• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.1532-1536
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• 2020

For ensuring nuclear safeguards, we report the analytical signal-detection performance of thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) with continuous heating for the measurement of isotopic ratios in samples containing ultra-trace amounts of uranium. As methods for detecting uranium signals, peak-jumping mode using a single detector and static mode using multiple detectors were examined with U100 (10% ²³⁵U-enriched) uranium standard samples in the femtogram-to-picogram range. Uranium isotope ratios, n(²³⁵U)/n(²³⁸U), were measured down to levels of 1 fg and 3 fg in static and peak-jumping modes, respectively, while n(²³⁴U)/n(²³⁸U) and n(²³⁶U)/n(²³⁸U) values were measured down to levels of 100 fg in both modes. In addition, the dependency of the ²³⁸U signal intensity on sample quantity exhibited similar tendencies in both modes. The precisions of the isotope ratios obtained in the static mode over all sample ranges used in this study were overall slightly higher than those obtained in peak-jumping mode. These results indicate that isotope ratio measurements by TIMS with continuous heating are almost independent of the detection method, i.e., peak-jumping mode or static mode, which is characteristic of isotope-ratio measurements using the TIMS method with continuous heating. TIMS with continuous heating is advantageous as it exhibits the properties of multiple detectors within a single detector, and is expected to be used in various fields in addition to ensuring nuclear safeguards.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.577-589
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• 2023

In this study, on-site testing was carried out to investigate the vibration performance of a cold-formed thin-walled steel floor system. Ambient vibration, walking excitation (single and double persons), and impulsive excitation (heel-drop and jumping) were considered to capture the primary vibration parameters (natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes) and vertical acceleration response. Meanwhile, to discuss the influence of cement fiberboard on structural vibration, the primary vibration parameters were compared between the systems with and without the installation of cement fiberboard. Based on the experimental analysis, the cold-formed thin-walled steel floor possesses high frequency (> 10 Hz) and damping (> 2%); the installed cement fiberboard mainly increases the mass of floor system without effectively increasing the floor stiffness and may reduce the effects of primary vibration parameters on acceleration response; and the human-structure interaction should be considered when analyzing the vibration serviceability. The comparison of the experimental results with those in the AISC Design Guide indicates that the cold-formed thin-walled steel floor exhibits acceptable vibration serviceability. A crest factor 𝛽_rp (ratio of peak to root-mean-square accelerations) is proposed to determine the root-mean-square acceleration for convenience.