KURRI progress report 2009. April 2009 - March 2010

In FY2009, the final year of the first 6-year mid-term program for KURRI, the fuel conversion procedure of the KUR reactor had been completed from HEU of 93% to LEU of 20% for preparing its operation from 2010, while the KUCA had been operated for 783 hrs. Cooperation project research using the HANARO for neutron activation analysis had been performed. 'Technology development for ADSR (accelerator driven sub-critical reactor) by using an FFAG (Fixed Field Alternating Gradient) accelerator' was started in FY2002 and the world's first ADSR experiment had been successfully conducted with the combination of the KUCA and the FFAG accelerator. The related studies including development of target materials were being promoted. Also, a proton cyclotron was installed for clinical trial of the BNCT (boron neutron capture therapy), and preliminary experiments were started. The results of research activities including these activities were reported in this progress report as annual summary of experimental research activities, which included research and investigations performed under the 'Joint use program' for Japanese universities, while state of research divisions and laboratories, and operation and development of facilities were updated. Project research was on study of microstructural evolution and physicality changes in irradiated solid materials, nuclear data for MA and LLFP nuclides, biological effects of low dose radiation, physical and chemical characteristics of actinides, material science using short-lived nuclei and radiations, abnormal aggregation of proteins by UV and gamma ray-irradiation and study of repair mechanism, development of neutron optical devices and its application to new neutron spectrometer and imaging, trace elemental analysis using research reactor, deuterium exchangers in the biological macromolecules for a neutron analysis, analyzing tumor microenvironment and exploiting its characteristics for controlling malignant solid tumors, radiation safety control at accelerator facilities, and new applicant development using the characteristics of the particles from the neutron capture reaction. Collaboration research was on slow neutron physics and neutron scattering, nuclear physics and nuclear data, reactor physics and reactor engineering, material science and radiation effects, geochemistry and environmental science, life science and medical science, neutron capture therapy, neutron radiography and radiation application, and accelerator physics. (T. Tanaka)