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Neutron depolarization experiments have shown that the intragranular magnetic domain structure of polycrystalline ferrites exhibits a marked grain size dependence. Below a grain size of around $3~\mu \text{m}$ , the magnetic domain structure changes from the two-domain to the mono-domain state. Ferrites composed of mono-domain grains exhibit low dissipation at megahertz frequencies. This is attributed to the absence of intragranular domain wall movement, i.e., a microscopic origin for dissipation in ferrites has been identified. The implications of this clear observation and evidence for a transition from the mono- to two-domain state in ferrites for micromagnetic theory when a single particle becomes monodomain, as well as for the initial permeability mechanisms in polycrystalline ferrites, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture structures are important natural gas transport spaces in shale gas reservoirs, and their storage state in shale gas reservoirs seriously affects gas production and extraction efficiency. This work uses numerical modeling techniques to investigate the logging response law of the thermal and epithermal neutrons in the gas-containing fracture environment at various angles, applying neutron logging as a technical method. To increase the precision of the evaluation of the natural gas storage condition in shale gas reservoirs, the angle of the fractures' neutron logging data is analyzed. It is found that even in an environment with the same porosity of the fractures, there are significant differences in the logging results due to the different angles of the fracture alignment: 1. the neutron counts in the high-angle (70–90°) fracture environment are 2.25 times higher than in the low-angle (0–20°), but the diffusion area of the neutrons is only 10.58% of that in the low-angle (0–20°); 2. in the neutron energy spectrum, neutron counts are spreading to the high-energy region (7–13 MeV) along with the increase in the angle of the fracture, and the feature is especially prominent in the approximately vertical (60–90°) fracture environment, which is an increase of 528.12% in comparison with the counts in the approximately horizontal angle (0–30°) environment. The main reason for these differences is the variation in the volume of the fracture within the source radiation. This volumetric difference results from the variation in fracture angles (even though the fracture porosity is the same). In view of the above phenomenon, this paper proposes the concept of "effective fracture volume", which can intuitively reflect the degree of influence of fracture angle on neutron logging results. Further, based on the unique characteristics of shale gas reservoirs and neutrons, this paper provides important theoretical support for the modification of the porosity of the field operation, the evaluation of the physical characteristics of the gas endowment space, and the assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we demonstrated the biological effects of acute low-dose neutrons on the whole body of rats and investigated the impact of that level of neutron dose to induce an in vivo radio-adaptive response. To understand the radio-adaptive response, the examined animals were exposed to acute neutron radiation doses of 5 and 10 mSv, followed by a 50 mSv challenge dose after 14 days. After irradiation, all groups receiving single and double doses were kept in cages for one day before sampling. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method was used to estimate the radiation-induced radicals in the blood, and some hematological parameters and lipid peroxidation (MDA) were determined. A comet assay was performed beside some of the antioxidant enzymes [catalase enzyme (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH)]. Seven groups of adult male rats were classified according to their dose of neutron exposure. Measurements of all studied markers are taken one week after harvesting, except for hematological markers, within 2 h. The results indicated lower production of antioxidant enzymes (CAT by 1.18-5.83%, SOD by 1.47-17.8%, and GSH by 11.3-82.1%). Additionally, there was an increase in red cell distribution width (RDW) (from 4.61 to 25.19%) and in comet assay parameters such as Tail Length, (from 6.16 to 10.81 µm), Tail Moment, (from 1.17 to 2.46 µm), and percentage of DNA in tail length (DNA%) (from 9.58 to 17.32%) in all groups exposed to acute doses of radiation ranging from 5 to 50 mSv, respectively. This emphasizes the ascending harmful effect with the increased acute thermal neutron doses. The values of the introduced factor of radio adaptive response for all markers under study reveal that the lower priming dose promotes a higher adaptation response and vice versa. Ultimately, the results indicate significant variations in DNA%, SOD enzyme levels, EPR intensity, total Hb concentration, and RDWs, suggesting their potential use as biomarkers for acute thermal neutron dosimetry. Further research is necessary to validate these measurements as biodosimetry for radiation exposure, including investigations involving the response impact of RAR with varied challenge doses and post-irradiation behavior., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This paper investigates the possibility of restoring the trajectory of fission fragments using thick targets that are opaque to the fragments, by analyzing the angular distribution of prompt neutrons. Employing thick targets in experimental studies with low-intensity neutron beams accelerate the accumulation of statistics, thereby facilitating the study of subtle effects, such as the rotation (ROT) effect which sheds light on the deformation and rotational behavior of fission fragments. The paper details the experimental techniques used, presents the results of neutron yield measurements from the fission of 235U with cold and “warm” (60 meV) neutrons in the range of angles from 0 to 360( (in 22.5( increments). The analysis of these is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an overview of wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors for radiation detection applications is given. The recent advancements in the fabrication of high-quality wafers have enabled remarkable WBG semiconductor device applications. The most common 4H-SiC, GaN, and β-Ga2O3 devices used for radiation detection are described. The 4H-SiC and GaN devices have already achieved exceptional results in the detection of alpha particles and neutrons, thermal neutrons in particular. While β-Ga2O3 devices have not yet reached the same level of technological maturity (compared to 4H-SiC and GaN), their current achievements for X-ray detection indicate great potential and promising prospects for future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the behaviour of a neutron spectrum with burnup is important for describing various phenomena associated with reactor operation. The quest to understand the neutron spectrum comes with a lot of questions. One question that is usually asked by students is: Does the neutron spectrum harden or soften with burnup? Most textbooks used by students do not provide a definite answer to this question. This paper seeks to answer this question using a 3D model of a standard 17 × 17 pressurised water reactor fuel assembly. Two cases were studied using the Serpent Monte Carlo code: the first considered the fuel assembly with constant boron concentration (traditionally found in many published papers), and the second considered boron iteration (where the boron concentration was reduced with burnup). Neutron spectra for the two cases at beginning of life and end of life were compared for spectral shifts. In addition, thermal spectral indices were used to assess spectrum hardening or softening with burnup. Spectral shifts to lower energies were observed in the thermal region of the neutron spectrum, whereas the fast region experienced no spectral shift. There was an increase in thermal spectral indices indicating that the spectrum became soft with burnup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first machine learning-based autonomous hyperspectral neutron computed tomography experiment performed at the Spallation Neutron Source. Hyperspectral neutron computed tomography allows the characterization of samples by enabling the reconstruction of crystallographic information and elemental/isotopic composition of objects relevant to materials science. High quality reconstructions using traditional algorithms such as the filtered back projection require a high signal-to-noise ratio across a wide wavelength range combined with a large number of projections. This results in scan times of several days to acquire hundreds of hyperspectral projections, during which end users have minimal feedback. To address these challenges, a golden ratio scanning protocol combined with model-based image reconstruction algorithms have been proposed. This novel approach enables high quality real-time reconstructions from streaming experimental data, thus providing feedback to users, while requiring fewer yet a fixed number of projections compared to the filtered back projection method. In this paper, we propose a novel machine learning criterion that can terminate a streaming neutron tomography scan once sufficient information is obtained based on the current set of measurements. Our decision criterion uses a quality score which combines a reference-free image quality metric computed using a pre-trained deep neural network with a metric that measures differences between consecutive reconstructions. The results show that our method can reduce the measurement time by approximately a factor of five compared to a baseline method based on filtered back projection for the samples we studied while automatically terminating the scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the significant dependency on empirical judgment in measuring the prompt neutron decay constant with the traditional Rossi-alpha method and the issue of requiring an excessive number of detectors with the DMD-Rossi-alpha method, this paper introduces a calculation method for the prompt neutron decay constant based on a combination of Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS), Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD), and the Rossi-alpha method. Initially, the method uses LHS to expand the sample dataset of neutron noise data to reduce the number of detectors required. It then employs the Rossi-alpha method to construct a Rossi-alpha distribution model from neutron noise data. Finally, it utilizes DMD for feature extraction from the Rossi-alpha distribution model, thereby determining the prompt neutron decay constant. Research findings demonstrate that, by simulating the KUCA facility using RMC3.5 in a near-critical state, the relative error of the α value calculated by the LHS-DMD-Rossi-alpha method model is 9% less than that calculated by the Rossi-alpha method. This approach, capable of enhancing the precision of measuring the prompt neutron decay constant with just a single detector, holds significant theoretical value and engineering significance for the advancement of reactor physics and experimental techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With neutron diffraction, the local stress and texture of metallic components can be analyzed non-destructively. For both, highly accurate positioning of the sample is essential, requiring the measurement at the same sample location from different directions. Current sample-positioning systems in neutron diffraction instruments combine XYZ tables and Eulerian cradles to enable the accurate six-degree-of-freedom (6DoF) handling of samples. However, these systems are not flexible enough. The choice of the rotation center and their range of motion are limited. Industrial six-axis robots have the necessary flexibility, but they lack the required absolute accuracy. This paper proposes a visual servoing system consisting of an industrial six-axis robot enhanced with a high-precision multi-camera tracking system. Its goal is to achieve an absolute positioning accuracy of better than 50 μ m. A digital twin integrates various data sources from the instrument and the sample in order to enable a fully automatic measurement procedure. This system is also highly relevant for other kinds of processes that require the accurate and flexible handling of objects and tools, e.g., robotic surgery or industrial printing on 3D surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for a published paper titled "Tritium Desorption Behavior and Microstructure Evolution of Beryllium Irradiated at Low Temperature Up to High Neutron Dose in BR2 Reactor." The authors have made several corrections to the figures, tables, and text in the paper. The changes include removing and adding figures, correcting correlations, clarifying the tritium content in irradiated beryllium, and updating the data availability statement. The authors state that these corrections do not affect the scientific conclusions of the paper. [Extracted from the article]

The existing interpretation models for the time spectrum of impulse neutron oxygen activation require interpreters to select the peak range or background range manually from the time spectrum curve, and there is no adaptive interpretation model that can determine the peak range or background range. In this paper, an adaptive selection rule for background segment is proposed, and a semiautomatic interpretation model is constructed by combining background segment interpretation model. Firstly, the interpretation operator selects the time spectrum curve, then the algorithm program adaptively determines the background segment according to the rules, and then calculates and displays the transit time and volume flow according to the background segment interpretation model. The processing results of the measured data show that the interpretation model in this paper not only retains the interpretation precision of the background interpretation model, but also reduces the labor intensity of the interpretation operator, realizing the semiautomatic interpretation of the time spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron star observations, as well as experiments on neutron-rich nuclei, used to motivate one to look at degenerate nuclear matter from its extreme, namely, pure neutron matter. As an important next step, impurities and clusters in dilute neutron matter have attracted special attention. In this paper, we review in-medium properties of these objects on the basis of the physics of polarons, which have been recently realized in ultracold atomic experiments. We discuss how such atomic and nuclear systems are related to each other in terms of polarons. In addition to the interdisciplinary understanding of in-medium nuclear clusters, it is shown that the quasiparticle energy of a single proton in neutron matter is associated with the symmetry energy, implying a novel route toward the nuclear equation of state from the neutron-rich side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the neutron diffusion model with two energy groups in spherical reactors. In particular, the integer-order two energy groups neutron diffusion model in spherical reactors is resolved using the Laplace transform method by regarding the spherical radius r as a time domain. Next, we transform the neutron diffusion model into fractional-order versions using the Caputo differentiator, resulting in what is referred to as the fractional-order two-energy-group neutron diffusion model. To address this fractional-order system, we introduce a novel approach to reduce a system of 2a -order to a duplicated system of a -order, where 0 <α 1. This converted system is then solved using one of the recent modifications of the fractional Euler method called the Modified Fractional Euler Method (MFEM). Several numerical simulations are depicted to verify our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isotopic shifts of 149Sm–150Sm and 157Gd–158Gd have often been observed in meteorites and lunar surface materials, because they result from the neutron-capture reactions associated with secondary neutrons produced by cosmic-ray irradiation. While the Sm and Gd isotopic shifts can mainly be used for the estimation of thermal neutron fluences that of 167Er–168Er has recently been applied in the estimation of epithermal neutron fluences. The systematic isotopic dataset of Sm, Gd and Er helps us to consider the details of planetary materials' cosmic-ray exposure conditions using the balance of the fluences between thermal and epithermal neutrons. This paper reviews a series of isotopic variations of Sm, Gd, and Er in association with neutron-capture reactions for the application of planetary sciences. As a new attempt and possibility for better understanding the neutron fluence and its energy distribution, the use of Yb isotopic variation is then discussed using two different data sources, namely lunar regolith and the Oklo natural reactors. Finally, the preliminary result for the precise isotopic measurement of Yb is presented from the viewpoint of chemical separation and instrumental improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron star observations, as well as experiments on neutron-rich nuclei, used to motivate one to look at degenerate nuclear matter from its extreme, namely, pure neutron matter. As an important next step, impurities and clusters in dilute neutron matter have attracted special attention. In this paper, we review in-medium properties of these objects on the basis of the physics of polarons, which have been recently realized in ultracold atomic experiments. We discuss how such atomic and nuclear systems are related to each other in terms of polarons. In addition to the interdisciplinary understanding of in-medium nuclear clusters, it is shown that the quasiparticle energy of a single proton in neutron matter is associated with the symmetry energy, implying a novel route toward the nuclear equation of state from the neutron-rich side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews the recent progress in the description of isospin-symmetry breaking within the nuclear shell model and applications to actual problems related to the structure and decay of exotic neutron-deficient nuclei and nuclei along the N = Z line, where N is the neutron number and Z the atomic number. The review recalls the fundamentals of the isospin formalism for two-nucleon and many-nucleon systems, including quantum numbers, the spectrum's structure and selection rules for weak and electromagnetic transitions; and at the end, summarizes experimental signatures of isospin-symmetry breaking effects, which motivated efforts towards the creation of a relevant theoretical framework to describe those phenomena. The main approaches to construct accurate isospin-nonconserving Hamiltonians within the shell model are briefly described and recent advances in the description of the structure and (isospin-forbidden) decay modes of neutron-deficient nuclei are highlighted. The paper reviews major implications of the developed theoretical tools to (i) the fundamental interaction studies on nuclear decays and (ii) the estimation of the rates of nuclear reactions that are important for nuclear astrophysics. The shell model is shown to be one of the most suitable approaches to describing isospin-symmetry breaking in nuclear states at low energies. Further efforts in extending and refining the description to larger model spaces, and in developing first-principle theories to deal with isospin-symmetry breaking in many-nucleon systems, seem to be indispensable steps towards our better understanding of nuclear properties in the precision era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]