Analysis of the 207Bi, 194Hg/Au and 173Lu distribution in the irradiated MEGAPIE target

Hammer, Bernadette; Neuhausen, Jörg; Boutellier, Viktor; Linder, Hans-Peter; Shcherbina, Natalia; Wohlmuther, Michael; Türler, Andreas; Schumann, Dorothea (2014). Analysis of the 207Bi, 194Hg/Au and 173Lu distribution in the irradiated MEGAPIE target. Journal of nuclear materials, 450(1-3), pp. 278-286. Elsevier 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.09.016

Full text not available from this repository.

Samples obtained from different locations within the prototype liquid metal spallation target MEGAPIE irradiated in 2006 at PSI were analysed using γ-spectrometry. A variety of radionuclides formed by reaction of the target material, lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE), with the proton beam and secondary particles were identified. While nuclides representing the target material itself (207Bi) and nuclides of noble metals were found in LBE samples throughout the target, nuclides of electropositive metals were found to be quantitatively deposited on free surfaces and material interfaces within the target system. This behaviour is analysed in more detail based on results obtained for three nuclides representing groups of elements with distinct chemical behaviour, namely 207Bi, 194Hg/Au and 173Lu. Quantitative analysis results are given and compared with predictions obtained using nuclear physics calculations for those nuclides showing rather homogeneous distribution within the target. Possible reasons for the separation of radionuclides from the liquid metal and their deposition on surfaces are given, and consequences arising for nuclear facilities utilizing liquid metals are discussed.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	08 Faculty of Science > Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences (DCBP)
UniBE Contributor:	Türler, Andreas
Subjects:	500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology 500 Science > 540 Chemistry
ISSN:	1873-4820
Publisher:	Elsevier
Language:	English
Submitter:	Franziska Bornhauser-Rufer
Date Deposited:	04 Apr 2014 20:52
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:31
Publisher DOI:	10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.09.016
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/46296