Qucosa – Hemholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
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Wege zum effizienten Rückbau von Reaktorkomponenten und Betonabschirmung: Berechnung des Aktivitätsinventars und deren Validierung an Bohrkernen sowie Mobilitätsuntersuchungen von Radionukliden – WERREBA
Full text linkDas Ziel des Vorhabens war es, genaue Kenntnisse über die entstandenen radioaktiven Nuk-lide während des Leistungsbetriebs eines Kernkraftwerkes, die zeitliche Veränderung der Ak-tivität und die daraus resultierende Verteilung der Aktivität in den einzelnen Phasen des Rück-baus zu erhalten. Die Aktivitätsverteilungen sollten dabei anlagenspezifisch für den Reaktor-druckbehälter (RDB), dessen Einbauten, den Reaktordeckel und die erste Betonabschirmung (biologisches Schild) bestimmt werden. Dabei lag der Schwerpunkt besonders auf der expe-rimentellen Bestimmung der Nuklidzusammensetzung sowie deren Aktivität und chemischen Bindung im Material. Die Untersuchungen wurden an Originalmaterial sowohl aus dem RDB als auch aus dem Beton durchgeführt und dienen der Validierung und Verifizierung der durchgeführten Rechnungen.
Im Fall der stark aktivierten Reaktorkomponenten könnten den Behörden und Betreibern In-formationen bereitgestellt werden, ob neben der direkten Zerlegung die Methode der Abkling-lagerung als eine ökologische und wirtschaftliche Alternative in Betracht kommt. Mit einer möglichen Zwischenlagerung könnten sowohl die endzulagernde aktive Abfallmenge reduziert als auch wertvolle Metalle wieder recycelt werden. Zusätzlich wird die Strahlenbelastung für das Rückbaupersonal verringert.
Im Fall der Betonabschirmung wurden Aussagen zur möglichen chemischen Mobilität der Radionuklide getroffen, welche direkten Einfluss auf die Rückbaustrategie und die Endlage-rung hat. Denn für beides ist nicht nur die absolute Menge, sondern auch die strukturelle Ein-bindung der Radionuklide im Beton wichtig. Diese ist entscheidend für die Stabilität der Bin-dung der Radionuklide im Beton und damit für den Umfang und die Kinetik möglicher Auflö-sungen mit Übergang in die wässrige Phase während des Rückbaus und im Endlager
Strahlungseinfangreaktionen für die nukleare Astrophysik und die Energiekalibration von Ionenbeschleunigern
Full text linkEin präzises Verständnis über die Entstehung der Elemente im Universum stellt ein hoch- relevantes Kernthema der nuklearen Astrophysik dar. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde die 12C(p,γ)13N-Reaktion untersucht, die als Startreaktion des CNO-Zyklus Einfluss auf das Verhältnis von 12C zu 13C im Universum nimmt. Die analysierten Messdaten wurden in in- verser Kinematik am Tandetron-Beschleuniger des Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf aufgenommen. Der resultierende S-Faktor, vermessen im Bereich der 421keV-Resonanz, liegt im Mittel 23% unterhalb etablierter Literaturdaten, deckt sich aber mit den Ergeb- nissen anderer kürzlich veröffentlichter Messdaten.
Die in dieser Analyse ebenfalls erschwerte präzise Untersuchung niedriger, aber astrophy- sikalisch relevanter Energien kann durch Untertagelabore und der damit einhergehenden Abschirmung vor kosmischer Strahlung erreicht werden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden in diesem Bestreben erste mit dem 5 MV-Tandem-Beschleuniger untersuchte Kernreaktio- nen am Felsenkeller-Untertagelabor in Dresden vorgestellt.
Aus Untersuchungen der 14N(α,γ)18F-, der 13C(p,γ)14N- und der 27Al(p,γ)28Si-Reaktion wurden dabei präzise Werte für die Energiekalibration des Ionenbeschleunigers ermittelt. Es wird ein Vergleich mit weiteren Möglichkeiten zur Bestimmung dieses Kalibrationsfaktors präsentiert und aus diesem Vergleich ein Wert von k = 0,9572 ± 0,0004 zur Kalibration der Hochspannung des Beschleunigers abgeleitet.
Die vorgestellte Herangehensweise zur Bestimmung dieses Faktors und die dokumentier- ten Erkenntnisse und Analysen zu optimalen Betriebsparametern von Beschleuniger und der zugehörigen Radiofrequenz-Ionenquelle werden auch für zukünftige protonen- und he- liumstrahlinduzierte Untersuchungen im Felsenkeller-Untertagelabor von Relevanz sein
Entwicklung einer Methode zur Pre-Aktivitäts- und Dosisleistungsberechnung von reaktornahen Bauteilen auf Basis von Neutronenfluenzverteilungen – EMPRADO: Teilprojekt A: Berechnung der Neutronenfluenzverteilung in reaktornahen Bauteilen und deren Validierung an Experimenten als Basis der Aktivitätsrechnungen
Full text linkOn the basis of an exact power history and accurate geometric modelling, plant-specific neutron fluences were calculated for in each case a pre- and convoy unit of German nuclear power plant for reactor components and for concrete and structural elements close to the reactor. These neutron fluences are the basis for determining the generated activation of the construction materials during the power operation of the plant. The calculations were supported by an extensive measurement program in the last cycles of two plants, where neutron fluence values were determined ex-perimentally with the help of activation foils (monitors). A spectral analysis was possible by using different monitor materials. The monitors were measured by gam-ma spectrometry after sampling using a high-purity germanium (HP-Ge) detector. The comparison of the calculated and measured activities shows, with a few excep-tions, good to very good agreement between the values. This means that the real ratios of neutron radiation in the elements were calculated very well and the method and model can be used to determine the activity distribution.
Due to the possibility of the accurate simulation of the resulting activities on the ba-sis of these 'best estimate' calculations, detailed planning of the decommissioning can already begin during the operation of the plant. It is not necessary to wait until extensive sampling after the shutdown.
In addition, the accurate mathematical determination of the activity distribution in the components enables improved cut planning and thus minimization of the waste volume for the final storage. A further advantage would be that the necessary exper-imental activity determinations could be reduced to a few samples thanks to the supporting experiments and thereby validated neutron fluence calculations
Optimisation strategies for proton acceleration from thin foils with petawatt ultrashort pulse lasers
Full text linkLaser-driven plasma accelerators can produce high-energy, high peak current ion beams by irradiating solid materials with ultra-intense laser pulses. This innovative concept attracts a lot of attention for various multidisciplinary applications as a compact and energy-efficient alternative to conventional accelerators. The maturation of plasma accelerators from complex physics experiments to turnkey particle sources for practical applications necessitates breakthroughs in the generated beam parameters, their robustness and scalability to higher repetition rates and efficiencies.
This thesis investigates viable optimisation strategies for enhancing ion acceleration from thin foil targets in ultra-intense laser-plasma interactions. The influence of the detailed laser pulse parameters on plasma-based ion acceleration has been systematically investigated in a series of experiments carried out on two state-of-the-art high-power laser systems. A central aspect of this work is the establishment and integration of laser diagnostics
and operational techniques to advance control of the interaction conditions for maximum acceleration performance. Meticulous efforts in continuously monitoring and enhancing the temporal intensity contrast of the laser system, enabled to optimise ion acceleration in two different regimes, each offering unique perspectives for applications.
Using the widely established target-normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) scheme and adjusting the temporal shape of the laser pulse accordingly, proton energies up to 70 MeV were reliably obtained over many months of operation. Asymmetric laser pulses, deviating significantly from the standard conditions of an ideally compressed pulse, resulted in the highest particle numbers and an average energy gain ≥ 37 %. This beam quality enhancement is demonstrated across a broad range of parameters, including thickness and material of the target, laser energy and temporal intensity contrast.
To overcome the energy scaling limitations of TNSA, the second part of the thesis focuses on an advanced acceleration scheme occurring in the relativistically induced transparency (RIT) regime. The combination of thin foil targets with precisely matched temporal contrast conditions of the laser enabled a transition of the initially opaque targets to transparency upon main pulse arrival. Laser-driven proton acceleration to a record energy of 150 MeV is experimentally demonstrated using only 22 J of laser energy on target. The low-divergent high-energy component of the accelerated beam is spatially and spectrally well separated from a lower energetic TNSA component. Start-to-end simulations validate these results and elucidate the role of preceding laser light in pre-expanding the target along with the detailed acceleration dynamics during the main pulse interaction. The ultrashort pulse duration of the laser facilitates a rapid succession of multiple known acceleration regimes to cascade efficiently at the onset of RIT, leading to the observed beam parameters and enabling ion acceleration to unprecedented energies. The discussed acceleration scheme was successfully replicated at two different laser facilities and for different temporal contrast levels. The results demonstrate the robustness of this scenario and that the optimum target thickness decreases with improved laser contrast due to reduced pre-expansion. Target transparency was found to identify the best-performance shots within the acquired data sets, making it a suitable feedback parameter for automated laser and target optimisation to enhance stability of plasma accelerators in the future.
Overall, the obtained results and described optimisation strategies of this thesis may become the guiding step for the further development of laser-driven ion accelerators
Fracture mechanics investigation of reactor pressure vessel steels by means of sub-sized specimens (KLEINPROBEN)
Full text linkThe embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels due to neutron irradiation restricts the operating lifetime of nuclear reactors. The reference temperature 0, obtained from fracture mechanics testing using the Master Curve concept, is a good indicator of the irradiation resistance of a material. The measurement of the shift in 0 after neutron irradiation, which accompanies the embrittlement of the material, using the Master Curve concept, enables the
assessment of the reactor materials. In the context of worldwide life time extensions of nuclear power plants, the limited availability of neutron irradiated materials (surveillance materials) is a challenge. Testing of miniaturized 0.16T C(T) specimens manufactured from already tested standard Charpy-sized specimens helps to solve the material shortage problem. In this work, four different reactor pressure vessel steels with different compositions were
investigated in the unirradiated and in the neutron-irradiated condition. A total number of 189 mini-C(T) samples were fabricated and tested. An important component of this study is the transferability of fracture mechanics data from mini-C(T) to standard Charpy-sized specimen. Our results demonstrate good agreement of the reference temperatures from the mini-C(T) specimens with those from standard Charpy-sized specimens. RPV steels containing higher Cu and P contents exhibit a higher increase in 0 after irradiation. The fracture surfaces were investigated using SEM in order to record the location of the fracture initiators. The fracture modes were also determined. A large number of test results formed the basis for a censoring probability function, which was used to optimally select the testing temperature in Master Curve testing. The effect of the slow stable crack growth censoring criteria from ASTM E1921 on the determination of 0 was analysed and found to have a minor effect. Our results demonstrate the validity of mini-C(T) specimen testing and confirm the role of the impurity elements Cu and P in neutron embrittlement. We anticipate further research linking microstructure to the fracture properties of materials before and after neutron irradiation and the optimization of Master Curve testing using the results from our statistical analysis
Annual Report 2022 - Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research
Full text linkPreface
Selected publications
Statistics (Publications and patents, Concluded scientific degrees; Appointments and honors; Invited conference contributions, colloquia, lectures and talks; Conferences, workshops, colloquia and seminars; Exchange of researchers; Projects)
Doctoral training programme
Experimental equipment
User facilities and services
Organization chart and personne
Primordial nuclides and low-level counting at Felsenkeller
Full text linkWithin cosmology, there are two entirely independent pillars which can jointly drive this field towards precision: Astronomical observations of primordial element abundances and the detailed surveying of the cosmic microwave background. However, the comparatively large uncertainty stemming from the nuclear physics input is currently still hindering this effort, i.e. stemming from the 2H(p,γ)3He reaction. An accurate understanding of this reaction is required for precision data on primordial nucleosynthesis and an independent determination of the cosmological baryon density.
Elsewhere, our Sun is an exceptional object to study stellar physics in general. While we are now able to measure solar neutrinos live on earth, there is a lack of knowledge regarding theoretical predictions of solar neutrino fluxes due to the limited precision (again) stemming from nuclear reactions, i.e. from the 3He(α,γ)7Be reaction. This thesis sheds light on these two nuclear reactions, which both limit our understanding of the universe. While the investigation of the 2H(p,γ)3He reaction will focus on the determination of its cross- section in the vicinity of the Gamow window for the Big Bang nucleosynthesis, the main aim for the 3He(α,γ)7Be reaction will be a measurement of its γ-ray angular distribution at astrophysically relevant energies.
In addition, the installation of an ultra-low background counting setup will be reported which further enables the investigation of the physics of rare events. This is essential for modern nuclear astrophysics, but also relevant for double beta decay physics and the search for dark matter. The presented setup is now the most sensitive in Germany and among the most sensitive ones worldwide
Annual Report 2022 - Institute of Resource Ecology
Full text linkThe Institute of Resource Ecology (IRE) is one of the ten institutes of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR). Our research activities are mainly integrated into the program “Nuclear Waste Management, Safety and Ra-diation Research (NUSAFE)” of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and focus on the topics “Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal” and “Safety Research for Nuclear Reactors”. The program NUSAFE, and therefore all work which is done at IRE, belong to the research field “Energy” of the HGF
Temporal contrast-dependent modeling of laser-driven solids - studying femtosecond-nanometer interactions and probing
Full text linkEstablishing precise control over the unique beam parameters of laser-accelerated ions from relativistic ultra-short pulse laser-solid interactions has been a major goal for the past 20 years. While the spatio-temporal coupling of laser-pulse and target parameters create transient phenomena at femtosecond-nanometer scales that are decisive for the acceleration performance, these scales have also largely been inaccessible to experimental observation. Computer simulations of laser-driven plasmas provide valuable insight into the physics at play. Nevertheless, predictive capabilities are still lacking due to the massive computational cost to perform these in 3D at high resolution for extended simulation times. This thesis investigates the optimal acceleration of protons from ultra-thin foils following the interaction with an ultra-short ultra-high intensity laser pulse, including realistic contrast conditions up to a picosecond before the main pulse. Advanced ionization methods implemented into the highly scalable, open-source particle-in-cell code PIConGPU enabled this study. Supporting two experimental campaigns, the new methods led to a deeper understanding of the physics of Laser-Wakefield acceleration and Colloidal Crystal melting, respectively, for they now allowed to explain experimental observations with simulated ionization- and plasma dynamics. Subsequently, explorative 3D3V simulations of enhanced laser-ion acceleration were performed on the Swiss supercomputer Piz Daint. There, the inclusion of realistic laser contrast conditions altered the intra-pulse dynamics of the acceleration process significantly. Contrary to a perfect Gaussian pulse, a better spatio-temporal overlap of the protons with the electron sheath origin allowed for full exploitation of the accelerating potential, leading to higher maximum energies. Adapting well-known analytic models allowed to match the results qualitatively and, in chosen cases, quantitatively. However, despite complex 3D plasma dynamics not being reflected within the 1D models, the upper limit of ion acceleration performance within the TNSA scenario can be predicted remarkably well. Radiation signatures obtained from synthetic diagnostics of electrons, protons, and bremsstrahlung photons show that the target state at maximum laser intensity is encoded, previewing how experiments may gain insight into this previously unobservable time frame.
Furthermore, as X-ray Free Electron Laser facilities have only recently begun to allow observations at femtosecond-nanometer scales, benchmarking the physics models for solid-density plasma simulations is now in reach. Finally, this thesis presents the first start-to-end simulations of optical-pump, X-ray-probe laser-solid interactions with the photon scattering code ParaTAXIS. The associated PIC simulations guided the planning and execution of an LCLS experiment, demonstrating the first observation of solid-density plasma distribution driven by near-relativistic short-pulse laser pulses at femtosecond-nanometer resolution
Annual Report 2021 - Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research
Full text linkThe year 2021 was still overshadowed by waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, although the arrival of efficient vaccinations together with the experience of the preceding year gave us a certain routine in handling the situation. By now the execution of meetings in an online mode using zoom and similar video conference systems has been recognized as actually being useful in certain situations, e.g. instead of flying across Europe to attend a three-hours meeting, but also to be able to attend seminars of distinguished scientists which otherwise would not be easily accessible.
The scientific productivity of the institute has remained on a very high level, counting 190 publications with an unprecedented average impact factor of 8.0. Six outstanding and representative publications are reprinted in this Annual Report. 16 new third-party projects were granted, among them 7 DFG projects, but very remarkably also an EU funded project on nonlinear magnons for reservoir computing with industrial participation of Infineon Technologies Dresden and GlobalFoundries Dresden coordinated by Kathrin Schultheiß of our Institute.
The scientific success was also reflected in two HZDR prizes awarded to the members of the Institute: Dr. Katrin Schultheiß received the HZDR Forschungspreis for her work on “Nonlinear magnonics as basis for a spin based neuromorphic computing architecture”, and Dr. Toni Hache was awarded the Doktorandenpreis for his thesis entitled “Frequency control of auto-oscillations of the magnetization in spin Hall nano-oscillators”. Our highly successful theoretician Dr. Arkady Krasheninnikov was quoted as Highly Cited Researcher 2021 by Clarivate.
The new 1-MV facility for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has been ordered from NEC (National Electrostatics Corporation). Design of a dedicated building to house the accelerator, the SIMS and including additional chemistry laboratories for enhanced sample preparation capabilities has started and construction is planned to be finished by mid 2023, when the majority of the AMS components are scheduled for delivery.
In the course of developing a strategy for the HZDR - HZDR 2030+ Moving Research to the NEXT Level for the NEXT Gens - six research focus areas for our institute were identified.
Concerning personalia, it should be mentioned that the long-time head of the spectroscopy department PD Dr. Harald Schneider went into retirement. His successor is Dr. Stephan Winnerl, who has been a key scientist in this department already for two decades. In addition, PD Dr. Sebastian Fähler was hired in the magnetism department who transferred several third-party projects with the associated PhD students to the Institute and strengthens our ties to the High Magnetic Field Laboratory, but also to the Institute of Fluid Dynamics.
Finally, we would like to cordially thank all partners, friends, and organizations who supported our progress in 2021. First and foremost we thank the Executive Board of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, the Minister of Science and Arts of the Free State of Saxony, and the Ministers of Education and Research, and of Economic Affairs and Climate Action of the Federal Government of Germany. Many partners from universities, industry and research institutes all around the world contributed essentially, and play a crucial role for the further development of the institute. Last but not least, the directors would like to thank all members of our institute for their efforts in these very special times and excellent contributions in 2021