High Speed LASER Spectroscopy to Study Radiolytic Byproducts Soon After Generation

R. Ngazimbi¹; B. Mincher²; R. Rodriguez³; B.J. Phillips³; R.V. Fox²; and R.R. Brey¹ (¹Idaho State University - Dept. of Physics/Health Physics Program; ²Idaho National Laboratory; ³Idaho State University - Dept. of Chemistry)

ISU and INL researchers are developing a novel method to measure the evolution of free radicals and other radiolytic byproducts in the very near time frame after their generation. This involves coupling various LASER Spectroscopy techniques to ISU’s 30-MeV fast-pulse LINAC and then producing time varying information about particle evolution post generation. Development of this spectroscopic system to analyze high pressure high temperature water is related to generation IV nuclear reactor technology. ISU has assembled LASER spectroscopy systems to measure the various free radicals and radiolytic byproducts of interest. A high-temperature high-pressure irradiation cell transparent to orthogonal electron and LASER beams was designed and constructed. The LASER spectroscopy systems have been coupled to the ISU 30-MeV short pulse (50 pS and above) LINAC for measurements of radiolytic byproducts as a function of absorbed dose and time post electron pulse delivery. The key to this work was recognized as the effort to synchronize the LINAC pulses with the LASER excitation pulses to produce time dependent information on radiolytic byproducts. This presentation reports the initial progress made in making the measurement of radiolytic by-products using this spectroscopy system.

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