these diodes, the reduction of the photocurrent/dark current ratio was 25:1. At the same proton energy, an analogous behaviour was shown by the planar devices, but after irradiation the current gain may reduce over three orders of magnitude.

Impact of aging on radiation hardness[CMOS SRAMs

Identifying aging effects that impact radiation hardness of microelectronics is becoming increasingly important as military weapon systems are kept in the stockpile for times beyond their originally intended use period. In this work, burn-in effects are used to demonstrate the potential impact of thermally-activated aging effects on integrated circuit radiation hardness. Static random access memories (SRAMs) from three different commercial technologies were irradiated with different pre-irradiation stress conditions. A reduction in the total dose functional failure level was observed for SRAMs from two of the technologies subjected to pre-irradiation elevated temperature stresses. This is the first time the burn-in effect has been shown to degrade the radiation-induced functional failure level of an IC. SRAM data also show no indication that the burn-in effect will saturate, at least for the conditions examined in this work. These data indicate that long-term aging can result in more device degradation than is accounted for by present hardness assurance test guidelines, potentially causing device and/or system failure during the aging period. While only a few technologies have been examined to date, we suspect other technologies may exhibit similar long-term aging effects. Technique for including aging effects within a hardness assurance test program is outlined.

Defects in MeV Si-implanted Si probed with positrons

Vacancy-type defects produced by implantation of MeV doses of Si ions (1011–1015 atoms/cm2) at room temperature have been probed using depth-resolved positron annihilation spectroscopy. The defect (divacancy) concentration increases linearly with dose for low doses (<1012 Si/cm2). In situ isochronal annealing was followed for oxygen-containing Si (10 ppm) and oxygen-‘‘free’’ Si implanted to doses (5×1012 and 5×1014 Si/cm2). Two main annealing stages were observed at the same temperatures in the studied samples in spite of significant differences in doses and oxygen content. In the first stage (∼200 °C) a significant fraction of divacancies was observed to form large vacancy clusters. These clusters were removed in the second stage (∼675 °C) after which the oxygen-free samples returned to pre-irradiation conditions, whereas oxygen-defect complexes were formed in the oxygen-containing samples.