"Sleeping reactor" irradiations: The use of a shut-down reactor for the determination of elements with short-lived activation products

E. A. Jerde; D. C. Glasgow

doi:10.1007/BF02347390

"Sleeping reactor" irradiations: The use of a shut-down reactor for the determination of elements with short-lived activation products

E. A. Jerde, D. C. Glasgow

Chemical & Isotopic Mass Spectrometry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Neutron activation analysis utilizing the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) immediately following SCRAM is a workable solution to obtaining data for ultra-short lived species, principally Al, Ti, Mg, and V. Neutrons are produced in the HFIR core within the beryllium reflector due to gamma-ray bombardment from the spent fuel element. This neutron flux is not constant, varying by over two orders of magnitude during the first 24 hours. The problems associated with irradiation in a changing neutron flux are removed through the use of a specially tailored activation equation. This activation equation is applicable to any irradiation at HFIR in the first 24 hours after SCRAM since the fuel elements are identical from cycle to cycle, and the gamma-emitting nuclides responsible for the neutrons reach saturation during the fuel cycle. Reference material tests demonstrate that this method is successful, and detection limit estimates reveal that it should be applicable to materials of widely ranging mass and composition.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	753-759
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Volume	242
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347390
State	Published - 1999

Funding

Our thanks go to Larry ROBINSON for helpful discussions, and John KELLERf or a review. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp. for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-96OR22464.

Funders	Funder number
Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.
U.S. Department of Energy

Access to Document

10.1007/BF02347390

Cite this

@article{c38c17e33a124b6ba73948d06577c152,

title = "{"}Sleeping reactor{"} irradiations: The use of a shut-down reactor for the determination of elements with short-lived activation products",

abstract = "Neutron activation analysis utilizing the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) immediately following SCRAM is a workable solution to obtaining data for ultra-short lived species, principally Al, Ti, Mg, and V. Neutrons are produced in the HFIR core within the beryllium reflector due to gamma-ray bombardment from the spent fuel element. This neutron flux is not constant, varying by over two orders of magnitude during the first 24 hours. The problems associated with irradiation in a changing neutron flux are removed through the use of a specially tailored activation equation. This activation equation is applicable to any irradiation at HFIR in the first 24 hours after SCRAM since the fuel elements are identical from cycle to cycle, and the gamma-emitting nuclides responsible for the neutrons reach saturation during the fuel cycle. Reference material tests demonstrate that this method is successful, and detection limit estimates reveal that it should be applicable to materials of widely ranging mass and composition.",

author = "Jerde, {E. A.} and Glasgow, {D. C.}",

year = "1999",

doi = "10.1007/BF02347390",

language = "English",

volume = "242",

pages = "753--759",

journal = "Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry",

issn = "0236-5731",

publisher = "Akad{\'e}miai Kiad{\'o}",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - "Sleeping reactor" irradiations

T2 - The use of a shut-down reactor for the determination of elements with short-lived activation products

AU - Jerde, E. A.

AU - Glasgow, D. C.

PY - 1999

Y1 - 1999

N2 - Neutron activation analysis utilizing the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) immediately following SCRAM is a workable solution to obtaining data for ultra-short lived species, principally Al, Ti, Mg, and V. Neutrons are produced in the HFIR core within the beryllium reflector due to gamma-ray bombardment from the spent fuel element. This neutron flux is not constant, varying by over two orders of magnitude during the first 24 hours. The problems associated with irradiation in a changing neutron flux are removed through the use of a specially tailored activation equation. This activation equation is applicable to any irradiation at HFIR in the first 24 hours after SCRAM since the fuel elements are identical from cycle to cycle, and the gamma-emitting nuclides responsible for the neutrons reach saturation during the fuel cycle. Reference material tests demonstrate that this method is successful, and detection limit estimates reveal that it should be applicable to materials of widely ranging mass and composition.

AB - Neutron activation analysis utilizing the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) immediately following SCRAM is a workable solution to obtaining data for ultra-short lived species, principally Al, Ti, Mg, and V. Neutrons are produced in the HFIR core within the beryllium reflector due to gamma-ray bombardment from the spent fuel element. This neutron flux is not constant, varying by over two orders of magnitude during the first 24 hours. The problems associated with irradiation in a changing neutron flux are removed through the use of a specially tailored activation equation. This activation equation is applicable to any irradiation at HFIR in the first 24 hours after SCRAM since the fuel elements are identical from cycle to cycle, and the gamma-emitting nuclides responsible for the neutrons reach saturation during the fuel cycle. Reference material tests demonstrate that this method is successful, and detection limit estimates reveal that it should be applicable to materials of widely ranging mass and composition.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032762235&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/BF02347390

DO - 10.1007/BF02347390

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0032762235

SN - 0236-5731

VL - 242

SP - 753

EP - 759

JO - Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

JF - Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

IS - 3

ER -

"Sleeping reactor" irradiations: The use of a shut-down reactor for the determination of elements with short-lived activation products

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this