Elucidation of the production process of radioactive aerosol generated in a nuclear reactor accident using neutron-irradiated uranium

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K11643
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 63020:Radiation influence-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAMIYA Koichi 京都大学, 複合原子力科学研究所, 教授 (70324712)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 放射性エアロゾル / 核分裂生成物 / 溶液エアロゾル粒子 / フィッショントラック

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The method of generating radioactive aerosol using neutron-irradiated uranium has been developed. Using this device, it was clarified that differences in the properties of attached radioactive substances contribute more to the generation efficiency of radioactive solution aerosol particles than the chemical composition and concentration of solution aerosol particles.
The method to identify uranium-containing particles in the environment by combining heavy liquid separation with the fission track method has been also developed. In order to confirm the effectiveness of this method, we tried to analyze environmental samples that might contain uranium-containing particles and indirectly detected uranium-containing particles by detecting cluster of fission tracks on a solid-state detector.

Free Research Field

放射化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究用原子炉を活用することで、放射性エアロゾルの生成過程を定量的に検証する新規手法を確立し、環境試料から微小なウラン含有粒子を識別する手法の開発にも成功した。これらの手法を用いることで、原発事故や核爆弾の投下などの大規模な核事象の発生により大量の放射性溶液エアロゾルやウラン含有粒子が生成、拡散する場合において、それらの環境中への拡散を抑制する手法の開発や拡散後の分布測定に寄与することが期待される。