Characterization of actinide physics specimens for the US/UK joint experiment in the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor

Abstract

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Analyses of physics specimens in fuel pins 1 and 2 irradiated in the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor

“…The initial sample compositions are given in Ref. 3. The amount of actinides built up during the irradiation was estimated from the preanalysis calculations described in Ref.…”

“…These fluxes along with the initial concentrations obtained from Ref. 3 were used in ORIGEN-S calculations to predict the end-of-irradiation concentrations. Additionally, various decay times were also included to predict the actual concentrations at the time of the measurements.…”

Fission-product yield data from the US/UK joint experiment in the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor

“…The initial masses were obtained from the report of Quinby et al 1 For several of the samples, the total masses were computed, or recomputed, as of August 24, 1982, the date of the beginning of the irradiation, with supplemental information about the sample material (e.g., isotopic %, concentrations, dates of measurements) obtained from data given in the report by Walker et al 3 Since the gamma-ray-assay samples contained the principal actinides being studied, the gamma-ray measurements themselves provided an independent determination of the amount of the principal actinide. Am sample) nor any explanation for its absence.…”

“…Th supposedly in the sample on the basis of its original description. 3 Recalling from Section 3.1.1 that the gamma-ray-assay direct measure of the Th is much too large and its growth is much too rapid to be due to decay of 232 Th, and so must be indicative of the amount of 232 U in the sample. Thus, the experimental data provide a means to determine a fairly precise value of the amount of 232 U created during the irradiation even though the amount is too small to result in directly measurable yields of gamma rays due to decay of 232 U.…”

“…A spark source mass spectrographic (SSMS) analysis of the vanadium is shown in Table 1. The vanadium capsules were quite small, having a 7.6-mm length, a 1.5-mm outside diameter, and an interior volume of 0.52 mm 3 . We remark on both the SSMS impurity analysis and the small size of the capsules because these aspects impacted the overall results of the gamma-ray-assay experiment.…”