JNST Article Awards

JSNT-awards_

We are honored to present the Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology (JNST) Most Cited and Popular Article Awards 2021, to the following 10 respected papers. These two awards are presented to the first author of the paper published in our journal that has contributed to raising the quality and enhanced the specialty of the journal in the Nuclear Science and Technology field. This award is presented by the journal Editorial Board, sponsored by our publishing partner, Taylor & Francis.

All award-winning papers are available free to view until 30 November 2023 via the Taylor & Francis landing page.

Detailed descriptions of the two awards are as follows:
(1) the JNST Most Cited Article Award
Established in the year 2012, given to the papers that are frequently cited directly by other research papers during the first 60 months of its publication, which was the year 2016 for this year's nomination.

(2) the JNST Most Popular Article Award
Newly established in the year 2013. This award is given to the papers that are frequently downloaded by the readers of our journal. Articles published in the year 2021(Vol. 58) was the candidate for this year's nomination. The impact on free or Open Access articles has been taken into consideration during the award evaluation process.

JNST Most Cited Article Award 2022 :

A prototype of aerial radiation monitoring system using an unmanned helicopter mounting a GAGG scintillator Compton camera
Jianyong Jiang, Kenji Shimazoe, Yasuaki Nakamura, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Yoshiaki Shikaze, Yukiyasu Nishizawa, Mami Yoshida, Yukihisa Sanada, Tatsuo Torii, Masao Yoshino, Shigeki Ito, Takanori Endo, Kosuke Tsutsumi, Sho Kato, Hiroki Sato, Yoshiyuki Usuki, Shunsuke Kurosawa, Kei Kamada& Akira Yoshikawa

Comment from the author: "I am so excited to receive the award, because the paper was my very first journal paper. This year, we published another paper on JNST with my student as the first author. We will cooperate with JNST in the future and have more papers published on it. "

Effect of low-temperature pre-deformation on precipitation behavior and microstructure of a Zr-Sn-Nb-Fe-Cu-O alloy during fabrication
Liangyu Chen, Jiuxiao Li, Yao Zhang, Weijie Lu, Lai-Chang Zhang, Liqiang ang& Di Zhang

Field test around Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site using improved Ce:Gd-3(Al,Ga)(5)O-12 scintillator Compton camera mounted on an unmanned helicopter
Yoshiaki Shikaze, Yukiyasu Nishizawa, Yukihisa Sanada, Tatsuo Torii, Jianyong Jiang, Kenji Shimazoe, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Masao Yoshino, Shigeki Ito, Takanori Endo, Kosuke Tsutsumi, Sho Kato, Hiroki Sato, Yoshiyuki suki, Shunsuke Kurosawa, Kei Kamada& Akira Yoshikawa

Comment from the author: "I am very pleased that many people have read our article on the measurement test using the Compton camera system mounted on an unmanned helicopter and that it has been cited in many papers. Various possibilities have been expanded by installing a Compton camera using a low cost and high-performance GAGG scintillator on an unmanned helicopter. I am very happy that the efforts of my collaborators and others involved have successfully paid off in the form of the publication of a paper, and that this has been rewarded in the form of an award. "

Laser cutting of thick steel plates and simulated steel components using a 30 kW fiber laser
Koji Tamura, Ryoya Ishigami & Ryuichiro Yamagishi

Comment from the author: "We are greatly honored to receive the JNST Most Cited Article Award for 2023. Our article discusses the challenges of applying laser cutting to the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, with a particular focus on cutting through thick steel plates and structural components. While laser cutting has many advantageous features and was considered promising for decommissioning, its actual application was found to be very challenging. Therefore, experimental demonstrations of cutting simulated steel components were deemed necessary for successful implementation. We attempted to cut the steel specimen with a thickness of 300 mm, which is comparable to the thickness of the reactor vessel, using a high-power fiber laser. After several unsuccessful attempts to determine the optimal cutting conditions, we finally adjusted the parameters and successfully demonstrated the cutting process. The results exceeded our expectations and generated significant interest in the laser cutting community, leading to the citation of our article. We expect that our findings will encourage and facilitate the use of laser cutting in nuclear decommissioning.Finally, we would like to acknowledge supports from The Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center (WERC), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), and The National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST). "

Distribution of the Cs-134/Cs-137 ratio around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant using an unmanned helicopter radiation monitoring system
Yukiyasu Nishizawa, Mami Yoshida, Yukihisa Sanada & Tatsuo Torii

Comment from the author: "We are very honored to receive the JNST Most Cited Article Award 2022. In this paper, Cs-134 and Cs-137 ratio were evaluated one year after the accident to investigate the accident process caused by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident. We measured the energy spectrum of gamma rays in high resolution within an approximately 3-km radius of the FDNPP by using an unmanned helicopter equipped with a LaBr3(Ce) scintillation detector. Then, we analyzed the Cs-134/Cs-137 ratio in the area from these measured data in detail. The results show that the Cs-134/Cs-137 ratio is different between the plume trace extending north and the other plume traces. We have obtained valuable data for identification of which radioactive substances were released by individual reactor units. Finally, I would like to thank all the staff of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the staff who took measurements by unmanned helicopter for their cooperation in this study."

JNST Most Popular Article Award 2022:

JENDL/DEU-2020: deuteron nuclear data library for design studies of accelerator-based neutron sources
Shinsuke Nakayama, Osamu Iwamoto, Yukinobu Watanabe & Kazuyuki Ogata

Comment from the author: "It is a great honor to receive JNST Most Popular Article Award 2022. This paper describes the development of the deuteron nuclear reaction database JENDL/DEU-2020 for the design of deuteron accelerator-based neutron sources.Despite its importance in various applications, a practical deuteron nuclear reaction database had not been developed in the world. Therefore, we focused on this reaction. While nuclear reaction databases for neutrons, photons, protons and so on have been developed in the JENDL series, which is Japanese evaluated nuclear data library, this was the first attempt for deuterons. We hope that JENDL/DEU-2020 will contribute to the design studies of deuteron accelerator-based neutron sources. "

Bayesian-estimation-based method for generating fragility curves for high-fidelity seismic probability risk assessment
Yoshifumi Katayama, Yasuki Ohtori, Toshiaki Sakai & Hitoshi Muta

Comment from the author:"It is a great honor to receive the JNST Most Popular Article Award 2022. This paper presents a Bayesian-estimation-based seismic fragility generation method that can significantly reduce computational burden. The proposed method adopted the probability density function of the seismic capacity as the likelihood function, although previous studies have generally used the fragility curve. Furthermore, the prior distribution was assumed based on the seismic capacity obtained by incremental dynamic analysis, in which the median values of material properties were assumed for obtaining the initial value of the median capacity. The proposed Bayesian estimation method was applied to a reinforced-concrete water-intake structure considering soil–structure interaction, which is a critical component of the core-cooling system in NPPs. The results revealed that the fragility curves determined using the proposed method with 12 repetitions of the simulations were comparable to those using a detailed method described in the PRA standard of Atomic Energy Society of Japan with 500 repeated simulations. Finally, we would like to appreciate all the staff of External Natural Event Research Team of Nuclear Risk Research Center, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry for supporting this research. We also thank the reviewers for their valuable comments."

Strontium Adsorption Characteristics of Natural Zeolites for Permeable Reactive Barrier in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
Takatoshi Hijikata, Tadafumi Koyama, Yasuhito Aikyo, Satoshi Shimura & Motoi Kawanishi

Comment from the author:"We were very honored to receive the JNST Most Popular Article Awards 2022. Our article described the study of developing the permeable reactive barrier (PRB) in Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Station. On August 19th 2013, leakage of the concentrated water was found in a tank located at H4, and the PRB was constructed to decontamination of the ground water from June to September on 2014. Therefore, it was necessary to quickly evaluate the performance of natural zeolites for utilizing PRB by equilibrium test and column tests. Based on the results of this research, Futatsui zeolite (clinoptilolite) was selected and the blending ratio of zeolite was determined. The performance of PRB has been maintaining cause 90Sr in by-pass groundwater was not detected until March 2022. In the consequence, we are pleased that this research was able to contribute to the accident remediation of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. We will hopefully be realized to use the PRB technology for decontamination other polluted groundwater. Finally, we thank the members of Taisei Corporation and the other members of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which were constructed actual PRB. "

Distribution of studtite and metastudtite generated on the surface of U₃O₈: Application of Raman imaging technique to uranium compound
Ryoji Kusaka , Yuta Kumagai, Takumi Yomogida, Masahide Takano, Masayuki Watanabe, Takayuki Sasaki, Daisuke Akiyama, Nobuaki Sato & Akira Kirishima

Comment from the author: "It is our great honor and pleasure to receive the JNST Most Popular Article Award 2022. The article awarded will contribute to a better understanding of nuclear fuel debris. Because the composition of the nuclear fuel debris will be complex, understanding its chemical state will be very important for its (further) treatments, such as storage, process, and disposal. So far, it has been known that uranium dioxide (UO₂), the main component of nuclear fuel debris, reacts with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generated by the radiolysis of water to form uranyl peroxide. This article showed that uranyl peroxide was also formed from U₃O₈, which would be generated in the nuclear fuel debris. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that two uranyl peroxides, studtite, and metastudtite, were produced independently on the surface of U₃O₈. This study was supported by the JAEA Nuclear Energy S&T and Human Resource Development Project through concentrated wisdom [grant number JPJA18P18071886]. "

Analysis of Radioactive Cesium-Enriched Particles and Measurement of Their Distribution in Marine Sediment Near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Seiki Ohnishi, Blair Thornton, Toshikazu Koike, Naoteru Odano, Mitsufumi Asami, So Kamada, Kazunori Nagano & Tamaki Ura

Comment from the author: "We are deeply honored and grateful to receive the JNST Most Popular Article Award. We would like to express appreciation to the selection committee and readers. The article, “Analysis of radioactive cesium-enriched particles and measurement of their distribution in marine sediment near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant”, described the distribution and properties of cesium-enriched particles in the sediment near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Our investigation using a remotely operated vehicle revealed that the number of highly cesium-enriched particles was small, and their impact on the broad distribution of contamination is not significant. In addition, electron microscopic analysis of the collected particles showed that the particles are chemically stable and dissolution is small. We hope that through understanding the current situation in the seas around Fukushima, the reconstruction of Fukushima will progress. "

Experimental Evaluation of Sr and Ba Distribution in Ex-vessel Debris under a Temperature Gradient
Ayako Sudo, Takumi Sato, Hiroshi Ogi & Masahide Takano

Comment from the author: "It is our great honor to receive this award, and we are grateful to all the people concerned with our research work. In Nuclear Science Research Institute of JAEA, we have been studying on characteristics of fuel debris to contribute to the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F), by using various high-temperature heating devices such as arc-melting, induction furnace and light-concentrating heating technique shown in our article. The characteristics data, such as chemical form, phase, oxidation/reduction state, macro/microstructure and elemental composition which are obtained from such simulated fuel debris both in-vessel and ex-vessel, are useful for the better understanding of core-melting progress during the severe accident and for the methodology of fuel debris recovery and safe storage. The prize considerably encourages us for further investigation, and we are looking forward to comparing the characteristic data obtained in this study with that of the actual fuel debris sampled from 1F in the near future. "

Transfer of ¹³⁷Cs to web-building spiders, Nephila clavata, and its pathways: a preliminary study using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses
Sota Tanaka, Hotaru Kakinuma, Tarô Adati, Mariko Atarashi-Andoh & Jun Koarashi

Comment from the author: "It’s a great honor to receive the JNST Most Popular Article Award 2022. This study aimed to use of spiders as bioindicators to investigate the transfer of cesium-137 through the food chain in forest ecosystems. Our findings suggest that radiocesium is transferring to predators through various pathways in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through the food chain. This study contributes to the understanding of the behavior of bioavailable radiocesium in forest ecosystems and is expected to aid in predicting its long-term behavior in hilly and mountainous areas of Fukushima. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all those who have cooperated with the investigation so far. Our team will continue to conduct further investigations and publish new findings on the transfer of radiocesium in forest ecosystems. "