Neutron radiation effects on an electronic system on module.

The NUMEN (NUclear Matrix Elements for Neutrinoless double beta decay) project was recently proposed with the aim to investigate the nuclear response to Double Charge Exchange reactions for all the isotopes explored by present and future studies of 0νßß decay. The expected level of radiation in the NUMEN experiment imposes severe limitations on the average lifetime of the electronic devices. During the experiments, it is expected that the electronic devices will be exposed to about 105 neutrons/cm2/s according to FLUKA simulations. This paper investigates the reliability of a System On Module (SOM) under neutron radiation. The tests were performed using thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons produced by the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares 4.5 MW Nuclear Research Reactor. The results show that the National Instruments SOM is robust to neutron radiation for the proposed applications in the NUMEN project.

Portable X-ray fluorescence system to measure Th and U concentrations.

This study reports the results obtained in the analysis of waste material samples generated by the industries of phosphate fertilizers, in particular, the use of specific filters in a portable X-ray fluorescence system, a simple equipment allowing the characterization, identification and quantification of low concentrations of Th and U (ppm). The industrial byproduct is classified as a Technologically-Enhanced, Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Material - TENORM, and therefore requires monitoring for its radio-toxic activity due to the presence of radioactive thorium and uranium families. From the results obtained, it is concluded that this technique is able to determine the contents of these elements to concentrations of tens of ppm in measurements of about 300 s, and a small sample amount (∼0.1 g).

Dynamic distribution of potassium in sugarcane.

In this work the distribution of potassium in sugarcane has been studied during its growth. The soil was prepared with natural fertilizers prepared with sugarcane bagasse. For the measurement of potassium concentration in each part of the plant, gamma-ray spectrometry was used to measure gamma-rays emitted from the radioisotope (40)K. The concentrations of potassium in roots, stems and leaves were measured every two to three months beginning about five months after planting the sugarcane. The results show a higher concentration of potassium at the beginning of plant development and over time, there is an oscillatory behavior in this concentration in each part of the plant, reaching a lower concentration in the adult plant. To describe the evolution of potassium distribution in sugarcane we proposed a phenomenological model assuming that the potassium incorporation rate is proportional to the difference between the element concentration in the plant and a very long term equilibrium value and it is coupled to a resource-limited growth model. The proposed model succeeded in interpreting the results for the potassium distribution in stems and leaves during the sugarcane growth.