Nuclear data activities at the n_TOF facility at CERN

Gunsing, F.*; 原田 秀郎; 木村 敦; n_TOF Collaboration*; 他141名*

European Physical Journal Plus (Internet), 131(10), p.371_1 - 371_13, 2016/10

https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2016-16371-4

Nuclear data in general, and neutron-induced reaction cross sections in particular, are important for a wide variety of research fields. They play a key role in the safety and criticality assessment of nuclear technology, not only for existing power reactors but also for radiation dosimetry, medical applications, the transmutation of nuclear waste, accelerator-driven systems, fuel cycle investigations and future reactor systems as in Generation IV. Applications of nuclear data are also related to research fields as the study of nuclear level densities and stellar nucleosynthesis. Simulations and calculations of nuclear technology applications largely rely on evaluated nuclear data libraries. The evaluations in these libraries are based both on experimental data and theoretical models. CERN's neutron time-of-flight facility, n_TOF, has produced a considerable amount of experimental data since it has become fully operational with the start of the scientific measurement program in 2001. While for a long period a single measurement station (EAR1) located at 185 m from the neutron production target was available, the construction of a second beam line at 20 m (EAR2) in 2014 has substantially increased the measurement capabilities of the facility. An outline of the experimental nuclear data activities at n_TOF will be presented.