Recoil Nuclei Research Articles

Ionization Quenching Factor measurement of 1 keV to 25 keV protons in Isobutane gas mixture

The French Institute for Radiation protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) is providing reference neutron fluence energy distribution at its standard monoenergetic neutron fields, produced at the AMANDE facility. The neutron energy is assessed by measuring the recoil nuclei energy in a μTPC detector, the LNE-IRSN/MIMAC detector. The knowledge of the ionization quenching factor (IQF) is fundamental to determine the kinetic energy of the recoil nuclei. For some various gases and pressures, discrepancies of about 15% were observed between IQF calculations using the SRIM software and experimental measurements. No data are available for the iC4H10 + 50% CHF3 gas mixture which are used for measurements from a few keV up to 565 keV neutron energies in the μTPC detector. The experimental determination of the IQF is of primary importance to provide reference neutron fluence energy distribution. After a short description of the experimental set-up, this paper presents the first results of the IQF measurements in a iC4H10 + 50% CHF3 gas mixture in the energy range 1 keV – 25 keV.

Impact of nanosecond proton beam processing on nanoblocks of copper

X-ray studies in conjunction with the method of recoil nuclei and electron microscopy of irradiated plates polycrystalline Cu by nanosecond high power density proton beams (E = 120 keV; I = 80 A/cm2, t = 50 ns) showed nano block nature of the formation of structure in the surface layer target and condensed-formed film.

COHERENT Experiment: current status

The COHERENT Collaboration is realizing a long term neutrino physics research program. The main goals of the program are to detect and study elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS). This process is predicted by Standard Model but it has never been observed experimentally because of the very low energy of the recoil nucleus. COHERENT is using different detector technologies: CsI[Na] and NaI scintillator crystals, a single-phase liquid Ar and a Ge detectors. The placement of all the detector setups is in the basement of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The current status of the COHERENT experimental program is presented.

Shaking during Ion-Atom Collisions

The shaking (shakeup and shakeoff) processes accompanying ion–atom collisions are studied using nonrelativistic hydrogenic wave functions for the K-, Land M -shell electrons in the sudden approximation limit. The role of recoil amplitude in the shaking processes is discussed. It is found that the suddenness of collision between projectile and target nuclei plays a more definitive factor in the shaking of the respective atomic system than the recoil of nuclei.

Feasibility study of measuring theTh229nuclear isomer transition withU233-doped crystals

We propose a simple approach to measure the energy of the few-eV isomeric state in Th-229. To this end, U-229 nuclei are doped into VUV-transparent crystals, where they undergo alpha decay into Th-229, and, with a probability of 2%, populate the isomeric state. These Th-229m nuclei may decay into the nuclear ground state under emission of the sought-after VUV gamma, whose wavelength can be determined with a spectrometer. Based on measurements of the optical transmission of U:CaF2 crystals in the VUV range, we expect a signal at least 2 orders of magnitude larger compared to current schemes using surface-implantation of recoil nuclei. The signal background is dominated by Cherenkov radiation induced by beta decays of the thorium decay chain. We estimate that, even if the isomer undergoes radiative de-excitation with a probability of only 0.1%, the VUV gamma can be detected within a reasonable measurement time.

TU-AB-BRC-09: Fast Dose-Averaged LET and Biological Dose Calculations for Proton Therapy Using Graphics Cards

Purpose: To demonstrate fast and accurate Monte Carlo (MC) calculations of proton dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LETd) and biological dose (BD) on a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) card. Methods: A previously validated GPU-based MC simulation of proton transport was used to rapidly generate LETd distributions for proton treatment plans. Since this MC handles proton-nuclei interactions on an event-by-event using a Bertini intranuclear cascade-evaporation model, secondary protons were taken into account. The smaller contributions of secondary neutrons and recoil nuclei were ignored. Recent work has shown that LETd values are sensitive to the scoring method. The GPU-based LETd calculations were verified by comparing with a TOPAS custom scorer that uses tabulated stopping powers, following recommendations by other authors. Comparisons were made for prostate and head-and-neck patients. A python script is used to convert the MC-generated LETd distributions to BD using a variety of published linear quadratic models, and to export the BD in DICOM format for subsequent evaluation. Results: Very good agreement is obtained between TOPAS and our GPU MC. Given a complex head-and-neck plan with 1 mm voxel spacing, the physical dose, LETd and BD calculations for 108 proton histories can be completed in ∼5 minutes using a NVIDIA Titan X card. The rapid turnover means that MC feedback can be obtained on dosimetric plan accuracy as well as BD hotspot locations, particularly in regards to their proximity to critical structures. In our institution the GPU MC-generated dose, LETd and BD maps are used to assess plan quality for all patients undergoing treatment. Conclusion: Fast and accurate MC-based LETd calculations can be performed on the GPU. The resulting BD maps provide valuable feedback during treatment plan review. Partially funded by Varian Medical Systems.

Estimation method of planetary fast neutron flux by a Ge gamma-ray spectrometer

An intensity map of lunar fast neutrons (LFNs) and their temporal variation has been estimated by fitting “sawtooth” peaks in the energy spectra of lunar gamma rays observed by the Kaguya (SELENE) Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) consisting of a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector with a BGO scintillator. While an ordinary peak in the spectrum is produced by only gamma ray lines, the sawtooth peak is produced by gamma ray lines and recoil nuclei in the detector by Ge(n,n′γ) reaction. We develop a model for the shape of the sawtooth peak and apply it to fit sawtooth peaks together with ordinary peaks in actual observed spectra on the Moon. The temporal variation of LFNs is synchronous with that of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), and the global distribution of fast neutrons on the lunar surface agrees well with the past observation reported by the Neutron Spectrometer aboard Lunar Prospector. Based on these results, a new method is established to estimate the flux of fast neutrons by fitting sawtooth peaks on the gamma ray spectrum observed by the HPGe detector.

Self-healing capacity of nuclear glass observed by NMR spectroscopy.

Safe management of high level nuclear waste is a worldwide significant issue for which vitrification has been selected by many countries. There exists a crucial need for improving our understanding of the ageing of the glass under irradiation. While external irradiation by ions provides a rapid simulation of damage induced by alpha decays, short lived actinide doping is more representative of the reality. Here, we report radiological NMR experiments to compare the damage in International Simplified Glass (ISG) when irradiated by these two methods. In the 0.1 mole percent 244Cm doped glass, accumulation of high alpha decay only shows small modifications of the local structure, in sharp contrast to heavy ion irradiation. These results reveal the ability of the alpha particle to partially repair the damage generated by the heavy recoil nuclei highlighting the radiation resistance of nuclear glass and the difficulty to accurately simulate its behaviour by single ion beam irradiations.

Understanding of the mechanical and structural changes induced by alpha particles and heavy ions in the French simulated nuclear waste glass

Borosilicate glasses are considered for the long-term confinement of high-level nuclear wastes. External irradiations with 1 MeV He+ ions and 7 MeV Au5+ ions were performed to simulate effects produced by alpha particles and by recoil nuclei in the simulated SON68 nuclear waste glass. To better understand the structural modifications, irradiations were also carried out on a 6-oxides borosilicate glass, a simplified version of the SON68 glass (ISG glass). The mechanical and macroscopic properties of the glasses were studied as function of the deposited electronic and nuclear energies. Alpha particles and gold ions induced a volume change up to −0.7% and −2.7%, respectively, depending on the glass composition. Nano-indentations tests were used to determine the mechanical properties of the irradiated glasses. A decrease of about −22% to −38% of the hardness and a decrease of the reduced Young's modulus by −8% were measured after irradiations. The evolution of the glass structure was studied by Raman spectroscopy, and also 11B and 27Al Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS-NMR) on a 20 MeV Kr irradiated ISG glass powder. A decrease of the silica network connectivity after irradiation with alpha particles and gold ions is deduced from the structural changes observations. NMR spectra revealed a partial conversion of BO4 to BO3 units but also a formation of AlO5 and AlO6 species after irradiation with Kr ions. The relationships between the mechanical and structural changes are also discussed.

Response of a proportional counter to 37Ar and 71Ge: Measured spectra versus Geant4 simulation

The energy deposition spectra of 37Ar and 71Ge in a miniature proportional counter are measured and compared in detail to the model response simulated with Geant4. A certain modification of the Geant4 code, making it possible to trace the deexcitation of atomic shells properly, is suggested. Modified Geant4 is able to reproduce a response of particle detectors in detail in the keV energy range. This feature is very important for the laboratory experiments that search for massive sterile neutrinos as well as for dark matter searches that employ direct detection of recoil nuclei. This work demonstrates the reliability of Geant4 simulation at low energies.

Monte Carlo based dosimetry for neutron capture therapy of brain tumors

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a biologically targeted, radiation therapy for cancer which combines neutron irradiation with a tumor targeting agent labeled with a boron10 having a high thermal neutron capture cross section. The tumor area is subjected to the neutron irradiation. After a thermal neutron capture, the excited 11 B nucleus fissions into an alpha particle and lithium recoil nucleus. The high Linear Energy Transfer (LET) emitted particles deposit their energy in a range of about 10μm, which is of the same order of cell diameter [1], at the same time other reactions due to neutron activation with body component are produced. In-phantom measurement of physical dose distribution is very important for BNCT planning validation. Determination of total absorbed dose requires complex calculations which were carried out using the Monte Carlo MCNP code [2].

Development of methods for calculating basic features of the nuclear contribution to single event upsets under the effect of protons of moderately high energy

As a continuation and a development of previous studies of our group that were devoted to the investigation of nuclear reactions induced by protons of moderately high energy (between 10 and 400 MeV) in silicon, aluminum, and tungsten atoms, the results obtained by exploring nuclear reactions on atoms of copper, which is among the most important components in materials for contact pads and pathways in modern and future ultralarge-scale integration circuits, especially in three-dimensional topology, are reported in the present article. The nuclear reactions in question lead to the formation of the mass and charge spectra of recoil nuclei ranging fromheavy target nuclei down to helium and hydrogen. The kineticenergy spectra of reaction products are calculated. The results of the calculations based on the procedure developed by our group are compared with the results of calculations and experiments performed by other authors.

Development of a super-resolution optical microscope for directional dark matter search experiment

Nuclear emulsion is a perfect choice for a detector for directional DM search because of its high density and excellent position accuracy. The minimal detectable track length of a recoil nucleus in emulsion is required to be at least 100nm, making the resolution of conventional optical microscopes insufficient to resolve them. Here we report about the R&D on a super-resolution optical microscope to be used in future directional DM search experiments with nuclear emulsion as a detector media. The microscope will be fully automatic, will use novel image acquisition and analysis techniques, will achieve the spatial resolution of the order of few tens of nm and will be capable of reconstructing recoil tracks with the length of at least 100nm with high angular resolution.

Cosmic Radiation Detection by Solid State Nuclear Track Detector Technique

Passive Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs) have been employed successfully during the past two decades in space radiation studies due to their excellent physico-chemical properties. They are useful for charged particle detection in the linear energy transfer (LET) range above the threshold value of ~10 keV μm-1. It was applicable for measurement of cosmic ray primary and secondary particles, including recoil nuclei, projectile and target fragments and secondary neutrons in past projects such as DOSMAP, BRADOS, ALTCRISS, Matroshka or recently in progress as SPD, DOSIS, as well as, in ground based experiment as Icchiban. The continuous development in the understanding of the track formation mechanism and improvement of detection techniques have resulted in the determination of the cosmic ray LET spectrum with less uncertainties and provided improved assessment of the dose burden of astronauts and helped to increase the effectiveness of radiation shielding of spaceships. Space dosimetry by nuclear track methodology stresses the advantages of passive systems for cosmic radiation field studies due to their robustness, compact dimensions, and complete independence from external power supply. SSNTDs cope also with requirement imposed by portable area monitoring or personal dose integrator to assess radiation risk of astronauts during intra or extra-vehicular activity. This review tries to provide a short summary about fundamentals and applications of space radiation studies using SSNTDs.Contents of Paper

222Rn and220Rn emanations as a function of the absorbed α-doses from select metamict minerals

Metamict minerals contain uranium and thorium, which contribute to physical degradation or metamictization of their crystal structures over geologic time. The damage occurs primarily through progressive overlapping recoil nuclei collision cascades from α-decay of 238U, 232Th, 235U, and their daughter products. We measured 222Rn and 220Rn emanations from metamict samples of nine oxides (brannerite, davidite, fergusonites, pyrochlores, samarskites, and uraninite), two phosphates (monazites), and eight silicates (cerite, gadolinites, perrierite, rinkite, thorite, turkestanite, and vesuvianite). The total absorbed α-doses ranged from 1.4 × 1015 to 6.1 × 1018 α-decay mg−1 for cerite and uraninite, respectively. The 222Rn emanation coefficients varied from 5 × 10−5% (uraninite) to 2.5% (turkestanite). The 220Rn emanation coefficients varied from 7 × 10−3% (gadolinite Ytterby) to 6.2% (gadolinite Marysin). The lowest 222Rn emanation coefficients occurred among metamict minerals containing the highest concentrations of 238U (i.e., uraninite, samarskites, and brannerite). Overall, the 222Rn and 220Rn emanation coefficients observed in this study fall significantly below previously reported values.

Parasitic Signals in the Method of Recoil Nuclei Applied to Direct Observation of the 229mTh Isomeric State

We carry out necessary theoretical justifications for the method of recoil nuclei in application to the direct observation of the 229mTh isomeric state. We consider Cherenkov radiation, phosphorescence, and fluorescence in a crystal plate, which is used for collecting the thorium recoil nuclei, and discuss the ways to avoid these parasitic signals in order to successfully reveal 229mTh decay photons.

Automation of experiments at the Dubna gas-filled separator of recoil nuclei: Part II

An application developed in Builder C++ (Windows) for the offline analysis of experimental data from the spectrometer of the gas-filled separator of recoil nuclei (Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions) based on the double-sided silicon strip detector is discussed. The automatic express method developed for calibrating 48 strips of the silicon position-sensitive detector based on the three most energetic spectral lines from the natYb + 48Ca▭*Th reaction is compared to the results produced by more rigorous calibration methods. The examples of spectra for this reaction and the results of filtering for the proposed calibration algorithm are given.

First experimental tests of the kinematic separator SHELS (Separator for Heavy ELement Spectroscopy).

Investigations of complete fusion reactions leading to the synthesis of heavy and superheavy nuclei have been an important part of the experimental program at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR, Dubna). For synthesis and decay studies of heavy nuclei, a project of modernization of the existing experimental set up VASSILISSA is now underway. The results of the first experimental tests with the modernized VASSILISSA separator are presented, in particular the experimentally measured transmission coefficients for recoil nuclei synthesized in asymmetric reactions with a 22 Ne beam. These results completely confirm the ion optical calculations performed during the design stage of the modernization.

First experimental tests of the modernized VASSILISSA separator

The results of the first experimental tests of the modernized VASSILISSA separator with the use of accelerated 22Ne ions are presented. Data has been obtained on the transmission coefficients of recoil nuclei synthesized in asymmetric combinations of the incident ion and target nuclei. Estimates from ion optical calculations performed in the design phase of the project of modernizing the separator are completely confirmed.

Experimental tests of the modernized VASSILISSA separator (SHELS) with the use of accelerated 50Ti ions

A high intensity ion beam of 50Ti ions was obtained using the ECR ion source on the U400 cyclotron. The experimental tests using accelerated 50Ti ions were performed with a modernized VASSILISSA separator (SHELS). Data has been obtained on the transmission coefficients of recoil nuclei synthesized in complete fusion reactions. Estimates from ion optical calculations performed in the design phase of the project of modernizing the separator are completely confirmed.